Ramadan 25, 1435/2014 Tafseer, by Imam Muhammed Shoayb Mehtar, Khadeeja Islamic Center, SLC, Utah

Nightly Notes (25)*:

Tonight we read from Surah Takwir onwards wherein Allah (SWT) is setting the stage up for the Day of Judgment. Just like for Hollywood and Bollywood stars there is a dramatic entrance setup with fanfare, music blaring, red carpet rolled out, etc. Allah (SWT) is setting the stage for the Day of Reckoning. The sky will be split asunder, the stars will fall (we’re not talking about ‘shooting stars’ here), the oceans and all the water in the earth will evaporate. Everything will cease to exist. Why does Allah (SWT) talk about all these signs?

So we can realize His greatness and change our behavior now before it is too late to do so on the Day of Judgment when everything has come to an utter and complete end.

Don’t be deceived by those whom we deem are the most beautiful people or the most knowledgeable (secular and religious). Allah (SWT) is the Most Beautiful, He is the Most Knowledgeable, and every single other attribute we can think of, Allah (SWT) is the Most fill in the blanks: ____________________.

Don’t be deceived and let those around you mesmerize you and make you forget about Allah (SWT).

Allah (SWT) gave us a perfect figure, have you ever walked around and seen someone’s nose on top of their head? How about bulging out from their knee caps? Our overall shape is one of the best shapes out there. Allah (SWT) has given us a beautiful proportion with, for the most part, symmetrical everything such as the halves of our faces. The more symmetrical your face is the more higher up the beauty scale you go. Google Fibonacci sequence or beauty golden ratio and see just how perfect Allah (SWT) has designed you and I. Allah (SWT) did all this so that we would be more appreciated than other creations.

Will we now deny the existence of Allah (SWT)? The Day of Judgment? Doing good deeds? Allah (SWT) is giving advice to everyone in the Surah, not just Muslims or Mu’mins, but Insaan (all human beings, see Ch. 82, Verse 6).

Allah (SWT) has given us guardian angels – have you ever heard someone saying, ‘if I was 1 second late I would’ve been in an accident’?. Allah (SWT) saves us from calamity all the time. Allah (SWT) is giving us protectors (angels) and they create a sphere of protection around believers. There is an angel in front, behind, to the right, to the left, above you, and below you at all times.

We refuse the angels’ protection by doing ‘what I need to do’.

There are 2 angels (known as Kiraaman Kaatibeen, see Ch. 82, Verse 11) that sit on our left and right shoulders, respectively, that write down every single deed that we do. The one on the right, writes our good deeds. The one on the left, writes our bad deeds.

If we do a sincere Tawbah Allah (SWT) will make the angels writing our wrong deeds down, He will make them forget what wrong we did, as if we never did it.

In these last 10 days because someone has done sincere Tawbah we forget about their ‘crazy’ past. It’s as if they have been given a fresh start by Allah (SWT). Let us be strong and not go back to wrongdoing. Let us stay far, far away from the smoke of Jahannam and let us emulate the best of character, Rasulullah (SAW) and be the best that we can be insha’Allah.

May Allah (SWT) help us and guide us at all times.

*Nightly Notes provided by note-takers in the masjid, as heard during tafseer.