Quran Garden

Session 525

Chapter 3

Verse 191

Those who remember God, standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: "Our Lord, You have not created this without purpose.  Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire."  (Chapter 3: Verse 191)

Verse 190 of Al Imran discussed God's signs that can be most appreciated by "the people who possess understanding." They are the people who say, "Our Lord, You have not created this without purpose" because You are the truth.  You created the heavens and the earth with the truth and have set their laws and regulations with the truth.  Thus, we must receive your blessings in truth.  Those who fail to do so will only see these blessings become a source of regret for them.

It is said that the sincere believer among the Children of Israel, before the time of our beloved Jesus, used to be shaded by a cloud wherever he or she walked.  So when people saw someone walking under the shade of a cloud, they knew that this person had been worshipping God genuinely for thirty years or more.  

A man who devoted his life to the Lord complained to his mother, "Mom, I have been devout to Allah for over thirty years, but I did not receive the shade my fellows have." She replied, "Maybe you have done something wrong."  He replied, "I really cannot recall any mistakes."  She said, "Perhaps you looked at the sky and did not remember the blessings of God." He replied, "Maybe that happened a few times."  She said, "Perhaps this failing led you here."  This story reminds us of the importance of constantly remembering the Lord and reflecting on His signs at all times.  

Imam Ali, may God be pleased with him, narrates, "When the Prophet, peace be upon him, woke up at night, he would clean his teeth and look up at the sky." So, looking towards the heavens is a reminder of the majesty of God and the vastness of His blessings.  A Bedouin from the Arabs laid down on his back, looked up, and saw the dark sky brimming with stars shining everywhere; he said, "I bear witness that You have a Lord and Creator; Oh Allah forgive my sins." This man knew when and how to supplicate the Lord, so Allah forgave him.

It is narrated that our beloved Muhammad came one night to sleep, and it was Aisha's night.  Aisha told Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Prophet laid in bed with his skin touching hers, then said, "Aisha, may I ask your permission tonight to worship my Lord?" The Messenger asked her permission out of respect because it was her night.  Aisha replied, "O, Messenger of Allah, I love your company and love your intimacy, and I have given you my permission."  What a beautiful answer!  Some people who wish ill for Islam claimed that the age difference between the Prophet and Aisha was too significant; thus, she was not eager for any intimacy.  But Aisha, in her wisdom, responded to such critics before they opened their mouths when she said, "O, Messenger of Allah, I love your company and love your intimacy." 

We learn a wonderful lesson from the Prophet, peace be upon him, about how to treat our family and give every member their proper time and due right, even if the alternative is worship.  Once your obligatory religious duties are done, you should not engage in any voluntary worship until you fulfill your responsibilities to your family or get their permission first.  Why?  Because God requires that the wife not engage in voluntary worship before she asks her husband.  For example, if she wants to fast extra days beyond the obligation of Ramadan, she must seek her husband's permission.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "The best among you is the one who is best to his family, and I am the best among you to my family."

When the husband is intimate with his wife, it relieves her from desires and guards her against looking outside the marriage.  This time of intimacy is her right and more so if there are sister-wives that the husband attends to.  Thus, if the husband wants to perform voluntary worship, he, too, must ask her permission first.  

A woman complained to the Caliph Omar bin Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, about her husband who was not being intimate with her.  Omar was sitting beside an esteemed companion, so he turned to him and said, "Would you give her a Fatwa?" The companion told the husband, "Let's say you had four wives.  Then your wife would have the right of one night every four days, and our Prophet, peace be upon him, sought Aisha's permission for worship." This is a lesson for all husbands to treat their families with love and fairness and to deliver their due rights.

Sadly, it is disheartening to see that, in today's society, many men do not bother to seek their family's permission for sinful late-night gatherings at hotels and restaurants, let alone voluntary worship.  This is what ruins homes and fractures families.  A man who spends too much time at work, cafes, or elsewhere puts the entire household at risk.  Why doesn't he go home to keep his family company, fulfill their needs, help raise the children, and give his wife peace of mind that he is not off with someone else?  You can bring stability to the household simply by being present.  

Aisha narrates that after she granted the Prophet permission, He performed the Wudu ablution, stood up for prayer and wept, then he recited the Quran and wept.  Then he thanked and praised Allah and continued to cry until the ground under his blessed face became wet.  Later, the companion Bilal came and said: "Messenger of God, the time of Prayer has come."  He noticed the Prophet weeping, and asked in wonder: "You weep while your past and future sins have been forgiven!?" Our beloved Muhammad replied, "Should I not be a grateful servant?  O Bilal, tonight, the following verses were revealed to me.  Then the Prophet recited to Bilal,

Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day there are signs for the people who possess understanding.  Those who remember God, standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: "Our Lord, You have not created this without purpose.  Glory be to You!  So, safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire.  Our Lord, those You cast into the Fire, You have indeed disgraced.  The unjust will have no helpers.  Our Lord!  We have heard someone calling us to faith- 'Believe in your Lord'- and we have believed.  Our Lord!  Forgive us our sins, wipe out our bad deeds, and grant that we join the righteous when we die.  Our Lord!  Grant us what You have promised us through Your Messengers.  Do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection; indeed, You never break Your promise."  Then their Lord answered them, "I do not waste the deeds of any worker among you, whether male or female; you are all on the same footing.  So those who migrated and were expelled from their homes, and were tormented in My path, and those who fought and were killed —I will surely absolve them of their misdeeds, and I will admit them into gardens with rivers running underneath, as a reward from Allah, and Allah—with Him are the best of rewards."  Let it not deceive you that those who disbelieve strut about the land in pomp and show of dominion.  This is only a brief enjoyment, after which, Hell will be their home- a miserable resting place!  But those who were mindful of their Lord will have Gardens graced with streams flowing underneath where they will eternally stay as a hospitality from God, and that which is with God is best for the virtuous.  Some of the People of the Book believe in God, in what has been sent down to you and in what was sent down to them: humbling themselves before God, they would never sell God's revelation for a small price.  These people will have their rewards with their Lord: God is swift in reckoning.  You who believe, be steadfast, more steadfast than others; be firm on the battlefield; always be mindful of God, so that you may prosper. (3:190-200)

Then, he, peace be upon him, added, "Woe to whoever reads these verses and does not reflect; and woe to the tongue that utters them and does not contemplate."

This is what came to us from our Prophet Muhammad regarding the ayat at the end of Surah Al-Imran; they begin with God's words: "Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day there are signs for the people who possess understanding."  We can derive countless lessons and proofs from these verses; they also serve as an invitation to contemplate the majesty of creation and to remember the Lord at all times, whether standing, sitting, or lying down.  We say, "Our Lord, You have not created this without purpose.  Glory be to You!  So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire."