Allah has sent the Qur'an down as a فرقان, as He mentioned in Verse 1 of سورة الفرقان:
"تبارك الذي نزل الفرقان على عبده ليكون للعالمين نذيرا"
تبارك implies ongoing, increasing, eternal blessings, and indicates the status of the Qur'an with Allah. Allah also attributes Himself with بركة. To Him belong the perfect attributes, and his blessings and favors are abundant and continuous.
فرقان distinguishes between truth and falsehood, right and wrong, evil and good. This means that if a doubt or sickness enters in your heart, the Qur'an will purify and clear your heart from it. But in order for this to happen you need to read it with understanding, contemplation, and truthfulness.
Allah didn't restrict the Qur'an to a certain people. It was sent down to benefit Mankind and Jinn, young and old, female and male, non-Arab and Arab.
E.g. You enter a room in which you are told there are 1000 pieces of gold metal. Some are pure gold, others are gold plated, and the other is copper covered in yellow paint. You need something to detect which is pure and which isn't. This is the Qur'an. It tells you what is right and wrong, what to take and what to leave, what is lawful and what is unlawful.
It teaches you how to deal with people, what to say, what to do.
When you know that one of the descriptions of the Qur'an is فرقان. then you have to give it its due right. You have to:
1) Recite it properly
2) Understand and ponder over its verses
3) Act upon
This is the حق of the Qur'an on us. Allah will ask us about this on the Day of Judgement.
The Qur'an teaches you how to live in this world.
E.g. A conflict happened between a husband and wife. The husband tells her to go back to her family, and when she goes, this small problem ends up becoming big. If the husband and wife just acted upon the teachings of the Qur'an in (65:1)
"لاتخرجوهن من بيوتهن و لا يخرجن"
It is as if Allah is reminding the husband that it is her house.
"و تلك حدود الله و من يتعد حدود الله فقد ظلم نفسه لا تدري لعل الله يحدث بعد دالك امرا"
You don't know. They were arguing in a moment of anger, but they may be fine after that. Allah will change the situation and the hearts.
E.g. (2:216):
"و عسى ان تكرهوا شئا و هو خير لكم و عسى ان تحبوا شئا و هو شر لكم والله يعلم و أنتم لا تعلمون"
There are so many situations we go through which we dislike. If the person submits himself to Allah's decree and accepts the Qadar, he will see the good in the matter he hates now.
"واصبر لحكم ربك"
E.g. Most people are constantly afraid, worried, concerned, etc. and Allah says in the Qur'an: "فمن تبع هدايا فلا خوف عليهم و لا هم يحزنون"
(2:38)
No grief or fear will touch the person in this world, at the time of death, in the next. Ask yourself, are you really following the guidance of Allah or not?
E.g. Life is constricted upon you. You don't have many resources, etc. and you see sinners who are enjoying their lives and are happy. The true believer will not be sad or envy people, he will understand that all this doesn't indicate Allah's pleasure for them. And do you think, that Allah will deal with the believer who is following his guidance, like the person who is far away from the guidance?
In (45:21):
"ام حسب الذين اجترحوا السيئات ان نجعلهم كالذين ءامنوا و عملوا الصالحات سواء محياهم و مماتهم ساء ما يحكمون"
Feel special with Allah. When you read these verses you will be happy regardless of what Allah writes for you.
The Qur'an teaches you how to think, how to judge. This is because it's a فرقان.
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In سورة التوبه Allah mentions the descriptions of the hypocrites in order to avoid being like them. The true believer doesn't have these attributes.
Verses 50-53:
If any success befalls the believer, the hypocrite grieves. And if calamity befalls you he'll say things like, "See I told you so, etc."
Many people died in the Battle of Uhud. The hypocrites thought because they had planned, took precautions, and stayed behind they were saved from death, and they turned away feeling intelligent and full of themselves.
But the one who participated in Jihad and died is greater in Allah's sight than the one who stayed behind and was saved.
HADITH: Ibn Umar reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The believer who mixes with the people and endures their harm has a greater reward than one who does not mix the people nor endures their harm.” (Musnad Ahmad 22588)
When a person mixes with the people and gives Da'wah will undoubtedly face offense, disrespect, etc. A person may say "I told you so. Don't bother yourself, etc." The latter doesn't know that the former is better with Allah. Your status in Allah's sight should concern you, not your status with the people.
Allah tells us what we should tell them:
"قل لن يصيبنا الا ما كتب الله لنا هو مولانا و على الله فليتوكل المؤمنون"
When the word كتب comes with لنا it indicates pure goodness.
Allah is our مولا. He will never let us down.
We have to have this kind of trust in Allah. He will never forsake us. And what you perceive as evil is good for us.
So Allah directs you about how you should act. و على الله فليتوكل المؤمنون. You took all the means to take the action, and قدر الله you weren't able to accomplish it. Know there is something good in it.
When you take the means, make sure your heart doesn't rely on the means. Many a time we fail because we felt at rest towards the means and not Allah. We trusted other than Allah.
Verse 52:
قل هل تتربصون بِنَا الا احدى الحسنيين"
The hypocrites are always waiting for evil to happen to the Muslims. Allah tells the believers to say, are you waiting for anything except one of the two best things:- Martyrdom or Victory?
Always think good about Allah.
"و نحن نتربص بكم يصيبكم الله بعذاب من عنده او بايدينا"
"فتربصوا إنَّا معكم متربصون"
The remedy: Belief in Allah, in His names, attributes, and actions. Everything that happens to us is from Allah's actions. We have to understand why things are happening to us, and we won't unless we know who Allah is.
In Versss 53-54 Allah mentions their expenditure. Because there was hatred to the Prophet and the people of إيمان, their acts of goodness weren't accepted by Allah.
"قل انفقوا طوعا أو كرها لن يتقبل منكم إنكم كُنتُم قوما فاسقين"
"و ما منعهم أن تقبل منهم نفقاتهم الا
- إنهم كفروا بالله و برسوله
- و لا يأتون الصلاة إلا و هم كسالى
- و لا ينفقون إلا و هم كارهون"
Also, they didn't believe in certainty in Allah's perfect attributes, in the Judgement day, in the true message of the Prophet, and this affected their prayer and giving. Accordingly, Allah didn't accept it from them.
All good deeds that a person does should be based on إيمان
We have to take care of increasing our faith. Don't leave it to go down. When Allah gave the example of the hypocrites in سورة البقرة, we see that He gave them light, they saw truth from the falsehood, but because they didn't add wood to the fire, it extinguished.
Allah made them see the truth, but the person didn't take the means of increasing it, and his faith weakened to the point where he apparently looks good, but there's nothing inside.
Allah is الطيب and He only accepts what is طيب. And Allah says, "إنما يتقبل الله من المتقين"
This verse shows us how we can measure our faith. If you want to weigh your faith, check your صلاة. Because المنافق كسلا.
The Prophet sought refuge from كسل. It is the Shaytan that makes the person lazy, and one of the characteristics of the hypocrites is laziness.
The مؤذن says, "حي على صلاة ، حي على الفلاح" and he feels bored, lazy, heavy, and some people even hate it. These are all signs that indicate hypocrisy in the heart.
By Allah's mercy, He tells us these descriptions, in order that we can fix ourselves now, before it's too late. Remind yourself of the reward of prayer.
If you are foremost in following the commands of Allah, you will be foremost in crossing the Sirat on the Day of Judgement.
Lack of faith causes lack of sincerity, and lack of sincerity makes the deed weak.
You may say I'm sincere, but how sincere are you?
A person may be doing abundant good deeds, but only a few will be accepted, due to lack of sincerity. When we perform good deeds, we shouldn't focus on the quantity, but it's quality. We have to focus on perfecting it and being sincere.
Check yourself when you are alone and when you are among the people. If you do the good deed as perfectly when you are alone than when you are with people then it is an indication for sincerity.
Steadfastness on the obedience to Allah is a sign of sincerity. He doesn't slacken, whether he is praised or not, etc. He doesn't wait for anything from the people.
The scholars would attend and give a lecture, and find no one. They would sit down and open their notes, and someone said but there's no one listening? And he says, I came out with one intention.
The sincere person doesn't have a double personality (I.e. He doesn't have one personality with the people and one at home)
The sincere person has love towards his brothers from among the Muslims, helping them, and advising them. But when a person has lack of sincerity then hatred, envy, conflicts, arise between them. The sincerity even affects the love towards others.
The sincere person doesn't wait for gratitude from the people.
E.g. He invites people to his house. The person didn't say anything after eating. He says, "Did you like my food?" Because he wants to hear words of praise.
Even when you're giving the lecture, don't ask people how they found your lecture. Ask your reward from Allah. Your concern should be if Allah is pleased with you or not, if Allah accepted your deed.
Umar used to invoke Allah saying,
"اللهم اجعل عملي كله صالحا
و جعله لوجهك خالصا
و لا تجعل لأحد فيه شيئا"
Remedy: Belief in Allah, Knowing Allah by His names, attributes and actions.
Verse 54:
"فلا تعجبك أموالهم و لا اولادهم"
In (20:131):
"و لا تمدن عينيك إلى ما متعنا به أزواجا منهم زهرة الحياة الدنيا لنفتنهم فيه و رزق ربك خير و ابقى"
This is not an indication of the pleasure of Allah. It is nothing but a test. Faith, knowledge, understanding the Qur'an, are a special provision from Allah which is better and more everlasting.
In (23:55-56):
"أيحسبون أنما نمدهم به من مال و بنين
نسارع لهم في الخيرات بل لا يشعرون"
They think Allah is pleased with them. They don't know Allah is hastening these worldly things for them as a trial, and so they will be busy with it until Allah takes them in punishment.
The hypocrites preferred their children and wealth over what Allah loves and wants. And they disobeyed Allah with their children and wealth, instead of using it to come closer to Allah. Don't let their children and wealth amaze or deceive you.
"إنما يريد الله ليعذبهم بها في الحياة الدنيا"
The hypocrites face a lot of hardship when they gain and earn money, and raise their children. There is no blessing in their wealth and children. They exert their utmost, they busy themselves all day, and they're still not satisfied, but are worried, tired, exhausted. They have no energy to worship Allah.
Their children of the منافق are a بلاء for them. They cause them hardship and problems all the time. This is because their children and wealth diverted them from the remembrance of Allah, so He didn't put بركة in them. Imagine the state of this person.
There is no share of the آخرة in their heart. So how will they die? "و تزهق أنفسهم و هم كافرون"
Lessons
- Don't let your concern be restricted to this worldly life
- Man is not created for this temporary, worldly life. Allah created us for an eternal life. We are not staying here forever. So why should your concerns revolve around it?
- The hypocrites preferred the Dunya over the Aakhirah, this is why they are constantly concerned, worried, unhappy, etc.
- Raise your children on knowing Allah. Since they are young tell them who is giving them, to go invoke Allah, ask Him, He is the One providing, He gave us this, etc. When these children grow up they will be مباركين for the parents. They are the children who will invoke for their parents when they are in their graves.
In (52:21):
"والذين ءامنوا واتبعتهم ذريتهم بإيمان ألحقنا بهم ذريتهم و ما التفاهم من عملهم من شئ كل امري بما كسب رهين"
E.g.If the parents are in a high grade in Pradise, and the children are in a low grade, Allah will raise the children to the high grade in order to make the parents happy. - السعدي
If you raise your children making their hearts attached to you, then this child will grow up not knowing Allah, but his mother.
Because the mother wasn't sincere in making the heart of her child attached to Allah, when this child grows up, instead of looking after, he may abandon her and start serving his wife instead. He'll put her in a nursing home when she gets old, and focus on his family.
Make the heart of your children run to Allah when they need something, not you. This is why when you take kids to kindergarten they start crying on the first day. He is afraid, he has no support, his mother isn't there. But if you tell him that Allah is always there for you, this child will grow up strong.
- The child of the hypocrite is a بلاء for him, whereas the child of the believer is a favour and honour for him.
- The life of the hypocrite is شقاء upon شقاء, whereas the life of the believer is a life of rest and tranquility.
The Characteristics of the Hypocrites from this Verse: They are deceived by their abundant wealth and children, thinking it indicates Allah's pleasure with them.
In Verses 56 and 57 Allah mentions their fear, nervousness, anxiety, and cowardice:
"و يحلفون بالله إنهم لمنكم و ما هم منكم و لاكنهم قوم يفرقون"
The hypocrites always give false excuses and swear falsely. Why? Because they are afraid. They want to be protected by the Muslims. They enjoy the privileges of the Muslim community. If they openly utter their disbelief, the Muslims will forsake them.
"و ما هم منكم"
In many Hadiths the Prophet said, "Whoever does such and such is not one of us"
We have to ask ourselves, are we one of the believers or not?
HADITH: من غشنا فليس منا
Deceiving the people, lying when selling items, stealing deceitfully, copying during exams, etc. are all kinds of cheating.
HADITH:"ليس من من لا يرحم صغيرنا ويوقّر كبيرنا
و من يعرف لعالمنا حقه
Nowadays there are many who call themselves students of knowledge, and they defame many scholars and sheikhs.
Ibn Baz said, "The flesh of the Scholars is poisonous" meaning that backbiting the scholars isn't like backbiting the normal person. It is poisonous and kills the person.
HADITH: ليس منا من لا يتغنى بالقرآن
Another meaning of this is that the Qur'an isn't sufficient for him as a guidance, healing, etc. He leaves the Qur'an and goes to other books.
HADITH: He is not of us who resembles a woman, or a woman who resembles a man.
HADITH: "He is not of us he who spoils the relation between a wife and her husband, or a servant against his Master"
HADITH: He is not of us who believes in the bad omen.
HADITH: Whoever takes up arms against us.
"لو يجدون ملجئا أو مغارات أو مدخلا لولو إليه و هم يجمحون"
This is due to their intense fear.
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