Asim & Tamreez

Today’s verse is contributed by AB Malik:

A verse which I feel is very relevant to our times. We’re always judging people and are quick to form opinions about others. We don’t realise that we see the world from our perspective which is not necessarily always true or the complete picture.

 يٰأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا لا يَسخَر قَومٌ مِن قَومٍ عَسىٰ أَن يَكونوا خَيرًا مِنهُم وَلا نِساءٌ مِن نِساءٍ عَسىٰ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيرًا مِنهُنَّ ۖ وَلا تَلمِزوا أَنفُسَكُم وَلا تَنابَزوا بِالأَلقٰبِ ۖ بِئسَ الِاسمُ الفُسوقُ بَعدَ الإيمٰنِ ۚ وَمَن لَم يَتُب فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الظّٰلِمونَ

”O you who believe, let not people laugh at other people, for they may be better than they. Nor shall any women ridicule other women, for they may be better than they. Nor shall you mock one another, or call each other names. Evil indeed is the reversion to wickedness after attaining faith. And anyone who does not repent, then these are the transgressors.” (49:11)

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between you. Verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.” (30:21)

This is an amazing verse about the partnership in marriage. The two words ‘Love’ and ‘Mercy’ stand out for me. The word مَّوَدَّةً (‘Muaddah’) refers to attraction and love. It’s root in Arabic ودد (‘Wad’) refers to mutual love – like a nail that joins two things to mutually strengthen each other.

The word رَحْمَةً (‘Rahmah’) translated as ‘Mercy’ (but it’s a lot more than that), is derived from رَحْم (‘Rhm’) which refers to an action compensating external or internal deficiency. In this case, the two partners strive to bring out the best in each other by compensating for each other’s weaknesses.

Interestingly, the word ‘Rhm’ also means the womb of a mother. An unborn child is provided everything necessary (provided strength in the state of absolute dependency) for it’s development.

لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذًى كَثِيرًا ۚ وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ

“You shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in your personal selves; and you will hear from those who were given The Book from before you, and from those who associate gods. But if you (have Sabr) persevere patiently, and (Taqwa) guard against evil,-then that will be a determining factor in all affairs.” (3:186)

We as a nation are going though very tough times these days. It’s a test for our possessions and for our selves. Those who are victims of the calamity and those in a position, financially or through other means, to support the relief and rehabilitation work are both in a test. Sabr and Taqwa is what we need.

Thanks Baasit for contributing today’s verse.

يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَنْ تَنْفُذُوا مِنْ أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَانْفُذُوا ۚ لَا تَنْفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَانٍ

“O assembly of Jinns and Men, if you can penetrate regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not penetrate them save with a Power.”(55:33)

This verse points to the possibility of ‘exploration of space’ by mankind. It not only predicts the penetration of the Heavens, but also encourages exploring the deepest secrets of the Earth.

وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنْصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

So when the Qur’an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy. (7:204)

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honoured of you in God’s sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (49:13)

قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوْفٌ وَّمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ صَدَقَةٍ يَّتْبَعُهَاۤ اَذًى‌ؕ وَاللّٰهُ غَنِىٌّ حَلِيْمٌ

“A kind word and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And God is Free of need and Forbearing.” (2:263)

One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness and most of the time it is usually returned someway or the other. As Mother Theresa famously said, “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

At the same time it is important to avoid unkind or hurtful language towards others. The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid.

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاء مِن مَّاء فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخِّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاء وَالأَرْضِ لآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

“Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which God Sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they Trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- indeed are Signs for a people that are wise.” (2:164)