152- THEN, REMEMBER ME, AND I WILL REMEMBER YOU, AND BE GRATEFUL TO ME AND DO NOT DISBELIEVE.

 

Zekr, remembering Allah the Highest, is one of the greatest yet easiest acts of worship a believer can do.  It does not require any elaborate phrases; one does not have to be prepared, bathed or have wadoo.  Can be done at all times, does not require a special place, or to face Qibla.  Allah’s messenger wife Aisha said: “Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him used to remember Allah at all times and states”.  (B: Tafseer Sorah 2; 35 & M: Mosafreen, 9 & T: Jomah; 59 & D: Manasek; 45)

Just one has to remember Allah’s name, whether to speak it to himself, for Allah the Highest said: “REMEMBER YOU’RE LORD TO YOURSELF, PLEADING AND IN FEAR, WITHOUT SPEAKING OUT LOUD”.  (S: 7 A: 205)

-         When we remember Allah the Highest, He remembers us, which carries His Mercy, Forgiveness, Guidance, and all Blessings to us.

 

-         Remembering Allah the Highest draws us near to Him, for Allah the Highest said in the Hadith narrated by Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him who said that Allah the Highest said: “I am as my slave thinks of me and I am with him when he remembers me.  If he remembers me to himself, I remember him to my self, and if he remembers me to t a group, I remember him to a better group.  And if he draws nearer to me a hand span, I draw nearer to him an arm length, and if he draws nearer to me an arm length, I will draw nearer to him a baa (long measure), and if he comes to me walking, I will go to him running”.  (B:Tawheed;15 & M:Zekr;2 & T:Dawat;131 & Ma:Adab;53 & A:2;251,405,413)

 

 

-         The hearts of the believers live and thrive by remembering Allah, Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him told us that the hearts of those who do not remember Allah the Highest are like dead hearts: “The example of he who remembers Allah and he who does not, is like he who is alive and he who is dead”.   (B:Dawat;67)

-         The same applies to one’s home.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “The likeness of the home where Allah is remembered and the home where Allah is not remembered is like the living the dead”.  (M:Mosafreen;211)

 

-         The believer should always make part of his talk remembering Allah the Highest, otherwise his heart hardens.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Do not talk much without remembering Allah, for talking without remembering Allah hardens the heart”.  (T:Zohd;62)

 

-         Zekr, Remembering Allah is one of the greatest acts of worship, as Allah the Highest said: “INDEED, THE SALAH FORBIDS YOU FROM DOING THE SHAMEFUL, WHAT IS FORBIDDEN AND WHAT IS EVIL AND UNJUST, AND THE ZEKR (REMEMBRANCE) OF ALLAH IS GREATEST, AND ALLAH KNOWS ALL YOU DO”. (S:29 A:45)  

 

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “The best of your deeds is the remembrance of Allah”.  (T: Dawat; 6 & Ma: Adab; 53 & N: Eman; 1)

 

-         It is a great bounty a believer should try to have, to have a tongue which often remembers Allah the Highest.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Each of you should try to have a thankful heart, a tongue remembering Allah, and a wife helping you for your work for the Hereafter”.  (T:Tafseer Sorah 9 & Ma: Nekah; 5 & A:5;287,282)

-         One may become himself or herself the reminder for people to remember Allah, and this is an exalted state, as Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “The best of you are those whom whenever they are seen, Allah is remembered”.  (Ma:Zohd;4)

-         There are great rewards for remembering Allah the Highest (Zekr)

 

a-     Allah’s remembrance of us.

 

b-    Rescue from the Hell-Fire.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Allah said: Take out of the Fire anyone who remembered me one day or feared me in a situation”.  (T:Jahanam;9)

 

c-     Allah the Highest sends angels to surround and accompany and ask for forgiveness for those doing Zekr and to ask Allah the Highest to grant them what they ask for.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Allah has angels who go around in the roads looking for people who do Zekr.  When they find people remembering Allah, they call each other: ‘Come, we found what we are looking for’.  They surround those remembering Allah and they put their wings down for them.  They keep gathering until they fill up between the earth and lower heaven.  Their Lord asks them, while he knows better about them: ‘What my slaves say?’  They say: ‘They praise and glorify you, and thank you’.  Allah says: ‘Have they seen me?’ they say: ‘No”, He says: ‘What if they see Me?’ they say: ‘They will worship you harder, glorify you more and praise you more’.  Then Allah says: “What do they ask from Me?”  The Angels say: “They ask for the Paradise”.  Allah says: “Did they see it?”  The angels say: “No”, Allah says: “What if they have seen it?”  The angels say: “If they have seen it, they will want it more, ask for it harder, and desire it more”.  Then Allah says: “What do they ask for protection from?”  The angels say: “They ask for protection from the Fire”.  Allah says: “Have they seen it?”  The angels say: “No”, Allah says: “What if they have seen it?” the angels say: “They will try harder to keep from it, will fear it even more”.  Allah says: “Then bear witness that I have forgiven them, and shall give them what they ask for and protect them from what they sought protection from”. 

Then one of the angels says: “But among them is this man, he is not one of them but came to see them for some business”.  Allah say: “Through being with such company, their companion shall not suffer, just because he sate with them”.  (M: Zekr; 25 & D: Dawat; 67)

 

d-    One of the seven kinds of people who will be shadowed by Allah’s shadow on the day of Resurrection, when there is no shadow but His is: “A man who remembered Allah while alone and his eyes filled up with tears”.  (B:Azan;36 & T:Zohd;53)

 

e-     Allah the Highest promised those who are too busy with Allah’s remembrance (Zekr) to give them without asking.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said that Allah the Highest said: “He who is too busy remembering me to ask me, I will give him greater that those who ask”.  (T:Thawab El Quran; 25)

 

 

f-      Saves from the Hell-Fire.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Nothing saves you from the Fire more than Zekr”.  (T:Dawat;6 & Ma:Adab;53)

There are many ways of doing Zekr, Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said that: “The best of the Zekr is there is no god other than Allah”. 

Then Allah the Highest commands us to thank Him and not to deny His many bounties upon us.  “ALLAH IS BOUNTIFUL TO MANKIND, BUT MOST OF THEM DO NOT GIVE THANKS”.  (S: 40 A: 34)  Thanking Allah is a sign of our recognition and appreciation of His bounties.

 

B: Bukhari M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   a: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi  

151- AS WE SENT TO YOU A MESSENGER FROM AMONGST YOU, RECITING OUR AYAHS TO YOU, TEACHING YOU THE BOOK AND THE WISDOM, AND TEACHING YOU WHAT YOU DID NOT KNOW.

 

It is a great bounty from Allah the Highest to have sent to us a messenger, carrying Allah’s Book and Teachings to us all we should know about Allah the Highest and His Way.

Allah the Highest sent us a messenger from amongst us, who is a human being, not an Angel.  We can then see what he does, identify with him, and use him as an example.  His was also the most decent and truthful of people, someone Allah the Highest said about: “YOU ARE OF A GREAT CHARACTER”. (S:68 A:3)

Also the messenger from amongst us will feel for us and care about us as Allah the Highest said: “THERE HAS COME TO YOU A MESSENGER FROM AMONGST YOU, WHO CARES FOR WHAT YOU CARE FOR, AND CARES FOR YOU, AND TO THE BELIEVERS IS MOST KIND AND MERCIFUL”.  (S:9 A:128)

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him has a definite mission to us.  This mission has many functions, of them:

-         To purity people from the impurity of disbelief.  Allah the Highest said: “YOU WHO BELIEF, TRULY THE DISBELIEVERS ARE IMPURE”.  (S:9 A:28)

Disbelief is the greatest sin of all.

 

One should mention that the washes after intimate marital relation, or a woman following menstruating is not purifying himself from impurity, but cleansing to be able to pray, for the believer does not become impure.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “The believer does not become impure”.  (B:Gosl;23 & M:Heed;115,116 & D:Taharah;91)

 

-         Teaching Allah’s Word and About Allah and Allah’s Way and the Wisdom Which Allah the Highest placed in His Book.  Allah the Highest bestows His Wisdom on the prophets and messengers and the righteous believers He chooses.  Wisdom is a great bounty and favour from Allah the Highest upon his messenger “HE SENT THE BOOK AND WISDOM DOWN TO YOU, AND TAUGHT YOU WHAT YOU DID NOT KNOW.  INDEED, ALLAH’S BOUNTY UPON YOU IS GREAT”.  (S:4 A:113)

 

Wisdom is the bounty of the prophets and messengers peace upon them all.  Those of the believers who are given this bounty, have been given a great deal of goodness “HE GIVES THE WISDOM TO WHOM HE WILLS, AND HE WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN THE WISDOM, HE HAS BEEN GIVEN PLENTY OF GOODNESS, BUT ONLY THOSE OF SOUND MINDS WILL KNOW THIS”.  (S:2 A:169)

 

The wisdom Allah the Highest bestowed upon us is the Quran, Allah’s messenger teachings and example, as well as the wisdom which Allah the Highest bestows on some of his slaves.  There is not limit to Allah’s bounty.

 

 

B: Bukhari  M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi  

 

148- AND FOR EVERY NATION THERE IS A DIRECTION HE (ALLAH) DIRECTS THEM TO, SO RACE AND COMPETE FOR THE GOOD DEEDS.  WHEREVER YOU ARE ALLAH WILL BRING YOU ALL TO HIM, FOR ALLAH IS ABLE TO DO ALL THINGS.

149- AND FROM WHEREVER YOU DEPART DIRECT YOUR FACE TOWARDS THE SACRED MOSQUE, FOR ALLAH IS NOT UNAWARE OF WHAT YOU DO.

150- AND FROM WHICHEVER WAY YOU DEPART, DIRECT YOUR FACE TOWARDS THE SACRED MOSQUE, AND WHEREVER YOU ARE DIRECT YOUR FACE TOWARDS IT, SO THAT PEOPLE SHALL NOT HAVE ANY EVIDENCE AGAINST YOU, EXCEPT FOR THE UNJUST OF THEM, DO NOT FEAR THEM, AND FEAR ME, AND I WILL COMPLETE MY BOUNTY UPON YOU, SO THAT YOU MAY BE RIGHTLY GUIDED. 

 

Each faith on Earth has a direction to turn to when praying.  The Christians turn towards the east, the Jews turn towards Jerusalem, and the Muslims towards Kabba, the first house of prayer that was ever built. 

Allah the Highest commands us to “RACE AND COMPETE FOR THE GOOD DEEDS”.  It is a competition for obeying and pleasing Allah the Highest. 

We compete to do well in education and at work hoping for rewards or good marks, promotion, financial gain or status.  Competing to please Allah the Highest is a more worthy competition and a more worthy race.  This is because is the reward is much greater and eternal.  Allah the Highest said: “AND RACE TO FORGIVENESS FROM YOUR LORD AND A GARDEN,  IT’S WITH IS THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGERS,  THIS IS ALLAH’S BOUNTY, HE GIVES TO WHOM HE WILLS, FOR ALLAH’S BOUNTY IS IN GREAT ABUNDANCE”.  (S:57 A:21)

In any race or competition, there are winners, those who come in front of other competitors, they are the foremost.  Allah the Highest speaks about them in another Sorah and their very special reward.  They will have the honour and privilege of being drawn closer to Allah the Highest.  Allah the Highest said: “THE FOREMOST THE FORMOST * THEY ARE THOSE DRAWN CLOSE * IN THE GARDENS OF DELIGHTS * A GROUP OF THE EARLY ONES * AND A FEW OF THE LATER ONES”.  (S:56 A:10-14)

 

Then Allah the Highest speaks about the Qibla again:

1-    The Sacred Mosque is the right Qibla, the Qibla Allah the Highest choose for us.

 

2-    We do not in any way follow the creed of the people of the book, not even their Qibla. 

 

3-    The Kabba symbolizes our identity and unity as a Muslim nation When we all direct our faces towards it when we pray. 

 

4-    Allah the Highest tells us not to worry about or fear the Idolators or the people of the book, if we fear Allah, fearing them should never enter our hearts.

 

5-    Allah the Highest promises to complete his bounty upon us, the bounty of His Religion and Faith.  Indeed Allah the Highest did and sent this Ayah to confirm completing His bounty upon us:    “TODAY I COMPLETED YOUR RELIGION FOR YOU,  AND PERFECTED MY BOUNTY UPON YOU, AND AM SATISFIED WITH ISLAM AS YOUR RELIGION”.  (S:5 A:3)

We thank Allah the Highest for the bounty of his Faith, His book, and His messenger prayer and peace upon him.

145- AND IF YOU WERE TO BRING ALL SIGNS AND EVIDENCE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, THEY WILL NOT FOLLOW YOUR QIBLA, AND YOU WILL NOT FOLLOW THEIR QIBLA, AND THEY WILL NOT FOLLOW EACH OTHER’S QIBLA.  AND IF YOU FOLLOW THEIR DESIRES AFTER THE KNOWLEDGE THAT CAME TO YOU, YOU WILL THEN BE OF THE WRONG-DOERS.

146- THOSE WE HAVE GIVEN THE BOOK, THEY KNOW THE BOOK AS THEY KNOW THEIR OWN CHILDREN, WHILE SOME OF THEM HIDE THE TRUTH, KNOWINGLY.

147- THE TRUTH FROM YOUR LORD, SO DO NOT BE OF THE DOUBTFUL.

 

The people of the Book do not follow the Qibla of the Muslims as they do not believe in the prophecy of Mohamed prayer and peace upon him or that of Ismail, peace be upon him.  They claim that Ismail was a slave girl’s son, therefore can not be a prophet, and a prophet can not come from his line.  Some even say that Ismail peace upon him was an illegitimate child, consequently, can not be a prophet and can not produce a prophet from his line. 

Are they not aware that in saying that they are calling Ibrahim peace upon him adulterer?

Their perversions of their books permanently altered their belief, and the belief of all who follow them.  They do not accept and submit to Allah’s will, which is what we are commanded to do.

The Issue about the Qibla is that of Obedience and Submission.   It is not the decision of the believer and the believer might know why, but does not have to.  A true believer should obey and submit to Allah’s Will, expressed in His Book the Quran or through His messenger prayer and peace upon him, regardless.  Allah the Highest said: “IT IS NOT FOR THE BELIEVERS, MEN AND WOMEN, TO HAVE ANY OPTION CONCERNING WHAT TO DO IF A MATTER HAS BEEN DECIDED BY ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER; AND ANY ONE WHO DISOBEYS ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER, HE HAS CLEARLY GONE ASTRAY OF THE RIGHT PATH”.  (S: 33 A: 36)

This is what it is for the Muslim, Obedience and Submission.

The Qibla here symbolizes all the things which are held dear, morality and principles in life, if they are different from ours.  We should be aware that what we hold dear might be different from what the people of the book hold dear.  They will not follow our values, and we should not follow theirs.  Some things in life are not negotiable, and if we negotiate or dilute our values, the loss is very great then. 

145- AND IF YOU WERE TO BRING ALL SIGNS AND EVIDENCE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, THEY WILL NOT FOLLOW YOUR QIBLA, AND YOU WILL NOT FOLLOW THEIR QIBLA, AND THEY WILL NOT FOLLOW EACH OTHER’S QIBLA.  AND IF YOU FOLLOW THEIR DESIRES AFTER THE KNOWLEDGE THAT CAME TO YOU, YOU WILL THEN BE OF THE WRONG-DOERS.

146- THOSE WE HAVE GIVEN THE BOOK, THEY KNOW THE BOOK AS THEY KNOW THEIR OWN CHILDREN, WHILE SOME OF THEM HIDE THE TRUTH, KNOWINGLY.

147- THE TRUTH FROM YOUR LORD, SO DO NOT BE OF THE DOUBTFUL.

 

The people of the Book do not follow the Qibla of the Muslims as they do not believe in the prophecy of Mohamed prayer and peace upon him or that of Ismail, peace be upon him.  They claim that Ismail was a slave girl’s son, therefore can not be a prophet, and a prophet can not come from his line.  Some even say that Ismail peace upon him was an illegitimate child, consequently, can not be a prophet and can not produce a prophet from his line. 

Are they not aware that in saying that they are calling Ibrahim peace upon him adulterer?

Their perversions of their books permanently altered their belief, and the belief of all who follow them.  They do not accept and submit to Allah’s will, which is what we are commanded to do.

The Issue about the Qibla is that of Obedience and Submission.   It is not the decision of the believer and the believer might know why, but does not have to.  A true believer should obey and submit to Allah’s Will, expressed in His Book the Quran or through His messenger prayer and peace upon him, regardless.  Allah the Highest said: “IT IS NOT FOR THE BELIEVERS, MEN AND WOMEN, TO HAVE ANY OPTION CONCERNING WHAT TO DO IF A MATTER HAS BEEN DECIDED BY ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER; AND ANY ONE WHO DISOBEYS ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER, HE HAS CLEARLY GONE ASTRAY OF THE RIGHT PATH”.  (S: 33 A: 36)

This is what it is for the Muslim, Obedience and Submission.

The Qibla here symbolizes all the things which are held dear, morality and principles in life, if they are different from ours.  We should be aware that what we hold dear might be different from what the people of the book hold dear.  They will not follow our values, and we should not follow theirs.  Some things in life are not negotiable, and if we negotiate or dilute our values, the loss is very great then.