Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera – Qur’anic Reflections The Ideal City of Saba’

Salam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Welcome back to the

Ramadan reflections. As usual let us begin with the verse of the

Quran.

Our humanists Shavon your regime Bismillah R Rahman Al Rahim. What

you are you buying a home or being in a quarrel, Atiba? Joaquina fi

corong va Hirota whoa Cadorna fi has se

si roofie Li Min. Meaning for CalU Rob Bernabei Bina is 30. Now what

are more Fusa home for home ahaadeeth zakenna home Qalamoun

Meza in Fiza Adicolor Nikoli sub

shekou

So here we have a verse from Surah, two Sabha and it's actually

about the sub bytes. This is Chapter 34 and verses 18 and 19.

So you can follow along if you want to, because this is about the

discussion of the people of Sabah. What what's happening here is

ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada describes them and the people of Sabah are

described as having one of the most ideal societies with some of

the best geographical environmental, flora and fauna

conditions for the best place to live the best community to be in,

it would rank at number one, it would be something that is kind of

idealized and seen as a prototype or as an archetype rather, of the

most ideal city. So Allah subhanaw taala speaks about the people of

Sabah and what Allah subhanho wa Taala given them of the various

different gifts, right, in terms of the agriculture that they had

the environment, they had the living conditions, the travel

conditions, including travel conditions, and how they fared

with all of that. This is, let me let me translate this for you. So

you understand first, when you're buying a home ouabain And

correlative Barak Nafi her current VA hero, or Cadorna fee has saved

between them.

Meaning between these people and the cities on which we had poured

our blessings. So their surrounding cities and towns, we

had placed cities in prominent positions. And between them, we

had appointed stages of a journey into proportion. So essentially,

there was a whole network that connected all of their little

towns and hamlets and cities and villages and whatever else that

they had, it was a really beautiful system where you didn't

have to travel too far to get from one place to the other. And Allah

then says, See roofie had earlier Well, I mean, this is such a

wonderful set setup. Allah says travel there in secure by night,

and by day, however, they turned around and for call Rob banaba,

he'd been as Farina was vulnerable and Fusa. Home, they turned around

and said, Our Lord place longer distances between our journey

stages.

And they wrong themselves. And there's, for Jana who are Hadith,

we turn them into a tail, we made them into a tail we designated

designated them to become a tail. And we just disperse them all in

scattered fragments. So there's nobody left down there. Certainly

in this assigns for one who is patiently constant,

and grateful. So now you can tell what happened to this society. So

after having such a great society, what exactly happened?

So this verse, I said, relates to a point of history, and geography,

geography. And it is a massive lesson. It's a very important

lesson for men of all time in place, and it cuts across faiths,

nationalities, and people have different communities, it makes no

difference who they are. Because this verse is speaking about

universal truth, right? And it gives a really good understanding

of what happens to people how they react to certain things. And this

has been a human cycle throughout, we can really, really learn from

this, right? Because I think that we in the UK, at least, and in the

US, and in many Western countries,

maybe if not at that position. Maybe we're very, very close to

that position. And this is something that we need to be

thinking about because it's well worth studying the human mind when

it comes to these things through the Quranic examples and parables

that Allah subhanaw taala provides.

See this

A weakness innate in human nature. That what happens with people and

we know this from ourselves is that we become fed up. Even if

it's something comfortable, luxurious, luxurious, something

that you've got a lot of peace and tranquility in and you're very,

very settled, people get a bit bored, they're looking for

something else because that's human nature, right to look for

something different Subhanallah sometimes, you know, people hate

monotony so much, even if it's good monotony, even if it's

comfortable monotony that other people would be envious of.

They want change. And sometimes that change may even entail

hardships for them, that they think it's going to be better for

them. So they want it right, they want them I mean, another example

of this in the Quran is where Allah subhanaw taala had given the

special food of men and Salwa to the Bani Israel, but they said oh,

we want what other people are eating. So they want you to go

down to the inferior it's almost like always the grass is greener

on the other side.

So that's why Allah subhanho wa Taala says in Surah Surah to cost

us as well. What can alakina mean Korea team that we marry shatta

Patil Camus Kino whom lamb to skim birdie him in Cali Isla,

welcome, national word ething.

How many a population we've destroyed that exalted in the life

of ease and plenty, and then there's nothing left of them. So

the people of Sabah here,

it provides a really stark example of a very important aspect of

human nature. Okay. And while this is talking about the whole

community, I think we can individually relate to this and

take heed individually as well and as a community because the

community is made up of us as individuals.

So Allah subhanaw taala chronicles the history of that time, and the

social life. And he does that in a number of places for a number of

communities, because there's a purpose of that Allah subhanaw

taala is relating the accounts of the earlier communities, it

presents a glimpse of the social life. And what it does is that it

provides gives us an understanding of some of the features of past

cultures and civilizations, right. So that we can actually take heed,

psychologists, historians, should actually look at the Quran from

this view as well. Right, from a sociological perspective, as well,

right? And so, there's a very vivid picture. I mean, you know,

when you read these, these verses in Arabic, they're very, very

vivid Allah subhanaw taala, really, you know, in a very in

depth way, explains how the, it was so well laid out. For them. It

was like the ideal town, you know, you've got different countries

that are trying to create the ideal city. Okay. And so this was

one of those cities, and by the way, Saba was in Yemen. Right? It

was in Yemen. And, yeah, so

Allah subhanho wa taala, the Quranic version of the story that

Allah subhanaw taala tells us about and you know, we take this

as being 100% is speaks about a flourishing economy, prosperity,

and affluence, right, in fact, their sister, their situation was

such that they were the envy of others, people used to look on

them. And

you know, many people, especially conquerors, people with big

interests, right, they they particularly aspire for such

success and glory. And here's the example of that. Now, these are

some of the earlier verses verses 15 and 16. Of surah. Two Saba, so

I'll just read them as well. This is how Allah subhanaw taala

started off Allah says, Look are the canary Saba in female skinny

him? Yeah. Jen attorney ie me new washing. Guru Middle East Europe

back home wash Corolla, bell that outta yerba to rob Boone ha for

that is just so amazing. For Arado so let me just translate this

first part Allah says, There was for Saba, in the days of in the

earlier days assigned in the homeland, to gardens to the right

and to the left, they had to orchards to the right to to the

left. Allah says eat of the sustenance provided by your Lord,

so they had sustenance, amazing, and be grateful to him. Allah says

build it into yerba, an excellent area. Right? Where a boon for any

forgiving Lord,

I could get a glimpse of something like this, you know, we were in

Montenegro some time ago, maybe seven, eight months ago, in

Montenegro seven eight months ago last year in summer and mashallah

you come outside some of the houses

and they've got yards and mashallah in front of

The they've got this they've got the trellises on the side and

they've got like a canopy right made of that same material and

they've got things growing there I've seen this in Spain as well.

I've not seen that in the UK as much but outside many of the

houses you go and you're literally to get in you know to get outside

your house, through your your courtyard, you're actually going

under grapes and figs and various other things. It's like one of the

most amazing things that you can, you know, experience every time

you come back into your house that you will go through that it's like

a almost like a tunnel, right or a canopy of of fruits that you go

through. It's an amazing thing, right? That just reminds me of

this area. Allah then says for our do for our Rasul Allah in him say

the Lardy Musa but they'll know whom Bijan at him Jen at any, they

call in hunting ATHLEAN wash I mean, say that in Cali,

Allah Allah Allah, but they turned away from Allah. They did not

thank Allah they turned away from Allah and We sent against them

floods, released from dams, and we converted their to gardens into

gardens, producing bitter fruits and Tamar risks, and a few stunted

low trees. They were left with totally unpleasant growth, and all

of that beautiful orchard. All of those beautiful orchards totally

dissipated, and were destroyed because they didn't remember Allah

subhanaw taala they forgot they got too intoxicated by their

wealth and by what Allah subhana wa Tada has given them. So you see

what the point of studying these verses is that the Quran diagnosis

their malady, their illness, their problem that afflicted these

people, right, and it then explains why the calamity befell

them and why they were deprived of the settled joy and their success.

And their luxury and affluence came to an end. Allah subhanho wa

Taala says that we bless these towns, we'd given them peace and

happiness, we allowed them to travel in security, both by night

and day. I mean, that's amazing, because remember, a lot of our

history has been punctuated by highway men, you know, by robbers

on the way that these people had nothing to worry about day and

night, you will see that in verse 18, right, one learns from the

Tafseer literature, you will learn a few additional details about

this area, that they had a very very healthy environment, it was

like the perfect environment it was so safe, that they had no

pandemic they had no epidemics there. Right there was hardly any

illness down there. It says were Allahu Allah, I mean, I'm not sure

where this exactly comes from, but if a stranger carried some insects

there, those insects would die, it was such a healthy environment, if

there was any poisonous insects, they would die it was just too

healthy for them in the area, they will also know beasts or harmful

animals around their cities and Allah subhanaw taala then had

given them the idea of placing all of these towns and cities and

localities in very strategic positions so travelers did not

face any hardship at all in moving from one place to the other

service stations you know, same kind of thing we had service

stations didn't have to worry about an overnight stay or attacks

by robbers and they used to enjoy you know, good hospitality at the

various ins on the on the way and the transportation was actually of

a good standard. You know, like today we have mashallah very good

trains and, you know, just in London alone, we've got the

overground train, we've got the underground train, we've got the

buses, you know, we've got the automatic, you know, trains we've

got, we've got Ubers we've got I mean, Subhan Allah getting around

is very, very easy, you know, minus the traffic, I guess, right?

That's why this really reminds me and that's why I'm scared about

this. Right? So Allah subhanaw taala bless them in every respect.

Problem is they did not appreciate these bounties. And this is a

weakness in human nature unless, unless we're reminded by Allah

subhanaw taala and were reminded by the words of Allah subhanaw

taala to constantly take everything back to him. They

should have been thanking Allah, what else do they have to do,

that's what Allah says, build that into yerba are a boon for you've

got a beautiful place, and you've got a forgiving Lord. So even if

you make some mistakes, just seek forgiveness Subhanallah and I

think we can say that for the West compared to so many other places

in the world, where we are just so fortunate, you know, we avoid we

have so we avoid so many issues that that are an everyday issue in

other places. That's why build it on per year. But what I'm gonna go

for just just remember that.

For some reason, they had this idea that let's increase the

distance between cities, so that we can actually have longer and

harder journeys. This is too easy for us. It was this really strange

idea. They stopped appreciating their facilities. They are still

asking for longer tiring journeys. They wanted to go into horrible

forests and vast deserts. They they started to want to prefer

hazard

certain dangers and they didn't they got a bit tired of the

comfortable life Subhanallah you know, if you thank Allah you get

more satisfaction in what you have. Just remember that if you

thank Allah you generally get more satisfaction because Allah creates

blessing in there. You can have the best thing at the castle, the

palace palatial home that you live in, but you have no Baraka in that

you don't feel like you feel strange in there. You could have a

small place and if there's Baraka in there, you feel comfortable in

there Mashallah. So if you have a great thing and you have you know,

and you have, what do you call it baraka and blessing in there

because of Allah subhanho wa taala, placing that homeliness and

comfort and harmony and goodness, and that feel that feel right,

then then you'll be fine. So Allah subhanaw taala, deprived him of

His favours, and then that flood that took over that bat, that dam

broke. And what happened is that all the communities that had to

disperse, and they've gone far and wide Subhanallah they, as far as

my reading goes, the current many of the current families, at least

the ruling family of

Abu Dhabi, you know, the Emirates, they actually originally from that

area, right? And that's why they've actually got interest in

the area. And they're trying to rebuild the Maghreb dam, which was

a massive dam, you know, which had provided this amazing irrigation

and everything, but when it broke, it just destroyed everything.

Right. And there's been many other cases like this of dams breaking

in different parts of the world. Corruption kept into their life.

They started I mean, aside from the big ideas they had, they

actually started becoming corrupt. They took on the path of

disobedience and wickedness. And it's very difficult to understand

why they started acting so irrationally, despite what Allah

subhanaw taala had given them. I personally just think it's because

they didn't have baraka and blessing when they started doing

wrong, Allah take the took the baraka away. So even though you've

got so much you're squander it, right? There's people who've

wasted what Allah has given them, because they stopped being

appreciative of Allah subhanho wa taala. Right? Allah subhanho wa

Taala is the all wise and the old knowing he knows completely well,

right? That even today, there's many communities that are

disobedient and wicked, and who are essentially following in the

footsteps of the people of Sabah, right. They also want to seek

adventure and risk and they want to take on more challenges. They

become very complacent with what they have, they want more, and

they no longer appreciate the bounties that Allah has given

them. They don't compare this themselves to the have nots, and

think that we've got so much and they should think they should

thank God for that. So

Subhan Allah, generally, when you read the books of history, right,

they they will try to record every little bit of detail to tell you

who the ruler was and how they long they lasted. And the various

different lessons in the Quran has history in it, but it's not a book

of history. Right?

The Quran does not deal with the rise and fall of every single

community or Empire or civilization or change of rulers

or their conquest. That's not the purpose of the Quran. The Quran is

focus, as you've seen from these verses, is to focus the attention

on the human weaknesses, and to see why these kinds of things

would happen, so that we can avoid because the Quran is a book of

guidance. Allah subhana wa Taala wants to convey to people of all

time and place, the way to survive. That's why we as a

believing community, with all of the prosperity that we have around

us and all the facility that Allah subhanaw taala has given us the

comfortable living spaces, the abundance of foods throughout the

year of natural fruits from around the world, that is brought to our

footsteps the ability to purchase these things. And subhanAllah we

can just see the increase I mean Subhanallah I mean I guess this is

an you know, this is an example I Juha are dates, which are at least

two to three times more expensive than the cheaper versions of

dates, right? But Masha Allah Subhanallah there is just so much

ADGER in the UK right now, that Masjid are giving them out to all

the congregation for the Iftar people are setting a jewel life

right and left right and center people are purchasing it that just

shows the buying ability, the capacity, it shows prosperity

Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah but don't forget

Allah subhanho wa Taala thank Allah when you eat anything good

when you wear anything good when you live in a place that's good

when you drive something which takes you from one place to the

other when you have the ability to go ombre whenever you want right

now mashallah after it's open, so many people have gone to Umbra

from the west and yet people from other places can still not go

right can still not go we have the ability to do multiple genres.

MashAllah many people in the UK and the US and Canada, and many

places in South Africa etc. Have the ability but other places can't

they just about what long to go once in their life just for a

hedge if they can even make it there? And they can't. There's a

lot of prosperity left

Let's not forget that thank Allah for everything and let us not

disobey Allah subhanaw taala let us make Toba and Allah forgive us

during this month of Ramadan especially and keep us forgiven

and keep us away from the wrongs Allah subhanaw taala we thank you

yeah Allah we thank you for all that you have given us where you

have given us more than many, many others in the world. Yeah Allah

allow us to be grateful. Allow us to be grateful and remember you

Zack Allah here may Allah subhanaw taala bless us all please keep us

in your doors make a dua for us. And Assalamu aleikum wa

rahmatullah wa barakato. The point of the lecture is to encourage

people to act to get further and inspiration and encouragement,

persuasion, the next step is to actually start learning seriously,

to read books to take on a subject of Islam and to understand all the

subjects of Islam at least at the basic level, so that we can become

more aware of what our deen wants from us. And that's why we started

Rayyan courses, so that you can actually take organize lectures on

demand whenever you have free time, especially for example, the

Islamic essentials course that we have on there, the Islamic

essentials certificate which you take 20 Short modules, and at the

end of that insha Allah you will have gotten the basics of most of

the most important topics in Islam and you'll feel a lot more

confident. You don't have to leave lectures behind you can continue

to live, you know, to listen to lectures, but you need to have

this more sustained study as well, which is Aquila here and salam.

aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.