A Penny For Your Thoughts: My Reflections—And Hopefully Yours—On The Words of Allah

SubhanAllah, Ramadan has come and gone once again, for the 20th time in my life. It’s actually kind of hard to comprehend. Twenty years of blessed life—at least eight of which I was conscious of my thoughts and actions, at least to some extent (as if I wield more wisdom now or something)—and I really can’t claim to be confident in being questioned about their contents. I’ve been given—unlike so many others—the chance to win Allah’s Mercy over and over again, but have I capitalized on that opportunity? Did I strive to ensure that my sins were forgiven every time I witnessed this blessed month? Or did I win myself a place among those whom our Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said are cursed—the ones upon whom Ramadan enters and exits, but who do not receive its blessing?

I find myself scared to face these questions as I type them—but I find solace in Allah’s promise of Mercy. As Imam Ash-Shafi’ee once said, “When my heart was hardened, and my courses constrained; I made my hope a stairway to Your forgiveness. My sins burdened me heavily, but when I measured it by Your forgiveness, Lord, Your forgiveness was the greater.” But since I can guarantee that Imam Ash-Shafi’ee’s shortcomings pale in comparison to mine, I think I might need a little more reassurance. 

Here, I’d like to make mention of one of Allah’s ultimate favors upon us: In these last ten days of Ramadan, Allah promises to save his devout servants from the torments of the Hellfire. Allah—Glorified is He—gives us a golden opportunity, a chance to avoid the worst of fates. You’re thinking, “Yeah…I heard that in the khutba last year…and the year before that…and the year before that…so is Eid on Thursday or Friday?” But let’s pump the proverbial brakes for a second—what exactly are we talking about here? Should we be grateful for this chance? Is it even a big deal? I mean, should we really be worried about whether or not we’ve secured Allah’s pardon in these nights?

The other day I was reading a short Hadith in Riyadh-us-Saliheen, in the Book of Tawbah (i.e Repentance), which read: "Ibn Abbas and Anas ibn Malik (radiy Allahu 'anhumaa) reported: the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, 'If a son of Adam were to own a valley full of gold, he would desire to have two. Nothing can fill his mouth except the earth (of the grave). Allah turns with mercy to him who turns to Him in repentance.'"

The value and meaning(s) of this Hadith aside (for now), it was a note in the Arabic commentary that really caught my attention. In explaining the Arabic phrase for "Nothing can fill his mouth except dirt", the author said "i.e. the Son of Adam is never satisfied until he dies and finds himself under the dirt/earth, and this same person is just like Jahannam (bear with the comparison for a second <-- my comment), in that as much as is thrown into it, it says, 'Are there any more to come?!' "

This is referring to an Ayah in Surat Qaf, and here begins my "reflection". The Ayah reads: "One Day We will ask Hell, 'Art thou filled to the full?' It will say, 'Are there any more (to come)?!' SubhanAllah, whenever I hear this Ayah, and the ones before it, I cannot help but become overwhelmed with humble fear—and if it's in Salah, the closest thing to true khushoo' that I have yet to experience.

“[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.” [Quran: 38: 29]

The passage from Surat Qaf (Ayahs 16-30) reads:

16. And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein

17. When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left.

18. Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].

19. And the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid.

20. And the Horn will be blown. That is the Day of [carrying out] the threat.

21. And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness.

22. [It will be said], "You were certainly in unmindfulness of this, and We have removed from you your cover, so your sight, this Day, is sharp."

23. And his companion, [the angel], will say, "This [record] is what is with me, prepared."

24. (The sentence will be) "Throw into Hell every contumacious Rejector (of God)

25. Preventer of good, aggressor, and doubter

26. Who made [as equal] with Allah another deity; then throw him into the severe punishment."

27. His [devil] companion will say, "Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he [himself] was in extreme error."

28. [ Allah ] will say, "Do not dispute before Me, while I had already presented to you the warning.

29. The word will not be changed with Me, and never will I be unjust to the servants."

30. On the Day We will say to Hell, "Have you been filled?" and it will say, "Are there more (to come)?!"

These Ayahs bear many messages, but I'd like to quickly highlight a few points, and then I'm done; please note that all "advices" are directed at me first:

• Allah knows us and our natures with omniscience; we should always remember this when our trust in Him begins to waver—the times when we prefer our desires and intellectual exercises to His Orders.

• We are all to meet death. This is known, and this is unavoidable. However, all of us—perhaps myself especially—often live as though this is a distant reality. Ayah 19 affirms this illusion of ours. The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) advised us to remember the "destroyer of pleasures" (i.e. death) often—because when we do, we give ourselves a pointed reminder; we awaken, if only momentarily, from our state of heedlessness ("ghaflah"), and realize that everything we're currently pursuing is temporary and worthless when compared to the eternity that we should be working for. Life loses that addictive flavor that we get caught up in—a blandness we need every now and then.

• We will experience Yaqeen (certainty of knowledge in its utmost form) of the Akhira no matter what, because on the Day of Judgment no one will be able to deny its Truth; might as well work towards establishing that Yaqeen NOW, so that it doesn't haunt us when Ayah 22 becomes manifest.

• No one will bear our sins for us. We must own up to our mistakes, and do all that we can to avoid them. Part of this is avoiding those who encourage us to do wrong, however slight it may be. You don't want Ayah 27 happening to you. Allah also says in Surat-ul-Baqarah that, on the Day when evil "leaders" claim nothing to do with their followers, those followers will wish that they had but just ONE CHANCE to go back to the dunya and change things.

• Allah is Ultimately Just; He will never wrong any of His servants, and so we must understand that the fruits of our actions—ripe or rotten—are ours to bear. 

• Hellfire doesn't have a maximum capacity. Don't get caught up in relative determinism. Don't assume that, simply because we are living in a society that is being rapidly consumed by fasaad and jahiliyyah, we are "good enough" or that we will be ok as we are. The standard for Allah's Pleasure is still the same as it was during times of antiquity. Make sure you don't fall for Shaitan's whisperings that you are among the "saved".

• However, Paradise is just as vast. Never give up on the Mercy of Allah. He (subhanahu wa ta’ala) addresses His servants in the Quran, explicitly urging those of us who wrong our own souls to never lose hope in the Mercy of Allah. Strive to be among the steadfast, and Allah will provide for you a path.

So is salvation from the Hellfire something to be thankful for? I’d say so. In Surat Ibraheem Allah mentions that, no matter how hard we can try to enumerate His blessings upon us, there is no way we’d encompass them all. One more to add to the list I guess. But it’s definitely one we should shed tears of gratefulness for. Allah only knows how many nights we fall asleep soundly, content in our sinfulness, when we should actually be gripped with the fear of our inadequacies. Let the tranquility of Allah’s Mercy wash over you, but never take it for granted. Alhamdulillah, we have the Quran to remind us—and verily, it is the best of reminders.

That's all I have for now. Please keep me in your duaa. Anything beneficial in this post is from Allah, and anything incorrect is from me. 

Jazakum Allahu khairan, wassalamu alaikum.

Pee Ess I’d definitely like to hear your thoughts. Please share, so that we can all benefit.

Anonymous Contributor

Tampa, FL