سورة : AlFajr

And enter My Paradise that I prepared for my righteous servants.

Meet the other righteous slaves of Allah (swt), who no fear is concerning them, nor will they grieve. Abdullah Ibn Omar (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

(When the believer dies, Allah sends to him two angels with a cloth from the Paradise and fragrance from the Paradise, Saying to him: O’ tranquil soul , come out with the mercy of Allah, fragrance and a Lord Who is not angry; excellent what you have done, so it comes out like the best fragrance of musk one of you may feel in his nose, and in all the sky there are angels saying: Exalted is Allah, today a best fragrance came from the earth, so whenever it passes by doors they open and whenever passes by angels they bless it and Intercede until it is brought to Allah, then the angels prostrate towards Him, saying: O our Lord, this is you slave so-called , we caused him death and You are the well-knowing of him, so He said: Ask him to prostrate, so the soul prostates, then Michael is called , saying to him: Let this soul join the believers’ souls till I ask you about in the day of jusgment.)[1]

[1] Majma’ Az-Zawaed and the Source of Benefits, Book 3, Hadith No. 3932.

O soul of complete rest and satisfaction because of Allah’s remembrance and fear, this soul which is not offended by fear or grief, come back to your Lord, pleased with Allah’s bestowment and well pleasing to Allah (swt).

النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ (Reassured soul): Which is satisfied with Allah (swt)’s curricula. When this soul met the reproaching soul in society then this tranquil soul will be more effective because it is obedient to Allah (swt) and satisfied with what Allah (swt) had willed for it. If prosperity attends it, it expresses gratitude and if adversity befalls it, it endures it patiently, hence, neither richness overwhelms it, nor does poverty offend it.

So, on that Day, none will be punished as severely as his punishment and nobody will be tied the likes of his tying. So no way to escape.

He will wish that he performed good acts of obedience in his worldly life for the sake of this afterlife, which is the real life.

يَا لَيْتَنِي (Oh, I wish): As if he is calling and wishing. To wish is to hope something lovely, no way to have it. Allah (swt) says:

 {وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ}

(And indeed, the home of the Hereafter – that is the [eternal] life, if only they knew.) (Al-Ankaboot: 64)

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:

“Hell will be brought forth on that Day (of Resurrection) having seventy thousand bridles, and with every handle will be seventy thousand angels dragging it”[1]

In that day man will remember the truth but it is too late, the time of remembering has passed so it is useless in the resurrection day. In that day man will remember each of his deeds, he will surely know that he is going to be accounted for any money he has waste and for any food he has withheld. But he cannot mend his ways – it’s too late to return.

[1] Sunan At-Tirmidhi, chapter of description of Hell, Hadith No. 2573.

The angels come respectively in regular rows. This view is over the imagination of humans. The coming of Allah (swt) is not like the coming of humans, but rather we interpret it in the context of Allah’s (swt) saying:

 {لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ }

(There is nothing like unto Him….) (Ash-Shura: 11)

And all the attributes related to Him are not like human characteristics.

دَكًّا دَكًّا (crushed into pieces): The word is repeated twice to emphasize and express the severity of smashing and pounding. Meaning that, when the earth is shaken so that every building above it will be destroyed and vanished even the mountains and hills will become dispersed dust and a flat earth.

Man is created with this fact. Allah (swt) says:

{ الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا}

(Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life.)
(Al-Kahf: 46)

The instinct of love money is a nature found in the human psyche, so that, we find that money is the first of people’s interests, even at comparing, they only look at it; saying this is rich and this is poor and they seldom recognize other blessings. Whereas, good manner is a blessing, eating is a blessing, happiness is a blessing, safety is a blessing, health is a blessing, having children is a blessing….. So we must not look at one angle and leave the others.

The Prophet (saws) said:

“The son of Adam claims: My wealth, my wealth. And he (the Holy Prophet) said: O son of Adam. is there anything as your belonging except that which you consumed, which you utilised, or which you wore and then it was worn out or you gave as charity and sent it forward?”[1]

This Hadith gives us the true concept of money. It is preserved if spent through charity and good deeds. Allah (swt) says:

 لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا ۖ وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

(Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.) (Al-Baqara: 177)

If the man changes his concept of money, his movement in life will change.

 

[1] Sahih Muslim: Book of Pertaining to Piety and Softening of Hearts, hadith No: 2958.

أَكْلًا لَّمًّا (devouring with greed): devouring everything they find, they do not care whether it is lawful (Halal) or forbidden (Haram) and devour what belongs to them and to others. That is because they used to forbid their sisters and their children from inheritance.

Until now, forbiddance of inheritance is a prevailed scourge in a lot of societies.

The one who collects money out of consuming inheritance, this money will be a trial and an insult to him, and it is not expected of him to consume it lawfully because he has taken his right and his family’s right and has not taken into consideration what is lawful and what is forbidden.

Therefore, those who have no money are better than those who have it if will lead to their destruction. Sometimes deprivation is an honour itself so we have to correct our view to money as Allah (swt) has taught us so that we live in this world upon guidance.

كَلَّا (But No!): It is used for forbidding and scolding. The misunderstanding is corrected.

بَل (But): comes close to the matters of spending and giving because they are the most important ones. As if Allah (swt) is saying to those who claim that wealth means honour: Have you given any amount in return against the money I have honoured you with? Have you treated the orphan with kindness? Have you fed the poor? These are two images of misery and deprivation which Allah (swt) commanded the wealthy people to remove form life. For that, the Messenger Muhammad (saws) said:

“The best house among the Muslims is the house in which orphans are well treated. The worst house among the Muslims is the house in which orphans are ill treated. I and the guardian of the orphan will be in the Garden like that,” indicating his two fingers.”[1]

Hence, having money is not the hounour, rather, it is spending of the money for the sake of orphans and the poor as Allah (swt) commanded.

[1] Kinz Al-Ommal: Juz’ 3, Hadith No. 5994, Guardian of the orphan: Who spends for him.

Allah (swt) gives us two images in life. An image of a man who is given abundant provisions, so he thinks it is an honor and says “My Lord has honored me.”, and an image of a man with straitened means of life, so he thinks it is an evil and says: “My Lord has humiliated me!”.

Allah (swt) is correcting the concepts by saying that widening livelihood and increasing money are not signs of honor, on the other hand, withholding sustenance is not an indication of humiliation. Hence, Allah (swt) says after that: (But No!). Because by that misunderstand then you mix between two matters; the test and the result, as giving wealth and increasing provision is a trial as well as curtailing provisions and wealth is a trial. So, both of them are equal in balance, one cannot be preferred on another unless by the results.

Therefore, honouring and humiliating are related to your behaviour and your success in the test. So, pondering upon these two verses, we find that the two matters are trials.

Allah (swt) knows their actions and movements and He is waiting in ambush since Allah (swt) watches over His creation nothing is hidden from Him, not absent from Him is an atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth. Every action is accounted, Allah (swt) punishes in this life or in the Hereafter as He wills.

When the Holy Qur’an tells us about something, it gives it universality in expression and consequences:

 {الَّذِينَ طَغَوْا فِي الْبِلَادِ (11) فَأَكْثَرُوا فِيهَا الْفَسَادَ (12) فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ }

([All of] whom oppressed within the lands. (11) And increased therein the corruption. (12) So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment. (13))

Oppression means exceeding the limits and everything has a due measure. Hence, when it is over the limits then it becomes an aggression. However, wherever there is an oppressor there is an oppressed and wherever there is exploitation there is an exploited.

Therefore, transgression is a kind of compound corruption because when the weak is left without any help then this is an oppression. As for that nations when they reached that degree of rebellion, transgression and corruption which required their destruction, Allah (swt) sent them a severe punishment and seized them with a seizure of one Exalted in Might and Perfect in Ability.

As if the corruption is connected with rebellion. Allah (swt) is never pleased with corruption therefore He puts an end to it to prevent it from spreading in the lands.

 {إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ }

(Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.) (Al-Qasas: 77)

This verse deals with the error in the standards of people when they receive the commands of Allah (swt). They took the orders, denied them, and even did the opposite of them, and as a result of their huge constructions they increased in tyranny.

Allah (swt) mentioned one scourge of these people that they transgressed in the lands. Allah (swt) did not censure them for their buildings and civilization rather He censured them for their transgression and arrogance with their material progress.

Allah (swt) has allowed us to take the causes of progress and advancement and to contrive from the secrets of existence what makes us in prosperity, grace and luxury, but within the limits that Allah (swt) has made lawful to us.

The stakes are used to fix something in the ground. There are various explanations about it, among them is that it refers to Pharaoh’s soldiers who used to nail the people (up) on pegs. Another explanation is that it indicates the Pyramids which look like the fixed stakes. Or it refers to Pharaoh’s armies who enforced his commands for him, this is why it is used to be said about the person who has power in land: He has fixed stakes in it.

Thamud had hewed in the mountains, houses and palaces which indicates their advanced skill.

Meaning, there had been none created like them in their land, due to their strength, power and their great civilization.