Quran Garden

Session 500

Chapter 3

Verses 173 & 174

Those to whom people said, "The people have gathered against you, so fear them." But that merely increased their faith; and they said, "Allah is sufficient for us and the Best of Guardians." So they returned with favor and bounty from God, having suffered no harm.  They pursued God's good pleasure by acting in the way He approved of.  God is of tremendous grace and bounty.  (Chapter 3: Verses 173 & 174)

If you run into troubles in your life, especially for the sake of faith, remember the lessons of the Battle of Uhud, where one single night made all the difference between failure and success.  Uhud was a major setback, but on the very next day, the Muslim fighters marched in pursuit as Quraysh fled back to Mecca.  That night, the believers took shelter under God's protection and reflected on what had transpired at Uhud, vowing never to disobey His command again.  It worked wonders!  When the Muslims chased after the disbelievers the next day, they were unaffected by the psychological warfare against them or the physical pain they suffered.  What was their secret weapon?  They said, "Allah is sufficient for us and the Best of Guardians."

If I could summarize the lessons of Uhud in one sentence, it would be: Allah is sufficient for us and the Best of Guardians.  Why?  Because when you say it sincerely, it means that you have stripped yourself of all distractions, all calculations of strength and numbers, and chose to rely on God alone.  When you are under His protection, no harm can touch you.  The companions understood this healthy dose of faith and used it to spread the message of Islam to all corners of the world. 

"Allah is sufficient for us and the Best of Guardians." reminds me of Imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq, son of Imam Baqqir, son of Imam Ali Zayn Al-Abidin from the noble family of our beloved Muhammad.  He was one of the most knowledgeable people of the Quran, with a deep understanding of its secrets.  He saw "Allah is sufficient for us and the Best of Guardians" as one of the bright gems of God's book.  These words rescued the entire Muslims army in their struggle against Quraysh, so keep them in your medicine cabinet of faith and use them as a potent remedy in times of fear.      

People fear things that threaten life's peace and security.  Fear, unlike anxiety, has a known source.  For example, you may fear the school bully or the opposing army.  Our master Ja'far al-Sadiq said: "I am amazed by those who are afraid and do not take comfort in God's words, "Allah is sufficient for us and the Best of Guardians." Then he let us in on the secret behind this prescription and says: "Because I heard God say after that: 'So they returned with a mighty blessing from God and a great bounty.  They suffered no harm whatsoever" (3:174).

I would like to turn your attention to the words chosen by this esteemed Quran scholar.  More specifically, the phrase 'I heard God say after that.'  This phrase is a powerful reminder that when you recite the Quran with sincerity and mindfulness, it is no longer your own reading but God directly talking to you.  The Quran is the personal message from the Divine to each one of us.  He says,

Pay attention and listen quietly when the Quran is recited, so that you may be given mercy. (7:204)

And in another chapter,

God has sent down the most beautiful of all teachings: a Scripture that is consistent and draws comparisons; that causes the skins of those in awe of their Lord to shiver.  Then their skins and their hearts soften at the mention of God: such is God's guidance.  He guides with it whoever He will; no one can guide those God leaves to stray.  (39:23)

It would be a great failing on your part if your heart is preoccupied and your mind is not paying attention when your Lord speaks to you. 

This brings us back to our medicine cabinet of faith.  We learned that the remedy for fear is to say from your heart: "Allah is sufficient for us and the Best of Guardians," for God will reward you with a great favor from Him and bounty.  But that is not all!  More importantly, no harm will come your way whatsoever.  Isn't that precisely what happened to the believers the day after Uhud?  

However, fear is not the only disease that strikes the heart.  Imam Jafar gives us another prescription for the ailment of anxiety.  Fear has a known cause, but anxiety is a tightness in the chest with no apparent explanation.  It can leave you feeling troubled and burdened yet unsure of the cause.  Haven't you not experienced this feeling before?  Listen to the Imam as he gives you the remedy, "I am astonished at a person stricken by distress, and yet he does not recite the following words from the Quran: 'There is no God but You!  Glory be to You!  Truly I have been one of the wrongdoers' (21:87), for I heard God say in response, 'So we heard his prayer and delivered him from his anguish.  And this is how We rescue the faithful.' (21:88)." Anxiety could arise from events and news you do not recall now or facts you know in your subconscious.  Regardless of the source, you will always be comforted by saying: 'There is no God but You!  Glory be to You!  Truly, I have been one of the wrongdoers' What is the secret ingredient in this prescription?  It is your acknowledgment that the state of distress only comes when you deviate from the right path.  Allah replies, "So we heard his prayer and delivered him from his anguish.  And this is how We rescue the faithful." This response is from the story of our beloved Yunus (Jonah), peace be upon him.  But note that God continues with, "And this is how We rescue the faithful," meaning that this medicine is not exclusive to Prophet Jonah but available to all believers.  Make sure you store some in your cabinet.    

Imam Al-Sadiq continues, "I am surprised by a person who is conspired against and does not rush to the following words: 'I entrust my affairs to God.  Indeed God is All-Seeing of His servants' (40:44), for I have heard God Almighty saying in the very next verse, 'So God safeguarded him from the evil things they plotted' (40:45)." Being conspired against is a terrible disease inflicted by someone else.  More specifically, it means that an evil plot is being worked and concealed from you because you stand for the truth.  God says in aya 43 of chapter 34,

Growing in arrogance in the land and devising evil schemes.  But an evil scheme overwhelms none but its own authors.

Note that God made a distinction between a regular scheme and an evil one.  An evil scheme is when plotters target the truth and its people, while a good plot is when the righteous plan against their enemies.  Either way, remember that people may be able to hide their plans and deceive all creation, but never the Creator.  And since all is known to Him, and no one knows the Divine plan, then God is the best of the deceivers.  Thus, if you find yourself the target of a conspiracy, turn to the only One who can truly protect you and say, "I entrust my affairs to God.  Indeed, God is All-Seeing of His servants."

We need to stock one more bottle of medicine in our cabinet.  You can use this one to cure your greed and the pursuit of worldly pleasures.  Al-Sadiq says: "I am amazed by those who chase after the pleasures and allure of this world, how they do not rush to God's words, 'Whatever God wills.  There is no power except with God' (from 18:39), for I have heard the Lord say afterward, 'Though you see me with less wealth and offspring than you, my Lord may well give me something better than your garden.' (from 18: 39-40)

Here is the secret behind this powerful medicine:  When you say, "Whatever God wills.  There is no power except with God," the world comes to you in a hurry because you recognized and rid yourself of relying on your power and abilities, and left the matter to Allah, the Creator of all powers and abilities.  He alone is the true provider of all things.

Do you have your medicine cabinet all stocked up?  With God is the cure for every ailment of the human soul: fear has a remedy and prescription, anxiety has a remedy and prescription, so do deceit and greed.  The medicines always start by seeking the Lord, and when taken properly, you will end with, "So they returned with favor and bounty from God, having suffered no harm."

Bounty is when God gives you according to your effort, but His favor is when He increases you  from His treasures way beyond your effort.  No harm touched any believer who chased after Quraysh's army the day after Uhud.  They enjoyed God's bounty and were showered in His favor.  All the food and battle supplies that Quraysh left behind when they broke camp were easy loot for the believers.