The Meaning of الْعَزِيزُ — The Undefeatable

What does الْعَزِيزُ mean? Mighty — yes. But there is more. What is عِزَّة? Respect. Honor. Dignity. And what is الْعَزِيزُ? The one who is never beaten. This is the most accurate translation: الْغَالِبُ — al-'Aziz is one who can never be overcome.

There was a time this is what we used to say about Roger Federer in tennis — he had a good streak for a good few years, nobody could beat him, many grand slams, it wasn't happening. There was a time this was said about Manchester United — was there a time? I don't know, I'm not sure. May Allah grant them a time one day.

The one who overcomes and no one can ever beat — this is what الْعَزِيزُ is. And the one who possesses honor. Because when you look at people being chopped up alive, burnt alive, you think: what kind of a humiliation is this? These are the people of Iman? Allah is supporting these people? Look at that child, look at how he is trembling — these are the people supported by Allah?

Allah is telling you: He is al-'Aziz — the source of honor and dignity. Your definition of honor is not His definition of honor. His definition of honor you will see on the Day of Judgment, when people will be sitting on thrones in paradise. That is the honor that Allah gave them. Al-'Aziz — the one whose will cannot be overcome. If Allah wills a thing to happen, nobody can overturn it. When Allah wills this conflict to happen, nobody can overturn it but Him.

The Meaning of الْحَمِيدُ — The Worthy of Praise

But He is also al-Hamid. What is حَمِيد? سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ — what is حَمِيد? The one who is worthy of praise. The one who is worthy of your sacrifice.

When Allah says al-'Aziz, He is talking to the oppressor: you think you are mighty? You think you have a win streak? A kill streak? You can't beat Me. Al-Hamid — now He is talking to the oppressed: you are dying, you are sacrificing your life, your possessions, your wealth for My sake. I am worthy of your sacrifice. I am al-Hamid. I am worth it.

Many people ask: was it really worth it? Is it really worth dying upon لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ? All of the pain, all of the severe suffering — why don't you just give it up? Allah is saying, when He says al-Hamid: I am worth it. In fact, you should wish — you should wish that I honour you with such an ending.

مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ — The Owner of All Things

Allah then begins to describe Himself: الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ — Allah owns, He has the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ — and Allah is a witness over all things.

Why does He talk about ownership? Why is Allah talking about His ownership of all things in the middle of a story about Muslims being burnt alive? Let me give you an analogy. Can I take this microphone home? Can I break it right now? What will happen to me if I break it? I can't do that to this mic — it's not mine. But let me find something that belongs to me — this is my very empty wallet. Can I rip this up now? It's mine, right? I can do what I want.

Allah is saying in the middle of the surah: this world is Mine. I do what I want on this earth. Don't question Me. Because in this moment, many people question Allah: where is Allah? Why isn't Allah stopping the suffering? Allah says: look, you stay in your lane — you can't even park in a straight line. This is My kingdom. I do as I please. He is not questioned. You will be questioned.

Piers Morgan says on his show: don't ask me questions, this is my show, I ask the questions. Allah says this in the Quran — don't ask Me the questions, I ask the questions. He is not questioned. You will be questioned by Him.

When we ask: where is Allah? Why hasn't He put an end? — we forget He is the ultimate authority. He is al-Malik, the owner of everything. He owns me and you. If He wishes now for lightning to come from the sky and strike me, He can. I'm His. I belong to Him, and I will go back to Him. It is up to Him how He wishes to run this world.

And Allah wills for there to always be a صِرَاع — in Arabic, a conflict, a tug of war — the tugging between good and evil. Allah wills that this has to take place on this earth. That there will always be some form of evil, people of evil, and there will always be good people who have to stand up and repel it. That is how He designed this earth, because this earth is not paradise.

He is the King and He has set it up in this way. He wants to see — this is the test. He wants to see who proves themselves to Him: which hypocrites turn their back and run, and which people hide in the corner and say "what conflict? there is no conflict." Allah wants this to happen. He is the King, He intends this to happen. This wasn't a mistake — this was designed.

Many times you are using an application and you think: hold on, something is wrong, and you report it by email — you report a bug. They say: this wasn't a bug, this is a feature. It wasn't a mistake, we put it there on purpose. Allah is telling us in this ayah: this is My kingdom, nothing is here by mistake. I put it there on purpose to test you.

The Consequences — Divine Analysis

Now when Allah talked about the story — who was killed, who was killing them — Allah begins to talk about the consequences. Often today, if you turn on the news, people will talk about: what's the solution? Two-state solution, one-state solution. Everybody is thinking about immediate consequences. Will this person enter the war? Will that person exit? What's going to happen in the region?

Allah's analysis is different. Allah skips everything in this world and says: you want to see the consequences of this deed, of this situation? I will tell you the consequences. Those who were burning believing men and women and they never repented from that act — their consequence is they will taste Jahannam, and they will have the fire of hell.

What about those who suffered? What about the children? What about the innocent civilians? What about the women? Allah is going to tell you: don't worry.

You just imagine that woman who lost her child, cradling her child as she drinks from the rivers of paradise. You just imagine those traumatized children playing around, enjoying their young years under the shade of the trees of paradise. You just imagine those elderly people who died for no fault of their own, reclining on chairs as they get feet massages from the young boys of paradise.

Allah is saying: don't worry about these people. It's My mark, right? It's My microphone. I will look after it. You don't worry about them. Why are you worrying? You worry about yourself. Let Me look after My creation.

Allah is saying to you: don't cry about the children of Gaza. Don't cry about the women of Gaza. I have something far better in store for them. That's why I brought them back early — I took them back early so that I can treat them to something that you can never treat them to.

ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ — they have had the greatest victory. Political analysts will tell you: this is happening, that's happening — victory, defeat, surrender, advancement. Move all these terms to a side. Look at the divine analysis. The people who died innocently, the people who died with no blame but they held on to their Iman — they have the greatest victory.

Victory is not about ammunition. Victory is not about advancement. Victory is not about who owns the land. It's not about reclaiming houses, reclaiming this and that. Victory is about one thing: if you die, you die upon لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ. That's the greatest victory.

We have a warped sense of victory. We look at those people who are suffering and we think: how terrible, I would never want to be in that situation. Allah is telling us: you are the loser. They won. They won the greatest victory. ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ.

الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ — The Most Forgiving, The Most Loving

Now you're comforted about the people that are dying, that are oppressed. Now those who are being oppressed are comforted about their ending. Now Allah turns to the oppressors — He's not going to leave them. The punishment of Allah is severe. He made you from nothing and He's going to make you again. He's going to recreate you and you will stand in front of Him.

This ayah, in the middle of scaring the oppressors, telling them off, telling them He's going to seize them, rip them to shreds and bring them back — He says something. When you read it the first time you think: this is bizarre.

He is the most forgiving and the most loving — even to the oppressor, even to the genocidal maniac, even to the Pharaoh. Allah is telling him: you know what, you can turn back as well. Because I am the most forgiving and the most loving. If you turn back, you still can. I still have some love for you as well.

Imagine if Adolf Hitler had read وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ — maybe he would have changed his ways. Imagine if Stalin read it. Mussolini — وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ — maybe they would have changed their ways. Imagine if al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi read and maybe pondered a little bit — وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ — maybe he would have changed. Every tyrant — Allah is not just giving them the telling off, He's giving them hope. You can change your ways as well, my friend. You don't have to keep going. Turn around. I'm still here.

And this is also a message to the oppressed. This name of Allah — al-Wadud — it is Allah's most intense form of love. The most intensely loving. The word الْوَدُودُ in Arabic is mainly used for maternal love — unconditional love. The kind of love a mother gives her child. Her child might be the greatest criminal in the world; she says: I don't care what he is, he's my son and I love him. She's my daughter, I love her. This unconditional love — Allah says: I have this love as well, but I have saved it for those people who have died for My sake.

ذُو الْعَرْشِ الْمَجِيدِ — The Owner of the Glorious Throne

The owner of the glorious عَرْش. The عَرْش of Allah is the greatest of His creation. It is even greater in size than this universe — you can't imagine. Allah says: every king, every powerful person, every tyrant — you have a عَرْش, you have a كُرْسِي, you have a throne. You think you own the world because you sit on a nice big chair? He says: My عَرْش encompasses the heavens and the earth. What are you going to do?

فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ — He does whatever He wills. He does whatever He intended. Like I said before: He owns the mug, He can crush the mug. He owns the microphone, He can do with it as He pleases — it's His. He decided this earth needs to have conflict to test us, and what He wills to happen will happen. فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ.

The Stories of the Soldiers — Three Different Endings

Now Allah allows us — He asks us — to look back in history. هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ — O Muhammad, O believers, did you not hear about the other soldiers? فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ — Fir'aun and Thamud.

Now we have three stories in this surah: أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ, Fir'aun, and Thamud. What's the difference between these three stories? What's in common between these three stories?

These are three stories of oppression — Fir'aun and Banu Israel, أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ and their tyrant king, and the people of Thamud and how they dealt with Prophet Salih and the believers. Same story — but what's the difference? In the end, the believers always won. There was a great punishment for everyone. The oppressor versus the oppressed — that's what's common between them.

But there is something different between each story. How did the oppressor's story end in the story of Fir'aun and Musa? What happened to the oppressors? They drowned. What happened to the oppressors in the story of Thamud? There was a divine miracle — something like a blast from the sky — and they were dust. And what happened in the story of أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ? We don't know what happened to the oppressor. We just know the believers were burnt alive.

Allah is saying: three stories of oppressor versus oppressed — but three different endings. This is not Disney. They don't all have a happy ending. In one ending the oppressors drowned. In another ending the oppressors were blasted to dust. In another ending the oppressors stayed in power.

Three different endings. Who decides which ending the Gazans get? Allah. فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ — that's why before this He says: I do what I want. The ending of the same story, same group doing the same things — but is it always going to end in the drowning of the oppressors? Is it always going to end in a blast from the sky? Only Allah knows the ending.

But these are three examples. Allah says: pay attention — these were massive armies, جُنُود, big forces. I can end them like this if I want. I can make it a 20-year battle if I want. I can make it a 150-year battle if I want. I can drown them if I want. I can sink them into the earth. I do what I want. You watch. You be patient. You make du'a. You seek My help. And then I will show you what I'm capable of.

The Delusion of the Disbelievers and the Siege of Allah

بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي تَكْذِيبٍ — the disbelievers are in denial. They are deluded. They think that by their numbers and their artillery and their political alliances and their forces that they will be the winners. وَاللَّهُ مِن وَرَائِهِم مُّحِيطٌ — right now in Gaza there's a siege. The Gazans have been surrounded. Look at the word Allah uses here: Allah has surrounded them. Every superpower thinks they can surround their victims. Every oppressor thinks: I've got them covered. But Allah is saying here: I am the one who has you covered, my friend. Don't worry — I have surrounded them, not vice versa.

The Protected Tablet — اللَّوْحُ الْمَحْفُوظُ

بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَّجِيدٌ — this Quran, this is the most honorable Quran. But this Quran existed before it came down to Muhammad ﷺ. Where was it first? فِي لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوظٍ — the اللَّوْحُ الْمَحْفُوظُ.

It is the book in which everything is written — history, past, present, future. And it is under the Throne of Allah. SubhanAllah — even the Throne of Allah is a creation of Allah that I'm not able to comprehend. What exactly is the Throne of Allah — there is a hadith about it, I won't go into detail. But Allah is telling us: there is a book, there is a tablet — not an iPad tablet — there is a tablet in which everything that happened and everything that will happen, the results have already been written down.

Don't worry about the outcome — I decided it already. Take solace, take reassurance, take rest. Because I'm the one who writes the code. I'm the one who decides the script. You just take the test I've given you and react in the appropriate way. Everything has been decided by Allah.

The Lesson of Surah al-Buruj

This is the surah that was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ in Mecca, when him and his companions were under the most torture, the most difficulty, the greatest of challenges. And in this surah Allah is teaching them — and us — a very important lesson:

The greatest of tests can be overcome if you know who I am. That's why this surah has a detailed explanation of who Allah is. And the smallest of tests will make you shake if you don't know who I am.

Trust Me and trust My promise — وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ — trust the promised Day. I am the witness and you are witness and everybody is witness, and there will be a Day I will call the witnesses.

The oppressor might be strong, might be powerful, might have resources — but his tower doesn't reach the heavens, and his authority stops at the edges of the boundaries of his territory. But I own all. I am the King. Don't forget — I am in control. History is in the hands of Allah. The future is in the hands of Allah. The Palestinians are in the hands of Allah.

Du'a — Closing Supplication

And we ask Allah with His names and His attributes: O Allah, grant victory to our brothers and sisters in Palestine. O Allah, be for them a protector and a helper. O Allah, be for them a supporter, O Lord of all the worlds. O Allah, show us in them the wonders of Your power — indeed You are al-Jabbar. O Allah, we ask You for forgiveness and mercy, O Most Merciful. O Allah, have mercy on their dead, heal their sick, and grant well-being to those who are afflicted. O Allah, honor them with martyrdom, O Lord of all the worlds. Make their affairs easy, O Most Merciful, O Most Compassionate. And the end of our supplication is: all praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. And may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad.

وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ