Lessons From The Quran - WordPress

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran6Always be on guard against IblisIblis approaches us while concealing his enmity towardsus – just as he deceived our forefathers, Adam (AS) andHawwa (AS), by claiming to be their well-wisher: ―Andhe swore to them, ‗Indeed, I am to you fromamong the sincere advisors.‘‖ (7:21) Hence, we mustalways be on our guard against the treacherous whispersof Iblis, and strive against him with all our faith,conscience, and will power, while beseeching Allah foraid against his deceptive ploys. Allah has informed usthat Iblis’s traps are ineffective when countered withfirm resolve: ―Indeed, there is for him [Iblis] noauthority over those who have believed and relyupon their Lord.‖ (16:99)18

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran7Do not grieve over your mistakesIt is not wise to keep grieving and lamenting over amistake. We must accept that Allah’s will alwaysprevails, and sometimes, a regrettable situation couldnot have been avoided. For example, apparently, Adam(AS) and Hawwa (AS) got humanity expelled fromParadise, but in reality, Allah had predetermined theearth to be our abode in this world, as He had earlierrevealed to the angels: ―Indeed, I will make upon theearth a successive authority.‖ (2:30) Hence, thewhole episode of the expulsion from Paradise wasmerely to demonstrate why humans are not worthy ofParadise without undergoing a trial period on earth. So,just as there is no point in grieving over the expulsionof our ancestral parents from Paradise, we must try tosee Allah’s wisdom and purpose in seeminglyregrettable situations we encounter, instead ofbemoaning them.19

Lessons from the Stories of the QuranThe Great Ship(Lessons 8—13)Nuh (AS) was the next major prophet after Adam (AS).His people became indulged in worshipping idolsnamed Wadd, Suwa, Yaghuth, Ya'uq and Nasr – thesepossibly being the names of righteous individuals fromearlier generations whose statues were made to reverethem that were later exalted to divine status. Nuh (AS)preached to his people to worship the only God, and tolive righteously. However, most of them disbelieved inhis prophethood and ridiculed him; they repelled himand even threatened to stone him to death. Allahcommanded Nuh (AS) to construct a ship (or ark) andtake the believers on board. Then He sent a severeflood that demolished the city completely. While thedisbelievers drowned, the ship sailed to safety.20

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran8Persevere in the cause of AllahNuh (AS) lived for 950 years, most of which he spenttrying to persuade his people to accept faith andestablish monotheism: ―And We certainly sent Nuhto his people, and he remained among them athousand years less fifty ‖ (29:14) Hence, forhundreds of years, Nuh (AS) persisted in guiding hispeople, striving in the path of Allah, and facing people’sridicule. In the same way, we must propagate theoneness of God, share His Word with others, spreadgoodness, and not feel dejected when others opposeour actions, because it is the effort – more than thefinal result – that counts in His sight.21

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran9Recognize Allah through His signsSince Allah is not visible to us, how do we seek torecognize Him? Through His signs and attributes! Thatis exactly how Nuh (AS) and other prophets describedAllah to their people. Consider the following argumentpresented by Nuh (AS) to those who opposed hismessage: ―What is the matter with you that you donot attribute to Allah grandeur? Whereas He hascreated you in stages! Do you not consider howAllah has created seven heavens in layers? And Hemade the moon therein a [reflected] light andmade the sun a burning lamp. And Allah hascaused you to grow from the earth a [progressive]growth. Then He will return you into it and extractyou [another] extraction.‖ (71:13-18)We should thus ponder the signs of Allah and Hiscreative wonders all around us, and encourage others todo the same. Knowing more about the universe revealsmore about Allah because whatever exists has beencreated by Him, and reflects His artistic design.22

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran10Material wealth is immaterial to AllahWhile wealth is a blessing from Allah, it is also a testfrom Him as it may encourage one to forget Him, andact arrogantly. This is the reason why many of theprophets, including Nuh (AS), had a large number ofpoor followers. The affluent among the nation of Nuh(AS) asked him rhetorically, ―Should we believe youwhile you are followed by the lowest [class ofpeople]?‖ (26:111) What these people failed to realiseis that the level of wealth one possesses has no value inthe sight of Allah; it is rather one’s faith and conductthat matter to Him.23

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran11Think before you ridicule―And he [Nuh] constructed the ship, and wheneverthe chiefs of his people passed by him, theyridiculed him.‖ (11:38) The disbelievers felt it madeno sense to construct a ship to sail on land, and so theymade fun of their prophet. However, soon Allah―opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouringdown, and caused the earth to burst withsprings ‖ (54:11-12) This resulted in a mighty floodthat drowned all except those aboard the ship, thusrevealing the purpose for constructing a ship on land!We should try to avoid ridiculing or disparaging others:it could be that we are unable to comprehend thewisdom behind a seemingly foolish act.24

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran12Treat animals with kindnessJust when the flood was approaching, Allahcommanded Nuh (AS), ―Load upon the ship of each[creature] two mates [male and female] ‖ (11:40)Hence, along with the believers, a pair of every speciesof animals in the region was also rescued from the greatflood, so that the pair could reproduce and not becomeextinct. We should similarly be kind towards animals,and protect them from extinction by reducingdeforestation, controlling pollution levels, andrestricting the slaughter of animals for entertainment orcommercial purposes. Animal rights have clearly beenprescribed by Prophet Muhammad (SAAS), who wassent as ―a mercy to the worlds‖ (21:107) – implying―a mercy for all creatures‖. There is a propheticnarration about a sinful woman who was forgiven byAllah merely for taking the trouble to provide water toa thirsty dog.25

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran13Mere blood relations cannot guaranteeParadiseA son of Nuh (AS) rejected the truth, and so wasdrowned by the flood despite his father’s wish that hebe rescued. Allah declared to Nuh (AS) regarding hisson, ―Indeed he is not of your family ‖ (11:46) Thisis because he had no faith in Allah and acted arrogantly.Similarly, the wife of Nuh (AS) was also not a believer,and thus suffered the same fate. We therefore learn thatbeing associated with a prophet or righteous persondoes not automatically lead to salvation. Every person isjudged by Allah for his or her own deeds and degree offaith. Allah makes this clear elsewhere in the Quran too:―And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden ofanother. And if a heavily laden soul calls [another]to [carry some of] its load, nothing of it will becarried, even if he should be a close relative.‖(35:18)26

Lessons from the Stories of the QuranThe Perished Nations(Lessons 14—19)After the great flood that destroyed the nation of Nuh(AS), many other nations rose to power, and prophetswere usually appointed from amongst those nations fortheir guidance. The reason for analysing together thestories of four prophets – Hud (AS), Salih (AS), Lut(AS), and Shuayb (AS) – is that they all present acommon theme.In each of these cases, the nation gained power, wealth,and influence that caused it to become corrupt anddisregard the monotheistic message of serving only oneGod. The people started worshipping deities alongsideAllah as well as indulged in social and moral evils. Allahappointed a prophet for the reformation of the peoplebut, despite all efforts to convince his people of thetruth, the prophet was rejected by the majority,ridiculed, and violently opposed. As a result, Allahdestroyed the nation through some naturalphenomenon, while allowing the believers to escape thedisaster and start a new civilization.27

Lessons from the Stories of the QuranHud (AS) belonged to the nation of Aad, while Salih(AS) was from Thamud. Lut (AS), a nephew of Ibrahim(AS), had emigrated from Ur, and settled in a city calledSodom where he preached. Shuayb (AS) was a residentof Madyan. Let us examine some of the lessons we canlearn from their narratives.28

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran14Do not blindly follow your forefathersWhen Hud (AS) admonished his people againstworshipping false deities, most of them retorted,―Have you come to us that we should worshipAllah alone and leave what our fathers haveworshipped?‖ (7:70) The residents of Thamudsimilarly questioned Salih (AS), ―Do you forbid us toworship what our fathers worshipped?‖ (11:62)People tend to become emotionally attached to theirlong-held customs and traditions without reflecting ontheir desirability or plausibility. Today, we must bewareof our own customs and societal norms that are falselyattributed to Islam, and renounce all unfair culturalpractices that are being passed down generations.29

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran15Do not belittle the signs of AllahThe perfect design of this universe, and all that itcontains, reflects the dominion and supremacy of Allah.However, many people make the mistake of lookingpast His signs or denying them altogether. Allahappointed a she-camel as a specific sign for Thamud,but the people ridiculed this sign, and hamstrung her,thus inviting His punishment: ―And We gave Thamudthe she-camel as a visible sign, but they wrongedher.‖ (17:59) We must remember that signs of Allah’spresence and dominion are evident in the tiniest particleof His creation, and not just in the miracles granted tothe prophets.―Indeed, Allah is not timid to present an example –that of a mosquito or what is smaller than it. Andthose who have believed know that it is the truthfrom their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve,they say, ‗What did Allah intend by this as anexample?‘ He misleads many thereby and guidesmany thereby. And He misleads not except thedefiantly disobedient.‖ (2:26)30

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran16Be mindful of Allah‘s favoursIn times of affluence and comfort, we tend to forgetadversity, and start taking Allah’s favours for granted.We believe that our success is due only to our ownefforts and expertise; as a result, we act arrogantly,deprive others of their rights, and become indifferent tothe will of Allah. Such was the case with the perishednations. Salih (AS), for example, reminded the residentsof Thamud that their prosperity could not have beenpossible without Allah’s help and favour: ―Andremember when He made you successors after theAad and settled you in the land, [and] you take foryourselves palaces from its plains and carve homesfrom the mountains. Then remember the favours ofAllah and do not commit abuse on the earth,spreading corruption.‖ (7:74) We must expresssincere gratitude to Allah for His innumerable blessingsin our life.31

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran17Do not be afraid of people‘s disapprovalWe may perform certain desirable acts that fail to winthe approval of those around us. This is because thenorms of society are not necessarily based on thecommandments of Allah, and may reflect people’s owncriteria for right and wrong. For this reason, it maysometimes be necessary to go against people’s wishes,and end up disappointing those who previously held ahigh opinion about us. When Salih (AS) rejected theworship of false deities, his people thus addressed him,―O Salih, you were a man of promise among usbefore this ‖ (11:62) We must be confident about thepath we choose, and not let others’ uninformedopinions bring us down.32

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran18Social ills can bring about a society‘sdownfallThese nations were ultimately punished not just forassociating partners with Allah but also for their socialand moral ills. The residents of Madyan were dishonestand exploited others through deceptive trade practices.Shuayb (AS) warned them, ―Give full measure and donot be of those who cause loss. And weigh with aneven balance. And do not deprive people of theirdue and do not commit abuse on earth, spreadingcorruption.‖ (26:181-183) This makes it clear thatdishonesty, especially in earning one’s livelihood, is amajor sin, and worthy of the severest punishment.The men among the nation of Lut (AS) practisedsodomy: ―And [We had sent] Lut when he said tohis people, ‗Do you commit such immorality as noone has preceded you with from among theworlds? Indeed, you approach men with desire,instead of women.‖ (7:81) The people of Aad wereadmonished for their military aggression and tyranny, asHud (AS) pointed out to them, ―And when you strike,you strike as tyrants!‖ (26:130)33

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran19No nation is infallibleThese nations possessed great engineering skills as wellas military might. Aad, for example, constructed ―loftypillars, the likes of which had never been created inthe land‖ (89:7-8) – in addition to their palaces,fortresses, and other landmarks. However, these nationscould not withstand the natural disasters through whichAllah brought their thriving civilizations to an end. Aadwere destroyed by a raging wind that lasted for sevennights and eight days; Thamud and Madyan were bothdevastated by terrible earthquakes; and the people ofLut (AS) suffered from what has been described as asevere storm of clay stones. Today, we see entirecommunities and centuries-old landmarks wiped out byearthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes, reminding us toalways be grateful to Allah and not to considerourselves infallible.―As for Aad, they were arrogant upon the earth withoutright and said, ‗Who is greater than us in strength?‘ Didthey not consider that Allah who created them wasgreater than them in strength? But they continued toreject Our signs.‖ (41:15)34

Lessons from the Stories of the QuranA Friend of God(Lessons 20—24)Ibrahim (AS) was one of the greatest and mostinfluential prophets. Allah bestowed the highest honourupon him by making him a ―leader for humanity‖(4:125), and taking him as ―an intimate friend.‖(4:125)He was born about four thousand years ago in thethriving city of Ur, in modern-day Iraq. His communitywas deeply devoted to the worship of idols – a concepthe rejected at a very young age. He argued with hispeople regarding their erroneous beliefs, but afterfailing to convince them to serve the only God, hemigrated to Palestine with his group of followers,including Lut (AS) who was his nephew. Ibrahim (AS)preached Allah’s word far and wide, laying thefoundations of monotheism in various lands.Ibrahim (AS) had two sons, both of whom were laterappointed as prophets. His wife, Sarah (AS), gave birthto Ishaq (AS), from whom the tribe of Israel isdescended. His second wife, Hajar (AS), gave birth to35

Lessons from the Stories of the QuranIsmail (AS) from whom many of the Arabs aredescended. Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS) constructedthe Sacred House (Kaabah) in the valley of Makkah,and established the practice of the great annualpilgrimage (Hajj) – a tradition continuing to this day.36

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran20Convey the truth using reason and logicThe proper way of convincing people of the truth isthrough reason and cognition rather than insisting onblind acceptance of faith. This has been the way of theprophets: they always appealed to people’s intellect withtheir preaching, and advised them to reflect on theuniverse and use common sense. Let us briefly considerthree stories from the life of Ibrahim (AS) that illustratehow reason and logic are essential components inunderstanding the oneness and supremacy of God.(A) Who is my Lord?As a young man, Ibrahim (AS) rejected the worship ofidols, seeing no sense in this practice. One night, heobserved a star in the sky and thought that could be thelord of the worlds. But when the star set, he becameconvinced it could not be so. He similarly consideredthe moon and the sun to be his lords, but when theytoo set, he realised his Lord was the Unseen One whocontrols heavenly bodies, rather than being one ofthose bodies. He was convinced it was illogical to take37

Lessons from the Stories of the Quranphysical objects as gods. Allah thus guided him to thetruth, and revealed the Scripture to him.(B) Broken idolsIbrahim (AS) was eager to see his nation abandon idolworship. So, one day, while his people were away, hesquashed all their idols except the largest of them.When the people suspected him of the act, he blamedthe idol still intact, and challenged the people toquestion the broken idols if they did not believe him.This made the people realise the folly of their ways, fortheir gods never could speak! Our egos make us blindto reason, however: the people quickly recovered fromtheir state of embarrassment, and declared, ―Indeed,you know well that they do not speak!‖ (21:65)Ibrahim (AS) answered, ―Do you then worshipinstead of Allah that which does not benefit you atall or harm you? Fie on you and what you worshipinstead of Allah. Will you not then use reason?‖(21:66-67)(C) The king‘s argument―Have you not considered the one who arguedwith Ibrahim about his Lord [merely] becauseAllah had given him kingship? When Ibrahim said,38

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran‗My Lord is the one who gives life and causesdeath,‘ he said, ‗I give life and cause death.‘Ibrahim said, ‗Indeed, Allah brings up the sunfrom the east, so bring it up from the west.‘ So thedisbeliever was overwhelmed, and Allah does notguide the wrongdoing people.‖ (2:258)39

Lessons from the Stories of the Quran21Being inquisitive can strengthen your faithWhile some aspects of our Creator cannot be graspedby human senses, there is nothing wrong with beinginquisitive about His exalted traits and how He ordainsmatters. In fact, knowing Allah better makes our belieffirm, and enables us to serve Him with greater sincerityand devotion. If you are inquisitive about His ways, itmay reaffirm your faith in His creative abilities.Consider the following plea made by Ibrahim (AS) tosatisfy his heart: ―And [mention] when Ibrahim said,‗My Lord, show me how You gi

The Warrior King (Lessons 41—44) 64 Two Splendid Kingdoms (Lessons 45—50) 69 The Man of the Fish (Lessons 51—54) 76 A Miraculous Birth (Lessons 55—61) 81 The Man with the Two Horns (Lessons 62—64) 90 The Hidden Cave (Lessons 65—70) 95 . Le