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13-12-2024
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Interpretation of the Quran- Surat Al-Fajr (89)- Lesson (2)- Verses [15-30]: Description of the people of Jannah and the people of Hellfire
   
 
 
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful  
 

Allah's love cannot be measured by the worldly life standards:

 Dear brother, in our last lesson we arrived at the following ayaat:

“Now, as for man, when his Lord tries him giving him honour and gifts, then he says, (puffed up): "My Lord has honoured me."
But when He tries him, restricting his subsistence for him then he says (in despair): "My Lord has humiliated me."
Nay, nay! But you honour not the orphans!”

(Al-Fajr, 89:15-17)

 Their meaning can be better clarified with the help of the meaning of the word "nay". The word "nay" is not the opposite of "yes", as some understand it, but it functions as an article of deterrence and inhibition. When someone asks if you are hungry, and you say "no", the word "no" is merely negative here; but when someone asks you if you are guilty, and you say "no", you deter them from this way of thinking about you. Thus, Allah the Exalted and Glorious says in this ayah:

“As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and bounties, then he says (puffed up): "My Lord has honoured me."

 This is what he says and thinks, what he imagines.

Wealth granted by Allah is not an honour but a probation tool:

 This means that when Allah preordains for somebody abundant wealth, good health, excellent wife, many children –males and females, prosperous business, high income, or a remarkable social status, and the like, it may be thought that such people have been honored by Him. No, this isn't an honour, because Allah Most High gives the good things of this life to both whom He loves and to whom He doesn't. The worldly life cannot be a norm or a gauge of Allah's Love. Let everyone see for themselves whether Allah honored His Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or disgraced him when He withheld from him the luxuries and pleasures of this fleeting life. He who says that Allah disgraced him is a big liar. And so is he who says that Allah honored him, and thus disgraced the sh3er by having denied them the blessings of this life. In other words, if Allah has given someone wealth and this person spends two hundred thousand pounds on travelling around the world, saying that Allah loves him because He has let him see His Dominion –this person is in the wrong, is under strong delusion. What, then, clarifies this ayah? It is "nay". Allah the Exalted and Glorious deters this person from saying such things.
 As far as the word "trial" is concerned, money can be the means of putting us to the test. Somebody poor might imagine that if Allah had given him money, he would be doing good deeds at any time and place, but in fact, if Allah let him get his wish, he would give away just a little. In other words, he would become stingy. So money is not an honor but probation; that is, man is tested by means of money, and the result of this test depends on his nature. If it is good, he will be good and generous; if it is otherwise, he will be miserly and insolent. The following was mentioned in the noble ahadith:
 The rich will be categorized into four groups on Doomsday: those who earned their money illicitly and spent it illicitly –and it will be said: Take them to Hell; those who earned their money licitly, but spent it illicitly—on transgression –and it will be said: Take them to Hell; those who earned it illicitly (ran a cabaret or practiced usury) and spent it licitly —got married or bought a house; and it will be said: Take them to Hell (as long as there is something illicit, Hell is the assured destiny); and finally those who earned their money licitly and spent it licitly. They will be asked whether they were careful with their salah? Whether they used to show off on account of their money? Whether, perhaps, their neighbours said: "Our Lord, You enriched them but they neglected us (our rights)." The Prophet said then:

"And such a one will be asked and asked endless questions, until he leaves them, having given up…"

“As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and bounties, then he says (puffed up): "My Lord has honoured me."

 He tried him with money; what did he do with it? Did he use it to bring himself nearer to Allah or to provide for his family?
 The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"He is not of us whom Allah made rich but he stinted his family (of their share)."

[Musnad ash-Shihab, from Aisha]

 Or did he spend his money lavishly, wastefully, intending to impress sh3er? Did he bring himself nearer to Allah by means of this money? As Sayyidina Abu Dharr said: "How nice is the money with which I preserve my honour and bring myself nearer to my Lord."

The money we own is a deposit:

 When disbelievers withhold their money, they do that out of meanly and niggardly reasons; and when they spend it, they are profligate and extravagant. Money is not an honour but a test; you are entrusted with it. A bedouin grazing his camels was asked to whom they belonged. He said: "To Allah, but they are in my hand." It was said: "This is the briefest answer in the Arabic language."
 So, you haven't the complete ownership over what you have in your hand. It belongs to Allah. What He gives and what He takes is a trial so that He can see what you do with it; whether you choose to spend it on pleasures or on pious acts. The ways of spending money on good causes are countless. There has been no better slave of Allah's than the one who gives comfort to another:

"Give, and you will be given."

[Transmitted by Abu Huraira]

"O Bilal! Give and don't fear the decrease from the Lord of the Throne."

[at-Tabarani, from Ibn Masud]

“Who is he that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan, which Allah will double unto his credit an multiply many times?...”

(Al-Baqarah, 2: 245)

 You are put to the test by means of your money –one dirham spent sincerely is better than a hundred thousand spent insincerely.
 If Allah gave you a lot of money, what would you do with it? Would you travel around the world, spending hundreds of thousands, while some orphaned relatives of yours are in desperate need of a pound? Allah has put you to the test by means of this money but you haven't passed it. And when you hear about a person whose seriously ill son badly needs an operation, and you own the necessary amount of money, will you say: "It's not my business, may the Lord help him." Or will you help him seeking the Pleasure of Allah? And if an argument breaks out between your sister and her poor husband (over expenditure, for example), will you give him or her money to settle it, seeking the Pleasure of Allah? Or you might have an employee whom you try to attract to the deen by offering him a sum of money, thus showing him your appreciation. Allah the Exalted and Glorious says:

“As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and bounties,
then he says (puffed up): "My Lord has honoured me."

Righteous life, healthy life:

 Man is sometimes tested by means of his wife, this gift from Allah. How will he treat her? Will he maltreat her? Will he feel satisfaction because his needs are being fulfilled, entirely ignoring the matters of her deen? Should the fulfillment of his needs by her be his only concern? Or should it also be guiding her to Allah the Great and Almighty? Man is sometimes tested by means of his wife, and sometimes by means of his children. Also, by means of his senses. How did you use your eyes? Did you look at other people's loins or at what displeases Allah? Or do you look at the Signs of Allah to glorify Him? Your ear… Do you listen to Truth or to songs? And sometimes man is tried by means of his intelligence. Will you use it to know Allah or to sow dissension among people? Your hand… Did you use it to help a poor man or to hit somebody? Your legs… Do you walk on them towards obedience to Allah, to a mosque, to the circles where ilm (of the sciences of Islam) is acquired, to visit an ill person; or to commit a sin or incur in disobedience to Allah? Man is also tested by means of his tongue… Will he try to make peace between people or stir up discord and enmity between them; will he use it to gossip, backbite, say obscene things and cheap jokes; or will he use it to remind people about Allah the Great and Almighty?
 I believe, in principle, that anybody who lowered their gaze (avoiding looking at what Allah has forbidden), will not be afflicted by Allah by means of their eyes; or that the tongue of anybody who was frequently busy with remembering (the Name of) Allah, will not be afflicted by Allah; and an ear which listened to Truth and turned away from the falsehood will not be afflicted by Allah. He who has acted in a pious way, will have a healthy life. And the health of he who preserved it when young, will be preserved by Allah in his old age. This is what an old scholar said, who lived to be 97, when asked about his good health –till the very end he was healthy and vigorous, his back straight, his hearing and sight excellent, his teeth as good as ever; he said then: "We took care of it when young, so Allah took care of it in our old age, son." He who acts righteously has a healthy life, and this is reflected in the noble supplication of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

"O Allah make us enjoy our hearing, sight, strength, and reason all throughout our life."

 Man is tried so that his way of acting can be clearly seen. Allah Most High says:

“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed…”

(Al-Mulk, 67:2)

“Do men think that they will be left alone on saying: "We believe," and will not be tested?”

(Al-Ankabut, 29:2)

Allah tests men to distinguish the true from the false:

 A piece of jewellery will be worth no less than three thousand pounds, if it is gold. Yet, if merely golden, or just tin, its worth will be no more than twenty or thirty pounds. Goldsmiths have a touchstone with which they scrape gold. If it leaves a white streak, they know it is not really gold. And thus Allah the Great and Almighty tests the "metals" people are made of (their natures or tempers). As a result, those metals are proved either to be precious or cheap.
 Thus, when the Lord tries man by giving him honours and bounties, man says: "Allah has honored me; He has given me the pleasures of this life –a big house and a lovely wife." Yet, only if the wife is righteous, she is indeed a grace from Allah. If she isn't, and he doesn't try to guide her to the Straight Path, she will simply arouse indignation. We find that most people who possess something in this life think that they have been honoured, and it was to Qarun (Korah) that Allah Most High gave what He hasn't given to anybody else. Allah Most High says:

“Qarun was doubtless, of the people of Moses, but he acted insolently towards them. Such were the treasures We had bestowed on him, that their very keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men. Behold, his people said to him: Exult not, for Allah loves not those who exult (in riches).”

(Al-Qasas, 28:76)

The life of this world is the abode of probation:

 Study deeply the following words because they were pronounced by the Messenger of Allah: "This worldly life is the abode of trials, not of comport; and the abode of sadness, not of happiness."
 And who knows the real nature of this life will not be made happy by the welfare it brings nor will he made sad by its misery. Allah has created it as the abode of probation, and the Hereafter as the Abode of the End (the Final Destination). Furthermore, He wanted the trials in this life to be the cause of happiness in the Hereafter, and the happiness of the Hereafter is the compensation for the trials of this life. He takes to give and tests to reward.
 This is the world of tests, and you, therefore, should realize that you are tested by means of everything you have in your hands –your wife, your money, your hearing, your sight, your reason, etc. Everything is a test…

“As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and bounties, then he says (puffed up): "My Lord has honoured me."

 And yet there are people who are worse than that. Allah Most High says:

“Then did he stalk to his family in full conceit!
Woe to you, (O man!), yea, woe!
Again, woe to you, (O man!), yea, woe!”

(Al-Qiyamah, 75:33-35)

Allah loves the believer who tries to get nearer to Him:

“And he that will be given his Record in his left hand will say: Ah! Would that my Record had not been given to me!
And that I had never realized how my account (stood)!
Ah! Would that (Death) had made an end of me!!
Of no profit to me has been my wealth!
My power has perished from me!
(It will be said): Seize him and bind him!
And burn him in the blazing Fire!”

(Al-Haqqah, 69:25-31)

 Don’t be happy with the money, be happy with what you spend from it in the Cause of Allah; don't be happy with your high standing or prestige, be happy with how the weak benefit from it; don't be happy with your lovely wife, be happy with your wife because she is faithful; don't be happy with the children you are so proud of, be happy hoping they give generously after you depart from this life. If they do, they will be the cause of an unceasing recompense (sadaqah jariyah), whose benefit never comes to an end.
 It is as if Allah were telling us: "O My servants! My gift in this life isn't an honour, it is a test." Why? The reason for it is that this grant will end at the moment of death, so it can't be a gift. For Allah every gift that comes to an end isn't a gift; but to men it is. It is not a gift as long as it ends at the moment of death -health, wife, wealth; everything comes to an end with death.
One of the tycoons, who used to lend money to the British government, had strong rooms for keeping his gold, and he would walk to and from between them, while transporting and storing it. One day he entered one of these rooms, and the door got closed, unintentionally, while he was still inside the strong room. He yelled, and shouted, and screamed for help, but in vain. He starved there to death; he died between the ingots of gold. When dying, he cut his hand and wrote in his blood on the wall (the richest man in the world starved to death) "wealth isn't an honour".
 Allah Most High gave Qarun (Korah) abundant wealth; does this mean that He loved him? Prestige isn't an honour. Allah Mist High gave it to Fir'aun (Pharaoh); did He love him? Whom Allah Most High loves is the believer who gets to know Him and is righteous, following His Orders and doing good, seeking to get nearer to Him.

A whisper from shaytan:

 The second group:

“But when He tries him, restricting his subsistence for him, then he says (in despair): My Lord has humiliated me!”

(Al-Fajr, 89:16)

 It may happen on account of one's low-income which prevents one from eating what one desires, or to wear what one wants, or to live in a place of ones choice. And it prevents one from spending on one's family as one would like to. Then one, inadvertently, comes to think that it was a restriction on the part of Allah, Who wants to humiliate one, and this sort of insinuation or temptation comes from shaytan.
 Two patients were treated by the same doctor. The first one had an incurable disease, his case being hopeless. He was told he could eat whatever he wanted. The second one had severe stomach inflammation, and was ordered to go on a strict diet; he, thus, came to the conclusion that the doctor didn't like him. Poor man! The disease he was suffering from wasn't dangerous, his recovery was almost certain. That's why the doctor constrained him. The servant, thus, thinks himself humiliated by Allah when He restricts his income, makes his health dwindle, or shatters his hopes as regards his children or his wife. He then says:" My Lord has humiliated me!" This is a big misunderstanding; it is entirely wrong. His Lord seems to be saying: "That's what he says! While I want to treat him, to purge him, to honour him, to bring him nearer to Me, and to give him the eternal life in the Hereafter, he says that I humiliate him!" Has the cure ever been considered humiliation? The brake in the car is absolutely necessary to ensure its safety, and such may be the function of an illness, of pain, trouble, sorrow or worry.
 The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"No stumble, no trembling vein, and no scratch by a thorn (happens) but by what you have gained (as consequence of bad deeds), and what Allah forgives is more (than what He punishes)."

[Transmitted by Ibn Asakr, from al-Bara'i]

Allah's treatment should be received with understanding and patience:

 Allah the Exalted and Glorious is free from all needs to torment us, and when He punishes us, it is as a favour, in order to bring us back to Him, and to get us into the Right Path. The worldly life is of no value to Allah. As measured against the Hereafter it is nothing. When a father sees that his son is playing with his toys instead of studying for his exam, he takes the toy away from him and crushes it under his foot. Its value is quite insignificant. He knows, on the other hand, that his son's s future is infinitely more important than the toy. The father does it in order to take the toy out of the way and direct his son's attention to studying.
 Also Allah the Great and Almighty does this, and the supreme paradigm belongs to Allah. When He sees that His servant is deeply attached to something, doting on it, putting it before salah and obedience, then He snatches it away from him as a treatment, not humiliation.
 If someone went downtown, leaving his wallet at home, he then would be forced to return on foot. Does he feel humiliation? No, he has money, but he forgot to take it with him. This isn't humiliation. And when the doctor prohibits his patient certain sorts of food, does the patient think that the doctor has humiliated him? No, he shouldn't. I hope that I have made myself understood.

"My Granting isn't an honour, and My Restriction isn't humiliation. My Granting is a test and My Restriction is a choice (to bring nearer to Me) and a treatment."

 Verily, Allah Most High protects His chosen servants from the problems of the worldly life like a doctor who helps the patient to go on a certain diet. Also, He protects His servants from the snares of the worldly life as the shepherd protects his sheep from the meadow which is for them unhealthy. No one gets afflicted with a trial but as (the result of) two things: a sin that Allah wouldn't have forgiven except on account of one's having gone through this misfortune; or because of a station that one wouldn't have achieved except on account of one's affliction. That is, it is something inevitable. The more your faculty of reasoning develops, the more profound becomes your understanding of your Lord.
 At the dentist's any child cries and screams, and even insults the doctor. An adult, on the other hand, sits calmly, enduring the pain, and after the visit thanks him and pays the fee. Why this kind of behaviour? Because the patient is a grown-up person. The child still lacks this kind of sensibility, is unaware… So, the believer, on being treated by Allah, receives His treatment with understanding, patience and gratefulness.

The iman is composed of patience and gratefulness:

 Scholars inferred another thing from this ayah, namely that faith is twofold: one half of it is patience, the other one being gratefulness. When man is tested by means of blessings, he should be grateful; and when he is tested by means of troubles or misfortunes, he should be patient and say: La haula wa la quwwata illa bi-Allah (there is no power and no strength (ability) but (that which comes) from Allah):

“You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the Final Day, and who remembers Allah much.”

(Al-Ahzab, 33:21)

 The noble Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say when things turned out as he wished:

"Praised be Allah by Whose Grace this good came about."

 In case they didn't, he would say:

"Praised be Allah in every circumstance."

 He also 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 (Allah). Thus there is a good for him in it; and if he goes through hard times and shows resignation (and endures patiently), there is a good for him in it."

[at-Tabarani]

 When the inhabitants of the city of Taif replied in an extremely rude way to his call, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, supplicated in the following way:

"O Allah! I am complaining to You of my weakness, and of the scarcity of (my) resources, and the humiliation at the hands of people. O Most Merciful of the merciful! You are the Lord of the weak, You are my Lord! To whom are You directing me? To an enemy of severe countenance, who has dominion over me? O Allah! I don't care, as long as You are not angry with me, You have the right of admonition till You are pleased, but Your Protection is better for me."

[at-Tabarani]

 When man duly understands the Acts of Allah, his faith increases. Pay attention to these words: He who hasn't learned from the affliction that hit him will find himself in great tribulation, his soul will be in real distress.

 Faith consists of two halves. Patience is one and if it is gone, faith itself is gone; and gratefulness is the other half, and if it is gone, faith is gone.
 Those who say that a blessing is an honour and a restriction is humiliation are wrong. Not in the least. Allah the Great and Almighty rejects their words, their way of thinking and their conviction. He says: "Nay!"

Guardianship of the orphans:

“Nay, nay! But you honour not the orphans!”

(Al-Fajr, 89:17)

 If you are rich, but do not give (sadaqah) to the poor and do not treat orphans properly, your money isn't an honour but a test which demonstrates your reality.

 The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"I and the one who supports orphans are like these…" (indicating his meaning by joining his index and middle fingers)

 And he also said:

"I will be the first to get hold of the ring pulls of (the doors of) Paradise. Suddenly, I will notice a woman competing with me, trying to enter (Paradise) before me. I shall ask: Who is she, O Jibril? He will say: She is a widow who never remarried in order to raise her children."

[Agreed upon]

  Religious scholars have done extensive research on the subject of money and properties of orphans. If well-to-do, their guardians are prohibited to take anything of it, not even the smallest compensation. Furthermore, they mustn't spend on their wards from the money or property itself, but only from the benefits it generates. Moreover, the money should be invested, lest the payment of the zakat should exhaust it. This meaning is mentioned in some ahadith. If the guardian is poor, he is allowed to take what is "just and reasonable". How, according to the scholars, is this to be understood? This means that the guardian can take from the orphan's property (or money) according to the average salary or according to what is needed, whichever is smaller. Let's say, that the average salary is four thousand and what is necessary amounts to two thousand, he should take the latter into account not the former. Or, he invested the money and gained one thousand, the average salary being also one thousand. The need he is supposed to fulfill is two thousand but, here, he should take the amount corresponding to the average salary. Therefore: "Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity…" Repeatedly, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, urged us to take proper care of the orphan.

 Once, during an 'Id, he saw a sad boy, all alone, and asked him what was wrong. The boy said: "Leave me alone, my father died and I haven't anything to wear for 'Id." The Prophet said:

"Would you like Muhammad to be your father and Fatima your sister?" The boy realized that the man talking to him was Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This boy was in the Prophet's care until his death, and Sayyidina as-Siddiq came after him and cared for him, until he died.

 Only Allah knows the (greatness of the) reward for treating the orphan kindly and generously. This is the answer to those who say that Allah gives them money because He loves them, whereas in fact He says: Nay… He gives you and you don't do any good with it; this isn't out of love but for the sake of a test.

The ayah refers to those in power in a given society:

“Nay, nay! But you honour not the orphans! Nor do you encourage one another to feed the poor!”

(Al-Fajr, 89:17-18)

 Why didn't Allah Most High say here "Nor do you feed the poor"? Because "encouraging" has the connotation of social solidarity. It means that if there are people who have starved to death, all the Muslims are guilty of it. There are some rich Arabs who throw away perhaps a fourth of the food prepared for their banquets; and there are, now, people starving to death in Africa. This is, of course, a big sin that the Muslims commit. Scholars say that if one person dies of starvation, all the inhabitants of a town are guilty of this death.

"By Allah, he doesn't believe… by Allah, he doesn't believe… by Allah, he doesn't believe… who eats till he is full and knows that his next door neighbor is hungry."

"- O son of Adam! I was sick and you didn't visit Me!
- O my Lord! How can I visit You when You are the Lord of the all the Worlds?
- My slave so –and- so got sick and you did not visit him. Didn't you know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me near him? And I asked you for food, and you didn't give Me any.
- How can I give You food when You are the Lord of all the Worlds?
- My slave so-and-so asked you for food and you didn't give him any. Didn't you know that if you had given him food, you would have found it with Me?"

[Muslim, from Abu Huraira]

 The Noble Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"The worst kind of food is the food at a feast to which the rich are invited, but not the poor."

[Muslim, from Abu Huraira]

 You sometimes hear somebody say: We had a khamees for (the soul of) our departed father and we invited our relatives and well-off people (khamees means "Thursday ", after the day on which the feast is held). This is not a good deed; just pride and vainglory. If you want to offer food, let the poor partake of it. A virtuous scholar from this city used to offer very simple food at feasts, when his guests were the notables of the city. He would say: "By Allah, they love this food for they never eat the like of it." By contrast, when his guests were the poor, he used to offer delicious and luxurious dishes because they loved this kind of food.
 The gracious Prophet has encouraged us to honor our guests. He said that a guest comes without the need for provision and leaves with the faults of the people of the house (taking them away from them).
 "Encouraging" denotes social solidarity. It implies that if there is a family afflicted with difficulty because of their poverty, the entire town is guilty if it; and that supplying this family with food is a collective duty. If some fulfill it, the rest are exempt; if none, all are guilty… It is as if Allah the Exalted and Glorious replied them: "You consider money an honour, yet you treat the orphans and the poor like this!"

The kinds of ghulul:

"And you devour Inheritance all with greed. "

(Al-Fajr, 89:19)

 It means "eat, or consume, all of it", nothing being left for sh3er.

“And you devour Inheritance all with greed.
And you love wealth with inordinate love!”

(Al-Fajr, 89: 19-20)

 Have you been honoured with wealth?! This is what you claim. Nay! It's just an impediment and a restriction.

“ Nay! When the earth is pounded to powder;”

(Al-Fajr, 89:21)

 The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"Destruction for the one who is a slave of dinar and dirham; destruction for the one who is a slave of garment; destruction for the one who is a slave of their private parts; destruction for him who is a slave of their belly."

 Inheritance is at the root of much discord, of numerous disputes and arguments within families. Everyone wants it for themselves only, depriving the sh3er of their right. Many want to take what is their right and what isn't. The sign of the believer is to be satisfied with their own right, and everything taken from the inheritance before it is distributed fairly is considered as ghulul. It is of two kinds; one –what is taken from the lot before the distribution or allotment; and the other –what is taken from the inheritance, also before distribution. If you take a watch, a carpet, an antique, anything valuable, claiming that it is in the memory of the deceased, this is ghulul.

Standing before Ad-Dayyan, you will not be able to falsify the facts:

“Nay ! When the earth is pounded to powder.”

(Al-Fajr, 89:21)

 "Pounded to powder" (dukkati dukkan dukkan) is not just a statement. It is a complete, finite process; as if you said: "I've read this book chapter after chapter (baban baban) …" This means that you have read it thoroughly; you have been occupied with reading it, absorbed in it.
 That is, on Doomsday:

“We shall set up scale of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least. And if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account); and enough are We to take account.”

(Al-Anbiya, 21:47)

“And your Lord comes, and His angels, rank upon rank; “

(Al-Fajr, 89:22)

 There has been a long research among the scholars, still continued, on the way Allah "comes". Some say it is figurative, as when you say "Allah's Hand is over their hands", which means "the Hand of Power; and "Allah hears their prayers" –this hearing is His Knowledge, not as human hearing. However, "the coming of Allah" in this ayah is as if it was that of somebody really outstanding coming to attend a trial –silence dominates the Court of Justice, and the hearts are throbbing with agitation: "Here comes He Who has power."

“Nay! When the earth is pounded to powder;
And your Lord comes, and His angels, rank upon rank;”

 You might be an eloquent or a talkative man. You can say whatever you want; man can do whatever he wants –he can, lie, cheat, forge, etc. He can appropriate his brother's money, saying: "I love him. I will invest his money for him." He can allege this, but when he stands before the One Who is Ad-Dayyan, he will not be able to forge anything. "And your Lord comes with the angels, rank upon rank" –this is advice. For the sake of Allah, imagine that on the Judgment Day you are standing before Allah, being asked about every act and deed in your life. Imagine He asks you: "Why did you do that?" Will you be able to lie? To commit perjury? Will you be able to say anything incorrect?

The kafir treats Allah's Signs as play and mockery:

“Nay! When the earth is pounded to powder;
And your Lord comes, and His angels, rank upon rank;
And Hell, that Day is brought (face to face), on that Day will man remember, buy how will that remembrance profit him?”

(Al-Fajr, 89:21-23)

 What if the gallows were to be set up in the Court of Justice for everybody to see the criminal's end?

“And Hell, that Day is brought (face to face), on that Day will man remember,”

 In the worldly life he took the Signs of Allah as a play, and sometimes mocked at them. He used to say: "This Qur'an is not for our times, it was meant for the ancient desert people. We live in the age of science, technology, space research, the electron, the age of …" and so on and so forth. He lived as he wished and indulged in his lusts and desires, but on Doomsday, when your Lord comes with the angels, rank upon rank:

“… On that Day will man remember, but how will that remembrance profit him?”

 He attended a lecture on the issues of the deen in the past; he heard the teacher speak about Hell. This is it. This speech is true, yet, we may not be entirely certain about it. Who thinks about Hell these days? We are occupied with trade, exchange rates, foreign luxury goods, comfortable houses, interior design, and furniture styles. We are absorbed in audio sets –this one is hi-fi, that one is three dimensional; this here is a videophone with Telstar channel incorporated. We are busy with the achievements of sciences that tickle our fancy; who is now thinking about Hell? Who chooses to think about the eternal torture after death?

The door of repentance is open, and while life goes on our faults can be amended:

“… On that Day will man remember, but how will that remembrance
profit him?”

 The above ayah means that this remembrance will be useless, it will be the same whether he remembers or not, because the time of learning has passed. It reminds us of the case of a criminal sentenced to death, about to be executed. People have gathered to see how he will depart from this life… he can do whatever he wants –cry or laugh, be patient or be otherwise, be silent or noisy, beg or curse … Whether he does this or that makes no difference –the punishment must be carried out. But now, in this life, as long as we are on the surface of the earth, the door of repentance remains open; everything can be amended. When the death comes, however, the Record will be sealed, and when man remembers at that hour, it will be said to him:

“And Hell, that Day is brought (face to face), on that Day will man remember, buy how will that remembrance profit him?”

(Al-Fajr, 89:23)

“… The Day that certain of the signs of your Lord do come, no good will it do to a soul to believe then, if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its Faith…”

(Al-An 'am, 6:158)

The true meaning of wealth and poverty:

“He will say: "Ah! Would that I had sent forth (Good Deeds) fir (this) my (future) life! “

(Al-Fajr, 89:24)

 "Would that " excludes benefit; it indicates sadness and pain. I advise you to be careful. You should question yourself before you make any suspicious financial deal that might imply usury: Will this kind of a deal please Allah? What will I say to Allah when He asks me why I have made it?" "I was compelled to because I wanted to buy a fashionable modern living room." "Compelled?! Compelled means when you are in danger; fearing the loss of your life or any one of your organs." Before you transgress against somebody, or violate their honor, or seize their possessions, or drive a wedge between two families, remember Allah Most High Who will ask you about all your acts. And virtue does not wear out, and the sin is not forgotten, and Ad-Dayyan dies not. Do as you want, because you will be requited as you do. All sons of Adam make mistakes, and the best of the errant are the repentant.

“Nay! When the earth is pounded to powder;
And your Lord comes, and His angels, rank upon rank;
And Hell, that Day is brought (face to face), on that Day will man remember, buy how will that remembrance profit him? “

(Al-Fajr, 89:21-23)

 Sayyidina Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
 "The true meaning of wealth and poverty will not be known until we come before Allah."
 So, don't call yourself rich or poor. The poor one may be the richest on Doomsday, and the richest one in this life might be the poorest one. The real wealth or poverty depends on the escape from the terrors of that Day. What will you do with your money that Day? You will not be able to take anything with you.

“ And Hell, that Day is brought (face to face), on that Day will man remember, buy how will that remembrance profit him?
He will say: "Ah! Would that I had sent forth (Good Deeds) fir (this) my (future) life!”

(Al-Fajr, 89:23-24)

Life without end, death, disease, senility, sorrow or worry:

 This will be the life which never ends, without death, disease, senility, sorrow or worry:

“They shall have all that they wish for, with their Lord; such is the reward of those who do good.”

(Az-Zumar, 39:34)

“To those who do right is a goodly (reward); yea, more (than in measure)!...”

(Yunus, 10:26)

“He will say: "Ah! Would that I had sent forth (Good Deeds) fir (this) my (future) life!”

(Al-Fajr, 89:24)

 This is exactly what life is about. Therefore, the wise man always takes the Hereafter into account, and he turns away from any relation that leads him away from the eternal life; and he keeps doing what brings him nearer to Allah Most High.

The ayat of the Qur'an referring to the station of the people of Jannah:

“He will say: "Ah! Would that I had sent forth (Good Deeds) fir (this) my (future) life!”

(Al-Fajr, 89:24)

 I ask Allah that no one of us should have to say that, but rather should be able to say:

“Then he that will be given his Record in his right hand will say: Ah here! Read my Record!
I did really think that my account would (one Day) reach me!
And he will be in a life of Bliss,
In a Garden on high,
The Fruits whereof (will hang in bunches) low and near.
"Eat and drink, with full satisfaction, because of the (good) that you sent before you, in the days that are gone!"

(Al-Haqqah, 69:19-24)

 Such is the station of honour, and I wish also that the following ayaat should apply to all of us:

“As to the Righteous, they will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs,
Taking joy in the things which their Lord gives them, because, before then, they have done good deeds.
They were in the habit of sleeping but little by night.
And in the hours of early dawn they (were found) praying for Forgiveness.
And in their wealth there is a due share for the beggar and the deprived.”

(Ad-Dhariyat, 51:15-19)

 And furthermore that also the following ayah should apply to all of us:

“And he will return to his people, rejoicing!”

(Al-Inshiqaq, 84:9)

Only Allah knows the happiness awaiting for the believers:

 Only Allah knows the intensity of the happiness awaiting the righteous.

"I have prepared for My righteous slaves what no eye has ever seen, and that no ear has ever heard, and what has never occurred to man's heart."

[Agreed upon]

“Now, no person knows what delight of the eye are kept hidden (in reserve) for them –as a reward for their (good) Deeds.”

(As-Sajdah, 32:17)

“It was said: Enter the Garden. He said: Ah me! Would that my people knew (what I know).
From that my Lord has granted me forgiveness and has enrolled me among those held in honour!”

(Ya-Sin, 36: 26-27)

Obey Our Order, and We'll remove the covers for you, We grant Our Content to the one who loves Us;
And seek refuge with Us to protect you from Our slaves who are malevolent;
And let nothing distract you from Our Remembrance, and be faithful –you will live happily;
If you see Our Beauty that they have seen, you will never turn away from Us;
And, if you hear Our Good Word, you will take off your garment of vainglory;
And if you feel the breeze of Our Nearness, you will live estranged, of Our Nearness desperate;
And you wouldn't blame who died for the Love of us, a speck of Love, if you taste it

The triumph will be for those given their Record in their right hand:

 So, the right thing is being able to say:

“Then he that will be given his Record in his right hand will say: Ah here! Read my Record!
I did really think that my account would (one Day) reach me!
And he will be in a life of Bliss,”

(Al-Haqqah, 69:19-21)

 And the shame and disgrace will be for the one who will have to say:

“Ah! Would that I had sent forth (Good Deeds) fir (this) my (future) life!”

(Al-Fajr, 89:24)

 "I didn't know. I was busy with my money and the vanities of the worldly life; I thought that I could find delight in the woman, but that was wrong." Many people, by the way, focus on lusts, and women, whom they obey blindly and desperately, come to be their polestars.
 The following ayaat have two meanings:
 Allah Most High says:

“For, that day His Chastisement will be such as none (else) can inflict.”

(Al-Fajr, 89:25)

 This ayah has two meanings. The first one is that there is no torment like Allah's Torment, being the severest one. None can punish as He will on this Day.

“And His bonds will be such as none (other) can bind.”

(Al-Fajr, 89:26)

 A firm bind, indeed.
 The other meaning is: No one will torment him, only his regret will do so:

"Verily, the shame will stick to man on the Doomsday till he says: O my Lord! Indeed, it is easier to send me to Hell than (to make me endure) the shame that I am enduring."

[Al-Hakim]

 And this will be said in spite of man's knowing how severe the Chastisement of Hell is.
 This verse can be taken to mean that Allah's Torment is unlike any torment on earth and the Bind with which Allah will bind is, similarly, unlike any binding we know. If we, for example, invite a person who has received painful news to come with us to a fashionable resort, this person will tell us to leave them alone. Nobody restricts him; he restricts himself, because of pain. Who bound him? Nobody.
 One of the meanings of this ayah is that the severity of pain and regret will be a torture in itself, apart from the just Torture of Allah; and no one denies Allah's Torture but the disbeliever. The torture in Hell is concrete, but the psychological torment is even bigger.
 To give another example: If a student stole a classmate's of his pen, and the theft has been denounced; and after all the students have been frisked, the pen was found in that student's pocket, even he had been considered a respectable and remarkable student before stealing the pen, how would he feel then? He would rather that the earth swallowed him; he sweats and shivers with fear, and is red in the face. This is psychological torture, an agony; he loses his self-respect even before he gets punished and expelled.
 Also, on Doomsday, the torture in Hell will be tangible, yet the psychological torture will be even more severe.

“For, that day His Chastisement will be such as none (else) can inflict. And His bonds will be such as none (other) can bind.”

(Al-Fajr, 89:25-26)

Description of the one who prepared for the Day of Judgment:

 This will be the condition of the one who knew his Lord and obeyed His Orders, and took into account the Day on which he will be called to account:

“(To the Righteous soul it will be said): "O (you) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction!
Come back to your Lord, well pleased (yourself), and well-pleasing to Him!”

(Al-Fajr, 89:27-28)

 Allah will be satisfied with you, and you will be pleased with Him, He will give you generously and will honour you:

“Enter, then, in my servants.
Enter, then, My Heaven!”

(Al-Fajr, 89:29-30)

 These two ayah are written on most gravestones, but if the occupant of the grave is a usurer, he is totally unrelated to them. And the same goes for a drunkard, and for everyone who took illicit money, and everyone who failed to do good in his life.

“(To the Righteous soul it will be said): "O (you) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction!
Come back to your Lord, well pleased (yourself), and well-pleasing to Him!
Enter, then, in my servants.
Enter, then, My Heaven! “

(Al-Fajr, 89:27-30)

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