April 3, 2024

I have found that in my path of seeking closeness to Allah is a balance of hope, fear, love and awe. I am drawn to Allah through my hope in His Mercy, my fear of losing His pleasure and incurring His punishment, my love for Him for the ways in which He continues to carry me through life and my awe of Him in the Subtle ways He handles my affairs. Today, as we covered Juz 25, I came across a few ayats that evoked a combination of hope, fear and mercy. SubhanAllah within this Juz are so many surahs that start with Ha Mim and speak about the status of the Qur’an and it’s greatness. Within these surahs also Allah addresses those who reject the message of the Qur’an and question the day of Judgment.

The first set of ayats were 16-19 of Surah Ash-Shuraa. May Allah protect us from His wrath and punishment [42:16]. I found so much comfort in Ayah 17 where Allah spoke about the Qur’an being revealed with truth and the balance of justice especially with regards to the atrocities and evil around the world that we have become witness to. As we feel frustrated by how long the oppression we are witnessing is taking place, and we feel that justice feels so far. This ayah for me is saying whether we think it is taking too long, it is not on our own time but by Allah’s divine wisdom. What is certain though is that the Qur’an tells us that truth will prevail and that justice is promised. That is indisputable.

The part of the ayah though that shook me in fear and raised goosebumps on my skin, is the part where Allah says, “You never know, perhaps the Hour is near.” For me, this is a great reminder, that if I keep this thought at the back of my mind, perhaps I would live my life differently than I am living it now. If I was always reminding myself of the impending arrival of the Hour (Day of Judgment), of how near it is, perhaps I would be more mindful of Allah. If inthe back of my mind, I always remmeber that in any day could be the Hour then I would hav e more clarity, clarity on my priorities and the purpose for which Allah created me. This is not a joke, that this reminder has to be something I constantly keep in mind in order for me to remain mindful of Allah in my day to day. And as the ayats continued, Allah reminds us in ayah 19 that He is Ever Kind to His servants [42:19]. He is Al-Latif, The Most Gentle, The Subtle - I pray may Allah make me among those who earn His Kindness and Gentleness.

The second set of ayats were 2-6 of Surah Ad-Dukhan. Allah reminds us again that this Qur’an is clear. And subhanAllah we are in the month of Ramadan, the month of the Qur’an and we are in the last 10 nights, one of which the Qur’an was revealed. And Allah tells us that this Qur’an and it’s messages along with messengers were sent as a Mercy from Him . And He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing [44:5-6]. I pray that as we gather to recite the Qur’an every day, I pray Allah is a witness for us. I pray that He is Hearing us and He knows that we are striving although we are flawed, that we are doing our best. And the reminder that the Qur’an is Mercy, I pray that we are people who earn His Mercy.

The third set of ayats were also from surah Ad-Dukhan, 38-42. In this ayats, Allah is telling us again that He did not create us nor the heavens and the earth just for fun. He literally says all of the heavens and the earth and everything in between was not created for sport [44:38]. There is a purpose for which Allah created us and we have to know what that purpose is and make sure we strive in that regard. And again He reminds us that the Final Day is coming, it has it’s appointed time and it is for everyone. No one will be able to escape this Day and on that day, our families, our parents, our spouses, our children, no one will be able to help us; except those shown Mercy from Allah.

For me throughout these ayats, the reminders are that: I need to take the Qur’an more seriously. That the Qur’an is clear, this Qur’an is the guide for me to go as a guide for the way I live my life. And to have the reminder at the back of my mind that the Hour is Near. I think I am so delusional in thinking that my life is guaranteed, that I think I have a lot of years in my life. Reading this ayah about the Hour being near is a reminder that this life is short and that within a blink of an eye, it would all be over. But also, it is all tied up so beautifully by Allah that He reminds me, while I am having this fear in my heart about the Hour being near, He reminds me that He is The Most Merciful. So I can have hope in His Mercy. I pray may Allah make me among those who earn His Mercy and may He make me among those who are mindful and always keep in the back of my mind that the Hour is always near and in that sense I strive to do better In sha Allah. Amin Ya Rabb.

With Love, Ibtisam