Quran Garden

Session 482

Chapter 3

Verse 153

After sorrow, He descended calm upon you, a sleep that overtook some of you.  Another group, caring only for themselves, entertained false thoughts about God, thoughts more appropriate to pagan ignorance, and said, "Do we get a say in any of this?" Tell them, "Everything to do with this affair is in God's hands." They conceal in their hearts things they will not reveal to you.  They say, "If we had our say in this, none of us would have been killed here." Tell them, "Even if you had resolved to stay at home, those who were destined to be killed would still have gone out to meet their deaths." God did this in order to test everything within your chests and in order to prove what is in your hearts.  God knows your innermost thoughts very well.  (Chapter 3: Verse 154)

The verb "descended" implies that sleep was a heavenly gift that had nothing to do with material causes or human desire.  Sleep affects living organisms and is the result of complex chemical processes largely unknown to this day.  We understand that it is a self-imposed limitation by the human body.  The human machine, with its brain, eyes, ears, and limbs, requires energy to run,, and when that energy runs out, it self-reports, "I am no longer fit for work, so I will shut down regardless of your wishes." It is similar to your phone or laptop computer going into a battery-saver mode, where it does not allow you to do specific tasks and then shutting down completely. 

Scientific research shows that some bodily processes don't produce waste; instead, they require a period of rest to re-balance and regain chemical equilibrium.  We know that most kinetic-related activities, such as running, consume energy and produce waste in the form of excrement, urine, and sweat.  Still, other processes need precise chemical parameters and require rest in the form of sleep to regain their balance. 

This brings us back to the verse.  Have you tried to sleep when you were really worried?  If you have deep troubles or sadness, all you do is toss and turn in bed.  You cannot fall asleep because your mind is racing and thinking about the plights of life.  Worry is a terribly heavy burden on the soul.  Imam Ali, may God be pleased with him, was known for his deep knowledge.  There were many instances where people would search for complex questions to challenge and see how he would answer.  They did not pay attention to the fact that Ali ibn Abi Talib was raised in the house of prophethood.  Islam came to Ali in his youth, while most other companions were older.  They were exposed to pagan ideas for years, even decades before they embraced Islam.  But Ali, may God be pleased with him, only lived Islam and learned it from within the house of Prophet Muhammad, so all his knowledge was prophetic.  Thus, he could answer the difficult questions thrown at him.  Once, he was asked, "Which of God's soldiers is the strongest?" Ali spread his hands and said, "The strongest of God's soldiers are ten: the lofty mountains –but iron cleaves the mountains, so iron is stronger than the mountains– and the fire –which melts iron, then the water that extinguishes it– and the clouds –that carry water and are stretched between the sky and the earth– then the wind –which cuts the clouds– and man –who overpowers and harnesses the wind– then wine –which overpowers man– then sleep –which overpowers wine– and worry –which overpowers sleep.  So the strongest of God's soldiers is worry."

This brings us back to the verse.  Sleep was a gift from the Almighty to the believers because it relieved them from worrying about their grave errors in Uhud and comforted them in exchange.  The verb "descended" implies that the sleep was so overpowering that it left the companions with no choice.  Abu Talha said, "sleep overtook everyone, even those riding their animals.  I would drop my sword, then pick it up only to drop it again from sleepiness." 

How about the hypocrites of the day?  Were they worthy of a gift from the Lord?  God says, "He descended calm upon you, a sleep that overtook some of you.  Another group, caring only for themselves, entertained false thoughts about God, thoughts more appropriate to pagan ignorance." Undoubtedly, the hypocrites did not grieve for what had occurred.  To the contrary, they were filled with joy.  So, there was no sleep for such people.  Allah left them to themselves,, and when Allah leaves you to yourself, peace never finds a way to your heart. 

Let me explain.  As a believer, you enter into a contract with the Lord to follow the divine teachings.  In exchange, Allah will take care of your affairs and guide you to Paradise.  Thus, you don't need to worry or grieve over any event of life, even during ones as extreme as a battle where you face death.  God says:

God has bought from the believers their selves and their wealth in return for Paradise.  They fight in the way of Allah, and they kill and are killed.  It is a promise binding on Him in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran.  Who could be more true to his promise than God?  So rejoice in the bargain you have made with Him, and that is the great success. (9:111)

As long as you place yourself under God's care, you should not worry.  Take a few moments to look at a child playing.  She can play all day with no worry on her mind because she knows that her father handles all the issues of food, drink, and the roof over her head.  When she has a problem on the playground, Dad takes care of it.  If this is the level of peace and comfort of someone with their father, how should it be for the one with the Almighty, All-Seeing, All-Competent? God says in Aya Al-Kursi:

Allah: there is no god but Him, the Ever- Living, the Ever- Watchful.  Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him.

Isn't that the most beautiful reassurance you can get from your Lord?  Isn't it 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."

On the other hand, once you allow worry to take over your life, you distance yourself from the Lord because fear, anxiety, disturbance, and suspicion can easily overwhelm your heart.  We say that life's terrible events take only one shape, but worry roams around the heart in a thousand different forms.  Let me explain.  Suppose a mother is waiting for her son to arrive from his travels.  He started driving from a distant city this morning and was supposed to arrive over thirty minutes ago.  Now he is late and not answering his phone.  Worry enters the mother's heart, and she starts imagining the worst.  Did he get into an accident?  Is he lost?  Maybe he drove into a bad part of town!  Did his car break down in the snow?  Which hospital should she call first?  Or perhaps the police?  See how worry can take a thousand shapes.  A few minutes later, the son arrives.  He tells his mom that there was heavy traffic on the road,, and his phone ran out of battery. 

After the battle of Uhud, anxiety took hold of the entire Muslim army.  But Allah dealt with the believers, who remained in the covenant of faith, mercifully, even though they chased after worldly loot.  He rewarded them with sorrow for what they disobeyed and then sent them calm and sleep to ease their pain.  As for the hypocrites, who left the covenant of faith, God has forsaken them to themselves and let fear and anxiety take hold of every aspect of their lives.