Lessons from Surah Baqarah: Part 4
Or, do you rather want to question your Prophet as Mūsā was questioned earlier? And whoever takes infidelity in exchange for faith has certainly missed the straight path. (2:108)
Every rule in the shariah has a wisdom behind it, one we cannot usually see
The lesson we derive from incident of the cow in Musa’s time, is that we should not indulge in excessive questioning or getting into the nitty gritty of commands in the Quran and hadith
No matter how small the deed may be, no matter how trying the times, if we have done good in this world, we will find it with Allah
Allah is All-Watching, He will not let out forbearance go to waste
There are times when our sacrifices and efforts go unseen in daily life, but we should find solace in the fact that nothing goes to waste in the court of Allah
The mercy and help of Allah will come
On the day of judgment, we will be standing at the Mercy of Allah, with nothing but out deeds to shelter and protect us
There is a certain decorum and etiquette we are to follow as a muslim; when visiting the masjid, do not be loud, especially in the prayer hall. When reciting the Quran, recite it in a beautiful voice, steady pace.
Of course, whosoever submits his face to Allah, and is good in deeds, will have his reward with his Lord, and there shall be no fear for such people, nor shall they grieve. (2:112)
When Allah loves any of His servants, He tests them. These tests and trials become a means to elevate their rank, they are a part of life, and we have already been informed of such by Allah
Prophet Ibrahim was tested again and again; his own father was an unbeliever, his family and community would coerce him to worship their pagan idols, he was oppressed by the king of his community, who threw him in the fire, he migrated for religious freedom leaving behind all that he knew and had, he was childless for many years of his life, when he was blessed with a child, he was commanded to leave the child and mother in the middle of nowhere, and then he was told to sacrifice the child
When he fulfilled all these tests, Allah rewarded him for his perseverance, and made him a leader for all ummahs until the Day of Judgement
Whether you look at acceptance in this world or next, neither can be achieved without great sacrifice; not even the minutest sacrifice goes unnoticed in the Court of Allah
We should make a lot of du’a: du’a for those who have been good to us, du’a that Allah accepts our efforts and sacrifices
What we should learn from our prophets is that when it comes to our children, our top concerns should be of their akhirah
The kind of obedience Allah requires from us is an obedience in all aspects of our life, one that is a clear reflection of the way Allah wishes for us to lead
We are a moderate ummah, we shun all forms of extremism. Any deviance from the path of the Prophet ﷺ is extremism, no matter how well it is presented
The sunnah has taught us a perfect balance between deen and dunya; how to manage one’s relationship with Allah, with His creations, what to prioritize when
Moderation doesn’t mean we become slaves to the dunya and our nafs
We should strive to make the sunnah our anchor, because the Prophet ﷺ was sent in this world as our teacher and messenger
It is a great injustice upon ourselves if we choose to turn away from deen, and towards dunya, after Allah has illuminated our hearts with knowledge
The more we remember Allah, the more He will remember us. When we remember Him in our hearts, He remembers us with those with Him (the angels in His Court)
The scholars have said that when we remember Him through obedience, He remembers us through giving rewards
The opposite of shukr is to reject. When we make abundant dhikr, it leads to shukr, because remembering Allah makes us mindful of His blessings
We should be grateful and show gratitude to those who support us and work for our betterment
Surely We will test you with a bit of fear and hunger, and loss in wealth and lives and fruits, and give good tidings to the patient. (2:155)
Tests and trials will come to us throughout our lives, however their frequency, nature and intensity will vary and change with the stages of our life; some tests will be through fear, some through loss of provision, some through loss of relationships
Patience entails a person remains steadfast, and does not react in the face of difficulty
This does not mean we are not allowed to feel the pain of difficulty, it means that we accept these changing circumstances as the decree of Allah
Allah accepts our repentance when we confess our wrongs to Him with the intention of rectifying them and never doing them again
Pacing between Safa and Marwa is an act of obedience to Allah, because Allah accepted it from Hajra AS when she paced between both while searching for water for Ismail
The fact that Allah commanded the Prophet ﷺ to mimic this action of Hajra AS, attests to the status of women in Islam, and of how Allah does not discriminate when it comes to piety
We should be very careful about commenting on religious text, lest we fall into the practice of the Jews who would twist their scripture to suit their nafs
Once the disbeliever has died, there is no hope for them. Taking lesson from this, we should make du’a for the protection of our imaan, that Allah does not take it away at the end of our life, that He doesn’t deprive us of the biggest blessing; imaan
The way we ascribe partners to Allah is by showing devotion to anything other than Him, whether it is our desires, our luxuries. We prioritizes those things over our duty to Him
Allah takes away what we run after, He makes them a trial for us. He will take out the blessings and barakah from those things and make us detest them
Fasting, salah, and spending on the poor is an act of love, which we do on our own accord to gain the pleasure and acceptance of Allah
Loving Allah will never result in hurt, whereas in any other relationship or activity or person, we cannot guarantee that we won’t be disappointed or won’t get hurt. Loving Allah means knowing that He will never turn away from us
What we consume has a direct effect on our actions, therefore eat halal bought from halal earnings
Allah informs us of what is haram/unlawful to consume: animals that have died a natural death, blood that flows out, swine, meat slaughtered with the name other than that of Allah
If one is in a situation where he is starving and will die if he doesn’t eat, he may consume what is usually haram—this shows the the importance of preserving a life
True righteousness is when one focuses on their iman, on spending their wealth upon those who have a right upon it, on establishing salah and paying zakat, on keeping one’s promises, and remaining patient in the face of trials
A believer is true to their word; this is the quality which differentiates a believer from an unbeliever
Those who have fear of Allah in their hearts, exercise patience
No matter how much worship you do in seclusion, if your dealings with the world around you are not in the light of the Quran and sunnah, then your worship will not benefit you
Qisas is the execution of a murderer who killed someone intentionally. If the family of the murdered choose to settle on blood money instead, it is more virtuous—Allah has ordered ihsan in every matter
There is life for you in QiSāS, O people of wisdom, so that you may refrain (from killing). (2:179)
This verse means that if the murderer makes sincere repentance and then is punished for his crime—execution—his death will be a new life for him, because he will be sin free in the akhirah
The life of this world is fleeting; Allah commands us to draw up a will and leave behind enough wealth for your heirs to not be dependent on others. A will lists what you owe others, the kaffara you have to pay, the number of salahs you missed, and commands of hajj-e-badal
Knowing your family will get their lawful shares, you may bequest ⅓ of your wealth to anyone else or any cause you choose
When My servants ask you about Me, then (tell them that) I am near. I respond to the call of one when he prays to Me; so they should respond to Me, and have faith in Me, so that they may be on the right path. (2:186)
This verse evidences how much Allah loves us, so should we not strive to do what He loves?
Replying to a query posed by the believers, Allah says that the waxing and waning of the moon is a way for believers to determine time and season; hajj, time of due zakat, duration of a woman’s iddat
Hajj is fard for those who have the financial means and sound health. However we must understand what ‘having the financial means’ is, it is not chasing after more luxury and comfort
We should save for hajj and make du’a for it, and when we are blessed with the opportunity, we should have pure intentions
You could be as pure and sin free as a newborn baby, but should still continue to seek forgiveness, because we fail to worship Allah in the way He deserves
The hypocrites in the Prophet ﷺ’s time pretended to be loving companions, but in reality their hearts did not contain iman nor love for Allah and the Prophet ﷺ
The hypocrites were two-faced, they would change themselves according to convenience and who they were around. We must not be like them, when we say we believe in and love Allah and His Messenger, then why do we want to disobey them?
O you who believe, enter Islam completely, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Surely, he is an open enemy for you; (2:208)
Allah addresses the believers and tells them not to pick and choose what you believe in. Don’t favor what you want to do, while leaving what you don’t like. He expects us to follow the deen completely in the way it was revealed—there is no need to modernize it according to your desires
Islam is a complete code of life, we must educate ourselves about its rulings and then follow it. If a person doesn’t enter into Islam despite being knowledgeable of the commandments, it is considered a rebellion against Allah
If we come across ambiguous verses, we must have belief over the literal and understand it may have a metaphorical meaning which only Allah knows
We must take heed from previous nations that if we engage in shirk, do a mockery of the Prophet ﷺ and his sunnah, and commit major sins, then we too will be punished severely
This world has been adorned for those who disbelieve. If we are living in this world like this is our final place, then we will be imitating the believers
We live in this dunya with the mindsight that living here will lead to our next life, that the dunya is a mere resting place towards our destination, and that we are to live here according to the manual Allah had give us
We draw our own parameters of what success is and then judge others based on them, when we must realize that Allah gives to whom He wills in ways He wills
Do you think that you will enter Paradise while you have not yet been visited by (difficult) circumstances like those that were faced by the people who passed away before you?...(2:214)
How is it that for a reward as grand as Jannah, we won’t be tested? Let the tests be a reminder for you to be patient and trusting of Allah
Allah tells us that there may be times when we feel overwhelmed with a situation or commandment. There may also be times when we desire something dearly, but do not get, it is times like these when we should remember that Allah knows everything, that He is closer to us than our jugular vein
You might see some benefit in liquor/intoxicants, but the harm is far greater. Allah is advising and prohibiting us in a gentle manner. Taken as a rule, we should not look at the temporary gains, but rather at the fact that Allah has prohibited something
Allah advises us to give off from our surplus; to budget, to use our finances in an efficient manner. We have an excellent example in the prophet ﷺ who would give away abundantly
It is nothing but ihsan when a person chooses to serve the orphans
If the fostering or adopting mother has not breastfed the child, she will have to observe hijab when the male child reaches puberty
One of the basic criteria of nikah is that a muslim marries a believer, however a muslim man may marry a practicing, devout woman from the People of the Book
When seeking a spouse, our first priority should be iman
An investment you can make for your akhirah to live happily with your spouse and children, striving to have a good family environment
Said spousal relation is motivated by the fear of Allah; because we we will have to account for how we provide for and treat them
The rulings and laws set down by Allah lead to peace and unity in the home
In the midst of rulings in this surah, Allah reminds us about turning to Him in salah; that if we wish to achieve success, it is through anchoring our day with salah, through strengthening our relationship with Allah
Whenever there come oppressors and corruptors in the world, Allah sends people who destroy them so that peace and tranquility may prevail
What we learn from this is that there will be corruption and chaos in thr world, but so will there be peace
Allah gave different qualities and privileges to different prophets: Allah talked to Musa, aided Isa with Jibraeel, gave eloquent speech to Muhammad SAW
O you who believe! Spend from what We have given to you before a day comes when there will be no trading, no friendship and no intercession, and it is the disbelievers who are unjust. (2:254)
Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, then do not make their spending followed by boasting about favour, or with causing hurt,- they have their reward with their Lord and there is no fear for them nor shall they grieve. (2:262)
The origin of your blessings is from Allah, therefore your giving in charity is actually giving not from yourself, but from what Allah has given you
There are two paths a person can take in life. The first one is to follow the path of earning through unlawful means and accumulating the wealth of this wealth. The second is that a person may take what they need to live, and then spend the rest in the way of Allah
The wealth we have in this world is an amanah from Allah, and any amanah is to be accounted for
Sincerity in action elevates that action, so eve a small amount of charity with good intentions can weigh heavy. Similarly, not having the correct intentions or boasting of your good deeds can make the deed null and void in reward
On the day of Judgment while the believers will stand waiting for Allah’s judgment to begin, they will go prophet after prophet, asking them to intercede on their behalf. But these prophets who were behind them, advising them in their lives, will not be willing to. When the believers will reach the prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Allah will allow him to intercede for his ummah
There are many virtues of ayat-ul-kursi; if one recites it after fard salah, it makes one enter Jannah after death. If recited at night, it protects the house and even the neighbors. If recited before sleeping, an angel is appointed to protect him until dawn
You cannot force someone to accept Islam, it has to be done in one’s free will
Wali means a friend, one who nurtures and protects. Allah is the intimate, protective friend of whoever believes
…When Ibrāhīm said: “My Lord is the One Who gives life and brings death,”... (2:258)
When Ibrahim AS argued with the King of Babylon that it is Allah who gives life and death, the king argued that he (the king) does, so he sentenced a prisoner to death, while revoked the death sentence from one on death row. We learn from this, that those who are against Islam will use odd explanations and absurd proofs to ‘evidence’ their criticism
We should take our role as a da’i very important, understanding and acknowledging the weight of being an agent of the deen. It is important that we spread a word of guidance even when the other party might be impartial
Satan frightens you with poverty, and bids you to commit indecency, and Allah promises you forgiveness from Him, and grace as well. And Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. (2:268)
Allah is the one who decides what is right or wrong, it is not up to us with our small and limited minds to decide what is halal or haram
Allah tells us that people are motivated to take riba because they want to increase their wealth, however riba will only decrease it, while it is charity that brings increase in wealth and rizq
The prohibition of taking riba is the most strongly worded prohibition, because of the vicious and devastating cycle it brings about
If someone has taken a loan from us, we should consider forgiving it or at least deferring it
Allah does not obligate anyone beyond his capacity. For him is what he has earned, and on him what he has incurred.“Our Lord, do not hold us accountable, if we forget or make a mistake, and, Our Lord, do not place on us such a burden as You have placed on those before us, and, Our Lord, do not make us bear a burden for which we have no strength. And pardon us, and grant us forgiveness, and have mercy on us. You are our Lord. So then help us against the disbelieving people.” (2:286)
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