Bilal Philips – Tafseer Surah al-Mulk #03

			Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim, the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful. I'd like to
welcome you their viewers to another in our series, understanding the Quran, in which we're looking
at a commentary on the 67th chapter of the Quran Surah Al Mulk, the chapter of the Dominion. The
previous episode, we began to look at the first verse of that chapter, that verse began saying,
Blessed is He, in whose hand is the Dominion and is able to do all things. We discussed the issues
of the Dominion, being in Allah's hand, that he controls everything. law, he refers to himself as
having a hand, we don't say that this is a hand like human hands, we understand this, the law tells
		

			us in the Quran, laser committee che there's nothing like him. So we do not understand hand in that
human sense.
		

			And we pointed out the issue of the dominion that by him having control over all things, is all
good, all evil, which takes place is by his permission, he is the only one who can prevent evil from
coming to us and bring good to us. So we should not depend on anything in this life in the way of
charms and amulets and things like this, that people commonly tend to rely on to protect themselves
from evil and to bring themselves good, there are no such things as good luck charms, and there is
nothing that we can use in that way. And some people unfortunately, will get involved in reciting
Names of Allah, for example, as a means of ruining good for themselves thinking that these names are
		

			like magical charms, you say it, so many times you do this, you do that, and the other and this will
happen, you know, these type of prescriptions which have been given to people this is not from the
teachings of Islam at all. So, the Dominion belongs to Allah. Nothing takes place in this world,
except by His permission. And then he closes it saying while while actually shaking, Kadir and He is
Able to do all things. This phrase is repeated throughout the Quran, in many, many different places,
Allah is Able to do all things. But how do we understand this phrase? Because the mistaken
understanding can lead to wrong conclusions. For example, in a when Christians, for example, hold
		

			that a law God had his son. And when they're advised No, this is not. It's not befitting of God. You
should not say this God had a son, they say, Well, isn't God able to do all things? Don't you
believe that? And of course, a person without sufficient proper understanding of this phrase of the
statement, was is finds themselves in a in a state of
		

			doubt, a state of
		

			uncertainty, because yes, we believe God is able to do all things, then can't you have a son? Well,
the point is that when we speak, or when Allah speaks about being able to do all things, he also
tells us that there are things which are not befitting of himself.
		

			That is, if God means one who has no beginning, then to ascribe a beginning to him, it's not
befitting
		

			to ask the question, can God be born?
		

			And again, he's not at his knee able to do all things. Of course, yes, he is. But do we ask Can he
be born? No, we have to say no. Why? Because God means one, who is without beginning?
		

			Because it meant that he had to be non existent and then coming and then came into existence, and if
he was non existent, and how can he make himself exist? This is nonsensical. So when we speak about
God, being able to do all things we don't include in it the things which contradicts his divinity,
contradict him being God, like asking, Can God die? Or as the philosophers like to ask, Can God
create a stone which is too heavy for him to lift?
		

			Again, this is nonsensical, because if God is all powerful, how can there be a created thing which
is greater than he is not possible? So those things which contradicts God's divinity and his
attributes, we consider these to be absurdities. So when we speak of God being able to do all
things, it doesn't include the absurdities. Among those absurdities, is God giving birth to a son.
		

			That is an absurdity. That is an animal function. cows have sons, kittens
		

			have sons human beings have sons. This is an animal function, this is not the function of God. And
in any case, if you were to accept that
		

			when a cow has a kitten as a calf, so you have a little cow you have a cow and a little cow calf has
a kitten, you know, cat and a little cat, human being as a child, you know, a human being and a
little human being. And then when God has a
		

			son there, what do we have a little God? This is this absurdity, absurdity. So, the issues of God
having a son, this is not befitting of God, to,
		

			to take on his son, you know, he is the creator, whatever is besides himself is his creation.
		

			The second verse, begins
		

			as follows.
		

			was created death and life, that he may test you which of you is best indeed. And He is the
Almighty,
		

			forgiving.
		

			Allah describes himself as creating death and life.
		

			And he mentioned death here
		

			before life.
		

			Saying, he created death and life and this, this we find in a number of other places in the Quran,
as for example, and so, Al Baqarah, when he said, referring to human beings, seeing that you are
dead,
		

			and He gave you life, they may cause you to die, and will bring you back to life and to Him, you
will return. And so najem said,
		

			that is he who cause death, and gives life.
		

			Death in this reference refers really, to a state before life began.
		

			There is the absence of life. I mean, death is not really an existent thing, life is the existent
thing, we remove life.
		

			And we have death, death is the absence of life. So Allah refers to us in the state prior to our
creation, as being dead, I mean, we did not exist, this absence is referred to as death.
		

			And when life as we know it ceases to exist.
		

			But existence really continues, the soul continues, this is also again referred to as them. So it
has both meanings, one non existence in totality.
		

			And secondly, it has the meaning when we no longer live,
		

			as we do in this world, where our soul and our bodies are linked together, where the soul now is
extracted from the body, that is also referred to as that and Allah says here that he created this,
he created this
		

			as a means of testing, testing human beings,
		

			testing them, to bring out which of them is best in these. Now.
		

			Allah in the creation has informed us that his creation of human beings this world is not just a
game and is not a meaningless
		

			situation. There is no point to Life sure, there is a point of life. Allah says, for example, in
		

			the 23rd chapter, verse 115, he said, You think that I created you in play, without any purpose,
that you would not be brought back to me, very important for people to reflect on because we live a
life we forget that there is a purpose to this life.
		

			We forget that we have to account given account of this life. So Allah informs us that this life is
a life of testing.
		

			a life in which we are tested in a variety of different ways.
		

			The process of dying is a test,
		

			knowing that we will die, because it's one thing that we're certain off,
		

			we're certain that we're going to die. And the fact that we know this is in front of us, no matter
how much we want to doubt what is coming after it, et cetera, et cetera. The reality is, we all
know,
		

			the part of the test of his life, we know we cannot live forever, no matter how hard people may try,
people will spend a lot of money, a lot of time and effort to try to slow down the aging process, to
try to turn back the clock and all these other kinds of things. But death is sorted.
		

			So it is a test that part of the test for us, death can be a part of the test from the point of view
of those around us die.
		

			Not our death, but the death of those around us. As a point, let us reflect,
		

			reflect on the purpose of our lives. Are we ready to go as people around us are going? Are we ready
to face
		

			accountability?
		

			If this life is really not a game,
		

			when we see good people living good lives or trying to live good lives and suffering, people live in
evil lives, we see them benefiting.
		

			It may appear that there is no justice in this world. So we may as well just have a good time, do
whatever we can. But we have messages brought to us by people who claim to be prophets of God, who
claim to receive revelation, advising us to understand that this world is a test.
		

			Not to be fooled by the apparent success of evil. And the apparent failure of good,
		

			good. We accept in our hearts, we do respect good. Even though we might see failure associated with
it, with our hearts is known. It's like a part of ourselves, we know what is good, we know what is
evil.
		

			So we should not be fooled by what appears to us in this life. Because
		

			there is a consequence, just as there is a God.
		

			There has to be a god. There has to be a consequence for this life. So when we look at the
		

			status of people in this life, some people have more than others. You know, some people think, Oh,
this my good luck, bad luck for those people who didn't have what I have. What Allah tells us 16
Chapter, The Grand verse 71, Allah has favorite some of you over others in softness. This is from
Allah. This is the favor of Allah. But that favor is a test. The law tells us elsewhere and the
eighth chapter, verse 28, know that your wealth, and children are a test. This is all a part of the
test, test to see, will a person's wealth.
		

			Children, cause them to forget God? As Allah said in the Seventh Chapter in verse 165, all believers
do not allow your wealth and children to divert you from the remembrance of Allah.
		

			That is chapter 63, verse nine. And in chapter seven, verse 165, he said, he raised some of you over
others in rank, to test you with what he granted you. So this is all part and parcel of the test. We
should know that no matter how much wealth we have,
		

			we will never be satisfied, there is no satisfaction and contentment and well, the prophet may God's
peace and blessings be upon him said in a hadith found in Sahih al Bukhari, if a man had a value of
gold, he would desire another, for nothing will fill his mouth with the dirt of his grave. And Allah
forgives whoever sincerely repairs,
		

			the nature of human being. The more you have, the more you want. The grass is always greener on the
other side. So what is there before us, but to recognize our greed error? To turn back to God
recognize that what we have been given is from God and if the tests repent to God, and God will
forgive us.
		

			So, what Islam prescribes what Allah has prescribed through his religion, the religion which is
prescribed for human beings, Islam, is that charity be given regularly, compulsory charity known as
Zeca. As I said, take charity from their wealth to purify them and make them grow.
		

			The nice chapter was 103.
		

			It is an institution in Islam charity
		

			compulsory on everyone who has the means to give a portion of their wealth to the needy, to train
them in generosity, because generosity has to be trained. It is the nature of the human being to
want to hold and to keep for himself or herself, not to share it with others, we can see this from
children, you give children toys, without telling them, they will not want to share it with other
children, you have to train them to share. So similarly obligatory charity is a training and means
of training of individuals, to share what they've been given by God without it and when we do that,
we grow, we grow spiritually, it increases the value of our wealth as the Prophet Muhammad peace be
		

			upon him, it said that charity does not decrease well.
		

			Though it may appear that way to us, we had $100 We gave were 50, when only have 50 is decreased,
but know the value of what we have given has increased the reward for what we have.
		

			In fact, what we have given remains ours. What we have left behind isn't, somebody else will take
it.
		

			So, whatever we have, the more we are able to use it in a way which is pleasing to God, the more
benefits us this is the spirit, which is engenders seeks to create an individualist spirit of
charity, of generosity, wanting to share with others, and the Prophet migos peace and blessings be
upon him. Hadith also founded al Bukhari, and said, look to those less fortunate than you do not
look to those above you, it is better for you in order that you do not deny what Allah has blessed
you with
		

			is our nature we see others better off than us to complain, why can I have this I should have that
and it may cause us to go and do sinful things to achieve what they have. The Prophet told us may
God be sinless be upon him. Don't look at
		

			mashallah, you say it is the will of Allah they have what they have. Look at those who are less
fortunate because no matter how bad off any of us may find ourselves, we are always others who are
worse off. And when we reflect on their state, then it helps us to be thankful to God for what He
has given us. And in any case, as the Prophet SAW Salem is reported ultimate sign Buhari is saying
wealth is not measured in property, but in contentment.
		

			Wealth is not measured in property, but in contentment.
		

			Contentment comes from remembrance of Allah, as Allah said, alive, the liquid Allah He caught my NL
globe. Indeed it is with the remembrance of Allah, that hearts find rest. So the rest is only coming
from remembrance of Allah, being conscious of Allah, conscious of one's purpose, you know, one then
has a sense of contentment and satisfaction, which will get us through this life to the trials of
this life. And Allah closes off this chapter, saying that he is almighty, and are forgiving. Though
he has told us that
		

			all of the Dominion is in his hand, he's able to do all things etc. We should not fool ourselves
into believing that we have any real power in this situation. At the same time, he tells us that he
is off forgiving. Though he can punish us he has the is in a position to punish us for any wrong
we've done, we think to do, he is still at the same time of forgiving, and
		

			the purpose of the test, you should know that everything is in his hands, we will be forgiven when
we commit errors. The purpose of the test is for us to grow.
		

			Not for a lot to know what he didn't know because of course, he already knows who amongst us is
going to be good and who isn't. So the test is really for our own selves for ourselves to grow
spiritually to achieve the qualities, the characteristics which
		

			human beings are capable of achieving, which make them worthy of being in paradise. With that your
viewers would like to close the segment on the Commentary on the 67th chapter of the Quran Surah Al
Mulk. We hope that you will be with us in coming episodes. So now they come into my inbox