Juz 14- Juz Gems
Assalaamu Alaykum! Tonight, our mashaayikh will recite Surat al-Hijr and Surat an-Nahl, which are both Meccan surahs. MashaAllah, we are close to halfway done with Ramadan and almost halfway through the beloved Qur’an.
The juz gem for today describes the inhabitants of Paradise in Surat al-Hijr:
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ﴿٤٥﴾ ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلَامٍ آمِنِينَ ﴿٤٦﴾ وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَانًا عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مُّتَقَابِلِينَ ﴿٤٧﴾لَا يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَمَا هُم مِّنْهَا بِمُخْرَجِينَ ﴿٤٨﴾
“Indeed, the righteous will be within gardens and springs, [Having been told], "Enter it in peace, safe [and secure],” And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other. No fatigue will touch them therein, nor from it will they [ever] be removed,” (Surat al-Hijr, ayat 45-48).
The Qur’an is replete with beautiful descriptions of Paradise, from what the inhabitants will wear, to the gardens promised to the righteous underneath which rivers flow. What is even more profound is that Allah does not only offer us the physical manifestations of Paradise; He, azza wa jal, also describes our internal states. We will feel at peace, safe, and feel absolutely no rancor or resentment towards one another.
When life gets overwhelming, some may escape to a beautiful resort for a vacation. However, if they are stressed about work or had a falling out with a friend, the vacation will never be 100 percent relaxing. One finds her heart in constant anguish and trepidation even if she is spending her time in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
Allah assures the doers of good that there will be no fear, no stress, and no anguish. What’s even more profound is this section of the gem- “And we will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment so they will be brothers, on thrones facing each other.” This teaches us that we won’t always get along with everyone who is working for the sake of Allah- we may even have very vehement disagreements and that is the true reality of our ummah. Not all personalities will mesh, and not every group or faction will be able to work together. Allah shows us, however, that His Mercy encompasses all and He will turn our hearts and faces towards those we never thought we could ever get along with in this world.
My very close friend wrote once, “I want to come to Allah completely exhausted- that I did everything I possibly could for His sake.” This drive to achieve such a lofty mission comes at the expense of devoting one’s time, resources, and talents to something beyond themselves. When one feels this sense of fatigue, definitely use what is within your toolbox to re-energize, but also remember how honorable it is to be chosen to do this work. The journey to Allah will be filled with obstacles, strained muscles, and weary bones. Trust that you are equipped to be among those in Jannah where “no fatigue will ever touch them, nor will they ever be removed.”