حزب: 11

This is an evidence that it is forbidden to them forever, the scholars said: It is forbidden to them permanently and not only for forty years because they did not walk on the path of guidance, although they were with Moses and Aaron (PBUT), who died in the distraction land.

When the Children of Israel refused to fight, Musa (PBUH) became very angry with them and supplicated to Allah (swt) against them.

This is an impolite reaction towards Allah (swt) to say to Moses (PBUH): Go and fight with your Lord, then when you win we will enter with you.

Two men who feared Allah (swt) advised their people that if they entered through the gate, they will overcome the strong people if they rely on Allah (swt). Definitely, no one rely on Allah (swt) unless he is faithfully believing in Him (swt) and that:

  مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَا ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ

(No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being – indeed that, for Allah, is easy -) (Al-Hadeed: 22)

And you have to take the reasons then to rely on Allah (swt). The Prophet (saws) said:

“Tie it and rely (upon Allah)[1].”

 

[1] Sahih Muslim, Book of Zuhd, Chapter of: The Believer is All good, Hadith No. 2999.

They refused to enter the Holy Land because of the strong people within it, they wanted to get the gains without any efforts.

(… الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ …) (…which Allah has assigned to you …): That is, it is obligatory for you to enter this Holy Land. Here the promise to enter is legislative and not a definite fact. And we can clarify the legislative will by Allah’s saying:

 }وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ آمِنً{

(And whoever enters it shall be safe.) (Ali-Imran: 97)

This is legislative, for many incidents occur inside the Haram, such as cases of theft, and what is meant here: You must secure those who enter the Haram.

(  وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوا عَلَىٰ أَدْبَارِكُمْ فَتَنقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ … ) (and do not turn back [from fighting in Allah ‘s cause] and [thus] become losers …): Had it been a certain fact, they would not have turned back because nothing can act against Allah’s will.

The gratitude of the favour is by mentioning it and complying with the order of the Giver and not using his grace in His disobedience. Whereas, taking the favour and disobeying the One who gives it to you, then this is denial on your part. Allah (swt) expresses the many blessings with the word favour.

(  إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنبِيَاءَ وَجَعَلَكُم مُّلُوكًا وَآتَاكُم مَّا لَمْ يُؤْتِ أَحَدًا مِّنَ الْعَالَمِينَ… ) (when He appointed among you prophets and made you possessors and gave you that which He had not given anyone among the worlds): That is, whenever they got astray, He (swt) sent them a prophet to bring them back to straight path. Hence, among the favours is the abundance of prophets and messengers that were sent to the people of the Children of Israel since Jacob (Ya’qob) (PBUH) and his sons, until Jesus (‘Issa) (PBUH).

 

The Messenger is Muhammad (saws) and the speech is directed to the people of Scripture.

(… عَلَىٰ فَتْرَةٍ مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ …) (…after a period [of suspension] of messengers,…): The period of suspension is about 600 years.

(… مَا جَاءَنَا مِن بَشِيرٍ وَلَا نَذِيرٍ …) (…“There came not to us any bringer of good tidings or a warner.”…): The good tiding about the Paradise and the warning about the Hellfire.

(  وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ … ) (And Allah is over all things competent): Everything is under Allah’s absolute ability since He (swt) is the Creator and the decreed matters by His word (Be):

 فَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(and when He decrees a matter, He but says to it, “Be,” and it is.) (Ghafer: 68)

This does not mean that all the Jews and the Christians said that, rather some of them, the evidence of this is what the believing man from the family of Pharaoh said as the Holy Quran mentions:

 يَا قَوْمِ لَكُمُ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ ظَاهِرِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ

(O my people, sovereignty is yours today, [your being] dominant in the land.) (Ghafer: 29)

It is well known that it is not possible for sovereignty to be for all people, but for some people, so some Jews and Christians said:

(… نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ …) (…“We are the children of Allah and His beloved.…): Allah (swt) replied to their claim:

(… بَلْ أَنتُم بَشَرٌ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ …) (…Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. …): The humans are subjected to either forgiveness or to punishment and no one whoever can flee from the destiny that Allah (swt) wills.

(  وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ … ) (… And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination ): Here, the verse indicates the illimitation of His (swt) will, because as long as He (swt) possesses what is between the heavens and the earth and He (swt) owns the destiny, then He (swt) has the complete dominion and free will to torture or forgive all human beings without exception, so we cannot say: We are Allah’s beloved (swt) and we are such and such, as the Jews said and made themselves the distinguished nation among the rest of the peoples. All human beings are subject to His will (swt) and are subject to torment and forgiveness from Him, The Owner and Controller of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, and to Him is the destiny and fate.  

Certaily, The Christ, son of Mary, (PBUH) is one of the servants of Allah (swt), and one of His creation, and if Allah (swt) has willed to destroy Christ, the son of Mary, or his mother or everyone on the earth, then who could prevent Him? All creatures belong to Him and He is able to do what He wills, He is not asked about what He does by His power, authority, justice and greatness.

Allah (swt) guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darkness into the light. The light of values is related to inner peace, and inner peace is not experienced by man while he is surrounded by grief, calamities and trials:

 وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ

(And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient,) (Al-Baqara: 155)

A person lives in an inner concern when he thinks about those persons surround him as his father, mother, brother, neighbours and when the disease strikes him, he thinks that he will die and be thrown under the dirt, so he feels distress. He always lives in the concern of disease and in the concern of sustenance, and if he has authority, he lives in the concern of how to keep his authority. So his whole life revolves within the circle of trials, and no one can say: I will not die, or I will not get sick. Allah (swt) says:

} لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ {

(We have certainly created man into hardship.) (Al-Balad: 4)

Hence, how will a person live at peace with himself? How will he live in the light of knowledge and in the light of values? The answer: He must deal with the issue of anxiety through values, for the Holy Qur’an has eliminated worry and distress, so whoever says that he is a believer in Allah (swt), he must follow the teachings of Allah (swt) to reach true faith in Him (swt); to be certain that nothing harms nor benefits, lower nor raise, connect nor cut, and nothing gives life or death except Allah (swt), and knows that what befell him was not to miss him, and what missed him was not to befall him, and  to remember that if all the people gather to benefit him, they will not be able to benefit him except that which Allah had foreordained for him; and if all of them gather to do harm to him, they will not be able to afflict him with anything other than that which Allah (swt) had pre-destined against him. Accordingly, Allah (swt) has given us light and guidance through the Holy Book, and if a person cannot overcome anxiety, he will not be able to live in peace with himself, and therefore he will not live in peace with others, and his evil will be greater than his good, and we repeat the saying that the call of Islam is a call of good, and faith overcomes anxiety and it makes your certainty in Allah (swt) alone.

There is a Surah in the Holy Qur’an known as the Surah of optimism, it is Surah at-Talaq; because it has eight verses talks about the peacefulness of the humans with himself that dismiss any state of gloomy even if this condition relates to health or death, the eight sentences are:

لَا تَدْرِي لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يُحْدِثُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ أَمْرًا

(You know not; perhaps Allah will bring about after that a [different] matter.) (at-Talaq: 1)

Whatever happens to you, make this sentence a symbol in your life.

  وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا

(And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out) (At-Talaq: 2)

Fearing Allah (swt) makes you a way out of troubles and misfortunes.

 وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ

(And will provide for him from where he does not expect.) (At-Talaq: 3)

Providence is not just in money rather it is in health, knowledge and others.

 وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ

(And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him.) (At-Talaq: 3)

 قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا 

(Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.) (At-Talaq: 3)

 وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْرًا

(And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him of his matter ease.) (At-Talaq: 4)

This light makes you live in inner peace.

 وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يُكَفِّرْ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِ وَيُعْظِمْ لَهُ أَجْرًا

(and whoever fears Allah – He will remove for him his misdeeds and make great for him his reward.) (At-Talaq: 5)

Your grief and hardships will remove your sins and increase your reward.

 سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا

(Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease.) (At-Talaq: 7)

Do these sentences not make the light enter the hearts! Do they not bring man into the peace ways! When man fear Allah (swt) and trust His words, definitely he will live in peace in his inner self and his soul.

(  وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ … ) (and guides them to a straight path…): This is the shortest path to gain Allah’s (swt) pleasure with us which leads to Paradise. The Prophet (saws) said:

“Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it.”[1]

Man goes through patience and gratefulness; indeed faith is two halves, patience and thanking.

[1] Sahih Muslim: The Book of Zuhd and Softening of Hearts, Chapter: The Believer’s Affair Is All Good, hadith No: 2999.

(… قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا) (there has come to you Our Messenger …): The Messenger is the Prophet Muhammad (saws).

(… يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ …) (…making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture …): The Prophet (saws) explained what the Jews used to  alter and hide about the rulings.

(  قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ … ) (There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book.…): The Book is the Holy Qur’an, and it is very clear. If there is darkness and you want to make things clear, you bring a light. It is not a material light like electricity, rather it is the light of values that the Holy Qur’an came with. Allah (swt) called the Holy Qur’an a light; Because it is a book that clarifies and illuminates the darkness of the soul, the darkness of morals and the darkness of values, and this light cannot be material, but rather is a spiritual light.

Some of them said by their tongues that they are Christians but actually their saying did not comply with their acts for they did not stand by Jesus (PBUH) side and did not support him, so they forgot what has revealed to them.

(… فَأَغْرَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ …) (…So We caused among them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection.…): There is difference between animosity and hatred; animosity is interchanging enmity between two parties or persons while hatred may be from one side, that is you may hate a person while he does not know that, or does not feel same towards you. When they forgot a portion of that of which they were reminded, that is they disobey what Jesus (PBUH) has come with, Allah (swt) caused among them animosity and hatred so they divided.

(  وَسَوْفَ يُنَبِّئُهُمُ اللَّهُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ … ) (And Allah is going to inform them about what they used to do.…): That will be on the Day of Resurrection, the day when the scales will be placed and the and the pages are made public.

The Arabic expression in this verse (adding the first word- instead of just add a preposition of (Be) to the second word) reflects the meaning that this act of breaking the covenant is not just one time, rather it is frequently done. So that every letter in the Holly Quran has a meaning and a purpose. Allah in another verse says:

 لُعِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَىٰ لِسَانِ دَاوُودَ وَعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا وَّكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ (78) كَانُوا لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَن مُّنكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُ ۚ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

(Cursed were those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and [habitually] transgressed. (79) They used not to prevent one another from wrongdoing that they did. How wretched was that which they were doing.) (Al-Maaida: 78-79)

So because of their breach of their covenant, Allah (swt) cursed them. As pre-mentioned, the covenant is either the one that was taken from every soul of the children of Adam (PBUH):

 وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَا ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَٰذَا غَافِلِينَ

(And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam – from their loins – their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we have testified.” [This] – lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, “Indeed, we were of this unaware.”) (Al-Baqara: 285)

The way of taking this covenant is unknown, but we believe in it because Allah (swt) has informed us about. Another possible covenant is the faith, which the children of Israel broke by killing and denying the Prophets, as well as causing corruption in the earth and many more of their bad acts which the Zionists do.

(… وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً …) (…and made their hearts hard…): Heart is an organ that pumps blood in the form of impulses, but we are surprised that the Holy Qur’an talks about the heart in a different way:

 إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ

(Indeed in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who listens while he is present [in mind].) (Qaaf: 37)

And does not say: (whoever has a mind). Allah (swt) as well says:

 أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا

(Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?) (Muhammad: 24)

The Prophet (saws) said:

“There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.”[1]

Hence, the mind is the heart is not just a pump of blood, rather it thinks and comprehends.

It was said that the heart is a muscle that pumps blood for two decades, and the world was surprised by one of the great Western scientists when he said: The heart is a center in which there are more than forty thousand nerve centers, and these centers and nerve cells are called the brain of the heart, and it is that which emits emotions, feelings and sensations, and everything that is attached to the body its center is in the brain of the heart. This meaning surprised the world, even the hard-liners in non-religious extremism and those who do not believe in Allah (swt). It surprised them that the heart is what makes sense and not the mind, and it is the heart that transmits the required information, and when they transferred the heart of one person to another, the person changed as if he was the owner of the heart from which he was transferred. The heart, these forty thousand neurons located in the heart are responsible for feelings, emotions and …. You reason with the heart, and love with the heart, and the heart becomes hard and soft, and the heart feels and becomes blind, as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, and as it mentioned in the Hadith of the Prophet (saws). This was one of the latest miracles that happened to tell people: It is not the mind that is responsible, but the heart.

(… وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً …) (…and made their hearts hard…): Allah (swt) made their hearts grow hard and the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning. The Prophet (saws) said:

“When the believer commits sin, a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents and gives up that sin and seeks forgiveness, his heart will be polished. But if (the sin) increases, (the black spot) increases. That is the Ran that Allah mentions in His Book: “Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn.”[2]

The “Ran” is on their hearts not in their minds.

(… يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ …) (…They distort words from their [proper] usages …): Among the most things that the Jews did is distorting words from their proper usages, and this is very serious in the heavenly laws. Distortion is either distorting the words of Allah (swt), or distorting their interpretation as the extremist enemies of Islam did when they killed in the name of the Qur’anic verses, whereas the Holy Qur’an has forbidden killing, and we cannot refer to a verse out of its context from the Holy Qur’an and say: This verse is a ruling. Rather, we must refer to everything related to the Holy Qur’an starting from the reasons for its revelation, the rulings of the Arabic language, the rules of interpretation, the actions of the Prophet (saws), and his biography, and the way his companions understood the verse.

(… وَنَسُوا حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ …) (…and have forgotten a portion of that of which they were reminded. …): That is, what was revealed to them from the Torah, and forgetting is due to the inability to comprehend, or lack of interest, and this forgetting leads to concealment, and this concealment leads to distortion as the Jews did with the Torah. Hence, forgetting here is not in the form that we think, but rather it indicates lack of interest.

(… وَلَا تَزَالُ تَطَّلِعُ عَلَىٰ خَائِنَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنْهُمْ …) (…And you will still observe deceit among them, except a few of them.…): When the Prophet (saws) went to Banu al-Nadir and they brought a rock to throw it at him, Allah (swt) told him about their betrayals by Gabriel (PBUH). But there are many betrayals other than that, that is why Allah (swt) says: (except a few of them). Although the talk about the attempt to kill the Prophet(saws), Allah (swt) says:

(… فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاصْفَحْ …) (…But pardon them and overlook [their misdeeds]…): There is a difference between forgiving and overlooking the misdeeds; forgiveness is to pardon someone when he commits a crime or assault, that is, you nullify the punishment he deserves for his crime. As for overlooking the misdeeds, meaning that you erase this act from your heart, this is the meaning of Allah’s (swt) saying:

 وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good;) (Ali-Imran: 134)

(  إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ … ) (Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.…): So the doers of good are the ones who know the meaning of forgiveness, a person may pardon, but he does not forgive, but the benefactor is the one whose heart knows forgiveness, and he can erase this trace from himself as Allah (swt) says:

 ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ

(Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.) (Fussilat: 34)

[1] Sahih al-Bukhari: Book of Belief, Chapter of Chapter: The superiority of that person who leaves all doubtful things for the sake of his religion, Hadith No. 52.

[2] Sunan ibn Majah: Book of Zuhd, Chapter: Sins, Hadith No. 4244.

Who are the “children of Israel”? They are the sons of Jacob (Ya’qup) (PBUH) and Jacob is the father of Joseph (Yusuf) (PBUH), who had twelve Descendants (Assbat) – the grandsons-  and Jacob is a descendant of Isaac (Isshaq) (PBUH), whose father is Abraham (Ibrahim)  (PBUH). The Descendants are twelve, and each of them formed an offspring as a specific tribe, so when Allah (swt) says:

(… وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا …) (…and We delegated from among them twelve leaders.…): That is, for every Descendant (Subt) there is a leader, who leads the believe and religious work, not only concern with the material matters.

(… وَقَالَ اللَّهُ إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ …) (…And Allah said, “I am with you. …): I am with you, I support you, I have mercy on you, I forgive you, and I admit you to Paradise, in case:

(… لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَاةَ وَآمَنتُم بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا …) (. If you establish prayer and give zakah and believe in My messengers and support them and loan Allah a goodly loan,.. ): Establishing prayer is not the same as performing prayer. Establishing prayer with its conditions and pillars, with the presence of the heart and reverence when standing before the Creator (swt). Prayer is a relation with the Creator and a connection with the creation as well, that is, you must adhere to all moral values with the creation of Allah (swt) that all the heavenly messages brought.

(… وَآتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَاةَ …) (…and give zakah …): Allah (swt) regulates the economic movement of people, and giving zakat is the second pillar of Islam. He (swt) wants zakat to be a deed, not just a payment, Allah (swt) says:

 قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ (1) الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ (2) وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ (3) وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ

(Certainly will the believers have succeeded: (2) They who are during their prayer humbly submissive (3) And they who turn away from ill speech (4) And they who are observant of zakah) (Al-Muminoon: 1-4)

The act of zakat means that you work according to your ability and not according to your needs. If you work as much as you can, you serve people by your zakat.

(… وَآمَنتُم بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ …) (…and believe in My messengers and support them …): No faith without Believing in the Messengers of Allah (swt). The Children of Israel killed a lot of Prophets.

(… وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا …) (…and loan Allah a goodly loan,…): A good loan is a loan which is not followed up with reminders of it or by an injury, for with this loan you are aiming to please of Allah (swt), The rich, whose properties are endless, rather than His creation. What is meant here by a loan are alms and gifts that a person must make towards widows, the needy, orphans, the poor, the needy and those with needs in societies.

(… لَّأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ …) (…I will surely remove from you your misdeeds and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow.…): When you do what was mentioned above, the reward will be by two things: Erase the sins and cover them, second, admit you to Gardens under which rivers flow in Paradise.

(  فَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ … ) (But whoever of you disbelieves after that has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way.”…): That is, after all the clear signs come, and after the Messengers come, whoever disbelieves after that among you has strayed from the path that leads to the gardens of eternity.

Definitely, when Allah (swt) addresses the believers, He talks about obligations of faith; because of the covenant between the believers and their Lord is the covenant of faith, that is they believed in Allah (swt) being The Creator, The life-giving and the Life-Taker …..; So they have to abide by this covenant.

(… اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ …) (…remember the favor of Allah upon you): Here Allah (swt) talks about a certain favour, as explained before, the Muslim should always remember The Giver with every favour:

(… إِذْ هَمَّ قَوْمٌ أَن يَبْسُطُوا إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَكَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ …) (…you when a people determined to extend their hands [in aggression] against you, but He withheld their hands from you; …): That was when the Jews of Banu an-Nadir wanted to throw a big stone on the Prophet (saws) but the angel Gabriel (PBUH) informed him (saws) of that and warned him of this plot of the Jews and Allah (swt) withheld their aggression.

(  وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ … ) (and fear Allah. And upon Allah let the believers rely.): With these blessings, piety is required, that is fearing Allah (swt); doing all the goods, complying with the commands of Allah (swt) and refraining from what He forbade. The human being has organs and each was created for a purpose, for example, the heart is the place of reliance on Allah (swt), and the hand is created for work and the feet for striving, so do not be lazy about striving on the pretext that you rely on Allah (swt), but you have to work and take the reasons for progress and strength, in addition to rely on Him (swt), Allah (swt) says:

 وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رِّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ وَآخَرِينَ مِن دُونِهِمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِن شَيْءٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ

(And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.) (Al-Anfal: 60)

Hence, you have to follow the reasons and the ways that Allah (swt) has specified for you in in this life, after that you rely upon Him in your hearts.

 

This is Allah’s justice, and His wisdom and fair judgment, for He is The Judge, The Just and the Wise.

People are subject to changes, today anyone may promise you with something but tomorrow he may die or becomes unable to fulfil his promise, but when Allah (swt), The Living, The The Ever-Sustaining, The Able … His promise certainly will be fulfilled.

(… الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ …) (…promised those who believe and do righteous deeds …): Allah (swt) does not refer just to faith, rather it is followed by doing righteousness, that is the practical application of faith reflected by doing what is allowed and avoid what is forbidden.

(  لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ… ) (for them there is forgiveness and great reward …): Allah (swt) has prepared forgiveness for the repentant servant, followed by the great reward, which is the meeting with Allah (swt) in the gardens of bliss. 

The divine commands and the duties of faith come based on a faith covenant, for Allah (swt) when He says: “O you who have believed” Then a faith mission will come; Because as long as you believe that He is the Creator and that the return to Him means Heaven or Hell, then you have to comply with the divine duties, but when Allah (swt) says: “O people,” after it, general issues for all human beings are mentioned.

In this verse there are two commands: To be persistently standing firm for Allah and witnesses in justice. Allah (swt) has demanded that man should work according to his ability and not according to his need, however, there is a difference between them; if he works according to his ability, he serves others, while if he works according to his need, he works just for himself. So working according to one’s ability makes room for others, there would be money to be paid as alms and expenditures that benefit people, and this confirms the meaning of the concept of divinely supportive movements.

(… كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ …) (…be persistently standing firm for Allah …): Just as when He (swt) prevents you from stealing from someone else’s money, He prevents others from stealing from you, and just as He (swt) prevents you from committing adultery, He prevents others from committing fornication with your relatives. Thus, it is a mutually supportive movement in society; when you comply with the commands of Allah (swt), when you give the poor, the needy and the orphans their rights. Hence, you are dealing with Allah (swt) and not with His creation, and that is like His saying (swt):

 مَّن ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَقْبِضُ وَيَبْسُطُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

(Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned.) (Al-Baqara: 245)

Actually, you do not loan Allah (swt), but when you give His creation, it is as if you loan Him, so you imagine that you loan a rich man equal to you in wealth, so how about Allah (swt) the Rich, whose treasuries are full and never run out? Dealing rises in society when people apply firmly Allah’s commands, same as all the good deeds that Islam commanded. From this point of view, we ask the following question: Does the benefit of these obligations of faith return to Allah (swt) or to His creation? Definitely to Allah’s creation; because He (swt) does not benefit from our prayers, our zakat, and our alms, so whoever removes harm from the road, it is written to him as charity, whoever smiles in the face of his brother is given charity, this is Islam, so how do they describe it as terrorism and violence?! We refute their lies by asking the following questions: Is Islam a religion of kindness or is it a religion of violence? Is it a religion of giving or a religion of coercion? Is it a religion of compulsion or a religion of choice? Is it a religion of love or is it a religion of hate? Is it a religion of mercy or is it a religion of misery? Clearly, heaven’s mercy could never be a means to people’s misery. Those who accuse Islam did not understand it because they did not read the Holy Qur’an, so how can they know the words of Allah (swt) and its interpretation? And if they had understood His words as they were revealed, they would not have accused Islam of extremism and violence.

(… شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ …) (… witnesses in justice …): What is the connection between being persistently standing firm for Allah, and witnesses in justice? Indeed, you are in front of two matters: The first is to focus on reforming yourself, to be in line with the command of Allah (swt), and the second is to work on reforming others by your witnesses in justice, that is, by removing injustice. As such, when a Muslim is commanded to bear witness to justice on any matter in this worldly life and does not let the hatred of a people prevent him from being just, this reflect goodness on the whole society:

(… وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا …) (…and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just …): We remember the story of the Jew who was accused of stealing the shield of one of the Muslims in the Medina, so Allah (swt) revealed to the Prophet (saws):

  إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَا تَكُن لِّلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا

(Indeed, We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth so you may judge between the people by that which Allah has shown you. And do not be for the deceitful an advocate.) (An-Nisa: 105)

For this reason, justice was the master of the rulings and their foundation that the Prophet (saws) issued during his lifetime, and the caliphs (May Allah be pleased with them) after him, followed his method and his Sunnah. A good example of this is the story of a Coptic Christian who was in Egypt during the reign of Amr Ibn Al-Aas (May Allah be pleased with him) where the son of Amr Ibn Al-Aas competed with the Coptic man who won, but the son of Amr ibn Al-Aas started striking him with a whip saying: “I am the son of the dignified!” This man grieved and suffered greatly, and went out of Egypt to Medina to complain to Omar Ibn Al-Khattab what the governor’s son, Amr Ibn Al-‘As had done, overconfident his justice. Upon this, Omar Ibn al-Khatab wrote to Amr ordering him to travel to him with his son. He came with his son, after Omar investigated the matter, he gave the Egyptian the whip and told him to strike the son of Amr. The man started striking him while Omar was saying, “Strike the son of the illiterates!”. The man struck him, then Omar said to the Egyptian, “Direct it to Amr.” The Egyptian said, “O leader of the believers, it was only his son who struck me and I have settled the score.” Omar said: “He stroke you because of the authority of his father”.

(… اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ …) (….Be just; that is nearer to righteousness …): The phrase of the Holy Qur’an here includes the two sides, for example, you had an opponent who did not believe in Allah (swt), while you believe in Him, and you witnessed the truth, accordingly his rights returned to him. As a result of your testimony, you became closer to piety, and he as well became closer to piety; Because he will say: How great is this Lord who reprimands His loved ones for His enemies, so that both sides got nearer to righteousness. This is the religion of Islam that achieves righteousness with justice and not by force and oppression, and people enter it by justice, mercy and giving. The examples in our Islamic history are very clear, yet some people return every crime on the surface of the earth to Islam, saying: The Muslim scholars, in their books, teach people how to hate, and teach them to ignore the others… Here is the Holy Qur’an, the book of Muslims, which is a source of legislation, telling them:

(… وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ …) (…and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. …): Allah (swt) says to His Prophet (saws) as well:

 فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ (21) لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِرٍ (22) إِلَّا مَن تَوَلَّىٰ وَكَفَرَ (23) فَيُعَذِّبُهُ اللَّهُ الْعَذَابَ الْأَكْبَرَ (24) إِنَّ إِلَيْنَا إِيَابَهُمْ (25) ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا حِسَابَهُم

(So remind, [O Muhammad]; you are only a reminder. (22) You are not over them a controller. (23) However, he who turns away and disbelieves – (24) Then Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment. (25) Indeed, to Us is their return. (26) Then indeed, upon Us is their account.) (Al-Ghashiah: 21-26)

 So who gave these people the right to speak in the name of Islam while they are its enemies and enemies of the nation!! They colluded with the outside world and are trying to distort the image of Islam. Therefore, in our interpretation, in addition to all the rules of jurisprudence and the rules of the sciences of the Holy Qur’an, we set out to analyze instead of just indoctrination, following Allah’s saying:

 أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا

(Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?) (Muhammad: 24)

Definitely, the Islam spread over a lot of the countries in the world through justice and morals, hence the Islamic call concentrates on the behaviors, the Prophet (saws) said:

“I was sent to perfect good behaviors”[1]

 Additionally, Allah (swt) describes His Prophet with the best virtue:

 وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

(And indeed, you are of a great moral character.) (Al-Qalam: 4)

 (  وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ … ) (And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do…): The general command to the believers is to fear Allah, that is the piety, because it is the path to Paradise and it is the goods in all the aspects and Allah (swt) is Acquainted with what you do, whether in public or in secret.

[1] Sunan al-Bayhaqi al-Kubra: Book of Testimonies, Chapter of Good and Noble Behaviors, Hadith No. 20571.

Remembering is the opposite of forgetting. Allah (swt) has created the human being with a memory (The Arabic noun is derived from the verb remember) contained in his brain, this memory picks up the feelings and stores the matters:

 وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ

(And remember your Lord when you forget) (Al-Kahf: 24)

Hence, Remembrance (Dhikr) is the top of worshipping acts. Even that Allah (swt) called the Quran (Dhikr):

 إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ

(Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an (Dhikr) and indeed, We will be its guardian.) (Al-Hijr: 9)

It is called (dhikr); because its reader lives with the words of Allah (swt). Remembrance (dhikr) is recalling Allah’s blessings upon His servants. When a person lives in the blessing of health and in the blessing of sustenance and security, it is as if he were given the keys to the whole world. Blessing lasts by thanksgiving, and thanksgiving is the Remembrance, that is, when a person mentions his Lord, then, he complies with the commands of Allah (swt).

(… وَمِيثَاقَهُ الَّذِي وَاثَقَكُم بِهِ …) (…and His covenant with which He bound you …): The covenant may refer to two matters:

• The covenant of Faith: Because it is a covenant between the servant and his Lord. This is the covenant by which we will enter the Paradise.
• The covenant of )Adh-Dhar) which is indicated in the following verse:

 وَإِذۡ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِيٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمۡ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمۡ وَأَشۡهَدَهُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ أَلَسۡتُ بِرَبِّكُمۡۖ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰ شَهِدۡنَآۚ أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنۡ هَٰذَا غَٰفِلِينَ

(And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam – from their loins – their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we have testified.” [This] – lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, “Indeed, we were of this unaware.”) (Al-A’raf: 172)

Therefore, in every human being there is instinct of faith, the Prophet (saws) said:

“Every child is born with a true faith”[1]

In this instinct there is faith, but it is necessary to send Messengers to learn about Allah (swt), His attributes, majesty and about what is permissible and what is forbidden.

(  وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ … ) (and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of that within the breasts): Allah (swt) is All-Knowing of what is in our hearts, and our actions are according to our intentions. The Prophet (saws) said:

“Actions are only done with intentions, and every man shall have what he intended. Thus he whose emigration was for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose emigration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his emigration was for that which he intended.”[2]

[1] Sahih al-Bukhari: Book of Funerals, Chapter: If a boy becomes a Muslim and then dies, should a funeral prayer be offered for him? Should Islam be explained to a boy? Hadith No. 1292.

[2] Sahih al-Bukhari: Book of Revelation, Hadith No. 1.