In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 “Peace and Blessings of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s), all his descendents and companions.”

                                                                                                    -Aameen.

Dedicated to Naba 'cause she is a dear sweet heart ;))

Imam Baihaqi has stated on the authority of Fathima binth Muhammad (s.a.w) who stated:

“The reciters of Surah Ar-Rahman are known in the heavens and the earth as the dwellers of Jannathul Firdaus.”  -Baihaqi

 Chapter Eight                                     

Though I have read, recited, chanted and heard this dear surah so many, many times still it never fails to make my heart tremble afresh with fear whenever I come to the verses which warns the disbelievers of the painful torment prepared for them because of their disbelief, for even in imagination it strikes terror into one’s heart!

Still I cannot but love this surah because the verses towards the end always reassure and delight me, replacing my fear into bliss with the promise of the glorious gardens of paradise to all of the believers.

I don’t think anyone can blame me for falling for such a marvelous surah over and again every single time, and I for one won’t be surprised if many have already fallen under its beauty and charm because this whole book of Allah is such a wonder that there have been many times when I pause and ponder on how Ar-Rahman, the All Merciful could state such vast wisdom and profound truth in even a tiny little verse! And yeah I then smack my foolish self because isn’t Allah, the true Lord of the whole universe capable of anything? For I swear by Him in whose hands my soul is! No mortal being could have written the Holy Qur’an and of course that is what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) Himself says:

“And this Qur’an is not such as could ever be produced by other than Allah (Lord of the heavens and the earth), but it is a confirmation of (the Revelation) which was before it [i.e., the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], and a full explanation of the Book (i.e., laws decreed for mankind)–wherein there is no doubt – from the Lord of the Alameen (mankind, jinn, and all that exists).” (V.10:37)

Say: “If the mankind and the jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another.” (V.17:88)

And for those who daily recite and reflect upon the greatness and depth of Allah’s words, can they ever deny about Ar-Rahman’s Sakeenah (Divine peace) which always descends upon its reciters and hearers; enveloping, protecting, nourishing, encouraging yet never once failing them!

For such is the truth about the Most Noble Qur’an:

“This is the Book (the Qur’an), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqeen [the pious believers of Islamic Monotheism who fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)].”(V.2:2)

“And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allah as Muslims).” (V.16:89)

Not long back when our class was discussing about the Noble Qur’an, our Arabic Professor said, “The Holy Qur’an is such a marvel of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) that each and every person finds something special in it for him/her.

A believer finds hope and promise of a beautiful reward and disbeliever warnings of a severe punishment or the Mercy of the Most Gracious Lord...a philosopher finds it full of philosophies while a poet is surprised to discover that the whole book is written in the purest poetry, yet vast is the depth and wisdom of each verse!

A scientist of course stumbles upon various facts of science in it; many of which have been discovered only in the recent times while the Holy Qur’an was revealed thousand and four hundred years ago!  

A mystic will acknowledge that the whole book in itself is a miracle indeed, while a wanderer will find it contains the true purpose of his creation which he had been seeking everywhere in his whole life!

A sick person will find it full of healings and cure for both his body and soul while the restless and the exhausted would of course finally find the true peace in it…” She ultimately paused for breath and smiled “Well I think one could simply go on and on about the Kitabullah”

Both I and Saji, my close friend had been listening to the Professor’s words in growing amusement and while she stopped we could barely suppress our wide grins, coz just before she began we both had been discussing exactly the same things about the Holy Qur’an.

Like always we were sitting at the very back of the packed class room and Saji chuckled when I whispered,

“Ma’am has snake’s ears or she can read our minds.”

“Don’t be silly, snakes do not have ears and I don’t think ma’am is a mind reader,” She whispered back. “Remember the assignment thing and the mass bunk? If she can read our minds why didn’t she find whose idea it was instead of asking the girls to reveal the name? Besides you yourself said it was Didi who told you all those points about Al-Quran, and how ma’am said exactly the same things is because your sis studied Arabic with her last year and they obviously would have discussed about the Holy Qur’an.” She concluded, giving me a how-can-you-forget-such-things look.

“O Saji, wise girlie! Where will I be without thee? You are always explaining things for free.” I said grinning and promptly ducked before she could hit me.

“May I know what is happening at the back?” I heard the Professor ask from the front, it was a simple question yet when asked by ma’am you know you are in trouble.

I straightened and smiled somewhat sheepishly while Saji blushed, lowering her hand which had missed its target.

“We were, er,” I began, thinking furiously how to tell her that we had been only talking about the subject, though not very particularly about it. 

“…discussing further ma’am.” Saji hastily added, putting on her studious air. “That is, about the subject’s points…”

“No, not you two,” Ma’am dryly dismissed our sorry remarks and pointed to my right where three more girls were sitting and I could see that they all had mobiles in their hands. Of course they were all caught red-handed! And how they dared to use them in the Professor’s presence is something I would rather not imagine. Why can’t these girls wait till the class ends? Only 5 or 10 minutes more were there and now only Allah knows how they are going to deal with this. 

“Please hand over all the cell phones, IDD department right?” Ma’am inquired sharply and while they nodded, I turned back to Saji who looked at me with dancing eyes.

“Ya Allah! That was close.” I murmured, smiling.

Saji nodded and scribbled something in her note that she softly pushed towards me.

 What I read was,

‘I am not finished with you yet, wait till ma’am exits ;)’

I looked at her and gave an innocent look, mentally preparing myself to run as fast as possible when the class ends.

Saji rolled her eyes, perfectly knowing what I intended to do.

Well time has passed and classes had come and gone since that day and I recalled this incident only after I began searching in my mind’s various storage vaults about information, which I read, learned or heard about the Holy Qur’an. At first, it was only Didi’s words I remembered, which naturally lead me to our Professor’s similar words. And while I typed them here I found myself agreeing and smiling, the former coz of the truth which could be seen in every word they said about the Noble Qur’an and the latter because for the first and last time I outran Saji that memorable day.

I think that every class or school or college or uni definitely has that one very rich kid or kids who was pointed out to you when you were new or whom you pointed out to someone new as the ‘Our very own Bill Gates you know, God! Just wait till you see his car’ or ‘Last year he gave a party at his home, well, it is actually a mansion and what a blast it was!’ or if it is a girl you go gaga about her designer clothes or the new abaya or the accessories or the hair style or the oh-you-know-what-else! I guess it is the common human mentality, (Rahman knows that I do too) yet more than the gadgets or accessories I envy their ability to do Sadaqah whenever and wherever they wish, without ever having to search or count money before they give. That is a blessing of Allah indeed!

Still Alhamdulillah, I am happy in this situation of mine. Not for the world I would change places with any of them, for Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala always knows best  where to keep everybody, Coz what if this Gudi turns into a miser (May Allah forbid!) after Ar-Rahman stuffs me with riches. So leaving those glittery, shiny gold and stuff alone I turned to other ways in which The Most Beautiful Allah could become pleased with this slave of His.         

And I found that no matter whether you were male or female, rich or poor, white or black it is the intention of your good deeds which Allah sees. If your Niyyah (intention) is to please Him and to gain His favour, then I give you one hundred and one percent guarantee that success is yours my dear friend, both in this world and hereafter!

 Don’t you think that the scene below is similar but much superior to the above-mentioned finger pointing- swooning over wealth, beauty etc material things?

“For him (each person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the Command of Allah...” (V.13:11)

A large group of angels descend gracefully from heaven to the earth in a place, very familiar to you and is addressed by another group of angels. 

First Group: Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu!

Second Group: Walaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu! Have you finished your duties?

First Group: Alhamdulillah, yes we have finished what Allah had commanded us to (i.e., we have protected so and so, helped so and so etc.)… We are ascending back to heaven now, any news from above?

Second Group: By Allah yes! We have great news; do you see that girl in the green hijab standing near the rose bush? Her name is Faiza Fathima, daughter of Syed Wahidullah; she has been announced in the heavens as a dweller of Jannathul Firdaus. Verily the reward which is being prepared for her by Ar-Rahman coz of her good deeds in this world is very beautiful and magnificent, though she knows it not! And to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is all our final return.

First Group: Allahu Akbar! Yes our return is to Him alone, and what the daughter of Syed Wahidullah has been announced to is very great indeed! Come let us all do Musafa (shaking hands) and greet her before we leave. For, her position in front of Allah (the Most Pure) is one of the best and very high.

Second Group: wAllah! Nor we would be backwards in doing such a gesture with a chosen dweller of Firdaus!

Thus almost every angel greet and shake the chosen dweller’s hands and the news spreads both in the heavens and the earth that so and so, daughter of so and so has been announced as a dweller of the most wonderful Firdaus. This incident is about just one girl, while there would be many other similar scenes happening around the world with person’s young and old, male and female, happy and distressed etc…i.e., according to their deeds Insha Allah. And Ar-Rahman knows best.

“Whatever is with you, will be exhausted, and whatever is with Allah (of good deeds) will remain. And those who are patient, We will certainly pay them a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do. (V.16:96)

The chosen dweller could be you or your best friend or your worst enemy

Or your darling sister or your teasing brother or your beloved mother or your kind father or your pious relative or your stern teacher or your strange neighbour… 

Or the girl who breaks down in solitude, with a cry that tears her sobbing heart confessing her sins and seeking Ar-Rahman’s pardon;

Or the guy who suppressing his tears, laughs with a thousand cares, placing his trust completely in Allah alone;

Or the child who is teased coz of her hijab yet wears it to please the Almighty;

Or the mother who sheds tears in her every prayer for the child whom she knew is taking the wrong path yet listens to her not;

Or the father who turns his sighs into smiles after a long tiring day yet sits with his children telling the story of our beloved Prophet (s.a.w) so that they all could be guided and blessed by the Most Merciful;

Or the man who takes loving care of his aged parents never thinking them a burden, for his thoughts are centered on earning Allah’s pleasure;

Or the woman who covers herself completely when she leaves her home neither minding the weather nor the remarks of others for she believes that all her pain and sufferings would be nothing when Ar-Rahman Himself would reward her in the hereafter; (And what a reward it would be!)

Or the young couple who prays together the Prayer of the Night seeking their Lord’s Face while the whole world sleeps; (wAllah! I believe the whole romance of the world would be nothing compared to these two’s love while they pray thus.)

Or the one who tries to follow the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w) in every little thing which he does, so that on the Last day he would be greeted with a smile of recognition and an easy intercession to Allah, the King of Kings while all the mankind would be standing helpless;

Or the one who loves and hates only for Allah’s sake, the sole Master of the Universe;

Or the one who is compassionate to others; or the one who is always the first to say Salaam;

Or the one who readily forgives for his Lord’s sake; or the one who is ever grateful to Ar-Rahman for the billions of blessings bestowed upon him;

Or the one who…

Yeah thus the list goes on and on and you never really know who is closer or dearer to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), so always pause for a moment before you think worse of others, for in the Eyes of the Most Gracious Allah they would be superior to you!

Finally do good deeds as much as you can and as often as you can… never mind whether they are big or small, tough or easy, ‘cause if your intention is to please the Lord of the Alameen then the reward from Him will have no bounds indeed!

“Whoever works righteousness – whether male or female – while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter).” (V.16:97)

And if you ever do something wrong, why then immediately ask forgiveness from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and it does not matter whether it was done today or yesterday or the day before or the last month or the last year, beg His pardon now with your whole heart and say ‘Ya Allah! Forgive me, for You are the Most Forgiving and love to forgive your slaves and help and guide me in not committing it again, verily You are the best of all guiders! Aameen’ and Ar-Rahman the Lord of both the heavens and the earth loves the one who repents sincerely and is Most Merciful and Ever Forgiving!

I tried but cannot end this chapter without saying or well, shouting

“DO RECITE SURAH AR-RAHMAN ONCE EVERY SINGLE DAY INSHA ALLAH!”

And don’t ever let Shaitan make you forget about it, recite it early in the morning or in the evening or whenever it is that you have time… try and make it your habit Insha Allah until both in the heavens and the earth you will be pointed out by the angels as “.....................!”  Ah yes, that’s it ;)

May the Most Gracious Ar-Rahman grant such a status to all of us Insha Allah! Aameen Summa Aameen.

With Duas and Salaam,

abdurRahman :))

p.s. The video on the side - If you ask me what would I want to hear during my last breath, the answer obviously would be Qari Basith's Qiraath of Surah Ar Rahman ;))) Whenever I listen to it I feel so completely free like my soul has finally departed as my heart overflows with awe and peace but it always comes to an end and I find myself dazedly looking around my surroundings while wondering, Am I still here? *Sighhh*