Ghazab and La’nat In this article, I am going to write about those attributes of Allah that appear contradictory to each other; for example, Allah is Rahim -- one who looks after the needs of all humanity-- as well as Qahhaar. Qahhaar is a word with multiple meanings. Basically it indicates intensity and power; it is also used for tough meat when it is too hard to eat and is put on fire to make it soft and eatable. The use of power to defend weak, downtrodden, and oppressed people and to establish justice is not only necessary but praise worthy. In this way, these two apparently contradictory attributes are two sides of one coin; both are necessary. All the attributes of Allah are complete and perfect; they harmoniously coexist in Him and manifest themselves in exact proportion--neither less nor more—according to the needs of the occasion. The word ghazab is often translated as anger, fury, and wrath of God. According to Charles Spielberger PH.D the definition of anger is “an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage.” Allah has not only created the universe, but He is also controlling and running it. We cannot attribute such emotional states of mind to Him. “Allah is far away from that which they attribute unto Him.” (37:159). In fact, ghazab is the second name for the law of requital, by which people are punished for their crimes. When Moses went to Mount Sinai to get the laws for his nation to regulate their lives according to Allah’s directions, his nation started worshipping a golden calf. Moses was beside himself with anger and sadness to see his folk worshipping the golden calf. He said to his nation, “O my nation,(what have you done?) Did not your Rabb make you a gracious promise? Did then, the appointed time appear too long to you, and did you desire that your God’s ghazab should descend upon you, that you went against your promise to me?”(20:86). La’nat is another Arabic word which is frequently misunderstood. Non-Muslims allege that Allah of the Quran showers curses upon non-believers in the Quran. It is not correct, because using execrate language is beneath the dignity of God. However, the meaning of la’nat is to deprive someone, to keep someone away. When individuals and nations refuse to obey the laws of Allah, they cannot harm Him by doing so; they simply deprive themselves from the good results that ensue from following the law. Bo’ad and la’nat mean distance—to be removed from the pleasantries of life. Murder of a Muslim is such a heinous crime that it earns ghazab and la’nat for the culprit, “Whoso kills a believer deliberately, his punishment shall be hell, where he shall abide along with Allah’s ghazab and la’nat forever. Moreover, Allah has prepared a painful torment for him.” (4:93). To sum up, it is humans that invite the ghazab and la’nat with their crimes and earn deprivation and distance from the niceties of life; not only do they waste the opportunity which God has given them to grow and attain higher stages of life, but they also earn a painful end. Thus, to be deprived of the blessings such as rahmat and anaams of Allah is a very unfortunate event. Therefore, when the Quran uses the word la’naat, it is used by Allah to mean being deprived of His blessings. In everyday use of language, we can call it a bad wish; there is no trace of hate, animosity or curse in it.
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Ghazab and La'nat
Friday, October 22, 2021
Fazl and Munn
Al-Fazl and Munn
Fazl is an Arabic word used for describing an attribute of Allah in the Quran. In daily use of language it is used for describing economic booms; but it is also used to point out superiority, elevated status, and giving more than is due, leaving no dearth of any kind. It is also used for the infinite bounty of God, and in a situation where the things given are more than necessary, given as a gift, without any labor on the part of the recipient, and without expecting any return for it.
Allah bestows fazl upon all humanity by giving guidance to it through revelation. This aspect is totally dependent on God’s will. It is not a thing which can be acquired by hard labor. He chooses whomever He picks up for this great work, at the right time and at the right place.
Allah has declared in the Quran that sending of messengers and guidance through them is the greatest fazl and rahmat. “O mankind! Now (Al-burhan): clear, logic and distinct reasoning has come to you from your sustainer, We have sent to you illuminating light. As for those who believe in Allah and held fast unto Him, He will cause them to enter into His fazl and rahmat and will show them the way which will lead them to Him – a straight path” (14:174-175). Giving guidance is the greatest honor bestowed upon humanity; it distinguishes then from animals, and shows that humans can lead superior lives.
Humans are given a longer span of lives; moreover, if they develop their nafas they could also achieve a longer period of life after death. This longer period to live is described as a fazl of Allah. Non-believers argue that when life is gone from the body, and the bones are broken into particles, we cannot attain life again. In order to describe this concept the Quran gives the example of a barren land; as far as one can see no sign of life or greenery is visible, only scorched, withered land. When the rain comes from the sky and covers it with water, lush green life springs out of that barren land; such is the life after death.
Munn is another word used to describe the munificence of Allah. According to the Quran, revelation is a free gift of Allah for every human being. Mankind could not acquire it through effort or hard work. There is a difference of nuance in munn and other words describing the infinite bounties of Allah; a shade of weight is attached to it. Munn is such a precious, valuable, and free gift that it is used for the bestowing of revelation and messengers of God on humans.
Moreover, the delivering of the revelation to mankind by its messenger is a munn of God. “Allah has been gracious indeed to the believers when He raised from among their own people a rasool who communicates His laws to them; developed their characters by teaching them the scripture and its objectives. (In this way He opened the right way of living for them.) Hitherto they were in a state of rank ignorance”(3:163).
The whole process of giving guidance through revelation and messengers, which practically shows the people how to implement those principles in the society and in their lives, is a great precious gift (munn) of Allah.
Sunday, August 8, 2021
Al-anaam
Al-anaam
One of the attributes of Allah is that He bestows many blessings on human beings. In the
Quran, the word nemat, which is far more comprehensive and expressive than the word blessing, is used to express His bounties. Taneemah is an evergreen plant which grows on water and has lush green leaves. Naime is a pleasant breeze. Alnamato is the name of a star which is situated high in the sky. In short, all the pleasant, comfortable, soothing, and elevating aspects of life are called anaam. Allah is the one who bestows all these blessings on humans.
In every prayer the believer in the Quran wants to know the balanced way of life. In order to make the request more concrete, he gives the example of prophets, martyrs, and the people who imbibed the truth and lived by it.
The best blessing of Allah.
The greatest blessing of Allah is that He has shown the balanced path of life to humanity, which is going to solve all its problems. “This day have I completed your deen for you and bestowed the greatest favor (Al-anaam) upon you” (5:3). No doubt, the right system for guidance and the prophet, who showed how to implement it in our lives, are the greatest blessings; all other things, such as high status, honor, power, prosperity, wealth, success in life, good companions, happy family life, children, increase in number, big palaces, superiority over other nations, are the results of obeying the directions of Allah.
Allah has created the universe in such a way all the forces of nature can be subservient to humans if they acquire the knowledge of the laws that govern them. The Quran points out this fact: “See ye not how Allah has made subservient unto you whatsoever is in the heaven and whatsoever is in the earth and has bestowed all visible and invisible favors (anaam) upon you” (31:20). After giving all these favors, Allah warns humanity not to misuse then by forgetting His benevolence and sovereignty.
Two terms are used to make the meanings clearer. They are shukr and kufr. In other words when a believer uses and spends all these blessings (anaam) according to the guidance of Allah he is doing shukr; the misuse and hiding of all these favors are kufr. When one does shukr, the blessings increase and become permanent, whereas if one hides and does not share these blessings, they dwindle away.
I want to answer a much asked question. People ask why it is so that all those nations, some of which do not believe in any value and some don’t even believe in God: possess which has been described as anaam. In this way these nations manifest that they are the ones on whom Allah is bestowing His blessings.
There are two sets of laws operating in this universe; one for the physical world, which are known as the laws of nature, and second for human life. Any nation which will uncover the laws of nature will enjoy the physical yield of these laws. These laws do not distinguish between believers and non believers.
The second set of laws is for human life. Any people, who conquer the physical world and do not spend their yield according to the second set of laws cannot have peace and harmony in their lives, nor can these nations dispense peace and happiness to other nations, because these nations are neglecting the guidance given for human happy living. The strife in the modern world between nations is a clear example of it.
We can divide the nations of the world in three groups.
1) The nation which does not conquer the forces of nature will not be able to prosper in this life. Since the life after death is the continuance of this life it will get nothing there except hell.
2) The nation which conquers the forces of nature, but uses its yield according to its own selfish desires and benefits is known as the nation of Kafareen. This type of nation will have no harmony and peace in its internal life, nor can it dispense peace and harmony to the other nations of the world. In the words of the Quran “Who so desires only the hither life, We bestow upon those of them We please such immediate advantage as We determine; thereafter We appoint hell for them which they enter condemned and rejected’’ (17:19). In other words, the nation enjoys the physical comforts of conquering nature; but it does not believe and works for the life after death will have no share in it.
3) The nation which will conquer the forces of nature and use its yield for the benefit of humanity, in the light of revelation, according to the permanent values, is known as party of Momaneen. “Who so desires the Hereafter and, being a believer, strives for it properly, the striving of each of them will bear great rewards in this and the life to come” (17:24).
One of the attributes of Allah is that He bestows many blessings on human beings. In the
Quran, the word nemat, which is far more comprehensive and expressive than the word blessing, is used to express His bounties. Taneemah is an evergreen plant which grows on water and has lush green leaves. Naime is a pleasant breeze. Alnamato is the name of a star which is situated high in the sky. In short, all the pleasant, comfortable, soothing, and elevating aspects of life are called anaam. Allah is the one who bestows all these blessings on humans.
In every prayer the believer in the Quran wants to know the balanced way of life. In order to make the request more concrete, he gives the example of prophets, martyrs, and the people who imbibed the truth and lived by it.
The best blessing of Allah.
The greatest blessing of Allah is that He has shown the balanced path of life to humanity, which is going to solve all its problems. “This day have I completed your deen for you and bestowed the greatest favor (Al-anaam) upon you” (5:3). No doubt, the right system for guidance and the prophet, who showed how to implement it in our lives, are the greatest blessings; all other things, such as high status, honor, power, prosperity, wealth, success in life, good companions, happy family life, children, increase in number, big palaces, superiority over other nations, are the results of obeying the directions of Allah.
Allah has created the universe in such a way all the forces of nature can be subservient to humans if they acquire the knowledge of the laws that govern them. The Quran points out this fact: “See ye not how Allah has made subservient unto you whatsoever is in the heaven and whatsoever is in the earth and has bestowed all visible and invisible favors (anaam) upon you” (31:20). After giving all these favors, Allah warns humanity not to misuse then by forgetting His benevolence and sovereignty.
Two terms are used to make the meanings clearer. They are shukr and kufr. In other words when a believer uses and spends all these blessings (anaam) according to the guidance of Allah he is doing shukr; the misuse and hiding of all these favors are kufr. When one does shukr, the blessings increase and become permanent, whereas if one hides and does not share these blessings, they dwindle away.
I want to answer a much asked question. People ask why it is so that all those nations, some of which do not believe in any value and some don’t even believe in God: possess which has been described as anaam. In this way these nations manifest that they are the ones on whom Allah is bestowing His blessings.
There are two sets of laws operating in this universe; one for the physical world, which are known as the laws of nature, and second for human life. Any nation which will uncover the laws of nature will enjoy the physical yield of these laws. These laws do not distinguish between believers and non believers.
The second set of laws is for human life. Any people, who conquer the physical world and do not spend their yield according to the second set of laws cannot have peace and harmony in their lives, nor can these nations dispense peace and happiness to other nations, because these nations are neglecting the guidance given for human happy living. The strife in the modern world between nations is a clear example of it.
We can divide the nations of the world in three groups.
1) The nation which does not conquer the forces of nature will not be able to prosper in this life. Since the life after death is the continuance of this life it will get nothing there except hell.
2) The nation which conquers the forces of nature, but uses its yield according to its own selfish desires and benefits is known as the nation of Kafareen. This type of nation will have no harmony and peace in its internal life, nor can it dispense peace and harmony to the other nations of the world. In the words of the Quran “Who so desires only the hither life, We bestow upon those of them We please such immediate advantage as We determine; thereafter We appoint hell for them which they enter condemned and rejected’’ (17:19). In other words, the nation enjoys the physical comforts of conquering nature; but it does not believe and works for the life after death will have no share in it.
3) The nation which will conquer the forces of nature and use its yield for the benefit of humanity, in the light of revelation, according to the permanent values, is known as party of Momaneen. “Who so desires the Hereafter and, being a believer, strives for it properly, the striving of each of them will bear great rewards in this and the life to come” (17:24).
Monday, May 24, 2021
RAHMAT.
Rahmat
The basic meaning of rahmat is softness and leniency. It also means a free gift which would compensate for one’s visible or invisible shortcomings, at the right time. In English translations the concept of rahmat is often confused with the Christian concept of mercy. According to the Christian point of view, God is mercy, God is love. God has sent his son to die on the cross, so that his blood pays as a ransom for the sins of humanity. Every human child carries the burden of sin which was committed by Adam and Eve; no amount of good deeds can remove the stain of original sin. The only way to salvation is belief in redemption through Jesus Christ.
The Quranic concept of mercy is unique. First of all, it declares that nobody is responsible for the wrongdoings of anybody else. Every human child is born with a clean slate, with potentialities which he can develop in good or evil ways. If one puts his finger in fire it will burn; it is the law. The mercy is that Allah has created many herbs which can heal the pain of the burn and restore the finger to health.
The way Allah nurtures and fosters humanity is illustrated by the example of a mother’s womb (reham), which exhibits softness, warmth, and flexibility while a baby is safely growing in it. Another meaning of rahmat is a free gift which replenishes all external and internal needs and helps in the development and growth, like a baby in a mother’s womb. All the words which are conjugated from ra ha meem relate to softness and kindness.
The two attributes of Allah which are mentioned again and again in the Quran are rahmat and rabubiyyat. Every surah in the Quran starts with rahman and rahim; moreover, these words rahman and rahim are repeated approximately one hundred and fifty times in the Quran, but it is only one of Allah’s attributes. God is not only mercy; He is much more. By describing all His attributes, the Quran presents a perfect, realistic, and unique image of Allah.
Every surah in the Quran starts with the words rahman and rahim; although they look almost the same, there is a delicate difference between them. These words correspond to different stages of evolution. According to Arabic grammar, rahim (at the scale of f'aeel) means one who provides nourishment in the normal course of growth and development, and rahman (at the scale of f’ulan) means one who provides nourishment in abundance and manifold in an emergency. In fact, Allah’s rahmat, which shows kindness, is a phase in the nourishment of humanity.
Allah created all necessities for human existence, such as water, light and air before humanity’s appearance on the earth. Human beings are a step higher on the scale of evolution; they need guidance for the development of their personality (nafs). Rain from the sky is a great example of both physical and personality (nafs) nourishment. Rain awakens the dry land to life; in the same way, the revelation provides nourishment for nafs by introducing values. In 4:174 it is written that “Allah has sent clear reasons; He has kindled a bright light for humanity; all those who believe in Allah, depend and stick to the Quran, He will show rahmat and fazal for them; and guide them to a straight path.”
Allah has given freedom of choice to human beings, and He never interferes with it; He has devised two different ways of imparting guidance to humans and other creations. The other creations know instinctively how to spend their lives, but humans are shown different options, and they are free to make choices; therefore, messengers are sent to them.
The messengers of God are rahmat. Allah has sent messengers to human beings to show them the balanced way of life. All these messengers raised their voices for those whose voices were not heard—oppressed and downtrodden people. All of them were given books, with instructions as to the right path. “The Quran and Mohammad are rahmat for all humanity”. Allah has completed His message in the Quran; has taken the responsibility to keep it unadulterated and safe to give the guidance” (21:107).
The basic meaning of rahmat is softness and leniency. It also means a free gift which would compensate for one’s visible or invisible shortcomings, at the right time. In English translations the concept of rahmat is often confused with the Christian concept of mercy. According to the Christian point of view, God is mercy, God is love. God has sent his son to die on the cross, so that his blood pays as a ransom for the sins of humanity. Every human child carries the burden of sin which was committed by Adam and Eve; no amount of good deeds can remove the stain of original sin. The only way to salvation is belief in redemption through Jesus Christ.
The Quranic concept of mercy is unique. First of all, it declares that nobody is responsible for the wrongdoings of anybody else. Every human child is born with a clean slate, with potentialities which he can develop in good or evil ways. If one puts his finger in fire it will burn; it is the law. The mercy is that Allah has created many herbs which can heal the pain of the burn and restore the finger to health.
The way Allah nurtures and fosters humanity is illustrated by the example of a mother’s womb (reham), which exhibits softness, warmth, and flexibility while a baby is safely growing in it. Another meaning of rahmat is a free gift which replenishes all external and internal needs and helps in the development and growth, like a baby in a mother’s womb. All the words which are conjugated from ra ha meem relate to softness and kindness.
The two attributes of Allah which are mentioned again and again in the Quran are rahmat and rabubiyyat. Every surah in the Quran starts with rahman and rahim; moreover, these words rahman and rahim are repeated approximately one hundred and fifty times in the Quran, but it is only one of Allah’s attributes. God is not only mercy; He is much more. By describing all His attributes, the Quran presents a perfect, realistic, and unique image of Allah.
Every surah in the Quran starts with the words rahman and rahim; although they look almost the same, there is a delicate difference between them. These words correspond to different stages of evolution. According to Arabic grammar, rahim (at the scale of f'aeel) means one who provides nourishment in the normal course of growth and development, and rahman (at the scale of f’ulan) means one who provides nourishment in abundance and manifold in an emergency. In fact, Allah’s rahmat, which shows kindness, is a phase in the nourishment of humanity.
Allah created all necessities for human existence, such as water, light and air before humanity’s appearance on the earth. Human beings are a step higher on the scale of evolution; they need guidance for the development of their personality (nafs). Rain from the sky is a great example of both physical and personality (nafs) nourishment. Rain awakens the dry land to life; in the same way, the revelation provides nourishment for nafs by introducing values. In 4:174 it is written that “Allah has sent clear reasons; He has kindled a bright light for humanity; all those who believe in Allah, depend and stick to the Quran, He will show rahmat and fazal for them; and guide them to a straight path.”
Allah has given freedom of choice to human beings, and He never interferes with it; He has devised two different ways of imparting guidance to humans and other creations. The other creations know instinctively how to spend their lives, but humans are shown different options, and they are free to make choices; therefore, messengers are sent to them.
The messengers of God are rahmat. Allah has sent messengers to human beings to show them the balanced way of life. All these messengers raised their voices for those whose voices were not heard—oppressed and downtrodden people. All of them were given books, with instructions as to the right path. “The Quran and Mohammad are rahmat for all humanity”. Allah has completed His message in the Quran; has taken the responsibility to keep it unadulterated and safe to give the guidance” (21:107).
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Al-Raziq.
Al-Raziq
The means of sustenance which are given to someone as a gift are known as razq in the Quran. Moreover, the sustenance must reach the recipient according to his needs at the right time. In other words, razq is the sustenance which is given to every creature, according to its needs, without any cost from Allah. It does not mean that cooked food is delivered to every household in the morning; it simply means that all the physical means for existence are provided by Allah before the appearance of life. Allah, who created life on earth, has endowed the earth with the capacity to produce sufficient means of sustenance for all.
The Quran says: “Allah is He who created you, then He provided for you, then He will cause you to die, and thereafter will bring you to life. Is there any of your alleged partners who can do any of these things?” (30:40). Allah is the only one who gives razq to everyone in the universe. “ There is no creature that moves in the earth but it is for Allah to provide it with sustenance ” (11:6).
He has created the universe and arranged its governance in such a way that it promotes human growth, by providing sufficient means of sustenance for every living creature. ‘’Allah is He who created the heavens and the earth, poured water from the sky, therewith grow fruits for your sustenance” (14:32). This arrangement of sustenance is not created by humans. “Laws of Nature” is a term which atheists and materialists use as an explanation for this system; but only laws without any force to implement them is no system.
The Quran, in its own unique style, puts forward these scientific facts and deduces the conclusion that a unique and single personality, with will and mashiyatta, is running the whole show; the laws are universal and harmonious with each other because their creator is one. “Those whom you obey beside Allah have no power to provide sustenance for you; then seek your sustenance from Allah and obey Him, and be grateful to Him, unto Him will you be brought back”(29:17).
The Quran gives concrete examples from the universe to establish that only Allah’s laws are working in the universe to provide sustenance for all. He is unique and one. Nobody else has the power to give razq; therefore, we must only obey Him. He is the only one who gives and asks nothing in return. “We ask you not for provision; it is We, who provide for you” (20:132). All our needs are provided by Allah. Therefore, we have no need to be subservient to anyone else.
Allah has provided a large range of razk in the universe. No one has the right to say that this is lawfully permissible(halal) and this is not permissible (haram). This right is exclusively reserved for Allah, who has declared few things impermissible in the Quran. Every nation can eat the things that are available to them, according to their culture and habits. The acquisition of razq is different for humans and other creations; other creations receive their razq without putting any effort to grow them, whereas humans have to plan and work hard to get it. Hunger and poverty are a painful torment of Allah, and the Quran urges people to look for His bounties (fazal) in the universe.
Allah gives razq liberally. Along with it He has given some directions about its use. The Quran says eat, drink, but do not waste raqz. As for edible things, the direction is to eat halal and tayyab things. The addition of the word tayyab gives a new dimension; tayyab means wholesome and pleasant. An individual is not enjoined to eat everything that is permissible; one should eat what is compatible with his needs.
Eating from your garden is permissible; eating from your neighbor’s garden without his permission is not permissible. Stealing and lying produce injurious effects on one's personality(nafas), even though chemical analysis shows no differences between stolen and earned food. The Quran urges believers to earn honorable provision (razq-e-karim).
Saturday, February 13, 2021
Monday, January 25, 2021
The Rabb.
THE Rabb
The second stage after the creation is the stage of giving sustenance and fostering the created objects during the process of evolution. As mentioned before, a created object gradually passes through many stages of evolution before completion. For a seed to become a fruit-bearing tree, the seed has to pass through many stages. The process of evolution starts at the lowest level and slowly reaches the ultimate destination. The nurturer, who looks after all these stages in the process of evolution and provides all nourishments required for the development, in every stage, from the beginning to the end, is known as the Rabb in the Quran, and the system of sustenance is called Nizam-e-Rabubiyyat.
Allah provides all the means which are essential for the created objects to exist and develop. This program starts with the birth of a baby. All the babies are very fragile at the time of birth, with a delicate system of digestion. Allah’s system of sustenance provides fountains of milk in the body of mother to feed the baby. This is an amazing example of the sustenance program, without adding any extra machinery to the existing system; a human being produces milk, with the exact proportion of water and food contents suitable to a child’s digestive system. Moreover, the content of water decreases as a baby’s digestive system acquires the capacity to digest more solid food. After two or two and half years, the fountains of milk are dry; there is the same mother with the same child, but no milk. At this junction of life the child is in the custody of humans for sustenance. Could such a wonderful and accurate program be the result of a blind nature? No, it is done by a mighty, wise Allah.
The other essential elements for the existence and growth of life are water, air, light and food. Air and light are everywhere in the earth; we breath day and night, even sleeping, without being conscious of it. The sun and moon arise and set at their fixed time without being affected by human feelings, prayers, and difficulties. The last essential element for the existence of life and growth is water. The water supply system of Allah is astonishing. The water of seas is salty and undrinkable. When the rays of the sun fall on the ocean water it changes into vapor and forms clouds. Within a cloud, water droplets condense into one another, causing the droplets to grow. The wind scatters these clouds throughout the skies and sweet drinkable water reaches the needy earth; in the clouds, condensed droplets become too heavy to stay suspended in the sky and they fall to earth as rain.
Rain is the major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the earth. The rainwater is used for all the agricultural needs, some water soaks into the earth which is later used for many purposes, and some water changes form and is saved in the form of snow glaciers on the mountains—that water flows back, in summer, to the plains in rivers. These glaciers work as reservoirs for maintaining the water supply. The remaining water goes back to sea.
Such an intricate and sophisticated program is working in the
universe for sustenance and development of humanity. That is why the
phrase Rabb-el-alameen (Sustainer of Universe) is repeated 40 times
in the Quran. This repetition serves to lay stress on the importance of
basic necessities of life without which humans cannot exist. All is
received by humans without any fee, effort, or tax.
These arrangements are meant to make human life easy and
comfortable; but the moment humans take charge, things become
difficult and full of afflictions, because they distribute the resources
according to their own selfish plans. The result is that a sparrow and a
humble ant can get their nourishment without any trouble, whereas
human beings, who think they are superior to other creations, have to
undergo towering difficulties to get the required food.
The Quran introduces God as Rabb and not as “lord”. In the very
beginning of the Quran it says, 1:1 “All hamd belongs to Allah who is
sustainer of the universe (Rabb-el-Alameen)”.
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