Islam Made Simple
Dr Osama Al-Azhari
Minister of Awqaf (Charitable Endowments)
In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.
Praise be to Allah and prayers and peace be upon our master Messenger of Allah, upon his family and companions, and whoever allies with him and follows his guidance.
Welcome to the concluding episode of the Pearls and Coral series.
Today’s article is the harvest, where we gather everything we have collected together from pearls and coral into one basket. When the jewels and treasures crowd together, lights reflect upon them, and they gain their sparkle and brilliance, the aesthetic scene that the Ever-Glorious Qur’an sought to establish in our minds is completed. Allow me, then, to quickly review the harvest of the previous articles.
The harvest of Juz’ Thirty
In the first Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, we paused at many pearls and coral, most importantly the value of knowledge. Allah Almighty said: “And He taught Adam all the names.” (Qur’an 2:31).
In the second Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, we paused at the value of civilisational development. Allah Almighty said: “Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the daytime, and the ships that run in the sea with that which profits mankind.” (Qur’an 2:164). We spoke about ships, trade, ports, development, civilisation, benefiting creation, and exalting the value of benefiting people.
In the third Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, we paused at: “A reputable saying, and forgiveness are better than charity followed by hurt.” (Qur’an 2:263). The issue is not money alone, but rather humanity, kindness, consideration of people’s feelings, and comforting their hearts; thus the third Juz’ is the Juz’ of humanity.
In the fourth Juz’, we paused at: “And hold fast, all together, by the rope of Allah, and do not be divided.” (Qur’an 3:103), meaning to be of one heart, like one body that supports one another; thus the fourth Juz’ is the Juz’ of unity and togetherness.
In the fifth Juz’, Allah Almighty said: “And do not covet whatever Allah has graced some of you over others.” (Qur’an 4:32), meaning do not look to the blessing possessed by another while neglecting the divine gift Allah granted you. Rather, dive into the depths of your soul and discover the talent Allah bestowed upon you. Thus Allah Almighty did not say: “Do not covet whatever Allah has graced some of you” alone, but rather: “whatever Allah has graced some of you over others;” every person is graced with preference, and all are preferred over in something else – this achieves balance and equality.
If it were class-based preference, matters would remain as they are, but each person is preferred in one aspect and less preferred in another, thus achieving balance and parity.
In the sixth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty – Glorified and Exalted – said: “And whoever saves it, then it is as if he has saved mankind altogether.” (Qur’an 5:32).
Thus, the value of giving life is manifested; religion came to give life to souls, not to kill them, to revive hope, homelands, sciences, and knowledge.
In the seventh Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “There is no moving (creature) on earth nor a bird that flies with its wings but groups like you.” (Qur’an 6:38).
Allah Almighty thus exalted the status of all creatures and clarified that every kind of existence has its own particular system.
In the eighth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “Or even is he who was dead, then We gave him life and made for him a light whereby he walks among mankind.” (Qur’an 6:122), thus the importance of enlightening minds with knowledge and disseminating it among people is manifested.
In the ninth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “And We appointed with Moses thirty nights and completed them with ten.” (Qur’an 7:142), and from this verse we derive the value of hope and reviving it in souls.
Continued harvest
In the tenth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “In case you do not help him, Allah has already helped him when the disbelievers drove him forth (the second) of two.” (Qur’an 9:40), until He said: “Do not sorrow; surely Allah is with us. Then Allah sent down His tranquillity upon him.” (Qur’an 9:40). This verse calls to hope, rejecting despair, and spreading optimism.
In the eleventh Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “O you who have believed, be pious to Allah and be with the sincere.” (Qur’an 9:119), showing the importance of accompanying the righteous and elevating aspirations.
In the twelfth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “If only there had been among the generations before you men possessing surplus (i.e., moral strength) forbidding depravity in the land.” (Qur’an 11:116), pointing to the necessity of wise, rational people who rise for the community.
In the thirteenth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “And We indeed sent Moses with Our signs: ‘Bring out your people from the darknesses to the light, and remind them of the Days of Allah.’” (Qur’an 14:5), expressing the importance of taking pride in the great days Allah granted us victory in.
In the fourteenth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “Surely ’Ibríhím was a leader, constantly obedient to Allah, devout (as well).” (Qur’an 16:120), meaning he encompassed all good qualities, thus achieving leadership.
In the fifteenth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “Surely this Qur’an guides to that which is most upright.” (Qur’an 17:9), showing that the Qur’an creates summits and guides to the most upright paths.
In the sixteenth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “O Yahyá, take the Book with vigor.” (Qur’an 19:12), thus the importance of knowledge and diligence in acquiring it is manifested.
In the seventeenth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “So We made Sulaymán understand it.” (Qur’an 21:79), indicating that understanding is an Islamic necessity, as al-’Aqqád said: “Thinking is an Islamic obligation.”
In the eighteenth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “And if the truth had followed their caprices, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have surely been corrupted.” (Qur’an 23:71), pointing to the necessity of adhering to principles without favouritism.
In the nineteenth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “And make for me a tongue of truthfulness among the later (generations).” (Qur’an 26:84), expressing the importance of credibility and good reputation.
In the twentieth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “Allah’s fashioning, by which He has perfected everything.” (Qur’an 27:88), indicating the importance of perfection in work.
Final gems
In the twenty-first Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “Allah is He Who created you of weakness, then made after weakness strength, then made after strength weakness and white hair.” (Qur’an 30:54), showing the necessity of realising reality and dealing with it equitably.
In the twenty-second Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “Say: ‘You will not be questioned about what we committed, nor will we be questioned about what you used to do.’” (Qur’an 34:25), indicating the importance of fairness in judgment.
In the twenty-third Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “Surely, thus do We recompense the fair-doers.” (Qur’an 37:105), pointing to the virtue of excellence (’ihsán).
In the twenty-fourth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “Have they not then traveled about the land so they look at how was the end of those before them?” (Qur’an 40:82), calling to deriving ongoing lessons from history.
In the twenty-fifth Juz’ of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, Allah Almighty said: “Is it they who share the mercy of your Lord? We have apportioned their livelihood in the life of this world.” (Qur’an 43:32), confirming that apportioning provision is in Allah’s hand alone.
In the twenty-sixth Juz’, Allah Almighty said: “And We made you nations and tribes that you might know one another.” (Qur’an 49:13). Thus, mutual acquaintance is the foundation among civilisations and nations, not clash of civilisations that paves the way for wars and human conflict.
In the twenty-seventh Juz’, Allah Almighty said: “So do not justify yourselves.” (Qur’an 53:32), requiring humility and abandoning arrogance and self-admiration.
The twenty-eighth Juz’: Allah Almighty said: “So believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Light We have sent down.” (Qur’an 64:8). The Qur’an is light – the light of knowledge, clarity, revelation, and the dissemination of education that illuminates minds and this world and the Hereafter.
In the twenty-ninth Juz’: Allah Almighty said: “And surely you are indeed upon an exalted character.” (Qur’an 68:4). Thus, character comes, and we have in Messenger of Allah (PBUH) the perfect example.
In the thirtieth Juz’: Allah Almighty said: “And indeed your Lord will soon bring you to a fulfillment so that you may be satisfied.” (Qur’an 93:5). Thus, satisfaction (ridá) is the culmination.
The Crown jewel: Satisfaction
Allow me to gather these words together, for the word “satisfaction” (ridá) is the jewel of jewels in the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, sufficing that it appears in the conclusions of the Qur’an in the twenty-ninth and thirtieth Juz’. See how many times the Ever-Glorious Qur’an repeated the word “satisfaction”!
In Súrat al-Háqqah: “So he is in a life of satisfaction.” In Súrat al-Gháshiyah: “With its striving it is satisfied.” In Súrat Al-Fajr: “Return to your Lord, satisfied, approved.”
In Súrat al-Layl: “And he will soon be satisfied.” In Súrat al-Duha: “And indeed your Lord will soon bring you to a fulfillment so that you may be satisfied.” In Súrat al-Bayyinah: “Allah is satisfied with them, and they are satisfied with Him.” In Súrat al-Qári’ah: “So he is in a life of satisfaction.”
The purpose of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an is to prepare and build the satisfied human being – satisfied with Allah, loving Allah, in harmony with Allah’s decree, possessing the aspiration that creates success which increases satisfaction.
Now I want to gather for you the thirty words we extracted from the thirty Juz’: Knowledge, development, humanity, unity and togetherness, discovering talents, giving life, respecting universes, enlightening minds, belonging, hope, aspiration, creating experts, crisis management, taking pride in great days, creating leaders, creating summits, understanding, legal rigor, credibility, perfection, realising reality, self-fairness, excellence, sustainability, competitiveness, mutual acquaintance, humility, clarity, character, satisfaction.
This is the magnificent Qur’an, this is the essence of the magnificent Qur’an.
May Allah Almighty perpetuate for us and you the lights of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an, and may we forever sail with the Ever-Glorious Qur’an throughout life and the remainder of life, hunting its pearls and coral.
Until we meet again, stay noble, stay safe.
