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).
