IOK Ramadan: Islam Is Life | Keys To The Divine Compass [Ep9]

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 Juz 3 Juz 4 Juz 5 Juz 6 Juz 7 Juz 8

Juzʾ 9 Contains: Sūrah al-Aʿrāf – al-Anfāl (#7-8)

Al-Anfāl (8): 24

یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسۡتَجِیبُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمۡ لِمَا یُحۡیِیكُمۡۖ وَٱعۡلَمُوۤا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَحُولُ بَیۡنَ ٱلۡمَرۡءِ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَأَنَّهُۥۤ إِلَیۡهِ تُحۡشَرُونَ ۝٢٤

“Believers! Respond to Allāh and The Messenger when they call you to what will give you life (see explanation below). Know for a fact that Allāh comes between a person and his heart (see explanation below). And the fact of that matter is that all of you will be resurrected and gathered before Him (Allāh) alone.”

یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسۡتَجِیبُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمۡ لِمَا یُحۡیِیكُمۡ

Allāh ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ are calling us and inviting us. We need to respond! We need to listen and do as we are asked. But not only that, they are calling us to something that will give us life! What is it that they are calling us to? We find a few opinions mentioned in Tafsīr Al-Ṭabarī that “what will give you life” can mean:

1. Islam
2. Truth
3. Qurʾān
4. Jihād

In essence, the first three are essentially the same. What is Islam except the truth that has been taught in the Qurʾān? As for Jihād, fighting and struggling to ensure the supremacy of the testimony of faith (shahādah): lā ilāha illā Allāh – Muḥammad rasūl Allāh (no god exists other than Allāh – Muḥammad is God’s Messenger). And ensuring the banner of the shahādah is held up high is to ensure that Islam, Truth, and Qurʾān are held up high. So they all overlap. When Allāh ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ tell us to be Muslim, follow the Truth, obey the commands in the Qurʾān, or to uphold Islam/Truth/Qurʾān – they are inviting us to do an action that will give us life. But we are already alive? This will give us REAL life. Real life in this world, having purpose and a goal, and of course a real enjoyable blissful life in the Hereafter. Jannah (Heaven/Paradise) is real life. We actually live! We live forever in complete bliss and ease. Whereas the people of Hell are “alive”, it is not really “life”. It is just misery, torture, pain, and punishment.

The hustle and bustle of this life is draining. People fall into all kinds of issues with their emotions and physical bodies. Responding to the call of Allāh ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ will illuminate our lives with purpose, drive, and meaning.

وَٱعۡلَمُوۤا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَحُولُ بَیۡنَ ٱلۡمَرۡءِ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ

Know and realize that Allāh is closer to you than your own heart. And so He can come between you and your very heart. This can mean (as mentioned in Tafsīr Al-Ṭabarī) that He is:

1. the One Who keeps a believer from disbelieving
2. the One Who keeps a disbeliever from believing
3. the One Who keeps a believer from sinning
4. the One Who keeps a disbeliever from doing good
5. so close that He ﷻ knows everything about a person, even their innermost thoughts
   1. even things they don’t know about their own selves
6. fully capable of changing one’s heart

So ask and beg Him for belief and goodness, for forgiveness for the bad thoughts, and to keep our hearts firm on all things good. We know the Prophet ﷺ would often say referring to Allāh, “وَمُقَلِّبِ الْقُلُوبِ ‏ – I swear by the turner of hearts” (see Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik and Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī). And we know a common duʿāʾ of his ﷺ was, “يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ‏ – O Turner of hearts! Keep my heart firmly adhering to Your religion!” (see Jāmiʿ Al-Tirmidhī, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad by Al-Bukhārī, Sunan Al-Nasāʾī, Sunan Ibn Mājah, Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah). There is another wording of this attributed to the Prophet ﷺ wherein he ﷺ said, “يَا مُصَرِّفَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ- O Controller of hearts! Keep my heart set on obeying You!” (see Musnad Aḥmad, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad by Al-Bukhārī, Sunan Al-Nasāʾī, Musnad Abī Yaʿlā, ʿAmal Al-Yawm wa Al-Laylah li Ibn Al-Sunnī).

وَأَنَّهُۥۤ إِلَیۡهِ تُحۡشَرُونَ

And who else could have such knowledge and control over our hearts other than Allāh ﷻ? After all, when we die, we will be resurrected and gathered before no one other than Allāh. No one else can bring us back to life, gather all of us, let alone hold us all accountable. No boss, parent, judge, king, ruler has this control over me. Even if I faced nothing but oppression, Allāh will be the final judge to give me all my rights. And if I was an oppressor that always got away with evil, Allāh will be the final judge to hold me accountable. No one can run away. And every act or even thought I had, He will know it and can bring it as evidence for or against me on the Day of Resurrection.

O Allāh! Allow us to always respond to You!

يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ‏ – O Turner of hearts! Keep my heart firmly adhering to Your religion!

يَا مُصَرِّفَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ- O Controller of hearts! Keep my heart set on obeying You!

Juzʾ 10 Contains: Sūrah al-Anfāl – al-Tawbah (#8-9)

Al-Tawbah (9): 24

قُلۡ إِن كَانَ ءَابَاۤؤُكُمۡ وَأَبۡنَاۤؤُكُمۡ وَإِخۡوَ ٰ⁠نُكُمۡ وَأَزۡوَ ٰ⁠جُكُمۡ وَعَشِیرَتُكُمۡ وَأَمۡوَ ٰ⁠لٌ ٱقۡتَرَفۡتُمُوهَا وَتِجَـٰرَةࣱ تَخۡشَوۡنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَـٰكِنُ تَرۡضَوۡنَهَاۤ أَحَبَّ إِلَیۡكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَجِهَادࣲ فِی سَبِیلِهِۦ فَتَرَبَّصُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ یَأۡتِیَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمۡرِهِۦۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا یَهۡدِی ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَـٰسِقِینَ ۝٢٤

“My Prophet! Tell the believers, ‘If your parents, children, siblings, spouses, families, wealth you’ve earned, deals and contracts that you’re worried might fail, and/or the properties that you enjoy are more beloved and dear to you than Allāh, His Messenger, and fighting/striving in The Path of God, then just wait until the decision of Allāh comes! Allāh does not guide transgressive people.’”

He makes it clear that if we love

1. Our Parents
2. Our Children
3. Our Siblings
4. Our Spouses
5. Our Families
6. Our Earned Money
7. Our Businesses that we’re afraid to lose
8. Our Homes that we love

more than Allāh, The Prophet ﷺ, and fighting and striving in God’s Path, then we need to just wait until the Command of Allāh comes. But what is “the Command of Allāh – أمر الله” in this āyah referring to? There are two main opinions among the companions and their students: (a) the victory of Allāh via the Conquest of Makkah and (b) the punishment of Allāh (see Zād Al-Muyassar by Ibn Al-Jawzī raḥimahu Allāh).

This āyah (verse) is in reference to the believers who were still living in Makkah, even while the Prophet ﷺ and Muslims were living in Al-Madīnah. They had to migrate (hijrah), but they didn’t due to their love of one or more of the eight categories just mentioned. They had the physical and financial ability to perform hijrah (migration), but they didn’t. As a result, Allāh told His Prophet ﷺ to address them in a very stern manner: who do you love more? Are you willing to sacrifice everything for The One True God Allāh, or not? And if you are not ready and willing to do anything and everything for His Sake, then go ahead and wait until the punishment of Allāh comes. We can also understand it in a less harsh tone, wherein they are being told to wait until the Conquest of Makkah, at which point the obligation of migration (hijrah) will drop off.

With that in mind, the Qurʾān is still applicable to us, even if the context of revelation was specific to certain individuals. Who do I love more? Am I more likely to obey Allāh and His Messenger ﷺ, even if my family wants me to disobey? Or am I more likely to give in to the peer pressure of my family at the expense of ignoring the rules of Allāh? What am I willing to sacrifice for the sake of Allāh? Am I willing to give up some financial gain if that means I will earn money in a way that Allāh has permitted? Or am I excited to use impermissible means to earn massive amounts of money, all the while opening the door of the punishment of Allāh?

To summarize, there are 4 categories of balancing love:

1. Loving Allāh and The Prophet ﷺ more than everything
   1. This is the highest and best category. I will never prioritize anything above their judgment. I will gladly sacrifice worldly pleasures, luxuries, and enjoyment if that means I will earn the pleasure of Allāh ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ.
2. Loving Allāh and The Prophet ﷺ less, but still fulfilling their rights
   1. This is not good, but can be acceptable in a practical manner. Someone’s heart may have a stronger attachment to their family or their wealth, but they will still take time away to obey Allāh by praying, fasting, giving zakāh, performing Ḥajj, taking care of others, and having good character. They may have a hard time going above and beyond, and excelling, but they are fulfilling the bare minimum requirements set by Allāh.
   2. We must work on ourselves to grow, deepen, and strengthen our love for Allāh ﷻ, and make His Reward our number one goal.
3. Loving Allāh and The Prophet ﷺ less, and failing to fulfill their rights
   1. This is unacceptable. We can never find ourselves in a state wherein we neglect the duties, morals, and lifestyle given to us by Allāh ﷻ and His Messenger. This requires us to seek His forgiveness (istighfār) and turn our life around (tawbah). We cannot continue a life in this state. We are open and susceptible to the anger and punishment of Allāh.
   2. We must start by forcing ourselves to obey Him ﷻ, learn about Him ﷻ, and wholeheartedly submit our lives, wealth, and beings to Him ﷻ.
4. Not loving Allāh and The Prophet ﷺ at all
   1. We simply cannot be a part of this category. Once we believe in Allāh as our One True God, and Muḥammad as His Messenger, there has to be even the slightest bit of love.

Allāh has made it clear that we must love Him, His Prophet ﷺ, and submitting ourselves to His Will. Or else we’re in for possible punishment, and being considered amongst the fāsiqīn, those who transgress the bounds set by Allāh.

When it comes to truly loving Allāh and His Messenger, the Prophet ﷺ said:

1. لاَ يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ
   1. “None of you will truly believe – your faith will not be perfectly complete – until I (The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ) and more beloved and dear to him than his own parents, children, and all of humanity.” Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (raḍiya Allāh ʿanh) and Anas ibn Mālik (raḍiya Allāh ʿanh) in Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
   2. This can be considered as an explanation of the āyah above from Sūrah Al-Tawbah. We may have “some” level of faith (Īmān), but it is not complete until The Prophet ﷺ is more dear to us than all other people.
2. ثَلاَثٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ وَجَدَ حَلاَوَةَ الإِيمَانِ أَنْ يَكُونَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا سِوَاهُمَا وَأَنْ يُحِبَّ الْمَرْءَ لاَ يُحِبُّهُ إِلاَّ لِلَّهِ وَأَنْ يَكْرَهَ أَنْ يَعُودَ فِي الْكُفْرِ كَمَا يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُقْذَفَ فِي النَّارِ
   1. “Whoever has the following three (3) qualities has tasted and experience the sweetness of Faith (Īmān). (1) Loving Allāh and The Prophet ﷺ more than anything and anyone else. (2) Loving someone for the sake of Allāh alone. (3) Hating to become a disbeliever, just like you hate being thrown into Hell.” Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik (raḍiya Allāh ʿanh) in Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
   2. We see that quality and condition #1 again has to do with ensuring that we love Allāh ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ more than anyone else