Quran Garden

Have you noticed that people from all walks of life, even atheists and non-believers, invoke God's name in critical matters?  In today's video, we will uncover why and also discuss the rights of parents and relatives.  Let's begin.

Session 539

Chapter 4

Verse 1

a continuation

People, be mindful of your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them spread numerous men and women far and wide; be mindful of God, in whose name you make requests of one another.  Beware of severing the ties of kinship: God is watchful over you.  (Chapter 4: Verse 1)

This verse starts with the phrase, "People, be mindful of your Lord," followed by the evidence God presented that He is the capable deity who created you and your spouse from non-existence, sustained you, and put the entire universe at your service.  He gave you the earth as a place to explore and seek your provision.  These blessings clearly show that He is the providing and capable Lord.  Thus, you should follow His guidance and seek Him alone in worship.  Where can we find God's teachings?  How do we know what to do and what to avoid?  It is all in the Noble Quran.  As your Creator and the Creator of the universe, the Almighty commands, "Be mindful of God, in whose name you make requests of one another."

Look at how God uses the words of the ungrateful disbelievers against them!  Even though the disbelievers deny the Lord and His Prophets and have been doing so for centuries, their innate nature acknowledges Allah as the Creator.  When someone wants something important from a friend or to ensure a job is done right, they often say, "By God, please do this for me," or "For God's sake, do not mess this up." Exalting the Lord is a natural instinct within all humans, and people from all walks of life often invoke His name in crucial matters because it is a shared fundamental value we all recognize as grand and significant.

Another power people often raise in vital matters is that of kinship.  For example, you may say, "I'm asking you as a family member, please do this for me," or "Before you do this, think of how it will affect your brothers and sisters." Here again, people recognize the value and importance of family and our responsibility towards our parents, kids, siblings, and relatives.  Since you and I are from the same womb, we have rights and responsibilities towards one another.  So, sometimes people ask through Allah, the Creator, and sometimes through kinship, as the womb is the direct cause of existence.  God says in the 36^th verse of Surah An-Nisaa,

And worship God and do not associate anything as a partner with Him; and do good to your parents in the best way possible, and to the relatives.

Take note that right after emphasizing God's paramount right of monotheism, the verse directs you to treat your parents well.  Why?  Because your mom and dad are the immediate, visible reason for your existence.  Allah reminds you of Himself, the Creator of both you and your parents, but He also wants you to acknowledge all the blessings and care your parent gave you.  They also have a right: to be treated with respect and cared for in their old age.  The verse emphasizes all these rights by saying, "God is watchful over you."

The word "watchful" is translated from the Arabic "Raqueeb" from the root "Ra Qa Ba," which means to observe.  It can also be translated as guardian or overseer.   A "Marqab" is a high place, or watchtower, where a lookout sits to monitor and guard an important area.  

In your daily life, you see many things without truly observing or paying attention.  But Allah is always the keen observer over us.  He says,

Your Lord is ever on the watch.  (89:14)

Your loving parents also kept a watchful eye over you as an infant, baby, and then a child.  Children receive more love and care from their parents when they are younger.  This is Allah's fair distribution of compassion, as He compensates the younger child –who is weak by nature- with extra care and affection from the parents.  In contrast, older teens, who are more capable of caring for themselves, receive less.  We find the perfect example in the story of Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him.  His brothers complained,

The brothers said, "Although we are many, Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are–– our father is clearly in the wrong." (12:8)

The young men refuted their complaint with their own words!  They were a band of brothers filled with youth and strength, while Joseph and his brother were much younger.  Who is more deserving of the father's care and attention?  The many and powerful, or the few and weak?  Clearly, the father's heart was in the right place because compassion towards the young is rooted in human nature.

A Bedouin woman who had more than ten children was asked, "Which of your children do you love most?" She replied, "The young one until he grows up, the absent one until he returns, and the sick one until he recovers."

How about a child who lost all the incredible compassion and protection of a parent?  In the next verse, Allah will turn our attention to the rights of the orphans.  Be sure to subscribe, like, and share so you don't miss any part of this beautiful Surah.