Surah Fatir presents a deep question: is there anyone in my life that does what Allah does?
This question is one the believer has to constantly circle back to, as in this Surah, Allah places examples that consolidates His existence in our lives.
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ ١٥
“O humanity! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah alone is the Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.” (35:15)
إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍۢ جَدِيدٍۢ ١٦.
“If He willed, He could eliminate you and produce new creation.” (35:16)
In these Ayat is a reminder that there is always an Ummah that will be in sujood after us.
In every Tadabbur is the understanding of how poor and out of depth one is without Allah. As believers, we have to knock on Allah’s door, crying to Him that we are nothing without Him.
On the contrary, Allah is independent of us. We read Salaah and make Du’a for ourselves alone, for without it, we would be destroyed.
وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌۭ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۚ وَإِن تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَةٌ إِلَىٰ حِمْلِهَا لَا يُحْمَلْ مِنْهُ شَىْءٌۭ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰٓ ۗ إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۚ وَمَن تَزَكَّىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّىٰ لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۚ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ١٨
“No soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. And if a sin-burdened soul cries for help with its burden, none of it will be carried–even by a close relative. You O Prophet can only warn those who stand in awe of their Lord without seeing Him and establish prayer. Whoever purifies themselves, they only do so for their own good. And to Allah is the final return.” (35:18)
Righteous deeds are not tied to anyone else, but they are for us alone, for we are all going to be alone in our graves and resurrected to bear our own loads. It is to Allah Who is our actual return.
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ ١٩
“Those blind to the truth and those who can see are not equal,” (35:19)
وَلَا ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَلَا ٱلنُّورُ ٢٠
“nor are the darkness and the light,” (35:20)
وَلَا ٱلظِّلُّ وَلَا ٱلْحَرُورُ ٢١
“nor the scorching heat and the cool shade.” (35:21)
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍۢ مَّن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ ٢٢
“Nor are the dead and the living equal. Indeed, Allah alone makes whoever He wills hear, but you O Prophet can never make those in the graves hear your call.” (35:22)
إِنْ أَنتَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ ٢٣
“You are only a warner.” (35:23)
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ بِٱلْحَقِّ بَشِيرًۭا وَنَذِيرًۭا ۚ وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خَلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌۭ ٢٤
“We have surely sent you with the truth as a deliverer of good news and a warner. There is no community that has not had a warner.” (35:24)
وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَبِٱلزُّبُرِ وَبِٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ٱلْمُنِيرِ ٢٥
“If they deny you, so did those before them. Their messengers came to them with clear proofs, divine Books, and enlightening Scriptures.” (35:25)
ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ ٢٦
“Then I seized those who persisted in disbelief. How severe was My response!” (35:26)
At this junction, one should beg Allah to see the light. We as people cannot make others hear, but can only warn them. The disbelievers are not able to see this truth.
And so we must take heed and make preparations for the call of the Aakhirah.
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦ ثَمَرَٰتٍۢ مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَٰنُهَا ۚ وَمِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌۢ بِيضٌۭ وَحُمْرٌۭ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌۭ ٢٧
“Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky with which We bring forth fruits of different colours? And in the mountains are streaks of varying shades of white, red, and raven black;” (35:27)
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱلدَّوَآبِّ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ كَذَٰلِكَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤُا۟ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ ٢٨
“just as people, living beings, and cattle are of various colours as well. Of all of Allah’s servants, only the knowledgeable of His might are truly in awe of Him. Allah is indeed Almighty, All-Forgiving.” (35:28)
Now Allah moves onto another level explaining Who He is.
Allah describes to us in detail His perfect power; how He creates perfect colour. And yet they are not just colours, but within them, are varying shades and tones.
Allah constantly tells us about the variety of colours and tastes of things in the Qur’an. He created astounding layers and layers of colours of foods, mountains, people, and animals, amongst many other things. Allah is introducing us to the majesty of His power; of the awesome way He creates what He wills.
Allah could have just created the mountains, but He did so with perfection. And so it is only those who have the recognition and awe of Allah that can fear and praise Him. As believers, we obey Allah because we are able to recognise Him.
We cannot grasp this awe of Allah if we do not get to know Who He is. The more one learns about Allah, the more joy one finds in their ‘Ibadah; it changes how we see and carry out acts of worship.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَـٰبَ ٱللَّهِ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ سِرًّۭا وَعَلَانِيَةًۭ يَرْجُونَ تِجَـٰرَةًۭ لَّن تَبُورَ ٢٩
“Surely those who recite the Book of Allah, establish prayer, and donate from what We have provided for them–secretly and openly–can hope for an exchange that will never fail,” (35:29)
Now Allah talks about the people who turn this awe into effort for Him.
After getting to recognise Allah’s majesty, this awe must translate into an action; it is finding joy in ‘Ibadah and everything you do in life. It is a trade of the following actions that lead to success:
We do not know if these actions are accepted, and so while doing them in the path of Allah, we constantly ask for His acceptance.
