Gratitude for Allah's Blessings and Repentance for Our Deeds

Gratitude for the Blessings of Allah and the Virtues of the Qur'an

My dear respected brothers, elders, and sisters — how fortunate are we that Allah, from the very moment that we came out of the wombs of our mothers till this very moment, has constantly engrossed us in His bounties and His mercy. Alhamdulillah. Whether that is the fact that we are healthy, the fact that we are able to congregate on this blessed day of Jumu'ah together in safety and in peace, or whether that be the fact that we have our family members still today around us — each and every single one of these blessings of Allah upon us, we will be asked about them on the Day of Judgment.

There will be a time where Allah will ask us about each and every single bounty and blessing He has given us. And one of these bounties that we find in our lives — we find that many people might not have access to that bounty. It doesn't take more than a scroll on our smartphone and looking through the news to know that many people across the globe today are deprived of the bounties that you and I have. Whether that be the bounty, as I mentioned, of being able to congregate in a masjid — many Muslim countries today are losing their masajid for various reasons and they're not able to congregate and pray salawat with jama'ah like you and I are praying today — or many people don't have their family members around them anymore due to various reasons.

As we know, it is important that you and I take a step back and we reflect over ourselves: these blessings that Allah has given me — did I thank Allah enough for them? Did I show my gratitude to Allah? Or did I use those blessings that Allah gave me in the wrong manner?

Corruption on the Earth: A Consequence of Our Own Actions

Allah highlights in the Qur'an, in various places — for example in Surah ar-Rum — Allah mentions:

Corruption and calamity has become widespread on the face of this earth and on the seas — بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ — and the cause of this, the reason why all of this is evident to us, the reason why we are able to see the widespread corruption taking place, is due to our own actions.

Take a moment to reflect over this ayah. Allah mentions that this is why He is showing you the calamities that are taking place today — because of our own very actions. Then Allah tells us what He wants from you and I after we acknowledge and we see that these are taking place because of us. Allah says: لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا — "I am showing you these calamities, they are evident, just so you can see some of the consequences of your actions." Allah is not taking us into full account for all of our actions at this moment — He is showing us some of the repercussions. بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا — just some of the actions that you have done. And the purpose of that, the maqsad of that, is لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ — so that ultimately you and I turn back to Allah.

Ultimately, you and I read the news, we see that this brother has passed away, this sister has passed away — we need to make an effort to come back to Allah. In another place of the Qur'an, Allah says:

Whatever calamity, whatever sort of problems a person is going through — فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ — it is because of their own actions, whatever the person has done that has led to that calamity befalling that individual.

The Countless Blessings of Allah

And as a result, when we look at all these blessings that Allah has given us, we truly understand that we are very, very fortunate individuals. Allah says multiple times in the Qur'an:

If you were to begin to enumerate the blessings of Allah upon you, if you were to count them — لَا تُحْصُوهَا — you will never be able to come to an end; you will never be able to encompass them. If we look just at our own selves, just within our own bodies, Allah says:

"Did We not create for mankind a set of eyes?" — and eyes that he can look with. These eyes should lead him towards acknowledging the bounties of Allah; the fact that Allah has given us eyes, we should see that Allah has kept us in a good condition whereas others are not necessarily in a good condition. "Did We not give mankind a pair of lips and a tongue?" — what is that tongue being used for? Are we slandering someone, are we backbiting someone, or are we constantly engaged with remembering Allah? Are we taking out time in our day to remember Allah and read the Qur'an and follow the sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ? Then Allah says: "Did We not show mankind both the paths?" — the path to goodness, the path to Jannah, and the path to wrong, the path towards Jahannam.

Allah elaborates the blessings and the bounties He has given us numerous times in the Qur'an, and as a result, it is incumbent upon each and every single one of us that we take a step back, we reflect, and we show gratitude to Allah for these bounties. The way an individual would show gratitude to Allah for these bounties — the very famous Arabic saying goes:

An individual, when he wants to show his gratitude towards the bounties of Allah, is to refrain from actions that lead to the displeasure of Allah. And the most ultimate form of shukr is:

The most perfect form of showing your gratitude to Allah is saying الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ. So we thank Allah for each and every single blessing and bounty He has bestowed upon us, and we ask Allah to continue to give us — as is mentioned in the Qur'an:

The more grateful you are, the more thanks and gratitude you show towards Allah — لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ — Allah says, "I will most definitely give you more." But if you and I choose to neglect these bounties of Allah, Allah reminds us that His punishment is very severe; His punishment is waiting for the people that are ungrateful. So we ask Allah to make us grateful for the bounties He has bestowed upon us and to give us the recognition to understand and to see those bounties that He has given us. Ameen, ya Rabb al-'Alamin.

The Qur'an: The Greatest Bounty

Of the many bounties and blessings that Allah has given you and I, one of the greatest forms of them was the Qur'an al-Karim. And what makes the Qur'an so significant, what makes it so special? The Qur'an was revealed upon the greatest creation of Allah, the best of mankind — Rasulullah ﷺ. And the Qur'an was given as a miracle to the best of nations — that being the nation of Rasulullah ﷺ. And you and I are included in that very mubarak and blessed nation of Rasulullah ﷺ.

As a result of us being part of this blessing of Allah, we must fulfill the rights of the Qur'an; we must live our life by the Qur'an. A person that chooses to live his life by the Qur'an will find himself to be guided; he will find that the Qur'an is sufficient for him; he will find that the Qur'an has all the answers in his life; he will find himself being provided for and sustained by Allah. Whereas a person that rejects the Qur'an, a person that completely abandons the Qur'an and doesn't choose to follow it, he will find himself living a life of misery, living a life where he is deprived of the bounties of Allah.

Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ in the Qur'an:

"Hold on firmly to that which Allah has revealed upon you" — which is the Qur'an al-Karim — "hold on firmly to it and live your life by it." إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ — "Indeed, you are upon the straight path." This tells you and I that if we live by the Qur'an, if we hold the Qur'an closely to ourselves, we will be among those that are guided as well. Then Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ — وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ — "This book, this Qur'an, is a means of remembrance for you and your people," for all of us. وَسَوْفَ تُسْأَلُونَ — "And most importantly, very soon I will question you about the Qur'an."

Allah will ask us: Did we give the Qur'an its proper haqq? Did we learn its rules? Did we learn how to articulate the letters properly? Did we learn to implement the statements of Allah into our lives? Are we spending time out of our days to recite the Qur'an? Are we bringing our children to recite the Qur'an? All these things will be asked about. This is a responsibility upon each and every single one of us, so it is important and necessary that we bring it into our lives and start implementing the Qur'an.

The Reward of Reciting the Qur'an

The Prophet ﷺ highlights in a hadith the virtue and the reward of the individual that recites the Qur'an. The Prophet ﷺ mentions:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2910)

"Whoever recites a harf from the Book of Allah, for him is a good deed — and the good deed is multiplied by ten." Then the Prophet ﷺ clarifies in the hadith what exactly is a harf: "I do not say that الم in itself is a harf, but rather أَلِفْ by itself is a harf, لَامْ by itself is a harf, and مِيمْ by itself is a harf."

Meaning, if you and I just take time out of our day to recite the Qur'an and we say الم — we recite Surah al-Fatihah, we flip the page, we find Surah al-Baqarah, we recite الم — Allah just gave you 30 good deeds for that. SubhanAllah! Something that takes less than 5 seconds to do, Allah gave you 30 good deeds for that. Such is the mercy of Allah — He is constantly looking for excuses to give you reward; He is constantly looking to give us multiplication in our actions. So we must find time in our day to inculcate the recitation of the Qur'an.

The Qur'an as Cure, Guidance, and Mercy

The Qur'an has many fadilah — many virtues and benefits. Allah highlights in the Qur'an:

"O mankind, verily advice has come to you from your Lord." Allah calls the Qur'an al-Karim a maw'izah — a means of admonishment, some advice for you from your Lord. And notice interestingly enough, Allah is addressing all of mankind in this ayah — He is not addressing just the believers. He says يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ. So this book of Allah, anybody can find some sort of benefit in it; there is benefit for every single person, so long as they are willing to put in their time and reflect over the Qur'an al-Karim.

Then Allah mentions: وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ — "In this book of Allah there contains a cure for what is in the hearts." As we mentioned earlier, at a time when we see calamity widespread and around us — in front of us, behind us, wherever that may be — many people are unaware of what Allah is seeking from us at this very moment. Many people don't know if their salah is being prayed properly, if they are giving zakat properly in the manner that Allah has asked them to give. Many people are clueless of these things. But it is important that when we reflect over the Qur'an, when we recite the Qur'an, Allah is telling you and I that there is a cure for you in this very book. If we choose to live our life by the Qur'an, everything is written out for us — what we need to do, what we don't need to do, all of it is written in the Qur'an for us.

And if we don't know, if we don't understand the Qur'an, if we cannot reflect over the Qur'an, Allah has blessed you and I to be part of this amazing community of Darul Salam where there are ulama left and right. We have programs that are taking place throughout the entire week, and these programs are for you and I to understand what the Qur'an is telling us — for you and I to understand what Allah is addressing us with, what Allah is seeking from us. And at a time where the entire ummah is confused and lost, there is no better time to connect ourselves to the Qur'an than now.

We should make it a habit and make an effort that from today I choose to change my life, that from today I choose to bring the Qur'an into my life. And insha'Allah you will find that any sort of shakk you have in your heart, any sort of doubt, any sort of ishkal, any sort of arguments that come in your mind in regards to the Qur'an, in regards to the religion, or any sort of musibah and any sort of problem that's taking place in the world — you will find an answer for it. And you will find that answer within the ulama, within the scholars — those that Allah mentions:

Allah says there are very few select individuals of His that have inherited the Book of Allah, and these individuals are none other than the ulama. Allah has put the Qur'an into their hearts; He has put the understanding of the Qur'an into their hearts, and they are there for us to go to them — we are supposed to flock to them and seek their assistance. So there is no better time for us to ponder the Qur'an, to dive further into the Qur'an, than now. We open the Qur'an and we will find an answer to each and every single one of our issues.

وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ — and Allah says that the Qur'an is a means of guidance for each and every single one of us, and it is a means of mercy as well. How is it a means of guidance? If you look from the beginning of the Qur'an to the end, Allah is often highlighting the past nations and their mistakes — what they did, what led to their destruction. Allah highlights the stories of the various prophets and what did they do when they felt like there was no other solution. Every time you read the Qur'an and you look into a story of a prophet, each of them ran back to Allah no matter what the situation was. Every single prophet ran back to Allah and sought assistance with Allah.

And it is necessary that we do the same. We look into the Qur'an, we recite the Qur'an, we reflect upon the Qur'an, and we run back to Allah. We acknowledge that whatever is taking place, whatever calamities we are seeing, whatever deficiencies we are seeing in ourselves — we need Allah to help us fix those issues that are taking place.

So this Qur'an al-Karim is a means of our sins being forgiven; it is a means of our guidance. Just like anything in life — if you buy a phone, it comes with a manual; everything has some sort of manual. Our life, the manual to our life, is the Qur'an al-Karim. If you live your life with the Qur'an, you will find yourself guided. If you choose to neglect it, then you will see the consequences of that as well.

The Qur'an as Your Intercessor

The Prophet ﷺ mentions in a hadith:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 223)

This Qur'an that you choose to recite, this Qur'an that you are choosing to indulge yourself in — it can be a means of your intercession on the Day of Judgment. Many of us, if we look into our lives, find ourselves being deficient in many categories — whether that's in my salah, in my sadaqah, whether I was deficient in my saum which passed just two months ago. But if we are not deficient in the tilawah of the Qur'an, if we gave the Qur'an its proper haqq and its proper right, then the Prophet ﷺ mentions that this Qur'an will be a means of your intercession on the Day of Judgment. And every single one of us needs some sort of intercession.

The Words of Imam al-Shatibī on the Qur'an's Virtue

And I will conclude with the beautiful lines of Imam al-Shatibī rahmatullahi alayhi, which he mentions in his Maẓhumah al-Shatibiyyah, on the fadl of the Qur'an and why the Qur'an is so significant. He mentions:

"The Book of Allah is the most trusted intercessor" — وَأَغْنَى غَنَاءً وَاهِبًا مُتَفَضِّلَا — "and it is constantly giving to the person that is reading the Qur'an." وَخَيْرُ جَلِيسٍ لَا يُمَلُّ حَدِيثُهُ — "The Qur'an is such that it is the best sitting companion" — لَا يُمَلُّ حَدِيثُهُ — "when you are reciting the Qur'an, when you are engaged with the Qur'an, you will never be bored of it; you will never find bitterness in your mouth when you are reciting it." وَتَرْدَادُهُ يَزْدَادُ فِيهِ تَجَمُّلَا — "The more you engage with the Qur'an, the more you recite it, the more you ponder over it, the more beauty you find in it, the more love you find for the Qur'an." And finally: وَحَيْثُ الْفَتَى يَتَاهُ فِي ظُلُمَاتِهِ مِنَ الْقَبْرِ يَلْقَاهُ سَنًا مُتَهَلِّلَا — "When the qari, the reciter of the Qur'an, is engulfed in the darkness of the grave, he will find the Qur'an come to him, comfort him, and give him glad tidings of a good outcome."

So we ask that Allah, first and foremost, allows us to see our mistakes and allows us to understand that each and every single thing that is going on in this world today is because of our own actions, because of what we have done. And as a result of that, we ask Allah to grant us the ability to ponder over the Qur'an, to recite the Qur'an, and ultimately guide us to the right path and give us the answer to all our issues. Wa akhiru da'wana anil hamdu lillahi Rabbil 'alamin.