Praise be to Allah. We thank Him, and seek His help and forgiveness. We repent to Him, and we ask Him to protect us and guard us from the evil within ourselves, and the evil of our deeds. Those who are guided by Allah, nothing shall misguide them, and those who are misguided by Allah; nothing shall guide them. I bear witness that there is no deity but Him, having no associates.
I also bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him, his companions and all those who will follow him till the Day of Judgment.
O Servants of Allah, I urge you and myself to be mindful of Allah the Almighty and obey Him, in light of what He says, “and fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly.” (Al Baqara: 281).
Dear Believers,
Allah the Sublime has devoted many chapters and verses from the holy Quran for stressing the elevated status of his Messenger Muhammad pbuh and establishing him as a role model for mankind. He, the almighty says, “There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” (Al Ahzab: 21).
One of the chapters that recount aspects of the Prophet’s life and traditions is Adduha, a Meccan Surah, in which Allah comforted him when revelations had been delayed for some days. As a result the Prophet got distressed and fell ill. And he was being derided and teased for being abandoned by Allah. Thereupon Allah, the Glorious revealed: “By the fore-noon, and by the night when it darkens (or is still); Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor hated you.” (Adduha: 1-3).
The verse came to reassure the Prophet pbuh of his Lord’s love and high status. It openly stated that neither did Allah forsake him, nor desert him, but He wanted to show people that revelation was but by His commands alone. “[Gabriel said], “And we [angels] descend not except by the order of your Lord. To Him belongs that before us and that behind us and what is in between. And never is your Lord forgetful.” (Maryam: 64).
Surat Adduha tells also the merits of the Hereafter over worldly life as it clearly says, “and the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life].” (Adduha: 4). It implies a promise that what is awaiting people in the next life is by no means similar to what is in the current. It is also a call not to feel sorry if some of this life’s benefits are missed as Allah has better than that in store for His servants.
In light of this spirit, our Prophet pbuh was less after life pleasures and was known for his self-denial. So when he had to choose, as his life drew to an end, between eternity on earth or joining his Lord, he pbuh went for the latter. In so doing he sought the Heavenly bliss. It was reported from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that Allah’s Messenger went out while he was ill with a bandage on his head, sat on the pulpit… and said, “Allah gave a choice to one of (His) servants either to choose this world or what is with Him in the Hereafter. He chose the latter.”
Truly the winners are those who have dedicated themselves to doing good deeds in life, and look forward to the next life with a sincere will. Those are the ones praised by Allah for their endeavor and He accepts their work. Allah says, “But whoever desires the Hereafter and exerts the effort due to it while he is a believer – it is those whose effort is ever appreciated [by Allah].” (Al Israa: 19).
As an act of honour towards His Messenger, Allah the Exalted promised in this Surah to award him with the best of blessings and please him. He the Almighty says, “and your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied.” (Adduha: 5). This is a Divine pledge of a larger scope comprising recompense accorded to the Prophet pbuh in this life and the next, mainly granting him the privilege of the intercession. Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet pbuh said, “there is for every apostle a (special) prayer with which he would pray. I wish I could reserve, my prayer for intercession of my Umma on the Day of Resurrection”.
Furthermore, Surat Adduha came to stress the crucial importance of caring for orphans. It says, “so as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].” (9). This call was best attended to by Allah’s Apostle Muhammad pbuh, who would treat orphans kindly, care for them and encourage their sponsorship. He said, “I and the sponsor of an orphan shall be in Paradise like these two.” And he indicated with his fingers, meaning his index and his middle finger. So those who engage in this highly merited act of sponsoring orphans are truly blessed.
Similarly, Adduha calls for providing help to the poor and distressed as it says, “and as for the petitioner, do not repel [him].” (10). In addition to his self-denial attitude and no fear of poverty, the Prophet pbuh used to give generously to those who were in hardship.
Abu Said al Khudri related that some people of the Ansar asked the Messenger of Allah pbuh and he gave to them. Then they asked him again, and he gave to them until he used up what he had. Then he said, “What wealth I have, I will not hoard from you. Whoever has forbearance, Allah will help him. Whoever tries to be independent, Allah will enrich him. Whoever tries to be patient, Allah will give him patience, and no one is given a better or vaster gift than patience.”
Yet the Prophet pbuh warned against weak-hearted persons abusing such a Quranic instruction by showing they are needy to avoid earning their living by themselves and relying instead on others for increasing their wealth. In this regard the Prophet pbuh said, “he who asks others to give to him in order to increase his own wealth, is akin to one who asks for live coals. He who wishes to have more, let him have it and he who wishes to have less, let him have it.”
We should be aware that charities and social assistance should be given only to those eligible according to religious and legal rules. So no one should infringe on the rights of the needy by, for example, providing erroneous information to mislead donors. This is a condemnable act, which is contrary to religion and human character and cause the perpetrators punishment on the Day of Judgment. In this regard, the Prophet pbuh warned: “Some men acquire Allah’s Property and they will go to Hell on the Day of Resurrection.”
Interpreters said that this Hadith condemns the act of taking more money than necessary by those eligible. Qabisa bin Mukhariq al Hilali, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah pbuh said, “asking for (the money of) Zakat is justified only for the following three: first, a man who is in debt: it is then permissible for him to receive [Zakat] until his difficulty is resolved; second, a man who was struck by calamity, which destroyed his holdings, which also makes it permissible for him to receive [Zakat] until he is in a position to earn his own living; and third, a man who has been reduced to poverty and three persons of caliber from among his people testify to his desperate circumstances.
“Such will receive until he finds a means of support for himself. Other than these cases, O Qabisah, it is considered as taking suht (unlawful or Haram earnings), and the person receiving it (this Zakat) will be consuming forbidden (unlawful) holdings”.
Having said this, we seek Allah’s favor to suffice us with (all that is) Halal from Him (and save us) from (all that is) Haram from Him and make us independent by His virtue from anyone besides Him. May Allah let us be amongst His virtuous servants and help us to obey Him and those He has ordained upon us to obey in compliance with His orders: “O you who believe, Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you.” (Annisaa: 59).
May Allah direct us all to the blessings of the Glorious Quran and benefit us all in whatever is in it of the Ayahs and the Wise Dhikr. I say this and ask Allah the Great, the Most Honored for forgiveness for me, you and all the Muslims for every sin, so invoke Him for forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.