#FridayReminders 49: Grammar Hazards (35:28)

#QuranReflections by Talha Ghannam

Video: https://youtu.be/gyo_1JLwhzw

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/quranclub

App: www.quranclub.org

Website: www.otpok.com

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Don’t make this mistake when you’re reading Qur’an! Allah ﷻ says in surah Fatir:

وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱلدَّوَآبِّ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ كَذَٰلِكَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤُا۟ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ ٢٨

Just as people, living beings, and cattle are of various colours as well. Of all of Allah’s servants, only the knowledgeable ˹of His might˺ are ˹truly˺ in awe of Him. Allah is indeed Almighty, All-Forgiving.

[35:28]

If you change the vowel at the end of the word Allaha (ٱللَّهَ) to Allahu (ٱللَّهُ), you would be speaking blasphemy without knowing it. Why?

In Arabic, the vowel at the end of a word indicates its relationship within the sentence it sits in. In this verse, the fatha (ـَ) on the word Allah (ٱللَّهَ) tells us it is the grammatical object in the sentence, i.e. the one being feared. The dammah (ـُ) on the word scholars (ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤُا) tells us it is the grammatical subject, i.e. the ones in fear. Together, this gives the meaning; “The scholars fear Allah ﷻ”. If you switch these vowels around to (ٱللَّهُ) and (ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤَا), their roles within the sentence also swap, changing the sentence to ”Allah ﷻ fears the scholars”!!

Switching the vowels changes the meaning from Scholars fearing Allah ﷻ, to Allah fearing Scholars – Astaghfirallah! Every detail in the Quran matters, even if small.

One additional subtlety; Arabic grammar is agnostic to the order you write the words in so long as it maintains the grammatical states we discussed, i.e. the vowels at the end of the word. This means you can say:

يَخْشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤُا

Or

يَخْشَى ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤُا مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱللَّهَ

Both sentences still mean: “The scholars from His slaves are the ones who fear Allah”, even though we switched the words around

Placing the name Allah ﷻ first is more befitting to the meaning being conveyed, as no slave goes before His Master. However, in terms of meaning, the order of the words has no impact grammatically on what is being conveyed.

Finally, Ibn Ashur explains a further subtlety; the word إنما and the delay of the word “scholars” within the sentence limits the application of the verb to them only. i.e. only the scholars fear Allah ﷻ. In fact, the word علماء translates more broadly to “Knowers”; i.e. you can only truly be in awe of Allah ﷻ if you know Him. This is why knowledge plays such an important role within our faith.

All these subtleties within the Arabic is lost within the translation. A single change in vowel can have a dramatic impact on the meaning. This ‘grammar hazard’ is just one of the details we need to be aware of when reading the Quran.

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(Note: the orthography of words and structure of sentences have been kept the same for teaching purposes to limit confusion in the explanation. Words such as ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤُا have a specific spelling within the Quran and have not been changed when the vowel was changed to ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤَا. More on this in a future podcast)

#FridayReminders 48: The 27th Night (97:1-5)

#QuranReflections by Talha Ghannam

Video: https://youtu.be/OCp_TfOts3M

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/quranclub

App: www.quranclub.org

Website: www.otpok.com

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إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ ١

Indeed, ˹it is˺ We ˹Who˺ sent this ˹Quran˺ down on the Night of Glory.

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ ٢

And what will make you realize what the Night of Glory is?

لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍۢ ٣

The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months.

تَنَزَّلُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍۢ ٤

That night the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit descend, by the permission of their Lord, for every ˹decreed˺ matter.

سَلَـٰمٌ هِىَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ ٱلْفَجْرِ ٥

It is all peace until the break of dawn.

[97:1-5]

No one knows for certain when Laylat Al-Qadr (the night of glory) falls. The Prophet ﷺ had once come to inform us about its precise timing. Obadah bin As-Samit narrates:

عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، قَالَ خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِيُخْبِرَنَا بِلَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ، فَتَلاَحَى رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَقَالَ ‏ “‏ خَرَجْتُ لأُخْبِرَكُمْ بِلَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ، فَتَلاَحَى فُلاَنٌ وَفُلاَنٌ، فَرُفِعَتْ، وَعَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ خَيْرًا لَكُمْ، فَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِي التَّاسِعَةِ وَالسَّابِعَةِ وَالْخَامِسَةِ ‏”‏‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) came out to inform us about the Night of Qadr but two Muslims were quarrelling with each other [about it]. So, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I came out to inform you about the Night of Qadr but such-and-such persons were quarrelling, so the news about it had been taken away; yet that might be for your own good, so search for it on the 29th, 27th and 25th (of Ramadan).

[Bukhari]

Since then, scholars have discussed at length their thoughts on when Laylat Al-Qadr could be with no consensus ever being reached – perhaps in recognition of the initial reason it was withheld! However, a great number of scholars were motivated to say that the 27th night is the most likely of the nights, citing numerous hadith and arguments to support their claim.

But before going into the discussion, here’s some practical advice; this blessed night has many merits, some of which include:

1. Forgiveness of all your past sins

2. A Guarantee of Paradise

3. Emancipation from Hellfire

4. Answering of all Duas

5. Multiplication of deeds by at least 1,000 months

Allah ﷻ hid this night within the last 10 of Ramadan to see His servants rise each night worshipping Him. Why? Perhaps its because He knows we rarely get up any other night of the year, and He wishes to invite us to meet Him when He closest to us in the depths of the night. As the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Our Lord Almighty descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of every night, saying: Who is calling upon Me that I may answer him? Who is asking from Me that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness that I may forgive him?”

Perhaps He knows the value of rising up at night in worship, and Him hiding it within these days is to give you enough time to realise its benefits as well. Perhaps the other nights are a dress rehearsal for the one that really counts, so you are spiritually ready for the moment? Perhaps He just wishes to seek your company, so He is giving you a reason to lengthen your stay. Those seeking Laylat Al-Qadar, will find it on one of those nights. Your Lord is a generous Lord. But those seeking Allah ﷻ will find Him every night, all year round. Whether Laylat Al-Qadar is the 27th night or not is besides the point; our true goal is to seek Allah ﷻ.

To make the most of this night, I’ve put together 10 hacks taken from the Quran and Sunnah to help you supercharge your worship and make the most of these nights. Download it from our website, or get in touch and we can send it to you. Now back to the discussion:

#FridayReminders 47: The Birds (67:19)

#QuranReflections by Jubril Aloa

Video: https://youtu.be/acnLh617kJU

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/quranclub

App: www.quranclub.org

Website: www.otpok.com

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Another wonderful reflection on the subtlety within the Arabic language that is simply not transferred over in the translation. It's these sort of subtleties that show you just how perfect the Quran is, the need to understand Arabic, and the need to ponder deeply on the meanings within it.

Thank you Cambridge Central Mosque for organising such a wonderful talk on the Quran! Full talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCNzi9VkS8M

#FridayReminders 46: Relentless Optimism (3:139)

#QuranReflections by Talha Ghannam

Video: https://youtu.be/kjkAjdIiJOo

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/quranclub

App: www.quranclub.org

Website: www.otpok.com

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وَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ١٣٩

Do not lose heart or despair- for you will have the upper hand, if you are ˹true˺ believers.

[3:139]

When news arrived of an unprecedented Confederate army had gathered to destroy the Muslims, larger than any ever seen before in Arabia, the companions immediately began digging a trench to protect the exposed front of Madinah. With little time on their side, the smallest setback could prove fatal for the believers as the marching army would arrive in a matter of days. In that moment, as unfortunate as it was symbolic, they were blocked by a boulder so large even the strongest of them could not break it. These great companions, full of faith and understanding, knew immediately who to turn to; the Prophet ﷺ.

As our Beloved ﷺ was handed the axe, he struck it once and a tremendous spark emerged, filling the horizon. With great joy, he exclaimed, "Allahu Akbar! The keys of Syria are granted to me. I swear by Allah, I can see its palaces at this very moment." He struck the axe again, and another spark lit up the sky. "Allahu Akbar! Persia is granted to me. I swear by Allah, I can now see the white palace of Madain." On the third strike, a tremendous spark emerged once again, causing the rock to crumble. The Prophet ﷺ exclaimed, "Allahu Akbar! I have been given the keys of Yemen. I swear by Allah, I can see the gates of Sana'a from where I stand."

In their darkest moment, the Prophet ﷺ shared nothing but hope with the believers. In the face of annihilation, met with an insurmountable obstacle, He shared a prophecy of incredible victories in the future with such certainty, it made the impending calamity seem nothing more than a minor setback. To have such tremendous optimism, conviction even, in the face of such dire odds is a hallmark of the Prophetic call, and is something that our community desperately needs to rediscover. While there are countless similar incidents to recall, three are particularly noteworthy:

• After a group of disbelievers in Makkah violently attacked, strangled, and beat the Prophet ﷺ while he was praying, he turned to his companions and said "Rejoice, for Allah ﷻ will make His religion prevail, complete His Word, and support His Prophet. Verily, those (perpetrators) whom you see today will be slain by Allah through your hands soon.”

• During his migration from Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ was relentlessly pursued by disbelievers seeking to kill him, if not for hatred then for the heavy bounty on his head. Suraqah, a skilled bounty hunter, successfully tracked him down within the desert, but each time he approached, his horse sank into the sand and he stood at the mercy of the Prophet ﷺ. After vowing to end his pursuit, his horse was released and he free to return to his home. However, the allure of money was too great, rescinding his word and attempting his capture repeatedly, each time meeting the same outcome! On the third attempt, the Prophet ﷺ came to him and promised him a bounty far greater; the bracelets of the emperor of Persia! He agreed, and did not pursue him again.

• Before the battle of Badr, the Muslims were hopelessly outnumbered and under resourced. They faced an army 3 times larger than their own, and hadn’t come out prepared for such a war. In the face of such dire odds, the Prophet ﷺ walked around the battle field marking out the precise spots where each of their leaders would fall. Each of them fell in the precise spot he had marked.

Video: https://youtu.be/-Xcj-RkAo_k

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/quranclub

App: www.quranclub.org

Website: www.otpok.com

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شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ فَعِدَّةٌۭ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ١٨٥

Ramaḍân is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard ˹to distinguish between right and wrong˺. So whoever is present this month, let them fast. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then ˹let them fast˺ an equal number of days ˹after Ramaḍân˺. Allah intends ease for you, not hardship, so that you may complete the prescribed period and proclaim the greatness of Allah for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful. 

[2:185]

“Allah intends ease for you, not hardship”. It’s an intriguing phrase, even more so within the context of fasting. Ask any non-Muslim and the idea of abstaining from food and drink seems anything but ease, especially in the hot summer months! So why, of all the commands Allah ﷻ gave us, did He make this point here?

As human beings, obeying Allah’s ﷻ commands and abstaining from His prohibitions is challenging. The Prophet ﷺ described:

    حُفَّتِ الْجَنَّةُ بِالْمَكَارِهِ وَحُفَّتِ النَّارُ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ

Paradise is surrounded by hardships and Hell-Fire is surrounded by temptations.

[Muslim]

Few things are more desirable to us than food and intimacy. Industries are built on marketing these two desires, knowing they have the power to pull in customers. Ramadan is a month which requires us to withhold from these desire, even the permissible ones, in devotion to our Lord ﷻ who commands it. On the face of it, Muslims should despise this experience; yet, almost universally, Ramadan is loved dearly by Muslims the world over! Abstaining from food, drink and intimacy should make us sadder, yet somehow it doesn’t! Add to that the extra charity, prayers and good deeds people do in this month which they normally struggle with, and the effort it takes to guard one’s tongue, avoid indecency and withhold from temptations, it seems strange to an outsider why Muslims would love this month so much! 

Yet love it they do! Muslims the world over rejoice at the entry of this blessed month, feeling genuine joy as the struggle begins. Marketers have even caught on to it, creating annual Ramadan campaigns to capitalise on the good will people feel this month! One proof I often give is the contrast between the two Eid celebrations for Muslims. Eid-ul-Fitr, the celebration after Ramadan, is known as the smaller Eid, lasting only 1 day compared to the 4 of Eid-ul-Adha. Yet, from my experience at least, I am yet to meet a Muslim who does not celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with more joy and enthusiasm! The meal tastes finer, the gifts more expensive and the celebrations more joyful. The difference between them? Eid-ul-fitr follows after a month of worship that Allah ﷻ obliged. 

When Allah ﷻ states within the verse obliging fasting the He “intends ease for you, not hardship”, He does so to point to the universal experience we all share when observing Ramadan as a proof of His statement. Struggling to pray on time? Remember Ramadan. Fighting to lower your gaze? Remember Ramadan. Holding back on charity? Remember Ramadan. Remember how you stopped eating and drinking yet you felt better by obeying Allah ﷻ; then this command is no different! Nothing is more palpable a proof than experience, so where else to point Allah’s ﷻ intent about His commands than the one worship we all bear witness to as evidence for the point. It’s not that we enjoy hunger or thirst, nor that withholding from sin is any easier or our desires diminished; it’s that we recognise the greater joy we get when we observe His commands instead. That is the reason these words are placed in this verse; to connect that experience of ease in Ramadan with the rest of Allah’s ﷻ commands too. 

When it comes to the commands of Allah ﷻ, obey them unquestioningly even if you do not understand them at first. On the surface, fasting defies logic – it should make us sadder. Yet, through our experience of it, we know it doesn’t. Whilst we must always endeavour to understand God’s commands, we must obey first unconditionally, then enquire why later. Just like fasting, often the best proof is to experience it yourself.

#FridayReminders 44: This is my Lord (6:78)

#QuranReflections by Sh Jubril Alao

Video: https://youtu.be/n1-IuOSHGfs

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/quranclub

App: www.quranclub.org

Website: www.otpok.com

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A beautiful extract from a talk by Sh Jubril Alao at the Cambridge Central Mosque exploring a commonly asked question about Prophet Ibrahim (as) and the his statements around the stars, moon and sun. 

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/zCNzi9VkS8M

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وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍۢ ۖ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُۥ خَيْرٌ ٱطْمَأَنَّ بِهِۦ ۖ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ ٱنقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ خَسِرَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْخُسْرَانُ ٱلْمُبِينُ ١١

And of mankind is one who worships Allah on edge, so that if something good befalls him, he is reassured by it; but if a trial befalls him, he turns about-face, losing this world and the Hereafter; that is the evident loss.

(22:11)

Some people worship Allah ﷻ on a (حرف) – commonly translated to mean “on the edge”, making sense in the broader context of the verse and the general usage of the Arabic language. But a deeper linguistic analysis reveals some interesting observations behind this choice of word.

1)    A more literal translation of the word (حرف) would be “letter”. In both Arabic and English, there is a concept of obeying someone “to the letter”, or (حرفا بحرف) in Arabic; a positive attribute indicating absolute obedience even in the smallest of details. Yet, there is a subtle difference here; the word على is placed before it, changing the meaning to being on the edge about something. This word على is known as a (حرف) in Arabic grammar, the same word used to mean letter or edge in the verse! A single “letter” (حرف) is placed within the sentence changes its meaning entirely!

2)    The word (حرّف) is derived from the same three letter word (حرف), meaning to deviate or distort something. The difference between the two words is one additional letter (i.e. حرف) placed within it; the letter (ر). This single, small, subtle change to the words of God is enough to deviate (i.e. حرّف) a person from the truth.

3)    More interestingly, this additional letter (i.e. حرف) is not written in the word (حرّف) but rather it is hidden within it, appearing as a shaddah (ـّ) on top of the letter (ر). In the original Quranic script written by the companions, and in almost all Arabic texts till this day, the shaddah is not typically written on any word as vowels are usually omitted for the readers. As such, the two words (حرف) and (حرّف) are indistinguishable from one another unless the person is able to decipher its meaning from the context. Just like this, our deeds or faith can look perfectly sound on the outside, but the one holding them knows the true nature of their intention. A corrupt intention is invisible to everyone but Allah ﷻ and the person, yet is enough to deviate them entirely from the path to God. How we approach the words of God and the world around us will determine what it is we take from it, and that intention is hidden within us.

4)    This ability to decipher the correct meaning of the word relies on both knowledge of Arabic grammar and the context of its use. When we approach the words of God and seek to understand its application, we must be both scholars of the text and context. How many imams give rulings on things they do not understand, or activists comment on rulings they simply do not comprehend. Both are necessary to avoid deviation just like both are needed to understand the meaning of the word.

5)    In this verse, anyone with even a basic grasp of the language would instantly recognize whether the word is (حرف) or (حرّف); one is a verb and the other is a noun. The verb would make no sense in this context! Often, perversions are glaringly obvious even if they seem subtle or sophisticated. People know what is r

#FridayReminders 42: Tweets (27:24)

#QuranReflections by Talha Ghannam

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وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ فَهُمْ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ ٢٤

I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah. For Satan has made their deeds appealing to them—hindering them from the ˹Right˺ Way and leaving them unguided—

(27:24)

(If you usually read these blogs, please listen to this one! It’s part of the experience)

Have you ever heard the tweets of a bird? In the story of Prophet Sulaiman (as), we are given a glimpse into the way these creatures think and speak, translated to us by Allah ﷻ. Its chirping would not have been dissimilar to the tweets at the start of this podcast, yet they are completely inaccessible to us. How strange it is to think these tweets carry sophisticated language and meaning within them, yet to us sound nothing more than a few simple sounds. This characteristic is not unique to birds either. Allah ﷻ declares:

تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ ٱلسَّبْعُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن مِّن شَىْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًۭا ٤٤

The seven heavens, the earth, and all those in them glorify Him. There is not a single thing that does not glorify His praises—but you ˹simply˺ do not comprehend their glorification. He is indeed Most Forbearing, All-Forgiving.

[17:44]

Everything around us speaks; we just simply do not have the tools to access it. Allah ﷻ does not say we cannot hear them (تسمعون); He deliberately selects the word comprehend (تفقهون), pointing out our inability to understand them. In fact, the word of negation selected is (لا) not (لن); i.e. it negates the ability to understand them currently, but not the possibility of it ever happening! 

Indeed, the miracle to communicate with animals, whilst gifted to Prophet Sulaiman (as), was not unique to him. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ had countless incidents of creatures speaking with him throughout His Prophethood. He was once approached by a bird complaining that it’s eggs had been stolen, beseeching Him to find and return them to her. Camels came complaining of their workload, wolves guided people towards him and lizards bore testimony before everyone that He was the Messenger of God. Even inanimate objects would speak and interact with Him ﷺ. Omar bin Al-Khattab (ra) narrates: 

"I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: 'I know a stone in Makkah that used to greet me before I was sent as a Prophet and I still recognize it now."'

[Musnad Ahmad]

In fact, it’s known that some companions were gifted moments to hear and speak with them too. The story of the companions hearing the weeping tree stump is well-known, but there are other incidents too such as the supplicating stones in the hands of the companions, the quake of mountain of Uhud as the companions stood upon it and its settling down as the Messenger ﷺ spoke to it, and the testimony of a tree in the middle of the desert as a disbeliever challenged the Prophet ﷺ to bring forward a witness to his Message. One companion, Safina, famously commanded a lion to guide their way through the desert after being shipwrecked on the coast. 

Even stranger is how Allah ﷻ at times grants non-believers this miracle. Qadi Iyaad narrates several incidents o

#FridayReminders 41: A Subtle Stretch (99:7-8)

#QuranReflections by Talha Ghannam

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فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًۭا يَرَهُۥ ٧

So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it.

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍۢ شَرًّۭا يَرَهُۥ ٨

And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.

(99:7-8)

There is a subtle difference between these two verses which doesn’t translate in the English. When describing an atoms weight of good, the words (ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًۭا) have no ghunnah (i.e. stretch) between them, requiring the reader to continue without elongating the word. In the following verse, Allah ﷻ repeats a similar phrase but this time describing an atoms weight of sin: (ذَرَّةٍۢ شَرًّۭا). This time, a ghunnah is found between the two words, requiring a reciter to stretch the end of the first word for 2 moments before continuing with the rest of the verse.

Why is this difference there? There is a wonderful hadith of the Prophet ﷺ which perhaps enlightens us on some of the wisdoms:

#FridayReminders 40: Divine Luck (56:8-10)

#QuranReflections by Talha Ghannam

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فَأَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ مَآ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ ٨

the people of the right, how ˹blessed˺ will they be;

وَأَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ مَآ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ٩

And the people of the left, how ˹miserable˺ will they be;

وَٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ١٠

and the foremost ˹in faith˺ will be the foremost ˹in Paradise˺.

When describing people on the day of judgement, Allah ﷻ divides them into 3 camps: the people of the right, the people of the left, and the foremost – or at least that’s how they are commonly translated! Delve deeper, and you find a much richer meaning to them:

-    Of the three words, Al-Maymanah (ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ) can be directly understood to be “the right”, stemming from the root word (يمن), but it also carries the meaning of success or fortune, alongside giving an oath of allegiance. These people made a pledge, stuck to it and came out victorious! 

-    Next, the people of the left, or Al-Mash’amah (ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ) more closely translates to ill-fated or unfortunate, derived from the root word (شأم) which means bad luck

-    The third, As-Sabiqoon (ٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ), gives the meaning of competition or competitors. (سبق), its root word, literally means to race or compete 

Notice how in each of these words, there is a sense of “luck” carried within them. Those on the left and right carry a direct meaning; either fortunate or ill-fated. The third (As-sabiqoon) is more nuanced; a competitor is more in control of their fate, but so much “luck” is left on the circumstances of the day. Whilst they are prepared, they have not succeeded. 

In his famous “wager”, Pascal positions belief in God as a bet; 

1.    If God exists and I believe in God, I'll go to heaven, which is infinitely good. 

2.    If God exists and I don't believe in God, I will go to hell, which is infinitely bad. 

3.    If God does not exist, then whether I believe in God or not, whatever I'd gain or lose would be finite. 

4.    Therefore, to believe in God is the sensible bet to take as it carries the best outcome.

This “risk” is something Allah ﷻ uses and reframes elsewhere in the Quran, stating at the end of Surah Al-Mulk:

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَهْلَكَنِىَ ٱللَّهُ وَمَن مَّعِىَ أَوْ رَحِمَنَا فَمَن يُجِيرُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍۢ ٢٨

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Consider this: If Allah causes me and those with me to die or shows us mercy, who will save the disbelievers from a painful punishment?”

(67:28)

Allah ﷻ asks the question to those who disbelieve; who will save you in the next life when you discover you are wrong? We have no doubt in Allah’s ﷻ existence nor His promise – how could you when you see countless proofs of His existence all around us – yet, Allah ﷻ uses the logic within Pascal’s argument to appeal to the same sentiment: choosing disbelief is a thoughtless gamble. When faced with an eternity of pleasure or punishment, why take the risk for a meagre benefit in this world? To this end, it is clear where the bad luck lies with those on the left