Quran Garden

In today's Tafseer, we continue with the qualities you and I should have and practice to receive God's support and guidance.  In previous sessions, we discussed the qualities of mindfulness toward God and belief in the unseen.  Join us for the next 10 minutes as we cover the remaining four. 

Session 28

Chapter 2

Verses 3 & 4

Those who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them

(Chapter 2: Verse 3)

The third quality on our list is those who "establish prayer." Prayer is the means of maintaining the connection you and I have with our Creator.  It is an expression of love, loyalty, and humility.  God wants this bond to remain strong, so He instructs you to keep up your daily prayers no matter what.  Can't pray standing?  No problem, sit and pray.  If sitting isn't possible, then pray lying down, or even perform the prayer with eye movement if necessary. 

You can never be free from the duty of maintaining the five daily prayers until your last breath.  Why?  Think about the five pillars of Islam: You declare that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger once in your lifetime.  You give the Zakat almsgiving once a year if you are capable, and if you are poor, you owe no Zakat at all.  Likewise, you perform the Hajj pilgrimage once in your lifetime if you are physically and financially able.  The sick and poor are not obligated to perform Hajj.  Similarly, fasting is required one month a year for the physically able.  The chronically sick may never fast.

As you can see, most pillars of Islam come with exemptions.  What is left?  The Shahada testimony of faith and the Salat prayer are the only ones with no exemption.  It is enough to say the testimony of faith once in your life to be a Muslim; prayers, however, are an obligatory daily action.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "Prayer is the keystone of religion."

The fourth quality in the verse states: "and they spend out of what we have provided them." When we hear the words 'spend' and 'wealth,' most of us automatically think of money.  This, however, is incorrect.  'Spend' and 'Wealth' refer to any blessing that benefits you and those around you.  For example, your physical health is wealth that can be spent helping others.  Your knowledge and experience are also a wealth that can uplift the ignorant.  Likewise, wisdom and humility are forms of wealth that benefit society.  In fact, anything that can be used for the betterment of life is wealth.  So, if you do not have money to spend, do not despair; God has given you plenty of riches to spare.  Use your knowledge to teach others, and your strength to help the weak.  The phrase "and they spend out of what we have provided them" encompasses all aspects of life.

God teaches us the fifth and sixth qualities in the next verse:

Those who believe in the revelation sent down to you, and in what was sent before you, and those who have firm faith in the Hereafter. (Chapter 2:Verse 4)

The phrase "What has been revealed to you" refers to the Quran, while "what was sent before you" points to earlier scriptures like the Gospel and the Torah.  This is important because with the advent of Islam and the revelation of the Quran, faith in previous messengers and scriptures is no longer sufficient.  Islam was revealed to guide two groups: those who did not believe in God and the people of the scripture, primarily Jews and Christians, who believed in God, His messengers, and His books.  Over time, these groups' ties to God had weakened, and much of the original faith teachings had been altered or lost.  Thus, a renewed message was necessary to strengthen the connection with God and lead people back to the right path.  Islam is the message that fulfills these needs. 

In fact, God Almighty had described Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in the Gospel and the Torah, and stipulated that those who witness his advent should follow his message.  The Bible included the name and description of Prophet Muhammad in such detail that it left no room for doubt.  The Jewish tribes of Medina, for instance, had such certainty in this information that they used to say to the non-believers: 'The time for a new messenger from God is very near; we shall believe in him, and we shall fight with him, and rule over you'.  Unfortunately, when Muhammad attained prophethood and brought the message they had been awaiting, they were the first to oppose him.  God says:

And when there comes to them a Book from Allah, confirming what is with them— Although from the past they had prayed for victory against those without Faith— When there comes to them that which they have recognized, they refuse to believe in it.  So the curse of Allah will be upon the disbelievers.  (2:89)

Muhammad's prophethood did not come as a surprise to the People of the Book, who were awaiting his arrival as their scriptures described and instructed.  How could they have foretold the disbelievers about the coming of a Prophet, unless they had specific knowledge of his characteristics in the Torah and the Gospel?  

We now come to the sixth and final quality.  God says: "And those who have firm belief in the Hereafter."  In the Quran, Allah emphasizes faith in the day of resurrection to such an extent that those who claim to believe in God, His books, and messengers, and deny the hereafter are not considered Muslims.  Why?  Because belief in God indicates ultimate faith in the beginning of creation, and belief in the last day indicates ultimate faith in its conclusion.  Both belong to God Almighty.  So whoever does not believe in the hereafter, in accountability to his or her Creator, in paradise as a reward, and hellfire as punishment, belongs to the ranks of the disbelievers who regard this world as the only objective.

The believer works hard on the straight path in this world in order to earn God's pleasure in the Hereafter.  He restricts his desires and actions according to God's will.  The disbelievers, on the other hand, try to fulfill every need and desire and fight for their full share of this world.  At the end both will die, and if there had been no hereafter –in essence no accountability- then the disbeliever would have lived a more fulfilling life and would be considered fortunate.  Here you can see the immense value of faith in the hereafter in bringing balance and justice to this life and the next.  Hence, faith in Allah is the ultimate belief that the beginning belongs to Him, and faith in the Hereafter is the ultimate belief that the end also belongs to God.

Congratulations, you now know the sixth qualities that, if you have and practice, are guaranteed to bring you Allah's divine guidance and support.  All this treasure just in the first four ayat of Surah Al-Baqarah.  Imagine the treasures ahead.  Thank you for spending time with us and with God's book.