Dr Osama Al-Azhari, Minister of Awqaf (Charitable Endowments)
Ladies and gentlemen, the great people of Egypt, daughters and sons of the Arab and Muslim nations —welcome to a new journey with the Ever-Glorious Qur’an. Today, we will explore the seventh part of the Qur’an. We seek to harvest from it the pearls and treasures of its secrets, draw closer to its lights and values, and to the guidance which Allah Almighty has placed within it.
We will draw the first and the second of these values through these verses: “And as Allah said, “O Isa son of Maryam, (Jesus son of Mary) did you say to mankind, ‘Take me and my mother to your selves as two gods, apart from Allah?’” He said, All Extolment be to You! In no way is it for me to say what I have no right to. In case I ever said it.” [Qur’an 5: 116]. It moves on until our master Jesus, son of Mary (PBUH), completes his testimony before Allah Almighty on the Day of the Greatest Gathering.At that point Allah Almighty will issue the final judgment –the divine ruling that He decreed for us in this worldly life – in order to magnify such value, which is the value of truthfulness.
Allah Almighty says:“Allah said: “This is the Day the truth of the truthful will benefit them (Literally: their sincerity will benefit the sincere “ones”). For them are Gardens from beneath which Rivers run, eternally (abiding) therein forever. Allah is satisfied with them, and they are satisfied with Him. That is the magnificent triumph.” [Qur’an 5: 119]. If we reflect on the places of benefit in the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, we will find that they come through these values: a sound heart, outwardly and inwardly; truthfulness of the tongue and purity of the heart.
So, preserve these words: truthfulness, and benefit for people. As for truthfulness, it is enough that Allah Almighty chose, at the beginning of the call of our master and prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to Allah, that he was known as “the truthful, the trustworthy.” And he (PBUH) said:“Verily, truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man continues to speak the truth and seek truthfulness until he is recorded with Allah as a truthful person. Verily, lying leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to Hellfire. A man continues to lie and seek falsehood until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.”
This is the value of truthfulness. So, this value has to be magnified.This is first of all.
Secondly: Magnify the value of benefiting people, because the chosen prophet (PBUH) said: “The best of people are those who are most beneficial to others.”One day, our prophet (PBUH) was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, who are the most beloved people to Allah, and what is the most beloved deed to Allah?” He replied: “The most beloved people to Allah are those who benefit people.”So, magnify the value of benefiting all people. Beware of harming or hurting others. Beware of tyrannizing or bullying people.
As for the third value, we find it in the saying of Allah Almighty:“And to Him belongs whatever rests in the night and the daytime; and He is The Ever-Hearing, The Ever-Knowing.” [Qur’an 6: 13]. It means that everything that exists during the daylight and everything that is covered by the darkness of the night belongs to Allah Almighty. It is His pure ownership and in complete servitude to Him, be it inanimate, human, animal, or plant. Everything that is covered by night or day belongs to Allah Almighty. This means it is created by Allah, and it is a submissive servant to Him. Thus, the value here is submission and complete surrender to the Creator, glorified is He. Therefore, some of the noble servants would say: He has placed you in all the movements, yet He is not pleased with you except by stillness and surrendering toward Him.
And as for the fourth value, we find it in the saying of Allah Almighty:“Say, “Which thing is greatest in testimony?” Say, “Allah.”[Qur’an 6: 19]. The value here is that everything, including your actions and your states, is for Allah alone, because He is the Greatest, the Witness, the Helper, and the Accept or of what you offer. So, this is the state of the people of Allah; each one of them is with the Lord of the worlds in every state of his, delighting by the speech of the Lord of the worlds.
Our Lord says: “Say:‘Allah.’” It means that our Lord teaches me to say Allah. We continue in this manner to the end of the chapter, we find that our Lord says there:“Say, “Allah.” Thereafter leave them out, playing in their wading (i.e., plunge in vain discourse).”[Qur’an 6: 91]. The intended meaning is: seek help in fulfilling all your needs and affairs by resorting to Allah.
Then, we move to the fifth value. We find it in the saying of Allah Almighty: “And He is (The One) Who has sent down from the heaven water; so thereby We have brought out the growth of everything; so We have brought out of it greenery, from which We bring out close-compounded grains, and out of the palm-trees, from their spaces, thick-clustered (dates) within reach, and gardens of vineyards, and the olives, and the pomegranates, each similar to each, and each not (Literally: other than being co-similar) similar to each. Look upon their produce when they have produced, and their mellowness.” [Qur’an 6: 99].
The value here is contemplation into all creatures of Allah the Almighty, magnifying His power. The Qur’an abundantly invites us to contemplate: “Say, “Travel through the land and see how He began creation.”[Qur’an 29: 20], it means look and contemplate how creation began, and He says: “Say, “Travel in the earth; thereafter look into how was the end of the beliers.” [Qur’an 6: 11]. He also says twice: “Say, “Look into whatever is in the heavens and the earth.” [Qur’an 36: 101], and here He says:“Look upon their produce when they have produced, and their ripening.” [Qur’an 6: 99].
Look at its fruit when it yields. It attracts your attention to the beauty, to the sky, to the stars,“and signs, and by the stars they are guided.”Allah Almighty wishes you to observe the sky and what is in it of celestial bodies. He wishes you to come out of the narrowness of your soul to the vastness of the universe to see the precision of creation and the precision of making; to fill your heart with humility and awe; to prostrate before Allah Almighty.
After mentioning the palm tree,the pomegranate, and the fruits and similar things, He says: “Look upon their produce”, meaning contemplate what Allah has deposited in those fruits of the spectacle of beauty.To this extent, the Qur’an takes care to fill the consciousness of the human being with beauty, with witnessing beauty in the universe, and with contemplating what is in the fruits of beauty.
Then, we move to the sixth value, which we find in the saying of Allah Almighty:“And do not insult those they invoke apart from Allah, (or) then they would insult Allah aggressively without knowledge.” [Qur’an 6: 108].So, beware of attacking the beliefs and religions of others; lest they transgress in turn on what you venerate of the belief in Allah the Almighty, and in His Messenger (PBUH). Beware of being arrogant or tyrannizing anyone or anyone’s belief.Rather, show mercy, kindness, thoughtfulness, respect, and be a good example through your good morals.
Until we meet again, stay noble, stay safe.
