Whenever we are looking to combat the misery in our lives, one must remember that Allah has put joy in ‘Ilm and in learning about Him.
We can have so many favours and benefits; we can be grateful for them as well; but the true blessing is recognising and marveling at Allah. In the remembrance of Allah, we can become people of joy.
فَٱسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَم مَّنْ خَلَقْنَآ ۚ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰهُم مِّن طِينٍۢ لَّازِبٍۭ ١١
“So ask them O Prophet, which is harder to create: them or other marvels of Our creation? Indeed, We created them from a sticky clay.” (37:11)
Here, Allah is asking a question. After the statements, proofs, and descriptions provided, is a question to shake one’s soul and stir discomfort.
The objective behind this question is to remove the doubt in Allah’s creation and promises. This is to help rectify our hearts, which at times, feels the Aakhirah is far away or an illusion.
Allah is also doing something else; He is uncovering the creation of humans, compared to the much bigger and more magnificent heavenly bodies He created. As humans, we have been given the test of logic and reason. And so Allah first breaks this logic for us to understand His greatness.
‘Sticky clay’ means we are water-based clay. We are made from something so insignificant, but because we have a mind to think, many times, we think ourselves amazing. We are able to prosper in this world, but that which we doubt is the One Who created us.
بَلْ عَجِبْتَ وَيَسْخَرُونَ ١٢
“In fact, you are astonished by their denial, while they ridicule you.” (37:12)
وَإِذَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ لَا يَذْكُرُونَ ١٣
“When they are reminded, they are never mindful.” (37:13)
وَإِذَا رَأَوْا۟ ءَايَةًۭ يَسْتَسْخِرُونَ ١٤
“And whenever they see a sign, they make fun of it,” (37:14)
Allah had given them so much proof that the Aakhirah was real, but the people at the time turned away. The Kuffaar could not comprehend the resurrection and did not believe in Allah’s miracles.
When applied to our lives, for example, when we do not agree or accept advice from others, we mock them. At this juncture, we must make Du’a to Allah that we see the truth for the truth. The tests we have as human beings is that we require our logic to be appeased; that things must make sense for us to accept it. The reality, however, is that our logic and understanding is limited.
The way we are tested is that we believe in the Aakhirah, but get caught in the illusion that this life is “more real” because it is in front of us. This is what the logical mind tells us.
Our rationality, however, has nothing to do with Allah’s capacity and ability.
وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌۭ مُّبِينٌ ١٥
“saying, “This is nothing but pure magic.” (37:15)
أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًۭا وَعِظَـٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ ١٦
“When we are dead and reduced to dust and bones, will we really be resurrected?” (37:16)
أَوَءَابَآؤُنَا ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ ١٧
“And our forefathers as well?”” (37:17)
قُلْ نَعَمْ وَأَنتُمْ دَٰخِرُونَ ١٨
“Say, “Yes! And you will be fully humbled.”” (37:18)
We must allow the Qur’an to impact and change us. When the verses of the Qur’an were given to the Kuffaar then, they turned away, doubted, and rejected it.
Allah puts repetition of Qiyamah in the Qur’an because He knows that we are a forgetful creation. And so we must combat getting caught up in the excitement and materiality of this world.
۞ ٱحْشُرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ وَأَزْوَٰجَهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْبُدُونَ ٢٢
“Allah will say to the angels, “Gather all the wrongdoers along with their peers, and whatever they used to worship” (37:22)
مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَٱهْدُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ ٢٣
“instead of Allah, then lead them all to the path of Hell.” (37:23)
The same angels that Allah described in their magnificence, He will have them gather those who worked together in disbelief.
The whole purpose of this Surah is rectifying the way that we live. That we do not live our lives in the delusion that this world is forever. Shaytaan tricks us into thinking that we have a long amount of time left here, but this is false.
Surah Saffat is a Surah of faith and ‘Iman, building us.
قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَأْتُونَنَا عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ ٢٨
“The misled will say, “It was you who deluded us away from what is right.”” (37:28)
قَالُوا۟ بَل لَّمْ تَكُونُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ ٢٩
“The misleaders will reply, “No! You disbelieved on your own.” (37:29)
وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَـٰنٍۭ ۖ بَلْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًۭا طَـٰغِينَ ٣٠
“We had no authority over you. In fact, you yourselves were a transgressing people.” (37:30)
فَحَقَّ عَلَيْنَا قَوْلُ رَبِّنَآ ۖ إِنَّا لَذَآئِقُونَ ٣١
“The decree of our Lord has come to pass against us all: we will certainly taste the punishment.” (37:31)
فَأَغْوَيْنَـٰكُمْ إِنَّا كُنَّا غَـٰوِينَ ٣٢
“We caused you to deviate, for we ourselves were deviant.”” (37:32)
The disbelievers will blame each other on the Day of Qiyamah. They will lament having listened to those who made them do wrong.
When Allah puts the desire of Haqq into one’s heart, follow it. Similarly, others may hold one back when they are desirous of the Truth.
فَإِنَّهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ مُشْتَرِكُونَ ٣٣
“Surely on that Day they will all share in the punishment.” (37:33)
إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَفْعَلُ بِٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ ٣٤
“That is certainly how We deal with the wicked.” (37:34)
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ٣٥
“For whenever it was said to them in the world, “There is no god worthy of worship except Allah,” they acted arrogantly” (37:35)
وَيَقُولُونَ أَئِنَّا لَتَارِكُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَتِنَا لِشَاعِرٍۢ مَّجْنُونٍۭ ٣٦
“and argued, “Should we really abandon our gods for a mad poet?”” (37:36)
بَلْ جَآءَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَصَدَّقَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ ٣٧
“In fact, he came with the truth, confirming earlier messengers.” (37:37)
إِنَّكُمْ لَذَآئِقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَلِيمِ ٣٨
“You will certainly taste the painful torment,” (37:38)
وَمَا تُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ٣٩
“and will only be rewarded for what you used to do.” (37:39)
Whenever it was told to them that there is no God but Allah, they acted arrogantly, and did not accept it.
So what is our response as believers? That we believe in and submit to the Lord of the world.
إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ ٤٠
“But not the chosen servants of Allah.” (37:40)
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ رِزْقٌۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ ٤١
“They will have a known provision:” (37:41)
We are aware that the challenges of this world are difficult. Yet the rewards for it in the Aakhirah are the bounteous provisions of Jannah.
These known provisions are the ‘certain’ provisions from Allah every morning and every evening. They are everlasting and certain provisions, without worry for food, money, or transport, which are worries of this world. In this world, we worry our blessings may be taken from us. But in Jannah, there is no such worry.
This promise of Allah is a great comfort.
فَوَٰكِهُ ۖ وَهُم مُّكْرَمُونَ ٤٢
“fruits of every type. And they will be honoured” (37:42)
فِى جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٤٣
“in the Gardens of Bliss,” (37:43)
Fruits will also be given to the people of Jannah, which are not eaten to fulfill a need, but for the taste of it and enjoyment. Everything will be eaten for desire.
By developing the love for Allah and the Oneness of Allah, not only does Allah provide them with sustenance, but provides them food for joy. The people of Jannah will be honoured; there will be no disrespect to or amongst them.
عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍۢ مُّتَقَـٰبِلِينَ ٤٤
“facing each other on thrones.” (37:44)
يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِكَأْسٍۢ مِّن مَّعِينٍۭ ٤٥
“A drink of pure wine will be passed around to them from a flowing stream:” (37:45)
بَيْضَآءَ لَذَّةٍۢ لِّلشَّـٰرِبِينَ ٤٦
“crystal-white, delicious to drink.” (37:46)
No one will be looking at each other and bickering or arguing; there will be no hatred between the people of Jannah.
لَا فِيهَا غَوْلٌۭ وَلَا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنزَفُونَ ٤٧
“It will neither harm them, nor will they be intoxicated by it.” (37:47)
There will also be no harm in Jannah. Its wine will have no consequences and side effects like the wine of this world.
وَعِندَهُمْ قَـٰصِرَٰتُ ٱلطَّرْفِ عِينٌۭ ٤٨
“And with them will be maidens of modest gaze and gorgeous eyes,” (37:48)
كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيْضٌۭ مَّكْنُونٌۭ ٤٩
“as if they were pristine pearls.” (37:49)
The eyes of the maidens will be pure and protected. In all of the descriptions given, the Aakhirah is clearly not the same as this world.
Allah describes so many different promises because He is making us live lives subject to the Aakhirah. Depending on what we choose, we will be of the people on the path to Jannah, or Jahannam.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:
“O Allah, there is no true life but the life of the Hereafter.”
