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Juz 14 Takeaway: Don’t Take Allah’s Mercy for Granted
Today we conclude our second week of Ramadan and also the #MuslimGirlRamadanBookClub, which means we will tackle Juz 14. Juz 14 consists of two surahs: Surah Al-Hijr and Surah Nahl. Surah Al-Hijr, which consists of 99 ayahs, and Surah Nahl, which contains 128 ayahs. Both surahs were revealed during the times when the Prophet Muhammad SAWS was in Makkah, before his migration to Madinah, and during different difficult periods of time.
Dealing with times of distress
Surah Al-Hijr consists of 99 Ayahs and was revealed in Makkah. The name of the Surah means rocky tract and can be alluded to the same area where the people of Thamud used to live.
Surah Al-Hijr has one main theme, and that is the theme of guidance. It was revealed after the year of grief when the Prophet Muhammad SAWS had lost both his wife Khadija RA and his uncle Abu Talib. Surah Al-Hijr follows a similar trajectory as Surah Ibrahim and has many ayahs about the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad SAWS being a source of guidance. The many ayahs at the beginning of the surah are about the disbelievers and how they have troubled the Prophet Muhammad with their misguidance and ignorance. Allah SWT tells the Prophet to answer them with certain words and even goes on to relate the story of how Shaytan became Shaytan with the creation of Adam AS. Allah SWT relays the story of Prophet Ibrahim and the people of Lut and their disobedience and finally the punishment Allah SWT gave them.
In the last part of the surah, Allah SWT gives assurance to the Prophet Muhammad SAWS. The people of Makkah were making things difficult for the Prophet and he had come to a point where he’d grown tired of trying to preach Islam to them and keep them in line. In ayahs 85 to 96, Allah SWT tells the Prophet to leave the disbelievers and tell them that he is a warner only and that if they continue their disobedience, then Allah will punish them. In the last three ayahs, Allah SWT says:
We certainly know that your heart is truly distressed by what they say. So glorify the praises of your Lord and be one of those who ˹always˺ pray, and worship your Lord until the inevitable comes your way.
— Quran (15:97-99)
In the three ayahs above, Allah SWT is basically giving the Prophet Muhammad SAWS, and by extension, his ummah (us), the best remedy for distress: salah and faith in Allah SWT. Whenever we are overcome with distress, grief, or worries, we should remember that Allah SWT is always with us and remain steadfast in that belief.
In the entire surah, my favorite ayah has to be the one below. Allah SWT says these words in answer to the arrogance and disbelief of the kuffar over the authenticity of the Prophet Muhammad SAWS and the Quran. In the ayah below, Allah SWT promises to keep the Quran safe and preserve it as He is the one who sent it down to the Prophet.
It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder (Quran), and it is certainly We Who will preserve it.
— Quran (15:9)
The creations of Allah SWT
Surah An-Nahl is named after the bee, one of Allah SWT’s most amazing creations. This surah contains 128 ayahs and was also revealed in Makkah.
The surah starts off similarly to Surah Al-Hijr, with Allah SWT speaking about the arrogance and disbelief of the disbelievers and warns them about their actions. Then Allah SWT speaks about His creation. He mentions the rain and water, the sky, night and day, the animals, the earth, and the food that we have been given. The creation of humans the death of humans and the day of judgement are all creations of Allah SWT alone. Everything that we know and see is a blessing, a gift from Allah SWT. So how can we deny His existence? Every single blessing we have been given is from Allah alone and if He wishes, He can leave us totally barren.
In ayah 58 to 60, Allah SWT speaks about the barbarity of the Makkans when they used to bury their daughters alive. This despicable act was only removed when the Prophet Muhammad SAWS became a prophet and through the commandment of Allah SWT. In the next verse, ayah 61, Allah SWT says that if He punished every person for their transgression on the spot, then there would be no one left on this earth. Allah is the one that has chosen to forgive us and show mercy and we should never ever take that for granted.
Then Allah SWT speaks about cows and milk and bees and honey and the blessings and purities and lessons we can learn from these creatures. Honey and bees especially, are given importance here as Allah SWT speaks about their communities in their hives and how they work to nourish themselves to create a liquid substance that has been proven to have dozens of benefits and is a major sign of Allah’s magnificence.
In Surah An-Nahl, we’re told to appreciate our blessings: the creation of Allah SWT.
If you tried to count Allah’s blessings, you would never be able to number them. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
— Quran (16:18)
This ayah is especially important because there are several times during the day where we forget the purpose of our lives and the true blessings behind the lives we are given. If Allah wants, He can take everything from us.
My favorite ayah is one that is read during every Friday khutbah by the Imam. This ayah is one that is beautiful because it so wonderfully puts the commandments of Allah SWT into a single verse. Allah SWT despises and forbids wickedness, aggression and indecency, three things that have unfortunately been prominent amongst humans since the beginning of creation. And Allah SWT loves justice, grace and generosity, three things that each Prophet of Allah, especially Prophet Muhammad SAWS, has embodied.
Indeed, Allah commands justice, grace, as well as generosity to close relatives. He forbids indecency, wickedness, and aggression. He instructs you so perhaps you will be mindful.
— Quran (16:90)
Make sure you share with us your favorite takeaways and reflections from Juz 14!