Benefits and Adversity: Who Controls them? 7:188

قُل لَّآ أَملِكُ لِنَفسِى نَفعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَو كُنتُ أَعلَمُ ٱلغَيبَ لَٱستَثَرتُ مِنَ ٱلخَيرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ ٱلسُّوٓءُ إِن أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَومٍ يُؤمِنُونَ (١٨٨

English translation (Surah Al Araaf 7:188) Say: For myself I have no power to benefit, nor power to hurt, save that which Allah willeth. Had I knowledge of the Unseen, I should have abundance of wealth, and adversity would not touch me. I am but a warner, and a bearer of good tidings unto folk who believe.

Introduction: This is an ayah reinforcing tawheed, telling our Rasool (PBUH) to tell the pagans and us that Allah SWT has knowledge of the unseen and that he holds all power over the benefits and the adversity that is handed to us in this world. It also informs us of the role of the Messengers in our lives as warners and the bearers of good news for those who believe.

My Take: Thus we can neither attribute thanks nor animosity towards any human for what has been our lot, whether it was Khair (good) or Sharr (adversity)

TAFSEER BY FARHAT HASHMI (English translation)

ALLAH SWT is instructing Rasoolallah that ’say this to the people that ‘I have no power to hurt or save even myself except by what Allah wills.’

Allah SWT instructs Rasool Allah to say: If I had knowledge of the unseen I would have collected wealth and comfort of the world (Khair) and I would not have been touched with any difficulty or adversity.

Examples of adversity in the life of RasoolAllah:
He went through a childhood without parents and then faced the year of grief, lost his two closest friends, and supporters, and then had a war injury. Later he was invited by the Jews and given poisoned meat by a Jewish woman in Khyber.

Immunity and response to Adversity:
•    No one is immune to these not even the Rasools of Allah.
•    Trials and tribulations can happen to anyone.
•    We, as Muslims are not allowed to rejoice in someone’s trial and tribulation even if it has befallen an enemy.

The knowledge of the Unseen
If one had knowledge of the unseen one can make preparations for adversity and receipt of benefits.

My take: We cannot plan based on knowing the future which is Unseen. we are thus being told to account for every minute of our lives and put it to good use which will reap benefits in the Hereafter.

Examples of the unseen: The Day of Judgment, (only Allah knows this)

RasoolAllah did not have knowledge of the unseen except what Allah gave him. Allah knows the unseen and does not share with anyone except those rasools he chooses to share it with.

Reference in the Quran regarding the Knowledge of the Unseen:

٢٦) إِلَّا مَنِ ٱرتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ  يَسلُكُ مِن بَينِ يَدَيهِ وَمِن خَلفِهِ رَصَدًا (٢٧) لِّيَعلَمَ أَن قَد أَبلَغُواْ رِسَـلَـتِ رَبِّہِم وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيہِم وَأَحصَى كُلَّ شَىءٍ عَدَدَا
Surah AL Jinn: 072.026 
YUSUFALI: “He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries
072.027 
YUSUFALI: “Except a messenger whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him.

And in Surah Naml 27:65:

قُل لَّا يَعلَمُ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـوَتِ وَٱلأَرضِ ٱلغَيبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَمَا يَشعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبعَثُونَ (٦٥)

Surah Al Naml 027.65 Say (O Muhammad): None in the heavens and the earth knoweth the Unseen save Allah; and they know not when they will be raised (again).

Who has knowledge of the Unseen?
Only Allah! Though Rasooll Allah (PBUH) knew some secrets of the unseen but not all.

SUMMARY OF THIS AYAH CLARIFIES THE TAWHEED OF ALLAH AND THE ROLE OF HIS MESSENGERS:
1.     All good and adversity comes from Allah and no human being can allocate this to us.
2.     Messengers are warners and bring good news for the believers.

MY TAKE

We cannot allocate the power of bringing good or adversity to a human being no matter how pious.

A REMINDER OF TAWHEED FOR ME AND ALL BELIEVERS:

1.    ASK ONLY ALLAH FOR WHAT WE WANT (tawheed)

2.    LISTEN TO HIS MESSAGE BROUGHT VIA HIS MESSENGER AND RASOOL TO LEARN HOW TO ASK? (Sunnah)

WHO DO YOU FIND YOURSELF ASKING FOR FAVORS?

THE INHERITANCE: BUILDING INVESTMENT COMPETENCY 7: 169

Where are you investing?

سُورَةُ الاعرَاف
فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعدِهِم خَلفٌ وَرِثُواْ ٱلكِتَـبَ يَأخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَـذَا ٱلأَدنَى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغفَرُ لَنَا وَإِن يَأتِہِم عَرَضٌ مِّثلُهُ  يَأخُذُوهُ أَلَم يُؤخَذ عَلَيہِم مِّيثَـقُ ٱلكِتَـبِ أَن لَّا يَقُولُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلحَقَّ وَدَرَسُواْ مَا فِيهِ وَٱلدَّارُ ٱلأَخِرَةُ خَيرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلَا تَعقِلُونَ (١٦٩)
English Translations:

007.169 
YUSUFALI: After them succeeded an (evil) generation: They inherited the Book, but they chose (for themselves) the vanities of this world, saying (for excuse): “(Everything) will be forgiven us.” (Even so), if similar vanities came their way, they would (again) seize them. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them, that they would not ascribe to Allah anything but the truth? and they study what is in the Book. But best for the righteous is the home in the Hereafter. Will ye not understand?

PICKTHAL: And a generation hath succeeded them who inherited the scriptures. They grasp the goods of this low life (as the price of evil-doing) and say: It will be forgiven us. And if there came to them (again) the offer of the like, they would accept it (and would sin again). Hath not the covenant of the Scripture been taken on their behalf that they should not speak aught concerning Allah save the truth? And they have studied that which is therein. And the abode of the Hereafter is better, for those who ward off (evil). Have ye then no sense?

ELSEWHERE IN THE QURAN REGARDING INCOMPETENT INHERITORS:
Al Imran 003.187
TRANSLATION BY YUSUFALI: And remember Allah took a covenant from the People of the Book, to make it known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it; but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And vile was the bargain they made!

HOW TO RECOGNIZE COMPETENCE?

The difference between the competent and incompetent inheritor is defined in this ayah (7:169)
E.g. of a worldly inheritance: two brothers who inherited equally and ONE INVESTED wisely and who reaped the benefits of the investment for a long time. The other brother just spent it on temporary desires and lost it all with no investment for the future.

Those who are competent inheritors of The Book do the following:
1.    Learn the Book properly
2.    Teach the correct meaning of The Book to others
3.    Act on the commandments of The Book
4.    Use The Book it to earn the best place in Akhirah forever

Those who are incompetent Inheritors do the following:
1.    Those who use The Book to gain temporary advantage in Dunya only (worldly)
2.    They neither fulfill the right of inheritance by taking it properly (learn it)
3.    Nor do they fulfill the right of inheritance while investing it properly (act on the commandments and teach it to others)
4.    They only use it for making gains in Dunya by using it to advance personal gain
5.    They neither invest the time nor make it their goal to use their inheritance to make their permanent place in the Life Hereafter (forever)

One can take The Book, but if one is not competent of inheriting it one can neither fulfill the right of taking it nor using it competently.
If one wants to be a competent inheritor, one had to give up some things in order to fulfill the inheritance of the book.

HOW TO BECOME A COMPETENT INHERITOR?
One first has to remove extraneous material things (adult toys) from our life, our pursuit of them, collecting them, searching for them, spending time looking at them, decorating them, dusting them, taking care of them.

HOW TO BUY MATERIAL THINGS?
One should only go to the market (Hadith paraphrased: the most undesirable place is the marketplace) when one has a defined urgent need, go buy it and return immediately.

Do not go from place to place looking for a sale. One can never buy back the time spent searching for a sale that time can never be returned to us.

We can use that time to built our competence in The Book (our inheritance) by researching it, looking for references, understanding the nuances and contexts and applying it our lives.

My take: The Quran is a book of action not an armchair novel of stories.

HOW TO REMOVE TRASH AND USE THAT TIME TO INVEST COMPETENTLY IN OUR INHERITANCE:
In order to be a competent inheritor of The Book, we first must remove the trash from our minds, our hearts and our environment. What is this trash that we collect mentioned as follows in the ayah:

عَرَضَ هَـذَا ٱلأَدنَى

They grasp the goods of this low life

They keep up collecting things of no value in the life of the Hereafter (The permanent Life).  It is the those activities in which we waste valuable time, such as going to the mall looking for things, searching for hours on the internet for sales, going from shop to shop to compare prices.

This time can never be bought back and this is time stolen from the true use and investment of time which has been given to us to understand our inheritance of The Book.

MY TAKE:
Some questions to ask ourselves:

WHAT IS THE BEST INVESTMENT FOR OUR FUTURE AND FOR OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE?

Is it a stock market investment or real-estate or degrees in medicine, engineering etc that disappear with a market crash or a car crash or do we invest in the understanding of the Quran and acting upon it which will earn us a permanent house in Jannah for time immemorial?

How do we inherit The Book?

How do we become competent inheritors of The Book?

What do we have to give up to become competent inheritors?

Practically How and where do we carve out time to competently invest in the greatest inheritance we will ever receive i.e. that of The Book?

For details go to Farhat Hashmi’s Tafseer on 7:169

WHAT IS THE DEFINATION OF EHSAAN 7:161………

The split mountain in Ma'alula for a Momin girl

(161) And when it was said unto them: Dwell in this township and eat there from whence ye will, and say “Repentance,” and enter the gate prostrate; We shall forgive you your sins; We shall increase (reward) for the right-doers.

وَإِذ قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱسكُنُواْ هَـذِهِ ٱلقَريَةَ وَلُواْ مِنهَا حَيثُ شِئتُم وَقُولُواْ حِطَّةٌ وَٱدخُلُواْ ٱلبَابَ سُجَّدًا نَّغفِر لَكُم خَطِيٓـَٔـتِم سَنَزِيدُ ٱلمُحسِنِينَ (١٦١)

007.161 
YUSUFALI: And remember it was said to them: “Dwell in this town and eat therein as ye wish, but say the word of humility and enter the gate in a posture of humility: We shall forgive you your faults; We shall increase (the portion of) those who do good.”

PICKTHAL: And when it was said unto them: Dwell in this township and eat therefrom whence ye will, and say “Repentance,” and enter the gate prostrate; We shall forgive you your sins; We shall increase (reward) for the right-doers.

SHAKIR: And when it was said to them: Reside in this town and eat from it wherever you wish, and say, Put down from us our heavy burdens: and enter the gate making obeisance, We will forgive you your wrongs: We will give more to those who do good (to others).

TAFSEER (translated from Farhat Hashmi’s taleem ul Quran)
Allah SWT said to the Children of Israel through Moses (AS) If you enter from this door (of this city or mosque), in a state of humility (prostrating) I will forgive all your sins and I will give more to those who do ehsaan (translated above as “right doers, those who do good”)

What is the definition of Ehsaan?

There are two types of ehsaan:
1.    Ehsaan towards Allah.
This is described as:  when we worship Him, our sensitivity of awareness should be such as if we are standing in front of Him.

2.    Ehsaan towards fellow human beings which is comprised of two parts:
a)    Doing good: To help someone when that person is needy, to fulfill his or her need at the time of need. Elsewhere in the Quran, Allah SWT says “He who fulfills another person’s need, Allah fulfills his need”
Hadith: Until a person does not help his fellow human beings, Allah SWT does not help him.

b)     Do not hurt the other person

Mohsineen are those people who do Ehsaan

My take:
The status of Mohsineen is what we all should aspire for, which is the highest level of a believer.

HOW TO EARN THE RAHMA OF ALLAH SUBHANAWATAALA 7:154-156

Afghan refugee children in Pakistan waiting for water

007.154 
YUSUFALI translation: When the anger of Moses was appeased, he took up the tablets: in the writing thereon was guidance and Mercy for such as fear their Lord.
007.155 
YUSUFALI translation: And Moses chose seventy of his people for Our place of meeting: when they were seized with violent quaking, he prayed: “O my Lord! If it had been Thy will Thou couldst have destroyed, long before, both them and me: wouldst Thou destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us? This is no more than Thy trial: by it Thou causest whom Thou wilt to stray, and Thou leadest whom Thou wilt into the right path. Thou art our Protector: so forgive us and give us Thy mercy; for Thou art the best of those who forgive.
BACKGROUND:
When Musa (AS) was called to Allah to receive the guidance in the form of the tablets of Torah, in his absence he left his brother, gentle Haroon (AS) to watch over the Children of Israel. When Moses (AS) returned he saw that the Children of Israel did not heed Haroon (AS) and built a golden calf and were worshipping it as a God.
When Moses AS gave them Allah’s message, the Children of Israel wanted proof and wanted to see where he got these instructions, so here is where Ayah 155 begins:
Moses AS chose seventy people from the children of Israel to go with him to show them the place where he had received the revelation from Allah SWT at Koh e Toor.
These seventy people were the ones who had not built the calf, but also had not stopped the others from building it and had stood by without stopping the others from committing Shirk.
When the Moses (AS) reached Koh Toor with the seventy people, these people now demanded to “see” Allah SWT. At this time there was an earthquake (violent quaking) and they were destroyed.

(I can imagine how shaken and distraught Moses (AS) must have been to witness such an end of those members of the Children of Israel who had accompanied him through all the trial and tribulations of the flight from the Pharaoh’s cruel regime, and yet he did not rant or rave, nor blame Allah SWT nor complain of all the effort he had made, but addressed Allah SWT with a respectful supplication, and Allah SWT answered him giving him and all of us the formula of how to earn His Rahma).

Tafseer by Farhat Hashmi:
When the seventy people were destroyed Moses (AS) made a dua, he did not complain, in his dua he said: these people and I could have perished earlier, (. i.e. while under Pharaoh, while crossing the Red sea, and later in the desert) with fitna you sometimes make it a reason for hidaya or the fitna can become a reason from pulling away from Allah. You guide those you wish and cause those to stray whom you wish”
Each fitna each trial is a test, which sifts out the people into two groups, they may reach out to Allah in their trial and it places them closer to Allah or they succumb to the whisperings of the shaytan, which causes them to stray away form Allah.
Moses (AS) asks for forgiveness from Allah SWT, and asks for His mercy because He (SWT) is the best of those who forgive.

007.156 
YUSUFALI: “And ordain for us that which is good, in this life and in the Hereafter: for we have turned unto Thee.” He said: “With My punishment I visit whom I will; but My mercy extendeth to all things. That (mercy) I shall ordain for those who do right, and practice regular charity, and those who believe in Our signs; -

Moses AS prayer continues: “And write for us the best (Hasanatan) in this world, we have turned to you”(we have taken hidaya from you

DEFINATIION OF HASANA: The ability to do good ( nailki ki tawfeeq), health and freeing oneself from the desire to please people, not be dependant on people. (Logoh say beniazi, logon ka muhtaj na karna)
“And also give us the best in Akhirah”
Definition of what is best in Akhirah: that which is Allah’s Rada (earning His pleasure) and jannah.

Moses (AS) is praying for himself and the children of Israel, we are often asked to pray for others. A person may pray for others but Allah SWT will listen to those who are themselves making the effort to do good, and not only relying on the duas of others. Passive duas from others without action from self is not sufficient to gain what is in the dua.

Thus Musa AS is praying for all. Allah SWT replies:
“I will give Azaab (retribution) to whom I wish and My Rahma is over everything.  However my rahmat will be written for those:
1.    Who acquire taqwa.
2.     Those who give zakaat
3.     And those who believe in our Signs.(Emaan)

Allah’s Rahma is infinite and widespread and Allah SWT mentions it in many places in the Quran:

Surah al Annam  006.054: When those come to thee who believe in Our signs, Say: “Peace be on you: Your Lord hath inscribed for Himself (the rule of) mercy: verily, if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented, and amend (his conduct), lo! He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

Surah Ghafir 040.007: Those who sustain the Throne (of Allah) and those around it Sing Glory and Praise to their Lord; believe in Him; and implore Forgiveness for those who believe: “Our Lord! Thy Reach is over all things, in Mercy and Knowledge. Forgive, then, those who turn in Repentance, and follow Thy Path; and preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire!

Surah Kahf 018.058: But your Lord is Most forgiving, full of Mercy. If He were to call them (at once) to account for what they have earned, then surely He would have hastened their punishment: but they have their appointed time, beyond which they will find no refuge.

Al Rahman is Allah’s excellent siffat, and there is an entire Surah about His Rahma titled, Surah Rahman. His Siffat of Rahman is mentioned in the beginning of every surah (except surah tauba)

The Criteria for earning Allah’s Rahmat:

1.TAQWA: Those who fear Allah, not for people who are ghafil, The person with taqwa is conscious, sensitive, careful, aware, the ghafil is uncaring and heedless.

2. ZAKAT: Allah’s rahmat is for those who give, if one wants Rahma from Allah one must GIVE. Zakaat freely. The giving of Zakat is a method to get Allah’s Rahma.
If a nation stops zakat Allah SWT stops the rain there except for animals and birds.

3.THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN ALLAH’S SIGNS (emaan) those who believe in Allah’s words.

What did we learn from thes ayahs?

Musa (AS ) made dua from his heart for all:

How did Allah (SWT) reply? He gave us the criteria for earning His Rahma.. Thus we are given the prescription to earn Allah’s Rahma.

ARROGANT OR HEEDLESS? 7:145-147

ALLAH (SWT) TEACHES MOSES (AS) WHAT IS THEIR OUTCOME.

Tafseer from Farhat Hashmi

These ayahs review the training of Musa (AS) by Allah SWT.  These are explained in the Quran to build a perspective for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)  to learn from the teachings of Musa (AS) to the Children of Israel.

007.145 
YUSUFALI: And We ordained laws for him in the tablets in all matters, both commanding and explaining all things, (and said): “Take and hold these with firmness, and enjoin thy people to hold fast by the best in the precepts: soon shall I show you the homes of the wicked,- (How they lie desolate).”

“And enjoin thy people to hold fast by the best in the precepts”

What are the best of the precepts: This is Ahsan
One can perform our duties to Allah in two ways and though both ways fulfill the act but differ in the level of excellence:

Often in the Quran two options are given for many acts Azeemat (doing an act perfectly beautifully and bringing it to excellence) and Rukhsat (we can do it marginally and sometimes we can get away by not doing it too)

Two levels: Ahsan (excellence) and the other is doing it to the bare minimum to complete it.

While reading the book  (The Quran): one can either do the things commanded by Allah and put them into action immediately or as some people do, take the minor items skirt the major issues which will require us to change our habits and embroil others in splitting hairs regarding the minor issues and leaving every one in a state of ambivalence regarding the commandments in the Quran.

Leading people into discussion of subjects in the Quran, which have no action value, is one way of studying the Quran, which does not bear results or  a better way is if one, can take the commandments and follow them and review the disobediences and avoid them. The Quran is a book of instruction with examples, not a book on philosophy to be discussed and then laid aside when it comes time to live life.

So here Allah SWT says: Choose the path of Ahsan

Hadith: RasoolAllah (PBUH) noticed, “Some companions were lagging behind (procrastination)”. Rasollallah (PBUH) said,” come forward” (e.g. Sometimes in salaat the front rows are empty and people don’t step forward to fill the slots because they may want to leave early and it is easier to slide out of the back or they are standing with a friend and they don’t want to go forward) and then RasoolAllah (PBUH) said” and follow me, and those who will come after you will follow you( as a role model). Some people who will always lag behind till Allah SWT will also leave them behind.” End Hadith

RasoolAllah (PBUH) thus asked for protection from many of these things, which stand in the path of action:

RasoolAllah’s supplication or Dua: O Allah I give myself to you, save me from Ham (Sadness with no resolution and no way to change it), wal Huzn (other peoples sorrow) wal Ajaz (weakness, wal Kasal (laziness) wal jun (cowardice, losing ones confidence, inability to face the daily challenges of life) and stinginess.

“Soon shall I show you the homes of the wicked,- (How they lie desolate).”

Some tafseers say that this is a reference to the Firoun and Al-e- Firoun the entire dynasty of which was completely destroyed.
Other tafseers say this is a reference to: Amalika whom the children of Israel were asked to fight and the children of Israel backed out demonstrating ajaz and kasal.
Some say it is about Shaam i.e. the cities of Lut, which were destroyed, and lie in shambles under the red sea.
Some say it is about the House in Akhirah, which will show what happened to these people who deny Allah’s book

007.146 
YUSUFALI: Those who behave arrogantly on the earth in defiance of right – them will I turn away from My signs: Even if they see all the signs, they will not believe in them; and if they see the way of right conduct, they will not adopt it as the way; but if they see the way of error, that is the way they will adopt. For they have rejected our signs, and failed to take warning from them.

THE PUNISHMENT OF ARROGANCE IN THIS WORLD

“Soon I will turn these people away from my book and its signs” says Allah Subhanawataala, those people who behave arrogantly on this earth with no inherent reason, their arrogance is on the naimah that Allah has given them, and they attribute it to themselves.

Thus their inability to understand and appreciate the signs of Allah is a punishment for the arrogant of this world.
What is the definition of Arrogance?
Those who think of other people as inferior and deny the truth.

On examining what arrogant people are arrogant about it is usually about  naimah (gift, bounty ) from Allah be it their face their health or their wealth or power
I.e. such people are deprived from all the goodness that comes from recognizing the signs of Allah and being grateful for it.  They are blinded to Allah’s book and His signs and become incapable of understanding Allah’s signs because their hearts are blinded by their arrogance.

If these people see the signs of Allah they will not accept it as they have sealed their heart with their arrogance (a door shut to the capacity and tawfeeq of understanding Allah’s given knowledge and understanding of his signs).

Such people when shown the path of Rushd will not walk on it.
What is Rushd? Any work that is done well, Istiqamah (steadfastness) in Deen, Husn e  tadbeer, (excellence in planning), Hoshmandi (awareness) and samajdari (Using ones intellect for doing something well)
Why? Because these people (the arrogant) have not accepted Allah’s signs and they have also denied them

Why and how do these people do this?

If one has to follow and obey Allah they would have to get rid of arrogance.

BLINDING THE HEART
Why is it easy to follow the path of Gumrahi? (Straying from the Path of Allah)

It is easier for them to follow their Nafs and desire and ones own inclinations (in doing so they place a covering over their hearts which blinds it from purity and the ability to see the path of Allah and recognize his signs) because they have a choice and following ones Nafs is easier and requires less self discipline they go that route, even though it may be detrimental in the long run.

IMMEDIATE OR DELAYED GRATIFICATION

These arrogant people who are blinded by their arrogance eventually become unable to understand the signs of Allah and his book, (Their sensitivity to the truth is dulled and having stayed out of the circle of Allah’s words forget that they are important and that there is a reward or punishment of their actions. They believe in immediate gratification instead of delayed gratification even if this will have better and more longstanding results.

Two types of people are unable to understand appreciate and take advantage of Allah’s ayahs
1.    The arrogant :These are people who choose to ignore and deny Allah’s words because they want instant gratification of their desires and do not have the self discipline to rein in their Nafs and desires in order to follow the words of Allah.
2.    The heedless (Ghafil) these people are those who are ignorant of the benefits of Allah’s words

007.147 
YUSUFALI: Those who reject Our signs and the meeting in the Hereafter,- vain are their deeds: Can they expect to be rewarded except as they have wrought?

This is self explanatory.

My take:
ATTRIBUTES TO AVOID
1.    Arrogance.
2.    Heedlessness
3.    Desire for Instant gratification
4.    Being ruled by one’s Nafs
5.    Lack of self discipline
6.    Seek protection against personal and other folks sadness, weakness, laziness, cowardice and stinginess (Prophet;s (PBUH) dua
ATTRIBUTES TO INCULCATE
1.    reading the Quran as an instructional Biook
2.    Avoiding the sidelines and practicing the commandments
3.    Avoiding the disobediences
4.    Controlling the Nafs with Mujahida
5.    Controlling desires and inclinations
6.    Overthrow the yoke of Ghafala (heedlessness)
7.    Remind ourselves of the outcome of the arrogant and the heedless.

PLEASE ADD TO THE LIST OF ATTRIBUTES TO AVOID AND INCULCATE

THE WINDS 7:57-58

Clouds awaiting the winds and their orders from Allah SWT

This is the translation of the tafseer heard on Taleem ul Quran by Farhat Hashmi

May Allh SWT forgive me if I have made any mistakes and guide me to make none.

AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS)
Total Verses: 206 
Revealed At: MAKKA
007.057 
YUSUFALI: It is He Who sendeth the winds like heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy: when they have carried the heavy-laden clouds, We drive them to a land that is dead, make rain to descend thereon, and produce every kind of harvest therewith: thus shall We raise up the dead: perchance ye may remember.

007.058 
YUSUFALI: From the land that is clean and good, by the will of its Cherisher, springs up produce, (rich) after its kind: but from the land that is bad, springs up nothing but that which is niggardly: thus do we explain the signs by various (symbols) to those who are grateful.

Allah SWT can send the winds of mercy (rain, bringing coolness, crops etc) or of disaster (windstorm, tornadoes).
There are two additional references in the Quran which quote how the Winds can bring a different message from Allah SWT:

Winds with glad tidings from Allah SWT:

Surah AL-ROOM (THE ROMANS, THE BYZANTINES)
Total Verses: 60 
Revealed At: MAKKA

030.046 
YUSUFALI: Among His Signs is this, that He sends the Winds, as heralds of Glad Tidings, giving you a taste of His (Grace and) Mercy, – that the ships may sail (majestically) by His Command and that ye may seek of His Bounty: in order that ye may be grateful.

Winds with punishment from Allah SWT:

Houses of Aa'd

Surah AL-QAMAR (THE MOON)
Total Verses: 55 
Revealed At: MAKKA
Surah Qamar: 054.018 
YUSUFALI: The ‘Ad (people) (too) rejected (Truth): then how terrible was My Penalty and My Warning?
054.019 
YUSUFALI: For We sent against them a furious wind, on a Day of violent Disaster,
054.020 
YUSUFALI: Plucking out men as if they were roots of palm-trees torn up (from the ground)

Definition of Arabic words describing the Winds:

tornado (winds of azaab)

Rea’ah: winds of good news

Reeh: Winds of storm, winds of azaab (His SWT’s wrath)

RasololAllah’s (PBUH) dua when the wind would blow:
Supplication on seeing the approach of the Winds: Allah humma ja’alha Rea’ahan, wala tajalha Reehan
Allah makes this wind that of Rahma and not those winds bringing Azaab (His wrath).

Tafseer continuing:
The wind brings the good news of Allah’s mercy (rain). The water in the clouds appear light to the winds and they carry the water-laden clouds away to their destination.

It is Allah’s cycle of Rahma where Allah SWT creates the harmony of the following cycle:
The clouds pull in the water and the winds pull the water laden clouds and Allah SWT drives them to a place that is dry and dead which may even be very far away from the origin of the water laden clouds to a; place a city or country which is dry and dead.

Allah SWT has created a harmony of action in space, where the winds, the clouds, the water they carry and where the rain is released and the return of the winds to where they pull the water-laden clouds and leave for yet another destination. All this activity is done in harmony and in obedience of Allah.

From this dead land comes out vegetation and fruits of all sorts, and this is to give an example to human beings how Allah SWT will take the dead out of the earth, just like He takes plants out of the dead earth and this example is so that we believe in Him (SWT) (emaan) and understand His oneness and that he is The Creator.

The shower of spirituality produces good deeds if the land is good. From bad land or Na paak (impure) land the shower of spirituality does not grow much, or even if it grows something the fruits are sparse or poor in quality.

Balad is like insaan (human beings). When good people are showered with spirituality they become better and when the shower of spirituality falls on Khabees (disobedient, hedonistic) people they do not improve.

That is why Allah SWT brings these ayahs and examples again and again so that human beings should understand and be thankful

HADITH; Rasool Allah (PBUH) said: This hidaya and ilm that Allah SWT has sent me is like the rain that fell upon the earth, thus one part of the earth was good, and was thirsty and drank all the rain and grew all kinds of vegetation, another part was hard which stopped and pooled the water which was beneficial to others (using the ilm oneself and sharing others).
There was another flat hard rocky land that did not accept the rain and all of it ran off without benefiting the land and nor did it help others.

Thus are some people, like some of the kuffar of Mecca who while living in Mecca in the proximity of Prophet Muhammad who was the source of Allah’s ilm and Rahma did not benefit from the shower of ilm in their vicinity.

However when this shower of spirituality was sprinkled over Medina it flowered and grew and the fruits benefited generations to come.

Additional references with examples of raising life from a dead land and so will human beings be resurrected on the day o Judgment:

flowering plants blooming in the dead city (Syria)

FATIR (THE ANGELS, ORIGINATOR)
Total Verses: 45 
Revealed At: MAKKA
035.009 
YUSUFALI: It is Allah Who sends forth the Winds, so that they raise up the Clouds, and We drive them to a land that is dead, and revive the earth therewith after its death: even so (will be) the Resurrection!

Humans are like land, when people inclined towards good are showered with the mercy of Allah they become inclined towards Allah and follow the Deen.

End 7:58

Sometimes we meet people who despite reading the Quran and being knowledgeable about it do not practice it or benefit from it in their lives (e.g. the orientalists) thus Allah SWt gives examples in this ayah

MY TAKE:  Allah SWT combines visual and intellectual and scientific example to make human beings understand the following:
1.    The entire universe is in harmony because it struggles to complete its work and activity in the allocated time punctually, thus the sun does not delay its movement, nor dies the earth its rotation and do not collide because of a miscalculation or tardiness in fulfilling Allah SWT’s command………We as human beings are very gently being coerced to take the example of the harmony of movement created by the obedience of Allah and follow it by becoming obedient to our Creator (previous ayahs of Surah Al Araaf)

2.    This particular ayah gives the example of the Winds.

3.    Winds can bring mercy (rain) and make crops grow, or Azaab (His wrath) and destroy everything like windstorms and tornadoes.

4.    The winds, the clouds, the rain, the dry earth and the vegetation are all doing their job at the allocated time, speed and destination.

5.    Resurrection of the dead is like the growth of vegetation in dry land when rain falls on it.

6.    Some people despite the shower of ilm and hidaya from Allah SWT through His messengers ignore it ………these people have been compared to the dry hard, rocky land that neither grows, nor holds water for others after a rainfall, but all the water runs off and is wasted.

7.    The winds are commanded by Allah in their movement and direction.

8.    We should seek the mercy of Allah and make dua which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to make when he felt the wind coming his way, supplication Allah SWT for this wind to bring mercy and not Azaab

My personal lesson: I must try to absorb, implement and pass on the ilm I gain from His (SWT) words and his (PBUH) Sunnah.

Please let me know if I am succeeding in my attempt at sharing some of the words of Allah with you?

WHAT’S FOOD GOT TO DO WITH LOVE?

The first act of disobedience of our father Adam (AS) and our Mother Hawa (Eve) was in the act of eating………..Eating from the forbidden tree.

The unique demonstration of love for Allah SWT by man and woman is the act of refraining from eating for a specified time (fasting, including fard and nafl) for which Allah SWT has promised immeasurable reward. (Imam M. Sabke)

Allah SWT says and I paraphrase: Prayer is for the benefit of the Abd, but fasting is especially for Allah and the reward for fasting has no fixed limit.

Fasting is a gift of love reciprocated, held in trust by Allah Subhanawataa’la, only to be given on the Day of Judgment.

Allah subhanawataala says in the Quran:(English translation by Yusuf Ali)

7.019: “O Adam! dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and enjoy (its good things) as ye wish: but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression.”

007.020 : Then began Satan to whisper suggestions to them, bringing openly before their minds all their shame that was hidden from them (before): he said: “Your Lord only forbade you this tree, lest ye should become angels or such beings as live for ever.”

007.021 
: And he swore to them both, that he was their sincere adviser.

007.022 
: So by deceit he brought about their fall: when they tasted of the tree, their shame became manifest to them, and they began to sew together the leaves of the garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: “Did I not forbid you that tree, and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy unto you?”

SUPPLICATION OF ADAM (AS):
007.023 
: They said: “Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost.”
Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him would fast (nafl) every monday and thursday and on the middle three days of the month.