Quran Garden

Have you ever felt like religious rules get in the way of enjoying life?  In today's tafsir, we will discuss how true success isn't about getting everything you want, but about standing on solid guidance from God.  What feels like giving something up today may actually be planting the seeds for something far better tomorrow.  Spend the next ten minutes with us to learn more. 

Session 29

Chapter 2

Verse 5

Those are upon guidance from their Lord, and those are the successful (Chapter 2: Verse 5)

In this verse, the pronoun "those" refers to the believers who have earned God's support and guidance.  They are mindful of God; they believe in the unseen, maintain prayer, and spend their wealth in God's cause.  They believe in all heavenly revelations and work for the hereafter. As a result, they receive God's support on the straight path and attain the ultimate success in the hereafter.

Please note that in the phrase "Those are upon guidance," God chose to use the pronoun "upon," which indicates elevation and stature, as in riding atop a high horse.  At times, you may feel that following God's guidance interferes with your daily life, limiting your enjoyment and preventing you from satisfying immediate desires.  However, this perspective is superficial.  When you step back and consider the bigger picture, you realize that God's guidance elevates you, shields you from harm, and, more importantly, safeguards society as a whole from corruption.

Let me clarify with an example.  God has commanded you not to commit theft.  If you admire something that does not belong to you, such as a beautiful piece of jewelry, you cannot simply take it.  At first glance, this may seem like a restriction on your freedom and a curb on your desires.  At the same time, however, God has commanded millions of others not to steal from you.  Thus, He has not restricted you in a way that diminishes you; instead, He protected your wealth from society at large.  Allah instructed you, as an individual, not to steal, while simultaneously instructing millions of others not to steal from you.  Who is the true winner in this case?  Without a doubt, you are! 

So do not fall under the false impression that God is depriving you of your freedom or placing undue restrictions on your way of life.  As the pronoun "upon" suggests, you are actually honored and elevated by God's guidance.  It protects you and continually moves you from one good deed to another.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "Charity never causes wealth to decrease.  Allah increases a servant in honor for pardoning others; and no one humbles himself for the sake of Allah except that Allah raises him."  From this Hadeeth narration, you can clearly see that you attain honor and high status when all your affairs come from the highest, most honorable source: God Almighty. 

On the other hand, if you choose to follow your desires or entrust your affairs entirely to others, you will lose your way.  Misguidance arises both from within the self and from the surrounding society.  Misguidance is all around you.  For this reason, as you examine the Quran, you will find that God uses the pronoun "in" when referring to misguidance, as illustrated in the following verse:

Surely, either we or you are upon right guidance or in manifest error (34:24).

If you become a habitual sinner, God forbid, you lose all connection to your Creator, and the state of misguidance engulfs you, trapping you within it.  God says:

Truly, those who do evil and are surrounded by their sins will be the inhabitants of the Fire, there to remain (2:81)

So, beware!  Do not surround yourself with deception and error by engaging in constant sin, because you will not be able to find guidance or attain success.

At the end of the verse under discussion, God describes the believers who are guided as the successful ones.  Let's take a moment here to define success.  In general, it means to win.  In the Arabic language, as in English, the word success has many synonyms, such as winning, victory, triumph, and so on.  In this Aya, Allah chose to use the Arabic word for success, 'Muflehoon', ' مُف?لِحُونَ'.  The linguistic root of this word, "fa la ha," means to plow the land for sowing.  God Almighty used this word to reference something tangible to us. 

In order to reap fruits and crops, you have to dig deep into the soil and plant seeds.  We have learned this from our forefathers, who learned from their fathers and grandfathers.  If you continue up this chain, you will find that God is the ultimate teacher who taught Adam, peace be upon him, the skills of plowing and sowing so he can carry out his mission on earth.  Since the beginning of time, one truth has remained constant: once we sow the seeds, the plant's growth lies beyond human control.  God says,

Consider the seeds you sow in the ground; Is it you who make it germinate, or are We the Germinator?  If we had wished, we could have made it broken stubble.  You would then be left devoid of crops, distraught: 'We are ruined, rather we have been left with nothing' (56:63-67)

In agriculture, the farmer needs to put in effort and time to plow the land, sow the seed, and water the soil.  Allah has placed within each seed the precise nourishment it needs to survive and to sprout roots and shoots when planted in fertile ground.  Likewise, Allah has placed within each of us what is necessary for spiritual growth and success.  Your role is to invest time and effort and to surround yourself with righteous actions and good people.  Allah will take care of the rest.  The word  مُف?لِحُونَ (Muflehoon) shows that what we do in this life, and the reward we get in the next, is a lot like planting and caring for a seed, then harvesting a big crop months later.  One small seed, if you plant it properly and take care of it, can grow into a large tree that produces many more fruits and seeds for decades.  Listen to the following Aya,

The metaphor of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah is that of a grain which produces seven ears; in every ear there are a hundred grains.  Allah gives such multiples and increases to whomever He wills.  Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.  (2:261)

Let's take a moment to ponder the beauty of this Aya.  If the earth, which is a creation of God, grants you many multiples for every single seed you plant, what kind of multiple do you think Allah –the Creator of the earth and heavens- will give you for each good deed you sow!?  Living your faith does take some effort.  There are responsibilities, boundaries, and moments when you have to choose what is right over what is easy.  But when you compare that effort to the incredible reward that awaits you, it is more than worth it.  This is why God Almighty said, describing the believers: "They are the successful."