Ahsan Hanif – Quran Tafseer – Page 89 – Obedience Leads You To Rewards
AI: Summary ©
The importance of following Islam's direct commands is discussed, including forgiveness of debts and a better life. The speaker emphasizes the benefits of following these commands, including a better life, stronger character, and a better society. The success of Prophet salallahu alaihi wa sallam's teachings and actions is also discussed, including accepting Islam and signing the treaty of Hudaybiy anniversary, practicing archery and learning horse riding to be prepared for oppression of Muslims, and not letting individuals go after others. The importance of protecting oneself in the face of attacks is emphasized.AI: Transcript ©
Welcome
to another episode of our tafseel page by
page. Insha Allah ta'ala. Today, we're on page
number 89 which is in the 5th choose
of the Quran, Surah Al Nisa.
In the previous,
episode we spoke about a number of verses
of the Quran and a number of important
principles and how Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is
instructing the believers
to stay away from issues that the hypocrites
were known for. And from those issues that
the hypocrites were known for, those issues of
hypocrisy,
was that they would actually claim and profess
to have iman and belief in Allah, belief
in the
revelation of Allah, belief in the Messenger of
Allah but
then they were not willing to submit themselves
to the laws of Allah and the commandments
of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. And when it
came to their disputes and when it came
to the issues in which they required judgement,
they would seek other than the laws of
Allah and other than the judgement of the
Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. And how then,
Allah azza wa jal is saying that if
they had simply turned back to Allah, Allah
would have forgiven them. But because of their
disbelief,
because of their arrogance, because of their pride,
they turned away from the ways of Allah
and we mentioned that very important principle of
the Quran and that is that the believer
is the one who is willing to accept
the commands of Allah and does not have
any resistance in their hearts towards it and
is willing to submit to it fully and
completely
as commanded by Allah azza wa Jal.
Today we begin from verse number 66 of
Surah Al Nisa and that is the statement
of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
If we had ordered lay down your lives
or leave your homes, they would not have
done so except for a few. It would
have been far better for them and stronger
confirmation of their faith if they had done
as they are atoned.
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is saying
here had we, if we had ordered them
to show that these are people who are
not willing to should accept the commands of
Allah azza wa jal, not willing to accept
what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has commanded and
ordered them with. Allah is saying that if
we had ordered them or given them the
command to kill yourselves, lay down your lives,
or to leave your homes and your abode,
stay away from your homes,
they wouldn't have done so.
Except for a group from amongst them or
a small number from amongst them. And that
is because they don't have true iman. They
don't have true willingness to submit to the,
to the commands of Allah Azza wa Jal
and his legislation.
And if they were to simply
follow the commands of Allah, follow what
Allah has reminded or restricted them with, that
would be better for them and it would
be a stronger confirmation
of their Iman,
and that is the way that the Muslim
therefore should behave.
The way that the Muslim behaves is that
they understand
that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala what he instructs
them with and Allah never instructs us to
kill ourselves, never instructs us to to become
poor or homeless or whatever it is. What
Allah is saying that even if that was
to be the instruction,
the true believer would be someone who would
submit and would accept.
But what Allah does command us with is
that which will give us benefit,
that which will bring us goodness in this
life and the next that which will bring
us Allah's pleasure and Allah's reward in this
life and the next Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
commands us to have good character. Allah 'Azza
wa Jal commands us to worship him Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala commands us to have integrity
and honesty in our dealings with others. All
of the commands of Islam are commands that
are good, commands in which there is righteousness,
commands in which there is goodness for the
individual, for the family, for the community and
the society.
If only people would listen to the reminders
and instructions of Allah
and so that is the way that the
believers should be. In every single affair, what
we should ask ourselves and think about is
what does Allah instruct here? What does Allah
want from me here? What are Allah's commands
in this situation?
So when it comes to my worship, when
it comes to my family life, when it
comes to my business or my career or
my studies, when it comes to my friends
and my social circle, when it comes to
society at large, in all of these different
elements, in every single one of these scenarios
and aspects, what is it that Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala commands? What does Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala want from me?
If only they did as Allah commanded,
if only they did as Allah instructed,
if only they followed the legislation of Allah
and his messenger salallahu alayhi wasalam, what would
happen to them? Allah will mention to us
a number of benefits. The first of them,
it would be better for them And the
word khayr means everything in which there is
goodness.
They would have all goodness and all harm
and evil will be removed from them. That
is the first benefit.
Number 2,
and it would be more better for their
iman, it would give them more,
more steadfastness,
make them firmer upon their belief and upon
their iman. And that is because when a
person believes in Allah and leaves that refers
to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and follows the
commandments and the legislation of Allah
they have essentially given themselves to Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala. And whosoever places all of their
affairs in the hands of Allah aza wa
jal, then there is no better protector,
helper,
one who will come to your aid than
Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
And so this person knows that what Allah
has decreed for them is better for them.
And this is where you will find the
stories of the Prophets in the lives of
the companions, in the lives of the scholars
of Islam,
they were willing to sacrifice
everything for the sake of Allah
and to place all of their affairs in
the hands of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. So
they knew then from that point that anything
that happens, good or evil, it is because
Allah Azzawajal wanted it for them. And Allah
only decrees what is good for the believer,
even when it is hardship and calamity even
in what may seem outwardly to be bad
or evil for the believer it is inherently
good and that is because of the way
that they respond and that is because Allah
ajawgiri saying that Allah would give them more
steadfastness and he would give them khair
So even in times of calamity,
they would have the steadfastness
and the strength of Iman with which to
overcome that calamity and the difficulty.
And they would see
with and goodness that Allah would give to
them in different ways
and in different signs and in different things
that they possibly could never imagine.
So that is the second benefit.
If they only did as Allah instructed, it
would be good for them, number 1. Number
2, they would be given a stronger sense
of Iman, more steadfastness,
the Iman would be confirmed.
Number 3, is what Allah mentions
in the next verse number 67,
And we would give to them a rich
reward of our own. Allah says the number
3, they would have an immense reward
because these are the people who believe in
Allah truly. These are the people who are
willing to sacrifice their own desires
and to follow the commandments of Allah azza
wa Jal. These are the ones who are
willing to submit to Allah's laws and his
commandments and his legislation Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. And
those people who have iman and they do
righteous deeds and they have full submission and
devotion to Allah, they would have the greatest
of rewards. That is the 3rd accolade.
The 4th one is what Allah mentions
in verse number 68.
And guided them to a straight path
and that is the 4th benefit
that these people will be upon guidance. They
will be upon the path that is pleasing
to Allah that will lead to Allah's reward
and his pleasure and his mercy, subhanahu wa
ta'ala. It will lead them to gender.
So by commanding by following the commands of
Allah,
by following the legislation of Allah, azza wa
jal, these are the full rewards that Allah
subhanahu ta'ala mentions that you will have good
be protected from harm.
And harm doesn't mean calamities necessarily, it means
that you will not within those calamities do
that which will harm you in terms of
your akhir, in terms of your standing before
Allah, azza wa jal. Number 2, you will
be given steadfastness
and the firmness and the strength of Iman
to overcome the challenges of the dunya. Number
3, that Allah ajazul will reward you for
your Iman, for your patience,
for your gratitude, for your obedience to Allah
and number 4 that you will stay upon
the straight path, the path that leads ultimately
to the reward of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Allah says in verse number 69.
Whoever obeys Allah and his messenger will be
among those he has blessed,
will be amongst those whom he has blessed.
The messengers, the truthful,
those who bear witness to the truth and
the righteous and what an excellent company companionship
they are.
Allah says therefore
summarizing
the benefits, the blessings, the rewards of those
people who live a life of obedience to
Allah and his Messenger salallahu alaihi wa sallam.
And therefore we see from these verses in
the past couple of episodes,
these passages of Surah Al Nisa that from
the main
aspects of the believer from his from his
main functions, the believer in Allah and his
messenger salallahu alaihi wa sallam is that there
are people of obedience to Allah, his prophet
salallahu alaihi wasalam.
The believer is someone who is more clear
and obedient servant of Allah
willing to submit to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala,
willing to obey Allah and the commands of
his prophet salallahu alaihi wasalam. Whoever lives that
life of obedience to Allah and his messenger
salallahu alaihi wasallam, Allah subhanahu ta'ala will bless
them and honor them. They will be alongside
those whom Allah has blessed
and Allah names for us these 4 categories
of people that have been blessed. Number 1
are the Nabiyeen,
the prophets and messengers of Allah. And they
are the greatest of Allah's creation. They are
the ones whom Allah favored with his revelation.
They are the ones that Allah 'azhu Jal
chose and He safeguarded them from all major
sins and shirk and evil. And Allah 'azhu
Jal raised them up as role models for
all of society. And on yawmul qiyama,
they will be the leaders of mankind
and they will be the ones given the
loftiest of stations in Jannah. These people of
obedience
will be alongside these people. These people who
live their lives in obedience to Allah, his
messenger salallahu alaihi wasallam, they will be with
those whom Allah has blessed. At the forefront
of them are the prophets and messengers of
Allah. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions them
in the general,
in the general term.
All of the prophets and messengers of Allah.
So that includes our prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam.
It includes the likes of Ibrahim and Musa
and Risa and Nuh. It includes the likes
of the wooden, saliman and Adam, alayhi musalat
wasallam. Those prophets whose names we know and
those whom we do not know. That is
the first category of people.
Number
2,
those people who attest to the truth, they
bear witness to it. People like Abu Bakr
radiAllahu an was known as a siddiq.
Abu Bakr, if you study his life, you
read his story, his biography, he's a man
who whenever the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam says
do something or believe in something or he
mentions something, Abu Bakr radiAllahu an instantly accepts,
has no trepidation,
has no resistance,
has no moment of confusion, has no time
that he needs to go and study and
think and reflect and then come back and
decide.
He is someone who immediately, at the time,
is willing to accept without any issue, without
any
need to to think or to reflect or
to go away for some time. That is
why Ubaka radiAllahu an is the best of
this ummah after the messenger of Allah salallahu
alaihi wasalam. From the moment that he heard
about Islam, from the lips of the prophet
salallahu alaihi wasalam, he accepted Islam immediately.
And from that moment on, he dedicated his
life to serving Islam
and to serving the prophet salallahu alaihi wasalam.
And that is why Abu Bakr radiAllahu an
has an amazing status.
Even in the most difficult of times, Abu
Bakr radiAllahu an has no issue. So whether
it's the Islami Miraj,
the night journey where people can't understand, can't
fathom how a man can travel in those
days from Mecca to Jerusalem to the heavens
and back in a single night,
Abu Bakr radiAllahu an is willing to accept.
It doesn't have any issue. Or whether it's
the day of the treaty of Hudaybiyyah,
when the prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam is signing
away a number of privileges
and giving them to Quraysh and accepting from
Quraysh lesser terms
in the way that people would normally consider
these terms to be. He is considering he
is considered to be accepting the lesser terms
and giving away more to the Quraish and
he's accepting the Prophet as salam and he's
writing this down and he's willing to sign
it. And some of the companions are having
problems with this because some of those
oppressed Muslims will turn up chained
and and asking for help and and asking
for assistance from the Muslims and the Prophet
salallahu alaihi wa sallam offers them none because
of the pact and treaty that is just
signed with the Quraysh. And the Muslims are
seeing this and their hearts are burning because
of the oppression they see being inflicted upon
their own brothers in faith. And the Prophet
is
strong and firm. And alongside him is Abu
Bakr radiAllahu anhu believes as he does, who
accepts as he does. Even when Umar radiAllahu
anhu has a moment where he needs to
and understand Abu Bakr radiallahu an is firm.
And he says to Umar radiallahu an the
exact same words that the prophet salallahu alaihi
wa sallam said to him. Don't be a
disbeliever or imun khatab. Don't be someone who
sways. Don't be someone who is not firm.
But rather he is his Lord. Meaning Allah
is his Lord. He will never forsake
him. The exact same words given to Umar
radiAllahu an by the messenger of Allah salallahu
alaihi wa sallam himself. Abu Bakr radiAllahu an
is always strong and firm. And then even
at the time of the death of the
Prophet salallahu alaihi wa sallam, when many of
the companions are finding it extremely difficult to
come to terms with this new reality and
this news. When they're finding it difficult to
accept the prophet salallahu alaihi wasalam has left
and the different companions are processing this information
in their own ways, Abu Bakr radiallahu an
comes to the house of his daughter, Aisha
radiallahu anha. He looks at the body of
the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. He kisses
him upon his forehead and he says, by
Allah, you will never suffer death twice.
You will never suffer death twice. You have
died. And he is the first from amongst
the first to accept this radiAllahu anhu and
he is the one who then goes out
into the Masjid amongst the community and he
makes them understand this reality. That Allah has
chosen to take the life of his messenger
sallallahu alaihi wasallam. That is the siddiq
and their position is great in this religion.
Number 3, ashuhada.
The martyrs, those who sacrifice
their lives and their wealth for the sake
of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and falsely the
saliheen,
the righteous.
And what an amazing companionship that is. And
that is why when the Prophet sallallahu alaihi
wasallam was passing away, these are the words
that he said. Want the highest of companionships.
So likewise, those who follow the prophet salallahu
alaihi wasallam want to be with him in
the highest of companionships and that is why
Allah says in verse number 70
That is Allah's favor and no one knows
better than him. He is the one who
has all knowledge.
From the greatest favours of Allah, is that
you are not only given gender, but you
are given its highest levels with those that
Allah has favored with its highest levels.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala then says in verse
number 71.
Oh, you who believe, be on your guard
and march to battle in small groups or
as a single body.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala now in these verses
in the next passage will speak about the
issue of fighting and being prepared for fighting
as the Muslims were being oppressed
and they had to defend themselves.
And Allah says here,
be on your guard, be prepared for the
time where you will have to
seek to defend yourselves and that is why
as we know the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
would recommend amongst the companions
that they practice archery, that they learn horse
riding, that they do activities like swimming, that
would give them the physical ability to be
able to withstand the oppression they were facing
from attack from the Quraysh and others who
were coming to attack them, fend funeral with
Zubayatin, I've been filled with Jami'ah, and Allah
says, and then march out into battle into
small groups or as a single body. Because
as we know the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam, in his military expeditions, they were of
2 types. The first is when all of
the Muslims would march together as 1, and
those are the ones that he would lead
himself, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Like the battle of
Badr, like the battle of Uhud, like the
conquest of Mecca, like the battle of Tabuk,
that is all of the Muslims going out
as 1, or they go out as a
small group, he sends an expedition and the
prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam appoints a companion to
be the leader of that expedition and he
tells them and sends them on a certain
mission. So, either go out in small groups
or go out as a single body as
Allah Azzawajal commands.
In verse number 72, Allah then says,
Amongst you are those or amongst you is
the sort of person
who is sure to lag behind. If a
calamity befalls you, he says, Allah has been
gracious to me that I was not there
with them. Allah Azzawajal here is speaking about
again
the people like the hypocrites who stayed away,
who turned away and didn't want to fight.
They would lag behind, they would make excuses,
they would find any way or means to
stay away from the fighting for the sake
of Allah Azza wa Jal and they would
say if some calamity then befiled that group
of people that went those companions that went
and were fighting they were injured or from
amongst them they were killed or sometimes all
of them would be killed, they would say
that this is from Allah's favour upon me
that I was not meant to be with
them meaning that Allah saved me from that
which they encountered.
Allah
says in verse number 73,
as if there had been no ties of
affection between you and him.
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says that this is
their reality.
Those people who stay away from fighting in
the way of Allah Azza wa Jal from
the hypocrites and others, they only want the
blessings of the dunya. They only want from
the rewards of the dunya.
So if a group of you go out
and fight and they stay behind
and then there is some calamity that befalls
you, people die, people are injured, that I
look Allah favored us, Allah gave to us,
we're the ones that have been blessed by
Allah. Allah kept us away from that tragedy
and we were saved.
But if they were to stay behind and
you were to go out and you were
to win and you were to gain wealth
and you gain the spoils of war
then they will say
if only I had been with them I
also would have got that. So their issue
is not one of Allah's favors or not
favors, the ratio is one of what do
the Muslims need or not need, the ratio
is one of should I fight in Allah's
way or not fight in Allah's way, it
is how can I attain the dunya?
And so what that is what the main
preoccupation is and that is why Allah says,
it is as if there is no ties
of kinship between you and them meaning that
there is no
blood between you or them meaning they don't
care if you're harmed, they don't care if
you die, they don't care if you're injured,
all that they want is that they have
some portion of the dunya and that is
why Allah Azul speaks about them in these
terms that they want the khanima, they want
spoils of war and as for the hardship
that comes with it, the difficulty, the injury,
the death that may come, they want no
part of it. If there was a way
that they could only get the dunya, that
is what they would achieve and that is
all that they would want. Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala then says in the final verse that
we will take in today's episode, verse
number 74.
Allah says that those of you who are
willing to trade the life of this world
for the life to come fight in Allah's
way, to anyone who fights in Allah's way
whether killed or victorious,
we shall give to you a great reward.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says therefore that those
people
who fight in Allah's path will go out
and sacrifice for the sake of Allah
defending their religion and so on and so
forth. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says that he
will give to them a great reward whether
they are from amongst those people who die
in battle or whether they return back victorious.
And as we have said previously that these
verses
of jihad and fighting in the way of
Allah
must be understood in their correct context with
the rulings of the Sharia. And that is
something which must be studied with the scholars
who give to you the parameters and the
way that this is done, and it is
not meant to be taken out of context
nor is it meant to be applied in
the way that unfortunately we have seen in
recent times where people come and they harm
the innocent and they attack those people who
are not enemies and they go and they
cause a great deal of destruction upon the
earth. Those people are not performing jihad and
that is what the jihad that Allah has
legislated. For all that jihad has its way
and has its means
and has its laws And these verses are
mentioned in the Quran because the Quran speaks
about all of the affairs that the Muslims
require and need and from them is the
laws of fighting and the laws of defending
yourself and attacking. And so Allah mentions them,
but their study is extremely important. And that
is a jihad is something which is done
by the permission of the rulers of the
Muslims and by the scholars of Islam. And
with that, we come to the end of
today's episode.
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