IOK Ramadan: What’s Even Better? | Keys To The Divine Compass [Ep3]

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Keys to the Divine Compass. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Previous in the series: Juz 1 Juz 2

Juzʾ 3 Contains: Sūrah Sūrah al-Baqarah – Āl ʿImrān (#2-3)

Sūrah Āl ʿImrān  (3):14-17

زُیِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَ ٰ⁠تِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَاۤءِ وَٱلۡبَنِینَ وَٱلۡقَنَـٰطِیرِ ٱلۡمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلۡفِضَّةِ وَٱلۡخَیۡلِ ٱلۡمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ وَٱلۡحَرۡثِۗ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَاۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسۡنُ ٱلۡمَـَٔابِ ۝١٤ قُلۡ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَیۡرࣲ مِّن ذَ ٰ⁠لِكُمۡۖ لِلَّذِینَ ٱتَّقَوۡا۟ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتࣱ تَجۡرِی مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِینَ فِیهَا وَأَزۡوَ ٰ⁠جࣱ مُّطَهَّرَةࣱ وَرِضۡوَ ٰ⁠نࣱ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِیرُۢ بِٱلۡعِبَادِ ۝١٥ ٱلَّذِینَ یَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَاۤ إِنَّنَاۤ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ۝١٦ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِینَ وَٱلصَّـٰدِقِینَ وَٱلۡقَـٰنِتِینَ وَٱلۡمُنفِقِینَ وَٱلۡمُسۡتَغۡفِرِینَ بِٱلۡأَسۡحَارِ ۝١

“Loving the following things was made attractive to people: desiring women, children, heaps and piles of gold and silver, beautiful one-of-a-kind horses, livestock, and crops. All of that is the temporary enjoyment of this worldly life. But Allāh has (a far more) beautiful place of rest with Him. My Prophet, tell humanity, ‘Do you want to know what’s even better than all of that? People of taqwā (those who protect themselves from Allāh’s punishment by obeying Him) have the following things set aside for them with their Master: luscious green gardens that have rivers following under them – they will get to live there forever, pure spouses, and the pleasure of Allāh. Allāh sees everything about His slaves. (The people of taqwā are) those who say, “Our Master! We have believed, so forgive our sins, and save us from the punishment of Hell!” (They are those who are) perseverant, truthful, obedient, generous, and those who seek Allāh’s forgiveness in the early morning.’”

زُیِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَ ٰ⁠تِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَاۤءِ وَٱلۡبَنِینَ وَٱلۡقَنَـٰطِیرِ ٱلۡمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلۡفِضَّةِ وَٱلۡخَیۡلِ ٱلۡمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ وَٱلۡحَرۡثِۗ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَاۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسۡنُ ٱلۡمَـَٔابِ ۝١٤

“Loving the following things was made attractive to people: desiring women, children, heaps and piles of gold and silver, beautiful one-of-a-kind horses, livestock, and crops. All of that is the temporary enjoyment of this worldly life. But Allāh has (a far more) beautiful place of rest with Him.”

We are human, and Allāh knows better than anyone what we love and don’t love. He is our creator afterall. He tells us that humans have a built in attraction and love of:

1. Women “ٱلشَّهَوَ ٰ⁠تِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَاۤءِ”
   1. This could be that men have a much stronger attraction to women
   2. Or it could also be a style of language that implies the opposite: men are attracted to women, and women are attracted to men.
   3. Humans almost always find joy, comfort, pleasure, and intimacy with the opposite gender. That is a reason for marriage.
2. Children “وَٱلۡبَنِینَ”
   1. Humans have children. They love having children. They have lots of children. They almost always love to hug, kiss, squeeze, play and joke with their children.
   2. They almost always love taking care of their children.
   3. This is all despite the fact that having and raising children is not easy.
3. Lots of money “وَٱلۡقَنَـٰطِیرِ ٱلۡمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلۡفِضَّةِ”
   1. Can be literally understood as heaps and piles of gold and silver
   2. Humans almost always love money. They seek it, desire it, and want more.
   3. Either they love money itself, or they love what it can be exchanged for.
   4. Be it gold, silver, rubies, cash, stocks, homes, etc
4. Beautiful one-of-a kind horses “وَٱلۡخَیۡلِ ٱلۡمُسَوَّمَةِ”
   1. Any prized possession that stands out
   2. Perhaps we can personally apply this statement to refer to our vehicles
      1. Some people love their unique cars, colors, and styles
      2. Or anything else of value
5. Livestock “وَٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ”
   1. Be it cows, camels, goats, or sheep
   2. And perhaps we can personally apply this to our other valuables
6. Crops “وَٱلۡحَرۡثِ”
   1. Anything with a harvest
   2. Perhaps we can personally apply this to anything we have that grows, like investments

But this is all temporary enjoyment “مَتَـٰعُ”. It is limited to this short finite fleeting life. Really wonderful things are saved with Allāh. Want to know what those things are?

قُلۡ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَیۡرࣲ مِّن ذَ ٰ⁠لِكُمۡۖ لِلَّذِینَ ٱتَّقَوۡا۟ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتࣱ تَجۡرِی مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِینَ فِیهَا وَأَزۡوَ ٰ⁠جࣱ مُّطَهَّرَةࣱ وَرِضۡوَ ٰ⁠نࣱ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِیرُۢ بِٱلۡعِبَادِ ۝١٥

“My Prophet, tell humanity, ‘Do you want to know what’s even better than all of that? People of taqwā (those who protect themselves from Allāh’s punishment by obeying Him) have the following things set aside for them with their Master: luscious green gardens that have rivers following under them – they will get to live there forever, pure spouses, and the pleasure of Allāh. Allāh sees everything about His slaves.’”

We are human, so of course we will enjoy the six items mentioned in the previous āyah. But Allāh wants us to keep our eyes on the prize, to work for real enjoyment that we’ll actually be able to enjoy – and enjoy it forever. What are those beautiful things that Allāh has prepared for us upon our arrival “حُسۡنُ ٱلۡمَـَٔابِ” to the Hereafter?

1. Luscious green gardens that have rivers flowing underneath them – a place we’ll live in forever “جَنَّـٰتࣱ تَجۡرِی مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِینَ فِیهَا”
   1. Greenery, cool breezes, fresh rivers – forever and ever
   2. All the scenic beauty we can imagine
2. Pure spouses “وَأَزۡوَ ٰ⁠جࣱ مُّطَهَّرَةࣱ”
   1. Some people are married, and others not
   2. For those unmarried, or those in bad marriages, this is a wonderful gift
   3. For those that are married, there is no need to feel worried. If both spouses work towards Jannah, and help each other get into Jannah, they will be the best version of themselves in Jannah!
      1. We are humans, we have shortcomings, faults, issues, mistakes
      2. But we as humans, as spouses, as partners in Jannah will be the best version of ourselves – pure and wholesome
      3. No one should have any worry of, “I don’t like my spouse,” or “I don’t like this about my spouse.” The concept of discontentment doesn’t exist in Jannah. You will either have (a) the best version of your spouse (and you will be the best version of yourself), and/or (b) you will have a new pure wonderful amazing spouse.
3. Allāh’s Pleasure “وَرِضۡوَ ٰ⁠نࣱ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ”
   1. Allāh will be pleased and happy with you
   2. He will never be angry with you every again
   3. In Sūrah Al-Tawbah (9):72, Allāh ﷻ tells us that this is the greatest gift and reward: “وَرِضۡوَ ٰ⁠نࣱ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَكۡبَرُ”. This is also mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ in many narrations found in Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: “أَنَا أُعْطِيكُمْ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ‏ – I will give you something far greater than all of that (everything else in Jannah)”.

These are stored and saved with Allāh. And He sees everything His slaves do. So He ﷻ has conditions for these rewards. The first one mentioned in this āyah is being someone of taqwā – being aware of Allāh, and as a result, saving yourself from His punishment by obeying Him. But Allāh highlights a few more conditions – in reality, these aren’t necessarily “new” conditions, but more so just descriptions of the people of taqwā.

ٱلَّذِینَ یَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَاۤ إِنَّنَاۤ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ۝١٦ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِینَ وَٱلصَّـٰدِقِینَ وَٱلۡقَـٰنِتِینَ وَٱلۡمُنفِقِینَ وَٱلۡمُسۡتَغۡفِرِینَ بِٱلۡأَسۡحَارِ ۝١٧

“(The people of taqwā are) those who say, “Our Master! We have believed, so forgive our sins, and save us from the punishment of Hell!” (They are those who are) perseverant, truthful, obedient, generous, and those who seek Allāh’s forgiveness in the early morning.’”

The people of taqwā are those who:

1. Make duʿāʾ (prayers and supplications) to Allāh saying, “Our Master! We have believed, so forgive our sins, and save us from the punishment of Hell!” “ٱلَّذِینَ یَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَاۤ إِنَّنَاۤ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ”
   1. They believe
   2. They ask for forgiveness
   3. They ask for protection from the punishment of the fire of Hell
2. Patient and Perseverant “ٱلصَّـٰبِرِینَ”
   1. They push themselves to obey Allāh
   2. They hold themselves from from disobeying Allāh
   3. They continue to push forward despite calamities
3. Truthful “وَٱلصَّـٰدِقِینَ ”
   1. They speak the truth, the do not lie
   2. They affirm the truth in their hearts, and on their tongues and limbs 
4. Obedient “وَٱلۡقَـٰنِتِینَ”
   1. They obey Allāh, they submit to Him, humble themselves before Him ﷻ
5. Charitable “وَٱلۡمُنفِقِینَ “
   1. They donate
   2. They spent the money they earned in causes that Allāh loves and approves of
   3. Be it on their families, religious schools, orphans, widows, the poor
6. Seek forgiveness in the early morning “وَٱلۡمُسۡتَغۡفِرِینَ بِٱلۡأَسۡحَارِ”
   1. Seeking forgiveness is so important it has been mentioned twice
   2. But this comes to emphasize that they are always seeking forgiveness
   3. And also, they do it at one of the most special times: early mornings – asḥār
      1. As we fast, we know of “suḥūr” (Arabic) or “sehri” (Urdu)
      2. It is the meal before Fajr
      3. That is the early morning, the tail end of the night
      4. The last third of the night, a very special time that has been referenced by the Prophet ﷺ in many narrations found in Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

May Allāh ﷻ allow us to have these qualities, and earn His pleasure.