The Most High

I lifted my eyes from the pages of the Tafsir.  I felt tired from reading.


I realised that I can read the Qur'an, in Arabic, out loud, not understanding the meaning and go pages.  However reading the meaning of the Qur'an in English does not offer me the same experience as reciting the Qur'an in its pure Arabic.


I remember the time I fell in love with "Sabbihis".  My younger brother read it when he led us in Maghrib prayer, at a family tree reunion, at a beautiful resort, some years ago.  "Sabbihis marabbikal aqla; Allazi kholaqo fasauwaa; Wallazi qaddaro fahadaa;" it went on so beautifully I didn't want it to stop.  It ended so soothingly with "Innahaa zaalafissuhufil oolaa; Suhufi Ibrahiima wa Moosaa".  The comfort and pleasure of two names I recognised.


What was the meaning of the verses?  They were from Al A'la, The Most High.  The meaning starts with:


"Glorify the name of thy Sustainer, the Most High; Who creates, and thereupon gives order and proportion; And who ordains laws, and grants guidance; And who brings forth green and luscious pasture; And then causes it to decay into swarthy stubble".


It goes on and ends with:


"And this is in the earlier revelations; The revelations of Abraham and Moses".


My additional note:
I am adding this as an additional note that as I progress with my understanding of the meaning of the Qur'an, my heart is filled with the gratefulness to Allah that I am a Muslim.  I am a Mukmin, InsyaaAllah.  And I pray that Allah guides me to the Straight Path and clear my heart of any hypocrisy.

By The Time

I had fallen to the busy-ness of this world and slacked.  I flipped through the pages and my eyes rested on the following verse, Al-Baqarah 183:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
"O you who believe!  the Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed to those before you, - that you may practice reverence".

I was attracted to the verse, not just because it is Ramadhan, but also because of - laa'llakum tattaqun - a continuation lesson for me in understanding my strive to be a al-muttaqun, the God-conscious, the one who does not associate partners to God, the one who fears God's punishment,  the one who believes in the Unseen and is steadfast in Prayer, and spends on others out of what Allah has provided for him.  The one who believes in the Revelation sent to the Prophet, and sent before the Prophet's time, and in his heart has the assurance of the Hereinafter.

The other day, my younger son said I was forcing him when I told him to do something and I reacted angrily.  Later, it made me review my responsibility as a mother.  I am a mother of teenage sons.  A mother of young men.  I searched for answers in my head.  And Surah Al-Asr came to mind.  "By the time!  Verily man is in loss; Save those who believe and do righteous deeds, and exhort one another to abide by the truth and admonish each other to be patient".

I talked to my son, I told him that I am here to guide him and remind him; and that he should remind me too if he saw me slacking or lose my patience.

A Guidance For The God-conscious

Hudallil Muttaqin - A Guidance for the God-conscious.  It is with excitement that I enter Al-Baqarah (The Cow).

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1. Alif. Lam. Mim.
2. This is the Divine Writ; let there be no doubt about it, is a guidance for all the God-conscious;
3. Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend on others out of what We have provided for them;
4. And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee (O Prophet), and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereinafter.

Al-Baqarah is the longest surah of the Qur'an and in it occurs the longest verse, verse 282.  And in it too is, considered and believed to be, the very last revelation the Prophet received, shortly before his death, verse 281:

"And be aware of the Day on which you shall be brought back unto God, whereupon every human being shall be repaid in full for what he has earned, and none shall be wronged."

My note:
None shall be wronged.