Ramadan 07 1435 Al-Basit (The Extender) “Your Lord expands the provision of anyone He wills and restricts it. He is aware of and sees His servants.” ( Surat al-Isra’:30) Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, is Al-Basit, the Extender. He grants spiritual and material abundance to those who believe in Him and who obey Him wholeheartedly, and removes the difficulties they face. When we encounter any hardship, poverty, or sickness, we should seek refuge in Allah, and as a reward for this, He may ease our situation. He has the ability to increase or decrease provision as He wills. Allah tells us in the Qur’an regarding the giving of charity: “Who is he that will lend to Allah a goodly loan so that He can multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah that increases and decreases. And to Him will be your return.” ( Surat al-Baqarah:245) He, all praises and glory be to Him, can also restrict provision to whom He wills. The Qur’an provides many examples about this issue. For example, the Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, and the Children of Israel were forced to leave Egypt due to Pharaoh’s oppression. Pharaoh followed them and the Children of Israel were caught between Pharaoh’s army and the sea, and thought they would perish. But Allah answered Prophet Musa’s call, and divided the waters making a dry path so they could escape. Allah also destroyed Pharaoh and his army, and made the Children of Israel their inheritors. Here we see that Allah, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, restricted the situation of Pharaoh and extended the situation of the Children of Israel. This is because Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, is Al-Basit, the Extender, the One who extends provisions as He wills, and to Him is our final return. Al-Batin (The Inward) “He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him) the Most High (nothing is above Him) and al-Batin (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of every thing.” (Surah Al-Hadid:3) Look around you at the room you are in. Everything you see has been designed and made by someone: the door, the table, a picture hanging on the wall, the computer, the window, and so on. Now look through the window at the trees, the sun, the sky, flying birds, and other people. If it is night, you can also see the stars and the moon. Knowing that everything in the room has been made, is it not clear that everything around you has also been designed? If you cannot claim that a picture hanging on the wall was made by coincidence, then you also cannot claim that the sun, stars, and the moon are the result of coincidence. Everything you see on earth and in the sky has a designer, producer, and creator. Our Lord, Who created everything with great artistry, introduces Himself to us through His creation. When you look through the window you cannot see Him. However, Allah’s existence, power, and artistry is clearly seen in His creation. This is the meaning that the Beautiful Name al-Batin conveys to us. His existence and control is clear in every corner of the universe, yet no one can see Him unless He wills otherwise: “Eyesight cannot perceive Him, but He perceives eyesight. He is the All-Penetrating, the All-Aware.” ( Surat al-An‘am:103) Adh-Dharir (The Manifest) “Have they not looked at the sky above them: how We structured it and made it beautiful, and how there are no fissures in it? And Earth: how We stretched it out and cast firmly embedded mountains onto it and caused luxuriant plants of every kind to grow in it?” (Surah Qaf:6-7) “Have they not looked at the birds above them, with wings outspread and folded back? Nothing holds them up but the All-Merciful. He sees all things.”( Surat al-Mulk:19) “Verily it is Allah Who causes the seed grain and the fruit stone to split and sprout. He brings forth the living from the dead, and it is He Who brings forth the dead from the living. Such is Allah, then how are you deluded away from truth? He splits the sky at dawn, and appoints the night as a time of stillness and the Sun and the Moon as a means of reckoning. That is what the Almighty, the All-Knowing has ordained. He has appointed the stars for you so you might be guided by them in the darkness of the land and sea. We have made the Signs clear for people who have knowledge.” ( Surat al-An‘am, 6:95-97) The signs of Allah’s existence are spread throughout the universe, and are evident for all people of understanding. From the simplest to the most complex, all systems reveal a network of miracles that present even more mysteries as one makes an in-depth analysis. When we recognize Allah’s greatness through His manifest signs in His creation, we feel an inner awe towards our Creator. This is a recognition of Him as Adh-Dharir, the Manifest. Seventh Juz’ What Surahs and ayat are included in the Seventh Juz’? The seventh juz’ of the Qur’an contains the last part of Surah Al-Ma’idah, from ayah 82, and the first part of Surah Al-An’am up to verse 110. When were the ayat of this juz’ revealed?: The verses of Surah Al-Ma’idah were largely revealed in the early years after the Muslims migrated to Madinah, when the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was striving to create unity and peace among a diverse collection of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian city-dwellers and various nomadic tribes. The latter part of this juz’, in Surah Al-An’am, were actually revealed in Makkah prior to the migration to Madinah. Although these verses pre-date the ones before it, the logical argument flows. After discussion of earlier revelations and relationships with People of the Book, the arguments now turns to paganism, and the pagans’ rejection of the Unity of Allah. From the Virtues of Surah Al-An’am Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with Him, said: “All of Surat Al-An’am was revealed in Makkah at night, accompanied by seventy thousand angels, raising their voices in glorification of Allah.” (Recorded in At-Tabarani 12:125) Select Quotations “Oh you who believe! Make not unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, and transgress not. Verily, Allah does not like the transgressors.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:87) “Say: ‘Shall I take as a guardian any other than Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? And it is He Who feeds but is not fed.’ Say: ‘Verily, I am commanded to be the first of those who submit. “And be not you of the idolaters.” (Surat Al-An’am 6:14) “And We send not the Messengers but as givers of glad tidings and as warners. So whosoever believes and does righteous good deeds, upon them shall come no fear, nor shall they grieve. But those who reject Our Ayat, the torment will strike them for their rebelling.” (Surat Al-An’am 6:48-49) “Such is Allah, your Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him (alone). And He is the Guardian over all things. No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Subtle, All-Aware with all things.” (Surat Al-An’am 6:102-103) What are the main themes of this juz’? The continuation of Surah Al-Ma’ida follows in the same vein as the first part of the Surah, detailing issues of dietary law, marriage, and criminal punishments. Muslims are advised to avoid intoxicants, gambling, sorcery, superstitions, breaking oaths, and hunting in the Sacred Precinct (Makkah) or during pilgrimage. Muslims should write their wills, witnessed by honest people. Believers should also avoid going to excess, making lawful things unlawful. Believers are instructed to obey Allah, and obey the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him. The beginning of Sura Al-An’am picks up the topic of Allah’s creation, and the many signs of Allah which are present for those who are open-minded. Many previous generations rejected the truth brought by their Prophets, despite the evidence of truth in Allah’s creation. Ibrahim (Abraham) peace be upon him, was a prophet who tried to teach those who worshipped false gods. A series of Prophets after him continued to teach this truth. Those who reject faith wrong their own souls, and will be punished for their blasphemy. Unbelievers say that the believers listen to “nothing but tales of the ancients” (6:25). They ask for proofs and continue to reject that there is even a Judgment Day. When the Hour is upon them, they will call out for a second chance, but it will not be granted. Ibrahim and the other Prophets gave “reminders to the nations,” calling upon people to have faith and leave false idols. Some chose to believe, and others rejected. The Qur’an was revealed to bring blessings and to “confirm the revelations that came before it” (6:92). The false gods that pagans worship will be of no use to them in the end. The juz’ continues with reminders of Allah’s bounty in nature: the sun, moon, stars, rain, vegetation, fruits, etc. Even animals (6:38) and plants (6:59) follow the laws of nature that Allah has written for them, so who are we to be arrogant and reject faith in Allah? As hard as it is, believers are asked to bear the rejection of unbelievers with patience and not take it personally (6:33-34). Muslims are advised not to sit with those who ridicule and question faith, but just to turn away and give advice. In the end, each person is responsible for his or her own conduct, and they will face Allah for judgment. It is not for us to “watch over their doings,” nor are we “set over them to dispose of their affairs” (6:107). In fact, Muslims are advised not to ridicule or hate the false gods of other faiths, “lest they out of spite, revile Allah in their ignorance” (6:108). Rather, believers should leave them be, and trust that Allah will ensure fair judgment for all
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 12:42:35 +0000
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