Juz 27- Juz Gems

Assalaamu Alaykum! Tonight our mashaayikh will recite the 27th juz of the Qur’an. MashaAllah, this juz is filled with many short and powerful surahs that pull at one’s heartstrings. One surah that is chock full of lessons is Surat al-Hadeed where we find today’s juz gem:

مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَا ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّـهِ يَسِيرٌ ﴿٢٢﴾لِّكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَا آتَاكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ ﴿٢٣﴾

“No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being - indeed that, for Allah, is easy -In order that you not despair over what has eluded you and not exult [in pride] over what He has given you. And Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful,” (Surat al-Hadeed ayaat 22-23).

Surat al-Hadeed begins with many attributes of Allah- Exalted in Might, Wise, the Ruler, the Giver of Life, the One who causes death, the Omnipotent, the First, the Last, the Apparent, the Intimate, and the Omniscient. It then crescendos by saying, “and He is with you wherever you may be,” (57:4). This level of intimacy is also reflected in Surat Qaf, “We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein,” (50:16). The juz gem verses reflect this level of comfort as well.

Whenever a natural or man-made disaster afflicts our world, it takes only a few moments before all of the news outlets deploy reporters and real-time updates are happening via social media platforms. We collectively mourn the loss of innocent lives and pray that Allah eases the difficulties placed on the victims. These disasters imprint on our collective psyche and are apparent in nature.

Allah couples these natural disasters with the disasters within ourselves that no one is privy to. We may suffer from unbearable grief, heartbreak, anxiety, depression, physical pain, etc. and we may feel so alone in our suffering. And yet, Allah reassures us that just as war is raging in our world, He knows of the internal war raging within our hearts. He is so intimately aware of our feelings, our thoughts, our struggles, and is not detached in the slightest. Imam ash-Shafi’i wrote, "If you knew how Allah deals with your affairs for you, your heart would melt out of love for Him."

And it has all been recorded so that we may not despair. We will be able to bear the pain because Allah tells us we can do it. With the right outlook, surviving tribulations draws us closer to our Creator. Truly, it is not Allah who is detached from us, but we are the ones who are constantly turning away.

Use these verses to propel you closer to a Lord who erases your sins for any hardship that may befall His believers. The Prophet Muhammad (sas) states, “There is no calamity that befalls a Muslim but Allah expiates (sin) thereby, even a thorn that pricks him,” (Sahih Bukhari).

May Allah allow us to draw near to Him in these last few remaining days and nights of Ramadan. May He encompass us in His Mercy and allow us to feel His closeness wherever we may be.