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 than will never fail,” (35:29)
Surah Fatir is a building of ‘Iman.
In this Ayah, Allah likens Tilawah to a trade. Where businessmen put their faith and investments in things that are uncertain, the Muslim doing acts in the path of Allah is not only an investment for them, but it is one that will never fail. This failure is something all businessmen in this world have faced.
By investing in one’s Aakhirah, it is not an investment in which there are probabilities of. In this world, there is always a margin of error or failure. But when one invests time into Qur’an, Salaah, and acts of Deen; no matter how small; it will never fail the believer, for Allah translates it and increases its capital. There is never a loss in it.
In comparison, this world’s rewards system is temporary and transitory.
لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ غَفُورٌۭ شَكُورٌۭ ٣٠
“so that He will reward them in full and increase them out of His grace. He is truly All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative.” (35:30)
The entirety of the focus of A’maal is the investment of Aakhirah which will never fail you. Now, however, Allah wants us to understand the nature of Him paying the believer in full.
Allah magnifies what we do
Allah’s system is one of increasing and doubling acts of Deen we do. What we see here is the magnification of the reward system of Allah.
The recognition system
Sometimes we do things for people and they do not recognise the effort that it took to do them. Everyone is guilty of this; we too fail to recognise what others do for us.
Allah, however, recognises everything we do.
He forgives the many weaknesses and inabilities
Many times, we read and we falter, we make unfulfilled intentions, and we make mistakes. Yet Allah’s reward system is so complete despite how weak we may be or inconsistent our efforts are.
It is not a system based on perfection, but our desire to be close to Allah.
When looking at the quantity Allah gives us, we realise how powerful He is. Allah’s grace is the reason why we are doing what we do.
By looking at the way Allah rewards us, He is being generous. Our efforts are so little, but Allah does not minimise them, instead giving us more. Allah is appreciative of all of our efforts.
And while appreciative, Allah forgives us because He understands we are weak and lacking.
‘Ibadah is not meant to break us. It is meant to show Allah what you intend; it is the willingness to want to be close to Him that Allah appreciates and recognises.
ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۖ فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌۭ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌۭ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌۢ بِٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَضْلُ ٱلْكَبِيرُ ٣٢
“Then We granted the Book to those We have chosen from Our servants. Some of them wrong themselves, some follow a middle course, and some are foremost in good deeds by Allah’s Will. That is truly the greatest bounty.” (35:32)
Allah tells us that from amongst the Muslims, there are three types:
All of them will be in Jannah; even those who will falter, and who will account for their deeds.
Allah knows we will have moments of weakness and regression. And so even the one who is unjust to themselves, Allah will forgive them.
Muhammad (SAW) said:
“As for those who race ahead of others in the matter of good deeds, out of the three kinds, they will go to Jannah without reckoning. And those who are in the middle will face an accounting that will be easy on them. And the unjust, the ones who fall short in deeds and are prone to slip into sins, will be overwhelmed with remorse at this juncture. After that, they too will be asked to enter Jannah and all their sorrows will stand removed from them.”
جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍۢ يَدْخُلُونَهَا يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍۢ وَلُؤْلُؤًۭا ۖ وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌۭ ٣٣
“They will enter the Gardens of Eternity, where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their clothing will be silk.” (35:33)
After putting in the effort for Allah and His Deen, Allah adorns the believer in gold and pearls in Jannah. Their clothes will be of silk.
Muhammad (SAW) said:
“Crowns on the heads of the people of Jannah will be studded with pearls. Light emitted by the smallest of its pearls, will fill the entire horizon from East to West.”
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا ٱلْحَزَنَ ۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌۭ شَكُورٌ ٣٤
“And they will say, “Praise be to Allah, Who has kept away from us all causes of sorrow. Our Lord is indeed All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative.” (35:34)
This world is a world of sorrow. But that sorrow should be kept between the believer and Allah. Everyone undergoes this sorrow, regardless of status in this world.
ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحَلَّنَا دَارَ ٱلْمُقَامَةِ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ لَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا نَصَبٌۭ وَلَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا لُغُوبٌۭ ٣٥
“He is the One Who–out of His grace–has settled us in the Home of Everlasting Stay, where we will be touched by neither fatigue nor weariness.”” (35:35)
In this world, we buy houses and think it will last forever. Yet the Home of Everlasting Stay is only in Jannah, not this world that is full of sorrow.
Even if we live in the nicest of houses, we will still experience problems in this world. Yet in Jannah, there will be neither fatigue nor weariness.
وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَآ أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَـٰلِحًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُم مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجَآءَكُمُ ٱلنَّذِيرُ ۖ فَذُوقُوا۟ فَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ ٣٧
“There they will be fervently screaming, “Our Lord! Take us out and send us back. We will do good, unlike what we used to do.” They will be told, “Did We not give you lives long enough so that whoever wanted to be mindful could have done so? And the warner came to you. So taste the punishment, for the wrongdoers have no helper.”” (35:37)
The disbelievers will cry out from the Fire in regret when it is too late. When they were presented opportunities for good, they failed to take them.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَـٰٓئِفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ فَمَن كَفَرَ فَعَلَيْهِ كُفْرُهُۥ ۖ وَلَا يَزِيدُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ كُفْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَّا مَقْتًۭا ۖ وَلَا يَزِيدُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ كُفْرُهُمْ إِلَّا خَسَارًۭا ٣٩
“He is the One Who has placed you as successors on earth. So whoever disbelieves will bear the burden of their own disbelief. The disbelievers’ denial only increases them in contempt in the sight of their Lord, and it will only contribute to their loss.” (35:39)
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ شُرَكَآءَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَرُونِى مَاذَا خَلَقُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌۭ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ أَمْ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ كِتَـٰبًۭا فَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَتٍۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ بَلْ إِن يَعِدُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ بَعْضُهُم بَعْضًا إِلَّا غُرُورًا ٤٠
“Ask them, O Prophet, “Have you considered your associate-gods which you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created on earth! Or do they have a share in the creation of the heavens? Or have We given the polytheists a Book, which serves as a clear proof for them? In fact, the wrongdoers promise each other nothing but delusion.”” (35:40)
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا ۚ وَلَئِن زَالَتَآ إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًۭا ٤١
“Indeed, Allah alone keeps the heavens and the earth from falling apart. If they were to fall apart, none but Him could hold them up. He is truly Most Forbearing, All-Forgiving.” (35:41)
If one is ungrateful, they will surely bear the burden of it.
In these Ayaat, Allah now returns us to Who He is; that it is only Allah Who holds up everything around us.
أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَكَانُوٓا۟ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةًۭ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعْجِزَهُۥ مِن شَىْءٍۢ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ عَلِيمًۭا قَدِيرًۭا ٤٤
“Have they not travelled throughout the land to see what was the end of those destroyed before them? They were far superior in might. But there is nothing that can escape Allah in the heavens or the earth. He is certainly All-Knowing, Most Capable.” (35:44)
وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ مَا تَرَكَ عَلَىٰ ظَهْرِهَا مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّۭى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِۦ بَصِيرًۢا ٤٥
“If Allah were to punish people immediately for what they have committed, He would not have left a single living being on earth. But He delays them for an appointed term. But when their time arrives, then surely Allah is All-Seeing of His servants.” (35:45)
Nothing can escape Allah. When one knows Who Allah is, they raise their hands in Du’a; they prostrate in submission and awe.
Allah awaits the moment of return to Him, and is preparing us for this return.
Surah Faatir is a surah that highlights the value of ‘Iman. To not just read to tick boxes and ‘get finished’, but to recognise the translation of good deeds in the Aakhirah.
