Bismillah Hirrahman Nirrahim

 

 

1) Proclamation of the Almighty Allah’s Sovereignty

An attempt at understanding the significance of the Surahs, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas.

The Qur’an begins with Suratul Fatiha, which sets out the charter of the guidance in the most succinct and yet all-encompassing form of supplication. The rest of the Divine Writ is an elaboration of the seven oft repeated verses of Suratul Fatiha. The last three surahs or chapters are in the form of a declaration by the student of the Qur’an who having comprehended the Message makes an unflinching and an unequivocal recognition of the sovereignty of the Lord of all that exists. And yet, that declaration contains guidance from the All-Knowing and All-Wise.

 Surah Al-Ikhlas

Bismillah Hirrahman Nirrahim

1.  Declare: He is Allah the One and Only;

2.  God the Eternal, Uncaused cause of all being;

3.  He begets not, nor is He begotten;

4.  And there is nothing that could be compared with Him.

 “Al-Ikhlas” or the “Declaration of (God’s) Perfection”, is a complete description of the God. The student of the Qur’an having studied and pondered over the elaboration in response to the first charter in Surat ul Fatiha – “ Praise be to Allah Lord of the Universe”,  he logically makes this declaration  that leaves no room or scope for any other divinity or a share holder in God’s domain however insignificant.

 Reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas during the namaz fully aware of its meaning gives a thrill the fortunate experience.

 The second part of the declaration, after the first which is an expression of God’ Purity, pertains to the complete and comprehensive  surrender of  man to the Lord of all that exists for his mental and physical well being.

 Surah Al-Falaq

 Bismillah Hirrahman Nirrahim

 Declare,  “I seek refuge with the Sustainer of the rising dawn,

From the evil of that which He created;

From the evil of the darkness when it is intense,

And from the evil of malignant witchcraft,

And from the evil of the envier when he envies.

Though ‘Falaq’ is translated as the rising dawn it can be understood to mean the vastness of all that exists. Therefore the first verse can be interpreted as, “Declare, I seek refuge with the Lord of all that exists”.

 “From the harm imbued in all creation”. Here it must be understood that the Creator is making aware the universal phenomena inherent in all creation. Everything that has been created has these two opposite qualities of good and evil – benefit and harm. Everything that man needs for his sustenance can also be the cause of his demise. Here again the student of the Qur’an is recognizing and making a declaration of God’s sovereignty and Omnipotence.

 “From the harm of the black darkness whenever it is intense”: Darkness symbolizes a state of despair. The worst harm can be caused to the self when the mind is in a state of despair. This state can produce suicidal course of action. Here the Most Compassionate is asking the reader to seek His refuge and declare the recognition of Him alone to be All-Powerful and in Him alone is hope. It is this hope that gives confidence to the individual to face the severest of difficulties with fortitude and courage. It is the sense of  being in His refuge that provides the elixir of good health – mental as well as physical in the darkest hours of one’s life.

“and from the evil of all human beings bent on occult endeavors” or “from the mischief of those who blow on knots (black magic): This verse  deals directly with mental health of an individual. Going back to the charters of Surat ul Fatiha and more specifically to the verse, “show us the straight path” meaning “make my thinking positive” this verse clearly states what would be a negative attitude or a negative way of thinking. The mind being clouded with the unreal and destructive thoughts of the occult and that which is described as magic would be the mind which has not sought the refuge of the All Powerful and thus suffer the consequences of the error.

 Another aspect, and more pertinent, that comes to light when we understand the intrinsic meaning of the word ‘aukud’ – knots, is that anything which does not come off easily and which sticks fast is called a knot. Therefore any idea or imagination or even an opinion from a friend or the spouse which is difficult to detach from the mind and which can be harmful – God commands us to seek His refuge from its harm and thus recognizing He alone is the healer of the mind.

 “and from the evil of the envious when he envies.” This again is a state of the mind. When a person envies he loses all sense of righteousness. Evil is personified in him and hatred blinds his thinking. The episode of Iblis very clearly demonstrates the complete blindness of the one who hates to all sense of reason. In spite of being fully aware of God’s Omnipotence, Iblis is prepared to rebel out of hatred for Adam and knowingly accepts the consequences of his rebellion. The other state of mind is that of a person who imagines and even is on the lookout for those who envy him! Allah, The Glorious, commands us to seek refuge in Him and thus recognize that He alone is the protector and He alone is the healer of the mind.

 Surah An-Nas

Bismillah Hirrahman Nirrahim

 The final chapter of the perfect guidance is a fitting and emphatic declaration of God’s sovereignty. This is a forceful exhortation from the Creator to recognize Him and Him alone.  And yet it also contains, once again a guidance of paramount importance.

 “Declare, “I seek refuge with the Sustainer of men,

the Sovereign of men,

the God of men, 

from the evil of the whispering, elusive tempter,

who whispers in the hearts of men _ ,

from all [temptation to evil by] invisible forces as well as men.”

 The biggest threat to man is from himself. The final word of warning and caution is also a guide to mental well being. Ultimately it is man alone who is responsible for his success or failure and this is decided primarily by what influences him and what tempts him. His worries and apprehensions, his desires and weaknesses can all be source of his destruction. His mind is restlessly working – the thought process is always on. Either negative or positive thoughts never allow the mind to rest. Seeking Refuge with Him alone is the secret of success in this world and in the Hereafter.

 I believe, reciting the Surahs with full understanding during the namaz, gives purpose to the ritual apart from the double reward, inshallah.

 May Almighty Allah, keep us in His refuge, always – Aameen.

A Concerned Muslim

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2) Barriers to Love

Whatever is in your heart that is not clean, not true, will ultimately

 begin to act like a wall, obstructing the natural flow of love.

People who say that there is no love in their life,
 are being blocked by this wall.

Actually there is love, but they just can't accept it.

Ego is the clearest example of this.

Ego limits the flow of love by placing conditions on the
love you give and receive.

Ego uses love to satisfy its own needs and desires.

It produces a love which is deceptive, one which brings
only temporary satisfaction.

Ego does not allow you to experience true love or share it.

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