Quran Garden

Session 278

Chapter 2

Verse 255

a continuation

Allah: there is no god but Him, the Ever-Living, the Ever Watchful. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. All that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Him. Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His leave? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they do not comprehend any of His knowledge except what He wills. His seat encompasses the heavens and the earth; it does not weary Him to preserve them both. He is the Most High, the Tremendous. (Chapter 2: Verse 255)

             In the previous sessions, we discussed how God, the one and only, is ever-living and ever-present.  But is that enough to oversee the creation? An essential part of managing the creation is to be ever watchful and aware where ‘Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him.’ 

             The children of Israel asked Prophet Moses: ‘Does our Lord sleep?’ God directed Moses to bring two glasses filled with water and give them to the strongest man in the group to hold.  He was to hold them for as long as he can without spilling.  Naturally, after a while, the man got tired and nodded before he fell asleep.  The two glasses fell, broke, and water spilled everywhere.  There was the answer: If the caretaker of the heavens and the earth got tired or fell asleep, everything would go to ruin. 

Isn’t that the most beautiful reassurance you can get from your Lord? Isn’t that the highest honor you can hope for? Allah is telling you: sleep well my servant, sleep with no care in the world because I am always watchful.  I am always in charge, so you do not have to worry. 

While you sleep, everything is taken care of.  The universe runs like clockwork; Your lungs, digestive system, and heart do their job; All under the watchful eye of your Lord.  Indeed being a servant of God brings you the highest degrees of honor. 

Take note that God did not just specify sleep, He mentioned drowsiness first.  What is drowsiness? It is the state of feeling dull, sluggish and sleepy.  It is what you feel after a long day, right before you fall asleep.  Your eyes feel heavy; your eyelids start drooping, and your energy is drained.  God mentioned both, drowsiness and sleep so you do not assume that He can resist sleep, but may feel tired or dozy.  God the Ever-Living is also Ever-Aware, Ever-Watchful.   

When you read ‘Allah: there is no god but Him, the Ever-Living, the Ever Watchful. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him,’ you are reassured that your Lord who created everything is in charge of everything, and nothing whatsoever is out of His control.  Thus, God says right after: ‘All that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Him.’ 

The verse continues: “Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His leave?” God created all of us, and he provides for all of us regardless of our faith.  The sun rises on all humanity, the earth yields crop for everyone, and livestock serve the believer and disbeliever alike.  If you work hard and utilize the resources God put at your disposal, you will get results even if you are a disbeliever.  But on the Day of Judgment, things are different.  God says:

They worship those besides God who cannot do them harm or bring them gain, and say: "These are our intercessors with God." Say: "Do you want to inform God of things in the heavens and the earth He does not know?" Glorious is He, and exalted above what they associate with Him! (10:18)

             So anyone who associates partners with God in the hopes of receiving their help on the Day of Judgment is deeply mistaken.  Sadly, if he or she is counting on their intersession, there is only Hellfire awaiting.  God says:

But the deeds of those who disbelieve are like a mirage in a desert: the thirsty person thinks there will be water but, when he gets there, he finds only God, who pays him his account in full- God is swift in reckoning. (24:39)

Allah is above taking any partners, spouses or children.  He says: ‘All that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Him. Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His leave?’

             By associating partners with God, a person loses all hopes of forgiveness and forgoes any chance that Allah would allow anyone to intercede on his or her behalf.  God says:

Your Lord is God who created the heavens and earth in six Days, then established Himself on the throne, governing everything; there is no one that can intercede with Him, unless He has first given permission: this is God your Lord so worship Him. How can you not take heed? (10:3) 

And in another chapter:

And beware of a Day when no soul can stand in for another. No compensation will be accepted from it, nor intercession be of use to it, nor will anyone be helped. (2:123)