Islam Made Simple
Dr Osama Al-Azhari
Minister of Awqaf (Charitable Endowments)
Dear readers, all honourable Egyptian people, and daughters and sons of the Arab and Muslims nations, welcome to a new journey with the twenty-first part of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, into which we deeply delve, drawing from it its treasures and pearls, and pausing with selected passages to discern the clear signs and wise reminder they contain, along with their guidance, values, etiquettes, rulings, and legislation.
The first reflection: On the opening verses of Surah al-Rum, we encounter a series of consecutive verses in which Allah Almighty, in each verse, repeatedly says “And of His signs are that”. Indeed, Allah Almighty reiterates this phrase several times.
In this passage of Surah al-Rum, Allah Almighty abundantly and diversely reminds us of the signs of His greatness, and the proofs and miracles that, when contemplated deeply, unveil to us the wonders of Allah’s wisdom and purpose in His creation. How did Allah cultivate this vast universe? How did He prepare spouses, homes, the heavens, and the earth? The diversity of tongues and languages, sleep by night and day, lightning, the sky, and rain – all these are manifestations of divine power through which Allah has diversified and sustained creation.
Yet, at the heart of this meaning lie a great value and a matter of profound nobility and importance – namely, the cultivation and flourishing of the universe. And what is striking and astonishing is that, despite the majesty of this concept, we find that one of our present-day crises and contemporary challenges is marital life.
Regarding marriage the divine discourse declares “And of His signs is that He created for you, of yourselves, spouses, that you (may) find rest in them, and he has made between you amity and mercy. Surely in that are indeed signs for a people who meditate.” [Qur’an 30: 21]
Thus, the primary purpose of marriage is tranquility. Then Allah says thereafter: “and he has made between you amity and mercy,” meaning that homes are established and cultivated upon three pillars: tranquility, affection, and mercy. Let us reflect upon His words “of yourselves”; do you know what they signify?
It means that the wife is a part of you: from your feelings, your inner consciousness, your very being, and your heart. She is a trust placed with you – entrusted to your care by Allah, deposited in your hands, made one of His signs. Allah has made her provision and guardianship pass through you, so that you may stand responsible for her and accountable for her care.
If a person were to view marital life through this perspective, many of the problems we face today would be resolved. Today, we suffer from rising rates of divorce, the prevalence of marital disputes, and domestic violence. Therefore, let us live by the meaning of this verse: “And of His signs is that He created for you, of yourselves.”
The second reflection is in Surah Luqman. Luqman is a symbol of wisdom. Allah Almighty says: “And indeed We already brought Luqman (the) wisdom, saying, ‘Give thanks to Allah.’ And whoever gives thanks (to Allah), then surely he gives thanks only for himself; (i.e., for his own benefit) and whoever disbelieves, then surely Allah is Ever-Affluent, Ever-Praiseworthy” [Qur’an 31:12].
Luqman – the Wise – was a noble and honourable man among humankind. Allah illuminated his intellect, his heart, and his inner consciousness, and made his tongue articulate wisdom. Luqman is a symbol of wisdom, sound judgment, and insight; therefore, Allah named an entire surah after him, honouring his status.
Wisdom is to place everything in its proper position: if a situation calls for gentleness, one responds with gentleness; if it calls for firmness, one responds with firmness; if it calls for strictness, one responds with strictness; and if it calls for seriousness, one acts with seriousness. Thus, wisdom is that Allah inspires you with how to deal with every situation in a manner befitting it.
The third reflection is concerning Allah’s saying: “And We have enjoined upon man concerning his parents” [Qur’an 31: 14].
As we spoke earlier about treating one’s wife with kindness and gentleness, here we focus on good treatment towards one’s parents, even if the father is harsh, strict, domineering, or even a disbeliever. One must treat him kindly. Allah Almighty says: “And in case they (both) strive with you that you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them, and keep them company in the present (life) (Literally: the lowly “life”, i.e., the life of this world) with beneficence.” [Qur’an 31: 15].
Notice that even if the parents attempt to compel the child to disbelief, Allah commands not to obey them in that matter, yet He does not instruct to mistreat them. On the contrary, He says “and keep them company in the present (life) (, i.e., the life of this world) with beneficence.”
The fourth reflection in this section is regarding Allah’s saying: “And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our Command, since they (endured) patiently and had certitude in Our signs.” [Qur’an 32: 24].
The key to leadership on earth is connected with two qualities: patience and certainty. Scholars say that the hearts of people may be afflicted either by desires or doubts.
Desires include attachment to wealth, women, or fame.
Doubts include misguided thoughts, intellectual deviations, or atheism.
The remedy for desires is patience, and the remedy for doubts is knowledge and certainty.
This is why Imam al-Shafi‘i said “If only Surah al-’Asr had been revealed from the Qur’an, it would have been sufficient for mankind.”
We ask Allah to grant us wisdom, patience, and certainty, and to make our homes full of affection and mercy.
Until we meet again, stay noble, stay safe.
