Moutasem al-Hameedy – The Monumental Tafsir As Sadi #92 Surah Qaf

AI: Summary ©
The transcript describes the benefits of Islam, including its use of fruits and vegetables, its use of spiritual and worldly insights, and its natural state of love. It also discusses the importance of balancing fear and hope, avoiding questions, and pursuing good in one's life. The use of backbiting, which is generally for Muslims, is also emphasized, along with the importance of pursuing good in one's life.
AI: Summary ©
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen, salatu wa salamu ala Rasulina
Muhammadin wa ala alihi wa ashabihi ajma'in.
Wa ba'du Allahumma a'allimna ma yunfa'una,
wa nifa'na bima a'allamtana, wa zidna
aliman innaka anta al-'alim al-hakim.
So we continue with Tafseer al-Imam al
-Sa'di on surat Qaf.
And I believe we reached verse number 6.
So we'll take it from there bi-idhnillahi
ta'ala.
Qal al-Imam al-Sa'di rahimahallahu ta'ala,
a'udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim.
wa anbatna bihi jannatin muhabbal hasid.
wa annakhla basiqatin laha tal'un dhid rizqan
lil'ibad.
wa ahyayna bihi baldatan maytan kathalika alkhuruj.
When Allah mentioned the state of the deniers
and their sin, He called them to look
at His horizontal verses to consider wa yastadillu
biha ala maa ju'ilat adillatan alayhi.
fa qal afalam yanzuru ila assamai fawqahum.
i.e. they don't need to look at
the high and low.
bal huwa fi ghayati assuhulati.
fa yanzuruna kayfa banaynaha qubbatan mustawiyata al-arjah.
thabitata al-bina' muzayyana bil-nujumi al-khunnas
wal-jawari al-kunnas.
allati darabat min al-ufuqi ila al-ufuqi
fi ghayati al-husni wal-malaha.
la tara fiha ayba wala furujan wala khilalan
wala ikhlaana.
qad ja'alaha Allahu saqfan li ahli al
-ardi wa awda'a fiha min masalihihim al
-daruriyati ma awda'a.
Having described the situation of the disbelievers and
explained why they are blameworthy, Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala now calls them to look at
His signs in the universe so that they
may reflect and see the conclusions to which
they point.
As He says, Have they not looked at
the heaven above them?
That is, looking at it does not require
any effort or travel.
Rather, it is very easy.
Let them see how We have constructed it
like a smooth dome, well built and adorned
it with stars, stretching from one horizon to
the other in the most beautiful manner.
No defect, gap or flaws can be seen
in it.
Allah has made it a roof for the
people of the earth and has placed in
it things that serve essential interests for them.
He said, And to the earth, how have
We extended it and widened it so that
every living being is able to rest in
it and settle in it and to be
prepared for all its interests.
And He has spread it over the mountains
so that it may settle in it from
the shaking and swarming.
And We have planted in it every kind
of beautiful plant i.e. every kind of
plant that is pleasant to look at and
that is pleasing to the eye and that
is pleasing to the eye to eat the
children of Adam and to eat the animals
and their benefits.
And of those benefits in particular, the gardens
that are full of delicious fruits such as
grapes, pomegranates, oranges, apples, and other kinds of
fruits, and of the tall palm trees i
.e. the tall ones that are long and
rise up to the sky so that they
reach a height that is not reached by
many trees.
And they produce from the tall palm trees
in their pots what is sustenance for the
servants, fuel, blood, and fruit, from which they
eat and save themselves and their livestock.
And likewise, what Allah produces by rain and
what is its effect from the rivers that
are on the face of the earth and
which are beneath it from the grain of
the harvest, i.e. from the harvested grain
of corn, barley, corn, rice, smoke, and other
things.
So, in view of these things, there is
insight that can be seen from the work
of ignorance, and a reminder that can be
remembered what is beneficial in religion and in
this world, and it can be remembered what
Allah told about it and His messengers told
about it.
And this is not for everyone, but for
every servant who turns to Allah, i.e.
who is approaching Him with love, fear, and
hope, and the answer of his supplicant.
And as for the denier or the transgressor,
verses and warnings do not avail against a
people who do not believe.
And the earth, how We have spread it
out and made it spacious so that every
animal can settle on it, rest on it,
and find all that it needs.
Allah has made it stable with mountains so
that it will not shake or sway, and
caused to grow therein beautiful plants of every
kind, i.e. every kind of plant that
is pleasant to the eye and brings delight
and joy to the observer, as food for
the sons of Adam and their livestock, and
bringing other benefits.
Among those benefits, Allah singles out for mention
the gardens that contain delicious fruits, such as
grapes, pomegranates, citrons, apples, and other kinds of
fruit.
And He mentions lofty date palms, which give
lasting benefits, and which reach towards the sky
until they reach a height that many other
trees do not reach.
From the spades containing tightly packed flower clusters
come provision, nourishment, staple food, and fruits for
people.
They eat some and store some for themselves
and their flocks.
Similarly, Allah brings forth by means of the
rain and the rivers that flow on the
face of the earth and beneath it as
a result thereof the grain that is harvested,
i.e. crops that are harvested, such as
wheat, barley, corn, rice, millet, and others.
Looking at these things is a source of
insight that allows one to see after having
been blind due to ignorance, and a reminder
of that which is beneficial in both spiritual
and worldly terms.
Thus, one is reminded of what Allah and
His messengers have told us.
But that is not for everyone.
Rather, it is for every slave who turns
to Allah.
That is, everyone who turns to Him with
love, fear, and hope, and responds to His
call.
As for the one who disbelieves or turns
away, the signs and warnings are of no
avail to people who do not believe.
He said, And this is a proof that
what is in it is of a magnificent
creation, and is strong and powerful.
It is a proof of the perfection of
Allah's power.
And what is in it is of excellence
and perfection, and is the inventor of creation.
It is a proof that Allah is the
most just of all judges, and that He
knows all things.
And what is in it is of benefits
and benefits for the servants.
It is a proof of the mercy of
Allah, which encompasses all things, and of His
generosity, which encompasses all things.
And what is in it is of the
greatness of creation, and is the inventor of
order.
It is a proof that Allah is the
One and Only, the One and Only, who
has not taken a wife or a son,
and has no equal.
And that worship, humiliation, and love are not
for anyone but Allah.
And what is in it is of the
resurrection of the earth after its death.
It is a proof of the resurrection of
Allah, to reward them for their deeds.
And that is why He said, And We
revived with it a dead city, as was
the Resurrection.
And when He reminded them of these heavenly
and earthly signs, He made them fear that
they would be taken by the nations, and
that they would not persist in their lying,
and that they would be struck by what
struck their brothers of the liars.
In conclusion, everything that the heaven contains of
dazzling creation and well-built construction is indicative
of the perfect might of Allah.
What it contains of beauty, precision, and brilliant
design and creation indicates that Allah is most
wise, and that He has knowledge of all
things.
What it contains of benefits and things that
serve the interests of people are indicative of
the mercy and generosity of Allah that encompasses
all things.
What it contains of mighty creations and amazing
systems indicate that Allah is the One, the
Unique, the Eternal, who has no spouse or
offspring, and there is none like unto Him.
No worship, humility, or love should be directed
to any but Him.
What it contains of the means of reviving
the earth after its death indicates that Allah
will give life to the dead in order
to requite them for their deeds.
Hence He says, And We give life thereby
to a dead land, in like manner will
be the Resurrection.
Having reminded them of these heavenly and earthly
signs, Allah now warns them, lest there befall
them what befell other nations of punishment, and
tells them that they should not persist in
their current disbelief, lest there befall them what
befell their fellow disbelievers.
So what we covered last week from verse
number 1 to verse number 5, Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala shows that the response, the
negative response of the disbelievers, they wonder how
come, right, that we will be resurrected after
being dead, after we have turned into dirt.
How come?
So they are in denial of resurrection, of
the next life.
And obviously they were in denial of the
Prophet, and the message of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
So after Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala shows
the foolishness of this, Allah turns to a
different set of signs, and this is His
creation.
This is His creation.
In other places in the Quran, Allah says,
سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ We shall
show them our signs or our might, the
signs of our might in the horizon, meaning
in the creation, the creation around us, the
natural world, right, and also within themselves.
So these are the natural signs that Allah
is referring to.
Allah says, don't they see the sky?
This magnificent creation, right, that covers them.
It's more like a ceiling for them.
First, it is meticulously created.
It is perfect, it's appealing, aesthetically appealing and
beautiful, and there is no flaws in it,
and its creation is mighty.
Its creation is mighty.
So it's mighty, functional and beautiful at the
same time.
Then Allah says, didn't they look at the
earth?
Didn't they see the earth?
Look at the earth, that we have stretched
it, so we made it, for the most
part, flat.
For the most part, flat, where it can
be, people can live on it, and they
can pursue their living on it, they can
build on it, they can farm, they can
travel, they can do work.
So we made it conducive for your livelihood,
for your living, for a comfortable living.
This is مددناها وألقينا فيها رواسي and we
established in it mountains that keep it stable,
that keep the crust of the earth stable,
otherwise it would shake.
وألبنا فيها من كل زوج بهيج And not
only was it like, it's not more as
a ground for you to live on, but
it's very productive, in what it produces.
It produces vegetation, it produces all types of
crops, vegetables, fruits, so it's very rich.
It is very generous in what it gives
you.
Look at this, it's multi, it's designed to
be to multi-function.
It's designed to be good in every sense.
It is a place, it's a foundation for
you to live on, to stand on, to
walk on, to build on, and to live
comfortably on.
And not only that, it is very generous.
Your livelihood, your food, your provision, also springs
from it, comes forth from it.
So it's generous, right?
They call it mother earth, right?
Mother earth.
Because of the generosity.
But that's Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala created
it this way.
And not only does your food come out
of it, the way it comes out, the
vegetation, the plantation, is very appealing.
Again, aesthetically, it's very beautiful.
This is why he says, وَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ
كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ And we made things, or
pairs of different kinds, grow from it, that
which is pleasing.
مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ And بهيج comes from
the word, what's the بهيج's adjective?
بهيج is active.
Am I doing something wrong with the mic,
or is the brother fixing it?
Okay.
It's muffled?
طيب بهيج Where does بهيج come from?
This is the adjective.
صفة What is the noun of this?
The noun of بهيج.
نعم بهجة بهجة What's the meaning of بهجة?
What is بهجة?
سرور سرور in English.
بهجة بهجة is the joy, and the pleasure.
بهجة Which puts a smile on your face.
Okay, it's a surface level.
بهجة So سرور is deep.
سرور is inner joy.
بهجة is external joy.
Things that put a smile on your face,
that make you feel pleased.
Like if you, if you taste something, and
the taste is very pleasant, okay, that gives
you بهجة.
When you see a beautiful scene, right, and
it really like, captures your attention, and it
puts you in a beautiful state, that's بهجة.
Allah says for example, وَأَنبَتْنَا حَدَائِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ
حَدَائِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ Gardens that will bring you
بهجة.
Bring you that kind of, you know, the
feeling that you get when you see something
pleasant, and appealing, that's بهجة.
Okay?
Or when you taste something.
I think the audio got worse.
It got lower?
Yeah.
How are you finding the audio?
A little muffled.
Muffled?
Muffled, right?
وَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِجٍ مِنْ كُلِّ
زَوْجٍ بَهِجٍ So we allowed, or we designed
it in a way, that pairs of vegetation,
grow from it.
Right?
So not only do they provide you with
your food and livelihood, and your nutrition, but
also offers you what?
Something joyful for the eye to see.
Right?
Something that changes your mood.
Something that uplifts your mood.
That's بهجة.
Okay?
بهيج تَبْصِرَةً وَذِكْرَى لِكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُنِيبٍ What does
the creation do?
The main function of this creation, for your
heart, is twofold.
تَبْصِرَةً وَذِكْرَى تَبْصِرَةً وَذِكْرَى What is تَبْصِرَةً?
It comes from بَصِرَةً.
And تَذْكِرَةً وَذِكْرَى comes from ذِكْر.
تَذَكُّر And these are two important things, two
important functions of your heart.
I'm really struggling to speak, because this is
echoing in my ears.
اللهم استعال Hopefully they'll fix it quickly.
So, تَبْصِرَةً وَذِكْرَى تَبْصِرَةً comes from بَصَر.
بَصَر This is the بَصَر, which is the
vision of your heart.
So, the reality of the creation around you,
is that it actually awakens your heart, so
your heart starts to see the truth.
The truth of this life.
So, when you see, for example, the alternation
of the seasons, plants come to life, then
they flourish, then they die.
Right?
These seasonal plants.
If your heart is alive, this is a
reminder of your own life and death.
Just as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala caused
them to come to life and flourish, and
then to die, and Allah brings them back
again, the same thing happens to you as
human beings.
So, don't deny the resurrection, as at the
beginning of the surah.
Don't deny the resurrection.
Because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, that's His
way with the creation, with the plants, that's
how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala brings them
to life, gives them new life, then causes
them to flourish, and then die.
Then Allah brings them back to life again.
And Allah can do the same with you.
So, on what basis are you denying, you
know, resurrection or the next life?
So, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala who brought
them to life, He can bring you also
to life.
And then the functionality of all of this.
Again, as we said, it's visually appealing, it
uplifts your mood, I'm
starting to have a headache because of that.
I'm sure they're trying, but I'm not sure
what's going on.
So, in terms of functionality, let's say aesthetically,
it's very appealing and beautiful.
In terms of functionality, it provides you with
food, and it's stable itself, so you can
live on it.
There is so many utility, so much utility
that you can draw from the earth as
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala designed it.
And also, not only nutrition, again, for your
mood, doesn't only provide for your mood, doesn't
only provide for your body, nutrition, right?
And your livelihood and your other functions like
residence, etc.
Because you also derive the raw materials of
your accommodation, the houses that you build.
Where do you draw these elements from?
From the earth itself as well.
So you create what?
Bricks, mortar, and you build those structures which
you take as shelter, right?
So all of that is from the earth.
This is the functionality of it.
That's with regards to it, your livelihood.
What about your heart?
تبصرة وذكرى تبصرة, as we said, comes from
بصر or بصيرة which is the بصيرة of
the heart.
The eyesight of the heart.
So it becomes a reminder.
Seeing all of this beautiful creation, the alternation
of seasons, the flourishing and the dying of
plants and other creatures, and so on and
so forth.
All of this is a powerful reminder that
there is a life cycle and you also
have your own life cycle.
And Allah SWT promised to bring you back
to life again and hold you accountable.
So that's تبصرة وذكرى.
ذكرى is a reminder.
Reminder of what?
We said this is a reminder of your
fitrah.
This is a reminder of your fitrah.
You already know, you come with a built
-in system that knows that this is not
the only life you're going to get.
You know this at a very deep level.
You know that intuitively.
You know that intuitively.
It's deep down.
You recognize there is death.
You know that there is life after death.
You know that you come to this life
with an amana, with a trust, with a
responsibility.
And that you will be held accountable based
on that amana, based on that responsibility.
You know that deep inside.
You might intellectually be in denial of that,
but deep inside you know it.
And this is why they say, there is
no atheist on a crashing plane.
There is no atheist on a sinking ship.
Why?
Because that fitrah wakes up again and is
reminded of the truth.
But our arrogance keeps it down in our
normal day-to-day living.
So this is, when you look at the
creation, if your heart is alive, you will
start to see beyond your eyes' vision.
You start to see what is beyond that.
The magnificence of the Creator, Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala, how He designed it in such
a profound way.
How He designed it in such a functional
way, in such an appealing way.
Any good news?
So all of this, it opens your eyes
to the names and attributes of Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
And we mentioned that previously.
وَفِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ لَهُ آيَةٌ تَدُلُّ عَلَىٰ أَنَّهُ
الْوَاحِدُ Everything in this creation is a sign.
And it's pointing to one thing.
It's pointing to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
as the only one.
As the only one who has the right
to be worshipped.
As the only creator and sustainer of the
world.
Okay?
So, and then it's a reminder, it's a
reminder of your responsibility.
It's a reminder of the shortness of this
life.
Right?
Of the fleeting nature of this life.
That you will come to die, and then
eventually you will be resurrected, you will be
held accountable.
And then you will arrive at your final
destination.
Either Jannah or the Hellfire.
Okay.
تَبْصِرَةً وَذِكْرَةً لِكُلِّ عَبِدٍ مُنِيبٍ And here is
a condition.
Allah says, it's a تَبْصِرَة.
It opens the eyes of your heart.
وَذِكْرَةً It awakens your heart back again to
what it already knows.
The truth, the bigger truth.
وَذِكْرَةً لِكُلِّ عَبِدٍ مُنِيبٍ Only for every heart
that is in a state of what?
إِنَابَة مُنِيب إِنَابَة Right?
مُنِيب What does مُنِيب mean?
It's a very important action of the heart.
And it's a very important state of the
heart.
And it should be continuous.
It should always be in a state of
إِنَابَة What does إِنَابَة?
I'm going to give you the different versions.
Verb is إِنَابَة Or in the past, إِنَابَة
Okay?
إِنَابَة The noun, إِنَابَة The person who has
إِنَابَة is مُنِيب This is the one used
here.
إِنَّا فِي ذَلِكِ تَبْصِرَةً وَذِكْرَةً لِكُلِّ عَبِدٍ مُنِيبٍ
And at the end of the verse, Allah
is going to bring the same thing.
لِكُلِّ عَبِدٍ مُنِيبٍ Sorry, Allah is going to
bring the same adjective.
مُنِيب What does مُنِيب mean?
Those who speak Arabic.
العودة مُنِيب is العودة Okay, to return.
Which is correct.
But not any type of return.
What are we talking about?
How can your heart be مُنِيب?
Hmm?
Asking for forgiveness?
Well, a heart that is in a state
of إِنَابَة does ask for forgiveness.
But forgiveness and seeking forgiveness is not exactly
what إِنَابَة means.
Always comes back to Allah.
So how do you come back to Allah?
Good start.
How do we come back to Allah?
But that's what he said when he said
forgiveness.
تَوْبَة Forgiveness and تَوْبَة, they are a fruit.
So تَوْبَة and seeking forgiveness always is a
product or a fruit of إِنَابَة.
But what is the difference now?
Why do we say مُنِيب?
Why do we say تَائب?
Why does Allah use مُنِيب and he doesn't
use تَوْبَة here?
Why?
With تَوْبَة you have to admit.
So exactly what the younger brother said.
Always coming back.
Always coming back.
We need a little bit more.
We're getting there.
But we need a little bit more.
Not necessarily.
We don't want to talk about the tool.
Could be any tool.
تَوْبَة You have nowhere else to go.
I mean that's true, but it doesn't define
إِنَابَة.
Okay, so you recognize your destitution, your need
for Allah, so you're constantly going back.
That's definitely إِنَابَة.
But how is إِنَابَة?
What is more in إِنَابَة than just turning
constantly back to Allah?
What makes it happen?
Sisters?
Huh?
Say that again, the last bit.
Okay, so you're just bringing ذِكرَى back to
it, which is correct.
And by the way, what you guys said
for the most part is correct.
Always coming back.
Let's put it together so that we can
see the small bit, the tiny bit that
is missing.
And it's very powerful still.
Always coming back to Allah.
You come back to Allah in repentance, in
تَوْبَة, in seeking forgiveness.
You come back to Allah even in other
states.
It doesn't have to be you made a
mistake and you come back to Allah.
So this is a state of ذِكرَى.
You're reminding yourself.
But, okay.
Huh?
We're just adding more details, but it's not
the essence.
Okay, تَجْدِيدَ الْإِمَان.
It's correct, but we need something to help.
Okay, we'll pause for a few seconds.
Bismillah.
Oh, sorry, I spoke for so long.
Are we good?
JazakAllah khair.
So was the small wire, that was the
whole thing?
I don't know.
Fine, cool.
Okay, last answer.
Well, sincerely is part of it, definitely.
We said final, so I'll have to stick
by that.
The natural state of the heart.
Oh, that's much better.
The natural state of the heart.
Natural, before Shaytan corrupts it.
Before Shaytan uses your nafs, your desires, and
your ambitions to create damage, corruption in the
heart.
Okay?
The heart is in love with Allah.
Naturally.
And the heart craves this connection with Allah.
It's always seeking Allah.
Your heart is always seeking.
Heart is always seeking.
Your heart never rests.
Never.
Never, never, ever rests.
You're always wishful.
You're always desiring as a human being.
And that's love.
Your heart is always in love of something.
We call this will.
We call this drive.
We call this want.
We call this wish.
Whatever you want to call it.
Ultimately, it's love.
It is love.
So your heart.
So when we say always turning back to
Allah.
This is in general terms.
Yes.
What do we turn to Allah in?
Or with regards to what?
So your heart naturally, naturally points to Allah.
It seeks Allah.
And it loves Allah.
And it craves that connection with Allah all
the time.
That's the nature of your heart.
That's why Allah created your heart.
And that's how Allah designed your heart.
Shaitaan comes in.
And he uses everything, everyone around you.
He uses even.
No, no, no, no, no.
He uses even your own nafs, your own
desires.
Which are originally legitimate desires.
You have some legitimate desires.
Okay.
Shaitaan brings those desires.
And look at desires.
Desire, we just said.
Drive, want, wish, desire.
That's the same set.
Which means love.
So your heart.
Shaitaan brings these things.
In order to consume the power of love
in your heart.
So he diverts it away from Allah.
Towards other things that are naturally appealing to
you.
Even if they are halal.
Even.
No, I'm still getting echo of you.
Okay.
Even if it's halal.
So inaba.
Means you're always bringing your heart back to
its natural state.
Why?
Because it always drifts.
You know when you get on a boat.
I hope you don't do that when you're
driving on the highway.
But on a boat.
You see the end of let's say the
lake.
And you say, okay, that's the spot I'm
going to.
And you start sailing.
You realize every like other minute.
You start to realize that you have drifted
from your direction.
So you have to correct course.
You have to correct.
You do that as well sometimes when you're
walking in an unmarked area.
Let's say in an open area in a
desert or in the mountains or in the
woods.
You're walking.
You have like a specific end point or
target.
You keep diverting.
So you have to always correct course.
That's what inaba is.
That's what inaba is.
Because why do you divert?
Because you are under so much pressure from
shaitan and from your nafs.
And he uses all the temptations around you.
So the natural flow of your heart gets
diverted.
And seamlessly.
And in very subtle ways.
You don't realize it.
You don't even feel it.
You don't feel it.
And you feel good about yourself while you
are diverting.
So inaba is always to correct course.
Come back to Allah.
The essence of inaba is love.
Back to Allah.
Bring your heart back to the love of
Allah.
And this is the driving force in your
life.
That's what inaba is.
So it is coming back to Allah.
It entails seeking forgiveness.
Seeking tawbah.
It entails remembering or being reminded with dhikr
and all of that stuff.
But we don't want to keep it in
general terms.
Coming back to Allah.
Coming back to Allah in what?
In love.
Because that's the force of worship.
The basic force of worship is love.
So that's what inaba is.
So look at those words when you look
at inaba and it seems like a technical
word.
Oh coming back to Allah.
Coming back to Allah.
Let me come back to Allah.
It sounds empty.
But inaba is restoring the natural state of
love that you have for Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala.
And then living by it.
And as you divert, you bring yourself back
to it.
And now it becomes a very powerful concept.
Because it is a very powerful concept.
So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, Who
can see in the creation all this reminder
and insight about the reality of life, about
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, His perfect names
and attributes, and about the resurrection and about
the signs of Allah.
All of this powerful reminder, these powerful messages
get missed by most people.
By the majority of humans.
They get missed.
People miss out on them.
Don't see them.
People walk in the woods to feel good.
People go and see nature in order to
feel what?
To feel good about themselves.
To have a nice day.
That's not what it was.
Well that happens as a byproduct by the
way.
You feel good in nature.
But that's not why Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala designed it.
This is not why you should be walking
in nature or going sightseeing or seeing natural
scenes or whatever.
That's not why you should be doing it.
There's one main purpose.
It is a reminder.
It awakens your heart.
It lets you see the reality of this
life.
It connects you to the names and attributes
of Allah, to the glory, the greatness, the
wisdom of Allah, the power of Allah, His
ability to create magnificent things in perfect ways,
things that are multi-purposed, in such a
profound and coherent way.
And no one else can come close to
that.
No one can create anything in the first
place.
Who gets these messages?
Who gets this experience from seeing the natural
world?
تَبْصِرَةً وَذِكْرًا لِكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُنِيبٍ If your heart
is always in the state of love of
Allah and always comes back to this love
of Allah, you'll start to see.
But if your heart is not in that
state of love of Allah, it's blind.
Your heart will be blind.
You will not see.
You'll see the beautiful world and say, Wow,
magnificent mountains.
I wish I get on top of that
mountain.
I wonder how things look like from the
summit.
Thumbs down.
You missed it.
That's not the point.
Look at this beautiful lake.
Look at this wonderful forest.
It stretches as far as the eye can
see.
Look at the colors.
Wow.
Canada is beautiful, right?
Where is Allah?
Where is Allah?
When there is no love or there is
weak love, your heart is blind.
So there is no تَبْصِرَةً and there is
no ذِكْرًا.
You don't see.
Your heart doesn't see and your heart does
not remember.
You don't take lessons.
So the world becomes a distraction.
The world becomes a distraction.
But for someone else whose heart is مُنِيب,
is always coming back to Allah, to the
love of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and
strives to stay in that state of love,
and it lives in the world from that
position.
It leads with love, with the love of
Allah.
In this world, these people see what you
don't see.
They perceive in the world, you know, things
that don't occur to you.
And again, using language loosely, don't take it
literally here.
They see Allah in everything.
Meaning everything points them to Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala.
But there is a condition.
Your heart has to be in a state
of اِنَابَة.
So this is why as a believer, you
always have to come back to Allah in
love.
In love.
The main relationship between you and Allah is
love.
And from love, other things emanate, like fear,
hope, trust, comfort, longing, right, serenity,
peace.
All of the states of the heart stem
from love, even fear itself.
And if you don't secure love, and you
try to create fear, where many people think
it's the basic thing, or the basic relationship
between us and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,
you try to bring fear before love, your
fear will be very problematic.
It will not be healthy.
It will push you away from Allah rather
than bring you to Allah.
But when your fear comes from your love,
from your اِنَابَة, from your love of Allah,
this natural state, you say, how do I
love Allah?
Allah created you in that state.
So if you are not in that state,
there is some influence on you that is
hindering this natural flow.
What is it?
Remove it.
You don't need to create love.
You don't need to come up with love.
You don't need to manufacture or engineer some
love.
Put it in your heart and bring it
about.
Allah already did all of that for you.
But there is something that is blocking the
flow of love.
Remove that blockage.
Remove it.
What is it?
Your sins, your arrogance, your attachment to the
world.
Right?
So many things you wish for.
And you think they are harmless, but they
are blocking the flow, natural flow of love.
And you are not in a state of
اِنَابَة.
You are not in a state of love.
You are not in a state of worship,
عبودية, to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So you start faking stuff outside.
You start faking stuff and out of duty,
you start doing things externally, but they have
no spirit.
And then we start to wonder, how come
I don't feel khushu' in my salah?
Then we want to purchase everything.
We hope that there is like a company
that sells khushu' so we can buy it.
Right?
Well khushu' is the natural state of your
heart.
Khushu' comes from love.
Khushu', when your heart feels the love of
Allah and it feels that sense of awe,
the glory, it feels the glory of Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala, that's the natural state
of your heart.
It's called khushu' It's humble, it is serene,
and it's in love.
That's what khushu' is.
So there's no way to hack into love.
It's the natural state of your heart.
So if it's not there, there is something
blocking it.
And don't act as a victim.
Because that thing that's blocking it, you've placed
it there.
Not someone else.
Maybe someone else wanted to put it there
but you allowed them.
So you're guilty.
Now don't beat yourself up.
That's not how it works.
This is why you need awareness.
This is why you need to really look
into your relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
I don't know where to start.
I don't know what to do.
Is there a course I can take?
Is there a book I can read?
Tell me, do you have any secrets?
Raise your hands.
And let your heart turn to Allah.
Keep making dua until Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala fixes you.
That's the only hack.
No secrets in Islam.
No secrets.
As badly as you want it, that's how
Allah is going to give it to you.
That's how Allah is going to give it
to you.
I'm telling you, you're going to try once
or twice or three times, you're not going
to feel much.
And you say, it doesn't work.
Then you'll give up on it and you'll
carry on with your other ways, with your
other projects, other ambitions.
And you just keep faking it to ourselves.
Oh, I do this for the sake of
Allah.
Are you certain?
Is that the case?
Maybe not.
How would you know?
Let's hope that it's for Allah.
So what if you live your whole life
doing all these things, chasing all these things
that attract you in life, and you claim
to yourself, like you convince yourself, I'm doing
that for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
But you've never done the inner work.
You've never looked within.
You've never cleared, you know, the mess that
is inside that shaitan created using your own
desires and your own faculties.
You decided to, you know, let this be
like a black box.
Your heart be a black box.
You don't know what happened there, right?
You're just taking a big chance.
Because you'll be surprised at the time of
death.
What if it turns out to be that
you fooled yourself all this time and it
wasn't for Allah?
But now you can't fix it.
Now you're leaving.
You can't fix it.
Now you wish, I wish I turn to
Allah.
I wish I made dua not only three
times.
I wish I made...
How many times then should I make dua?
Ten times?
Hundred?
A thousand?
There's no limit.
There's no limit.
You keep begging Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
until you die.
Because even if Allah gives you what you're
asking for, you have to keep asking Him.
Because it could go away.
You could lose it eventually.
So dua is not something, and asking Allah,
begging Allah, is not something that you do
once or twice as a contingency or as
an emergency and then you go back to
normal life.
That shows you're not interested in Allah enough.
It shows you just wanna get on with
life and yeah, whenever you wanna go to
the mechanic to fix your car, fine, yeah,
I'm just gonna take a detour, go to
the mechanic, fix the car, let me then
get back to normal.
So let me make dua, then I'll go
back to normal.
No, dua is your normal life.
Dua is your normal life.
The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, مَن
لَم يَسْأَلِ اللَّهَ يَغْضَبْ عَلَيْهِ The one who
doesn't ask Allah, Allah will be angry with
them.
So your path is dua.
And you should be making it all the
time.
How many times?
As many times as possible.
All day you should be making dua.
And that will increase your love of Allah,
that will increase your understanding of your need
of Allah.
You start to see how much in need
you are, how dependent you are on Allah.
So that kills your ego.
It kills arrogance and kibr within you.
You start to recognize, I can't even breathe
by myself.
My heart can't even beat by itself.
If I get sick, I can't even get
out of bed.
I need health.
I need people around me that Allah brings
into my life.
So I need Allah in everything.
In everything.
You're not independent.
This individualism is a lie.
You're not independent.
The world doesn't run on its own by
the way.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, إِنَّ اللَّهَ
يُمْسِكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا وَلَا إِنْ زَالَتَا
إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَّا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِهِ Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala holds the heavens and the
earth, meaning everything, all the creatures in them.
Allah holds them together and keeps them functioning.
If Allah lets go of them, they disappear.
They cease to exist.
So those who tell you, Allah created the
world, or there's a God that created the
world, then He left it on its own.
You're just arrogant and blind.
The world doesn't run on itself.
It has no autonomy.
And the same applies to you.
Everything is in need of Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala.
So that's inaba, okay?
Let's come back to inaba.
So what opens our eyes to this?
We start to see this.
You don't try to...
You don't force yourself to see this.
It becomes natural.
That's what your heart sees when there is
love.
Okay?
So stick to dua.
Don't ask me for hacks.
Don't ask me for books.
Don't ask me for secrets.
There's nothing special.
The Prophet ﷺ conveyed the message clear.
And Allah made it easy.
When Allah says, وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلدِّكْرِ فَهَلْ
مِن مُّتْدَكِرٍ Allah made the message in the
Quran easy.
The way to Allah is so clear.
But we try to make it difficult for
ourselves.
It's simple.
Just turn to Allah.
Keep asking Him sincerely.
If you want that badly, Allah will give
it to you.
But if you kind of want it, right?
But you have other things to pursue.
And you just want to get this so
you can get on with your life.
You don't want it bad enough.
That's it.
That's it.
Okay.
So, who sees all these messages in the
creation of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala?
كُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُنِيبٍ If you have, إِنَابَة If
your heart is always, you bring your heart
always to that natural state of loving Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So when you live from that place of
love of Allah, the world is different.
You see the world, the world seems different.
It reads different.
It feels different.
Okay.
وَنَزِلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً مُبَارَكًا فَأَنْبَتْنَا بِهِ جَنَّاتٍ
وَحَبَّ الْحَصِيدِ وَالنَّخْلَ بَاسِقَاتِ اللَّهَ طَلْعُ النَّضِيدِ So
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala talks about the
rain that comes down, how it's blessed.
Rain is blessed.
Why?
Because the water that Allah sends down, that
brings life to everything.
It's involved in everything.
It's a necessary ingredient in everything.
Right?
And مُبَارَكًا as well, there is بَرَكًا.
There is something, there is a sunnah from
the Prophet ﷺ.
When it rained, the Prophet ﷺ would go
out in the rain and he would rub
the rain against his hair.
He would even undo his buttons and let
the rain fall on his shoulder and chest.
So the companions were interested, يَا رَسُولُ الله
لِمَا تَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ He would let the rain
fall on his skin and he would rub
it and feel it.
لِمَا تَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِرَبِّهِ
He says, it has just come from Allah.
It has just been created by Allah.
So again, that's a sunnah.
Beautiful.
But it's مُبَارَكًا, this is why.
مُبَارَكًا, there is بَرَكًا in rain as it
falls.
فَأَنْبَتْنَا بِهِ جَنَّاتٍ وَحَبَّ الْحَصِيدِ We have grown
with it gardens, different types of, again, vegetation,
plants that produce everything.
حَبَّ الْحَصِيدِ, the grains that you eat, wheat,
barley, corn, etc.
All of that, right?
That's what Allah SWT...
Look at this magnificent creation.
Look at this perfect system that provides you
with everything you need.
With the food, with the place to live,
with, you know, things that even fix your
mood.
All of that is the perfect creation of
Allah.
So if your heart is in a state
of inaba, you're gonna see the lessons in
all of this.
You will see the context or the picture
that all of that draws and animates.
رِزْقًا لِلْعِبَادِ as provision for the creation.
وَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَيْتًا We bring back to
life a dead land.
A dead land comes back to life.
كَذَلِكَ الْخُرُوجِ That's the point.
And your resurrection on the day of judgment
is just like this.
When a land is dead, and sometimes you
see it, in the recent years you see
in, oftentimes around Mecca and Medina, many places
in the Arabian Peninsula, there is unprecedented levels
of rain, right?
And some of the pictures that came in
the last couple of years, that desert turns
green, right?
Maybe for a few days, but it turns
green.
It looked like a dead, barren land.
There's no life in it.
Apart from some scorpions and snakes, right?
But rain falls and then it comes back
to life.
It was dead and it came back to
life.
The same thing.
You will die and Allah will bring you
back to life just as He brings this
barren land to life again.
Same thing.
Allah brings vegetation back to life again.
So what is so impossible about you that
you think Allah cannot bring you back to
life?
But again, as Allah SWT said, بَلْكَذَّبُوا They
are just in disbelief.
They are in disbelief.
Okay, I didn't realize this took us so
long, but khair inshaAllah.
So we'll stop by verse number 12.
Do we have questions?
وَالنَّخْلَ بَاسِقَاتٍ لَهَا طَلْعُ النَّضِيدِ So Allah mentions,
Allah just mentions the date trees because they
are so special.
They are so blessed.
And the Prophet SAW, in the hadith, we
know the hadith of Ibn Umar RA, that
he was with the Prophet SAW, along with
his father and other of the great companions.
We're talking about Abu Bakr, Uthman.
So the Prophet SAW said, مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ مَثَلُ
الشَّجَرَةِ The example of the believer is like
that of a tree.
So in the hadith, the Prophet SAW explains
that this tree, this specific tree, nothing in
it goes to waste.
You benefit from every part of it.
Everything in it is beneficial.
You benefit from the shade, you benefit from
the fruits in the early stages, when they
ripen, etc, etc, etc.
And even you benefit from the leaves, from
the trunks, you build houses with it.
Nothing goes to waste.
And you even use some of it as
firewood.
So the Prophet SAW said, who knows this
tree?
None of them knew.
Abdullah ibn Umar says, فَانْقَدْحَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا
النَّخْلَةِ So he said, it occurred to me
that it's the date tree.
But I was too shy to speak, because
he was young at the time, a teenager,
he was still a teenager.
Then the Prophet SAW said, it was النَّخْلَةِ,
the date tree.
Obviously Ibn Umar tells his father later on,
Wallahi, it crossed my mind, but I was
too shy.
He said, I would have loved for you
to express that or say that in the
presence of the Prophet SAW.
So the date tree is blessed.
So this is why Allah SWT mentions it.
وَالنَّخْلَةِ بَاسِقَاتٍ لَهَا طَلْعُ النَّضِيدِ Basiqat, again, they
are very high, and they spread their branches.
لَهَا طَلْعُ النَّضِيدِ Yeah, it's just again, الطَلْع,
which is again the trunk, I believe.
Or the branches, the branches as then they
produce the dates.
They produce dates.
So, yeah, Allah SWT is just guiding us
to reflect on the creation, and as we
said, if your heart is in a state
of Inaba, you're going to see much more.
So this is not necessarily what we call
intellectual knowledge or intellectual seeing.
There is something with the heart.
When the heart is in a state of
love, you see what others don't see.
You feel what others don't feel.
In a sense, the creation speaks to you
differently.
You capture other things, which is the deeper
truth.
You see the truth.
Everything points you to Allah SWT.
Whereas for a heart that is not in
a state of Inaba, everything in the world
becomes a distraction.
Everything in the world becomes a distraction.
And I believe we mentioned the story of
Sa'eed ibn Jubair, when Al-Hajjaj brought
him, and he wanted to kill him.
Al-Hajjaj brought a musical band, because he
knew Sa'eed ibn Jubair knows it's haram,
music is haram, but he wanted to tease
him and torture him psychologically with playing music.
Bringing a musical band that would play music
in front of him, Sa'eed ibn Jubair
cries.
So Al-Hajjaj says, why are you crying?
He said, these noises sort of made me
think of the Day of Judgment and its
horrors, and the weird sounds we're going to
hear there.
So it reminded me of the Day of
Judgment.
So something that is designed to distract the
hearts from Allah, something like music, subhanAllah, still
with a heart that is so alive, it
was a reminder of the hereafter.
It doesn't mean you listen to music.
Because eventually it gets to your heart, and
it starts to eat at your heart.
It starts to eat at your heart.
Even if someone tells you it's halal, it's
not.
It's really harmful.
It's really harmful to your heart.
The evidence is actually clear.
The evidence is clear.
If your heart is in a state of
inaba, and you want Allah, and you're not,
again, decided, fully decided on, no, that's the
opinion I want, you will see the truth
in it.
Okay.
Khair inshaAllah.
Questions?
Okay.
Good.
So how do we balance love, fear, and
hope?
That's a question that comes from doing things
wrong.
This is, and again, that's not about you,
but we always ask this question.
You know when someone is never, like someone
is never driven?
Like your son is developing some interesting cars,
and they'll see that when you put your
foot down, you know, you speed up, the
car speeds up.
So they tell you, so how do you
stop the car?
Right?
So there's brakes.
How do the brakes stop the car?
Okay, you know what?
Wait until you start driving, and you get
a taste of it, then you know you
don't have to ask that question.
So when the novice asks a question, when
you ask a question about something that you're
not into, like if you are in investing,
you'll seem to do things that are very
risky.
Then someone who doesn't know about it, they
will say, oh, that's very risky.
You say, yeah, but I know what I'm
doing.
But it's risky.
You don't know how to handle complex concepts,
especially when they interact together from where you
are.
Okay?
So we have to come here.
The same thing, the more we engage with
love of Allah, the more we engage with
fear of Allah and hope in Allah, which
are natural state of the heart, we will
stop asking, how do I balance them?
Balancing them is like, you know when you
want to start a project, you get all
the stationery, you get all the desks, right?
You get all the tools, you get the
whiteboard and the markers, and you get the
staplers, and you get all of the tools,
right?
You get all the tools.
And most of them you won't need them.
So you get all of this, like office
paraphernalia, if you like.
You bring that together, you buy all of
that, you invest in it, then you won't
need any of that.
Why?
Because you judged from lack of experience, I'm
going to need this, I'm going to need
that, I'm going to need this, I'm going
to need that.
It's a very fancy way of thinking.
But the actual experience is different.
So when we try to, you know, when
you start the academic year, you write very
nicely on your notebook, and you have it
organized, and you have table of contents, and
you draw things, right?
I'll give it three weeks, then it will
be all messy, all over the place, right?
You know that this order is not practical,
for the most part.
And it happens every year.
That's the same thing.
We're trying, as we're trying to get in,
we're trying to answer questions that we don't
know the dynamics to.
So we say, how do I balance this
with that?
How do I balance this?
Most of the questions about balance are not
really needed.
Most of them.
Most of them are not needed.
Once you have love in Allah, because love
breeds that fear, and it breeds that hope,
and when you keep feeding that fear with
more knowledge, and with more connection, more doing
good, from a place of love, your understanding,
your knowledge will grow, and then you realize
there's no balance.
It's not about balance.
These things are naturally balanced.
These things are naturally balanced.
Cool?
Yeah.
Questions, sisters?
Okay, brothers?
Everything's good?
Do we have time?
No, we can't start something new.
No questions?
Yes.
Can you just speak up?
Okay, go ahead.
So the rules of backbiting only apply to
Muslims.
Generally speaking in Islam, generally speaking in Islam,
good is good regardless who receives it.
With a Muslim, the Muslim has more right
on you.
Why?
Because they are using their life for something
good.
And you are, وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى So
there is more level.
There's another level with a Muslim of doing
them good.
But the Prophet ﷺ says, فِي كُلِّ ذَاتِ
كَبِدٍ رَطْبَةٍ أَجْرٌ With every living creature, there
is reward.
دَخَلَتْ أَمْرَأْتُنُ الْجَنَّةَ فِي كَلْبٍ وَدَخَلَتْ أَمْرَأْتُنُ الْنَّارَ
فِي قِطَّةٍ A woman entered the hellfire because
she confined or locked up a cat and
did not allow it any food or drink
until the cat died.
So that led her to the hellfire.
That's an animal.
We're not talking about a human being.
And a woman or also a man entered
Jannah because they provided water to a thirsty
dog.
So in every living creature, there is good.
When it's a human being, there is more
good.
Allah says, وَيُطَعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا
وَأَسِيرًا And they provide, they give from their
food that they love and they want for
themselves, poor and an orphan and a captive.
Who's the captive?
At that time, when that verse was revealed,
who were the captives with the Muslims?
The disbelievers who were fighting the Muslims.
Right?
So yes, doing good with humans is definitely,
unless they use your good for something evil,
you have to be careful.
But generally speaking, acts of decency, you know,
you get rewarded.
So backbiting the same thing applies.
You shouldn't be backbiting someone unless there is,
obviously, there is a need.
Right?
It becomes more gross with the Muslims.
So it's a bigger sin when it's against
a Muslim.
Right?
But it's still a sin even when you
are talking about something.
I think it was an imam, if I'm
not mistaken, al-Bulqini, rahimahallahu ta'ala.
He was with his father.
Bulqini?
Yeah.
Yeah, might be al-Bulqini.
He was with his father.
His father was a scholar.
He was still a teenager, but a student
of knowledge.
So they walk into the masjid, and there
is a dog that bites.
Sorry, a dog that barks.
So the dog keeps barking, and he says,
يَا كَلْبِ يَبْنِ الْكَلْبِ So he says, you
dog, son of a dog.
Right?
His father looks at him, and he says,
من اعتاد لسانه قول الفحش فحش قلبه So
don't let your tongue get used to saying
words of abuse, or full language.
Don't let your tongue get used to that.
Don't say it, even if it's to a
dog, because it contaminates you.
Okay, so this is how the believer walks
around in the world.
Backbiting, talking about someone, why are you talking?
Is there some benefit, legitimate benefit?
Well, maybe.
Each situation has to be weighed up.
But just gossip about a non-Muslim, you
know what?
Even if you don't want to consider the
rights of that person, you're already poisoning your
heart.
من حسن إسلام المرء تركه ما لا يعنيه
Don't take one hadith, or one instruction in
Islam, out of context.
There are other things as well.
Right?
Oh, there's nothing that says that this is
haram.
But look at what, what are the choices
that you are making?
A sign and also a contribution to the
excellence of someone's faith is that they keep
away from things that don't concern them.
You are on a mission, you are here
to save yourself and make it to paradise.
You have no time to waste on talking,
gossiping about anyone, or even getting into their
business.
And that's what's taking most of our time
on social media by the way.
People are so about this man, on this
man, he said this, he said this, a
couple of years he became Muslim, and now
he's just saying, you made a whole fiasco
out of it.
You made a whole fiasco, you are giving
them the attention.
When a person becomes Muslim, or a Muslim
starts practicing, they have a long way to
start clearing themselves.
You have so much corruption within, that's gonna
take years and maybe decades of working on.
Don't idolize them.
But we, because we have corruption in our
hearts, we are so attached to fame, and
to these kind of influencer life, and we
want it, so we are so passionate about
it, that's why we give those people attention.
And eventually, it feeds back negatively into the
ummah.
And you have wasted hours and hours and
hours of your life with someone who just
poisoned your heart.
Had you listened to some lessons, some classes,
some Quran, had you read some books, you
would have been far ahead in your journey
with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
But you wasted your time just, oh he's
Muslim, happy about him being Muslim, and so
on and so forth.
And then all of that stuff happens.
Why?
You created it.
And we still do it, we still do
it everyday, we still do it.
Oh this person, that person, they did this,
they did that.
Forget about those people.
Wallahi, they don't benefit you.
Turn to the Quran.
Turn to the books.
Turn to the hadith.
Learn about that.
Fix your ways with Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
Wallahi, that's what you should be doing with
your life.
Why waste your life with all of this?
These people, literally, what they are doing, you
are giving them your time for free, and
you're opening your heart for the poison that
they have, and it's gonna contaminate your heart.
What good is this?
We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to
guide us.