Letting go of 'old clothes'

I stumbled upon a really nice tweet from a friend, which goes like this:

Love the feelings that I get when getting rid of old clothes. To let the past to be a past and looking forward into the future. Moving forward. - leolumpy

Which 'wowed' me for a second.

Wow because firstly I am no fan of getting rid of old clothes. If there's such an award of being 'The Clingiest Person to Old Clothes', I could have won. Mak always complained about my wardrobe looking like supermarket and the content looks like water in the sea. Because that is how they look like. I keep clothes and especially tudung from 5, 6, 7, 8 years back; when bawal is so in, and tudung with kerawang at the back is chick. Heck, I even keep the tudung I wore for night prep in high school! Skip the tudung, I even brought along almost all of my old clothes when I checked in to UIA for further study, and yes, never wear them anyway. Why eh?

not my real wardrobe, kapish?

I found letting go is hard. Not only of the old clothes. They are like metaphor of my past. I guess.

Clinging to the past is a huge burden. It's like a metal ball and chain like inmates used to wear, follows wherever they go and it's hindering the steps. And like inmates, I never wanted to be chained like that, as much as I don't want to look back to my past. People says 'why look back'? I'd say, 'it's not easy as it sounds'. The past is chained to my leg, whether I like it or not, it will be part of me for the rest of my life. It's not like I've never tried to get let go, but everytime I thought everything is resolved, seems the ball and chain are still there. My old clothes are still there. I don't want to say I am afraid of the future, but I guess at some point I am.

Maybe getting rid of the clothes is the first easy step that I can do. And I hope I can feel the feelings my dear tweet friend felt after. :)

Tafsir Surah Al-Mulk (4)

Theme: How Can You Feel Secure From The Punishment of Allah While He Is Able to Seize You However He Wills

Do you feel secure that He who [holds authority] in the heaven would not cause the earth to swallow you and suddenly it would sway?

Or do you feel secure that He who [holds authority] in the heaven would not send against you a storm of stones? Then you would know how [severe] was My warning.

And already had those before them denied, and how [terrible] was My reproach.

Notes:

1) How can we feel secure living in this world doing sins, when Allah's punishment can happen anytime He wants; His punishment can happen in the form of natural disaster and when that happened, Allah did not separate believers and the disbelievers; everyone will suffer the calamity equally. Why? Earlier in the surah, Allah has described life as a test. For the believers, this type of test (natural disaster and calamity) can help them to enter jannah, if they have patience and perseverance. So Allah is actually helping them attain jannah, by hardship. Look how merciful Allah is.

Theme: The Flight of The Birds is By the Power of Allah, and It is a proof that He Sees Everything, Big and Small

Do they not see the birds above them with wings outspread and [sometimes] folded in? None holds them [aloft] except the Most Merciful. Indeed He is, of all things, Seeing.

Notes:

1) This ayat is provoking us to look at how the birds spread their wings and fly in the sky, verily Allah is the one who holds every single one of them in the air.

2) Why do Allah mentioned birds?

- If Allah can see and hold the birds in the air and maintained their provisions, we have to have faith that we too are taken care of in every single need. However, we still have to make effort because Allah will not change anything unless we change ourselves first.

- If Allah can see tiny birds in the sky, Allah can see us committing sins also. Indeed He is All-Seeing.

Theme: No One Can Help You And No One Can Grant You Sustenance Except Allah

Or who is it that could be an army for you to aid you other than the Most Merciful? The disbelievers are not but in delusion.

Or who is it that could provide for you if He withheld His provision? But they have persisted in insolence and aversion.

Notes:

1) Allah is the only one who can help us whenever we feel like there's no hope. During the war of Badar, the Muslim army were outnumbered by 313 vs. 10,000. But they had attained victory with Allah's will, where He aided them with His army (the angels). So have faith with Allah, indeed He is the best helper.

Tafsir Surah Al-Mulk (3)

Theme: The Reward of Those Who Fear Their Lord Unseen

Indeed, those who fear their Lord unseen will have forgiveness and great reward.

Notes:

1) "Ajrun kabir" = "ajrun kareem" = jannah.

2) The concept 'fear' in 'fear of Allah' has no negativity. Fearing something or someone usually has negative connotation in it; this fear comes with some hatred where we usually don't want to encounter them, they bring bad feelings to us. But in the context of 'fear of Allah', fear here is out of love. When we love Allah, we fear to do something that He did not like, fear of His punishment and of not being able to see Him in jannah.

And conceal your speech or publicize it; indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.

Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?

Notes:

1) Allah knows everything in our hearts, even the unspoken ones. There are 2 stories of the revelation for [67:13]:

Story 1: There was a spot called Darul Nadwah during the time of Rasulullah SAW. This was where the Musyrikin sat down and discussed plots to kill Rasulullah SAW. Abu Jahal was one of them. But plot after plot, they still failed to kill Ar-Rasul. So one day Abu Jahal figured that they should keep their voice down by whispering so no one could hear them discussing. But verily Allah is All-Hearing.

Story 2 (incomplete): Two men were talking about something bad and said they should speak slowly so Allah won't hear them. But verily Allah is All-Hearing.

Indeed there are no barriers for Allah. Unlike us human, some things are unseen to us because we are barred by space and time.

2) When an ayat ends with Allah's name, it is relevant to the meaning of the ayat. Like ayat number 14 which ends with "Al-lateeful khabeer". "Lateef" mean very tiny, gentle, nice, "khabeer" means knows the ins and outs of His creations. Relevant to the theme of the ayat which talks about Allah is All-Hearing of everything in ones heart; and His forgiveness and great reward to the people who fear their lord unseen. Try ayat number 2 (ends with "ghafurrurraheem" - almighty and forgiving).

Theme: Allah's Favor of Subjugating The Earth To His Servants

It is He who made the earth tame for you - so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision - and to Him is the resurrection.

Notes:

1) Allah has created the world for us as provisions. And He definitely created us for a purpose. Every single one of us will be asked what we did with our lives and the amanah given to us - time, spouses, children, wealth. It is one of the jobs as believers, which is to "...protect yourselves and your families from the hellfire.." [66:6].

And bear and mind that He could use air/water/land as mercy, or even as punishment in the world.

2) When people do sins, Allah's creations (mountains, sea etc.) will offer to destroy them. Allah will then said, "..leave me alone with my creations, If I created them, I have mercy on them (give them a chance).." (reference needed)

3) In Surah Al-Zalzalah, Allah described the earth to be shaking, and everything inside the earth will be resurrected. The earth will speak, as a witness of our actions. Every spot on the earth where we make sujud or sadaqah or lying or backbiting, the earth will tell. Based on this ayat "That Day, it (earth) will report its news" [99:4], that people do solat/sujud at different spots in masjid/on the face of earth, because the earth will testify for them in the hereafter.

Tafsir Surah Al-Mulk (2)

Theme: Creation of Death, Life, The Heavens and Stars

[And] who created seven heavens in layers. You do not see in the creation of the Most Merciful any inconsistency. So return [your] vision [to the sky]; do you see any breaks?

Then return [your] vision twice again. [Your] vision will return to you humbled while it is fatigued.

Notes:

1) Allah is telling the amazingness of His creation (in this ayat, the heavens (sky)). He asked us to find any break or inconsistency in the sky. (in the coming surah we will learn that the perfect sky will break and open in the day of judgement). If one tries to find any imperfection of the sky, he will certainly be despaired.

2) Allah has created nature to serve us in dunya, while Allah created us to serve Him.

And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with stars and have made [from] them what is thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze.

Notes:

1) 'We' here does not signifies plurality, but to signify the royalness of Allah. Just like when the king or queen says 'We'.

2) Allah has created stars for 3 purposes:

- Decorations of the nearest heavens [67:5]

- For navigations. "And landmarks. And by the stars they are [also] guided." [16:16]

- Burning the devils [67:5]

The devils used to go to the nearest heaven to eavesdrop the conversation between Allah and the angels about the future and fate of human. The devils will steal this information and whisper it to magicians and fortunetellers. Allah will send burning stars to burn them.

3) the word "dunya" (world) has two meanings: - near - worthless. This world is called dunya because that is what it is - nearest to us before we are headed to the hereafter, and worthless because life 'here' is nothing compared to life 'there'. Verily this worldly life is just adornment and amusements which will end [57:20]

Theme: The description of Hell and Its Dwellers

And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of Hell, and wretched is the destination.

Notes:

1) Kafir comes from the root "ka fa ra" which literally means to cover. A kafir knows the truth but covers/conceals it.

2) The differences between "rabb" and "ilaah":

- Rabb: to educate, the master, lord. to create something out of nothing and provides His creation. In other context, rabbulusrah = father. because a man start a family 'out of nothing' and provide his family.

- Ilaah: worthy of worship. Allah is al-ilaah, means the ONE who is worthy of worship

In this world, Allah provides his creations ample sources for living, regardless if they are Muslims or not. Allah is warning the disbelievers of His punishment in the hereafter.

When they are thrown into it, they hear from it a [dreadful] inhaling while it boils up

It almost bursts with rage. Every time a company is thrown into it, its keepers ask them, "Did there not come to you a warner?"

Notes:

1) Allah is describing the behavior of the hellfire towards the disbelievers in these 2 ayats. "syaheeq" means to inhale, the opposite of "zafeer" (to exhale).

The hellfire is described to have feelings, like human. When the hellfire sees the disbelievers from far, it exhales (zafeer) with fury and disgust. "When the Hellfire sees them from a distant place, they will hear its fury and roaring" [25:12]. And when the disbelievers are thrown ("ulqu" means to be pushed) into the hellfire, the hellfire will inhale (syaheeq) the disbelievers, as in sucking them inside while the hellfire boils up (tafuur). And everytime a person is thrown in, the keepers will ask them "Did not there not come to you a warner?"

They will say," Yes, a warner had come to us, but we denied and said, ' Allah has not sent down anything. You are not but in great error.' "

And they will say, "If only we had been listening or reasoning, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze."

And they will admit their sin, so [it is] alienation for the companions of the Blaze.

Notes:

1) And they (the disbelievers) will admit that they did received a warner but denied it. They will repent but it is all too late, Allah will not accept their repentance.

They will even ask Allah to bring them to life again and promised to be a better person. "Our Lord, remove us from it, and if we were to return [to evil], we would indeed be wrongdoers." [23:106]. But on that day, everything will be too late, and Allah knows best that they will not do the things they promised. "He will say, "Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me." [23:108]

Question: How about the people who lives in a very remote place where they never heard about Islam. Are they counted as disbelievers?

Answer by Syeikh Reda Bedeir: We are accountable of things that are we have control with only (things that we can choose). If no warner has come to these people, then they are not accountable for it. Wallahualam.

Notes from Al-Maghrib: The Eternal Journey, Tafsir of Juz Tabarak (Surah Al-Mulk)

Theme: Glorification of Allah

Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion, and He is over all things competent

Notes:

1) Does Allah have hands (yad)? - When Allah says He has a hand, then He has a hand..who are we to say otherwise? But is His hand is like ours? Absolutely not. "There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing." [42:11]. We are not to image or portray Allah because He is beyond our knowledge and imagination. Only the true believers are able to see Allah in jannah, and that is the ultimate reward of those who believe..

2) The first word: Ta ba ra ka. yu baarik means to exalt, to bless, to increase/make something grow/to fix something/make something consistent. Like when we say 'baraakallahufik' which means may Allah increase the good in you. In this ayat, it is stressing that only Allah who can bless anything.

3) People tend to put words of Quran in places like cars and houses saying that the words of Quran can give 'baraka' to the people in it. Truth is, only when the Quran is being read, understood and act upon that the 'baraka' may set in, it's not the ink itself.

4) The best way to describe an ayat from Quran is from 1- Quran from another ayat, 2- Hadis, 3- Sahabah, 4- Poetry. Surah Az-Zuhruf:85 additionally describes what this ayat is about. "And blessed is He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them and with whom is knowledge of the Hour and to whom you will be returned." [43:85].

Theme: Creation of Death, Life, The Heavens, And The Stars

[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving -

Notes:

1) Notice in the ayat Allah mentioned death first, then life. Why? It is because before we are alive, we WERE dead, as in non-existent at first.

2) Al-Maut (death) is also a creation of Allah, hence it will die one day.

3) Al-Hayaat (life): Life is the life of the heart, not the body. We should calculate life when we are staring to know Allah, realizing the purpose of this life, and being a true Muslim. Try to think of it. How old or how young are we now?

4) Ya ayyuhallazi naamanu (O People who believes). Allah says this more times than Allah says Ya ayyuhannaas (O People) in the Quran. When Allah says Ya ayyuhallazi naamanu, after this Allah will give command; either He will say 'do this' or 'don't do that'. So after this, we need to pay attention whenever we read Ya ayyuhallazi naamanu and the following ayat, because we are the believers who Allah is calling upon, insyaAllah..

5) Sometimes Allah puts a barrier between a person and the heart. The heart is the king of the body. Heart here is not the one pumping the blood, but it IS somewhere in the chest. That's why when we are feeling something, we feel it from the chest. "So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts."[22:46]

6) As it is stated explicitly in the ayat. LIFE IS A TEST. Different people carry different forms of test given by Allah. Some people are given wealth, children and ranks, and some people had wealth, family members or loved ones taken from them. When Allah gives something, that doesn't mean that He pleases, when He denies, that doesn't mean that he displeases. Indeed, everything in life is a test.

"And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter - that is the [eternal] life, if only they knew." [29:64]

"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient," [2:155].

6) Allah says in the ayat that "..which of you is best in deeds". Allah doesn't say, "..which of you is the most in deeds". Quality of the deed is more important than the quantity. There are 2 characteristics of a deed with quality:

1- intention, do only to please Allah. "Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."" [18:110]

2- the deed is with accordance of Rasulullah's way of doing it (Sunnah). "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." [33:21]