Quran Garden

Session 365

Chapter 3

Verse 27

a continuation

You merge night into day and day into night; You bring the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living; You give provision to whom You will without account.

(Chapter 3: Verse 27)

In a single verse, Allah gave us two examples of His power, one about changing night into day, and one about life and death.  The phenomenon of morphing day into night is clear for all to see.  It is one of the wonders of the universe.  On the other hand, Allah expressed the matter of life and death in a manner that can be understood differently by the public and the scientists. 

Allah gave us examples of His capabilities because He wants you to have peace of mind of His ability to give power and take it away from whom He wills.  The One who can move the sun and create life can easily grant rule and remove it.  The cosmic signs are a small piece of evidence of God's capability.  

But why do unjust rulers exist?  This is best explained with an example.  If your child fell ill, you would rush her to the doctor and you would do everything necessary to cure her illness, even if surgery is required.  You would approve the procedure for the benefit of your child, even if you know that she will suffer from pain for a week or two.  Isn't how we care for our loved ones? What would you expect of Our Generous Creator who loves His creation?  Allah chooses what is good and necessary for us, even if it involves temporary pain.  

The verse continues with "You give provision to whom You will without account." This phrase is specifically addressing the people who do not pay attention to God's cosmic signs and to matters of life and death.  They may be busy, preoccupied with their daily problems, or chasing life’s pleasures.  Even if a person never takes time to contemplate God's creation, he or she is surely paying close attention to earning money and putting food on the table.  It is the common preoccupation of all human beings, rich or poor.  Thus, Allah mentioned it clearly in the verse.  He says, "You give provision to whom You will without account." 

The word "account" distinguishes between what is for you and what is against you.  Keeping account requires three elements; first is the one who takes account, second is the one is being accounted, and last is the item being counted.  Let's apply that to the phrase "You give provision to whom You will without account." Provision is the item being counted.  It comes from Allah, the accountant who grants it to whomever He wills.  Allah is the true Provider of sustenance, and He is the One who will take all of us to account on the Day of Judgment. 

In human terms, we use accounting to calculate value and plan for future outcomes.  For example, farmers often estimate how much it will cost to plant each acre of land and how much crop it would yield.  Manufacturers keep track of expenses and expected returns of each production run.  However, when you hear the phrase "without account," you understand that God is not constrained by cost or material.  He does not only provide people based on their work, but He sometimes gives far more than that.  Allah may bless you with something you did not even think of, or He may reduce your income unexpectedly.  

For example, over the decades, many countries have bragged to have planted enough wheat to feed an entire continent, only to see their crop hit by drought or vermin.  By the end of the year, they end up importing wheat to feed their own people.  Take the opposite example of our brothers, who God has blessed with the wealth of oil.  Oil gushes from under their feet with hardly any effort on their part.  Many advanced economies them of laziness, yet they scramble to do business deals with them.  Allah wants you to realize that all provision is within His hands.  This is called provision without account. 

Allah created the means by which we earn our daily provisions, but He did not abandon us to these means.   Sometimes He provides for us exactly according to our efforts and the means available, and at times He provides us without any means or effort.  And every now and then, all our time and effort seem to go to waste.  Anyone who ponders over these matters will conclude that God grants without account.  He has the absolute ability because there is no higher authority to question, "Why did you do it?" Or "What did you give so and so?"

Here is the most important lesson from verses 26 and 27 of Al-Imran.  If our Lord is the One who "merges night into day and day into night," and the One who "brings the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living," and "gives provision" "without account;" If our Lord is the One who gives dominion and extracts it, honors and abases whom He wills, then isn't the ultimate stupidity for you to seek help from anyone else? Isn't it foolish to ally with someone who has zero control and leave God who has power over everything?  God says:

You who believe, do not take for your intimate allies such outsiders as spare no effort to ruin you and want to see you suffer: their hatred is evident from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made Our revelations clear for you; will you not use your reason? (3:118)

Allah warns us against putting our trust in anyone but Him.  Muslims should never rely on the enemies of God in hopes for protection or prosperity because there is no power above the power of the Almighty.   God says in the very next verse of Al-Imran,

Let not the believers take the disbelievers as allies rather than the believers.  And whoever does that would isolate himself entirely from God, except when taking ample precaution against them in prudence.  God warns you of Himself, and to God is the final destination. (3:28)