JUZ FOURTEEN
Juz Fourteen contains two surahs in their entirety: Surah al-Ḥijr and Surah al-Naḥl. A common theme that runs through this juz concerns the amazing blessings from Allah, and the importance of showing gratitude for those blessings. Both surahs continue the theme from Surah Ibrahim of reminding us of the various reasons why we should be grateful to Allah. The greatest gift that Allah has given us is guidance to the straight path. Surah al-Ḥijr begins by showing the results of following that guidance and
the results of neglecting it.
Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish they had been Muslims. Leave them to eat, and enjoy, and be lulled by hope. They will find out. We have never destroyed a town unless it had a set time.
The above verses remind us that those who choose to disbelieve are given ample time to seek the truth and embrace it. Allah does not punish them before giving them enough time to follow the truth, but many people are distracted by the pleasures of this world and never seek out the purpose of life. Allah then addresses the excuses of these people for rejecting the messengers.
And they said, “O you who received the message, you are insane. Why do you not bring us the angels, if you are truthful?” We do not send the angels down except with reason, and they will not be held back.
Just as the previous messengers were accused of insanity, falsehood, and magic, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم faced similar accusations. Allah, out of Divine Wisdom, sent human messengers to human societies and did not unleash His angels upon us. This is followed by a promise to preserve the message of Islam, a promise that Allah has fulfilled.
Surely, we revealed the Message, and We will surely preserve it.
Another interesting theme that runs through the next few juz is the story of Adam which is repeated in multiple surahs with different focal points. In this surah, the focus is on the creation of Adam and how Allah blew the soul into him. “When I have formed him, and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down prostrating before him.”
Adam was not praiseworthy because of his physical nature; it was because of his soul which is sacred and pure. This shows the value of the soul over the body. Iblis only looked at the exterior, not the interior, and that caused him to stray. In this way, Iblis was the first racist, judging another by his skin and not the purity of his soul. As the previous surah showed us, Satan will inform his followers that they are to blame for listening to him. In this surah, we see that Allah informed Satan that, “Over My servants, you have no authority, except for the sinners who follow you.”
The story of Adam is followed by a reminder that Allah is Most Merciful, but also has the Most Severe Punishment. This is similar to the previous surah in which Allah promised to increase the blessings of those who show gratitude, and to punish the ungrateful. “Inform My servants that I am the Forgiver, the Merciful. And that My punishment is the [most] painful punishment.”
The bulk of this surah again focuses on the stories of the perished nations. This is a theme that runs through multiple surahs of the Qur’an, each time focusing on a different lesson from these stories. Here the focus is on what happens to those who rejected the messengers, a timely reminder for the Quraysh but also a reminder for us.
Towards the end of the surah, Allah again reminds us of the greatness of the Qur’an, this time singling out Surah al-Fatiḥah for its greatness. “We have given you seven oft-repeated verses, and the Grand Qur’an.”90 The seven oft-repeated verses are Surah al-Fatiḥah that we repeat in every unit of prayer multiple times a day.
The surah ends with comfort for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when Allah says, “We are aware that your heart is strained by what they say. So, glorify the praise of your Lord, and be among those who bow down. And worship your Lord in order to attain certainty.”
The next surah is al-Naḥl named after the bee. The bee and the honey that it produces are among the many great favors of Allah listed in this surah. The message of this surah is clear: Allah has blessed us with more than we can ever imagine, and we must be grateful for it. Surah al-Ḥijr reminds us of what happens to those who are ungrateful, while Surah al-Naḥl lists for us dozens of reasons for why we should be grateful to Allah.
The surah begins with a beautiful list of many blessings from Allah that we take for granted, followed by the powerful reminder, “And if you tried to enumerate the favors of God, you will not be able to count them. God is Forgiving and Merciful.”
This surah does not require a lot of explanation. It is sufficient to recite the verses, read their translations, reflect on them and express gratitude. To assist with this, some of these powerful passages have been translated below. Read them, reflect on them and marvel at the amazing gifts that Allah has blessed us with.
He created the heavens and the earth with justice. He is exalted above the associations they attribute. He created the human being from a drop of fluid, yet he becomes an open adversary. And the livestock—He created them for you. In them are warmth and benefits for you, and of them you eat. And there is beauty in them for you, when you bring them home, and when you drive them to pasture. And they carry your loads to territory you could not have reached without great hardship. Your Lord is Clement and Merciful. And the horses, and the mules, and the donkeys—for you to ride, and for luxury. And He creates what you do not know. It is for God to point out the paths, but some of them are flawed. Had He willed, He could have guided you all. It is He Who sends down for you from the sky water. From it is drink, and with it grows vegetation for grazing. And He produces for
you grains with it, and olives, and date-palms, and grapes, and all kinds of fruits. Surely in that is a sign for people who think.
And He regulated for you the night and the day; and the sun, and the moon, and the stars are disposed by His command. Surely in that are signs for people who ponder. And whatsoever He created for you on earth is of diverse colors. Surely in that is a sign for people who are mindful. And it is He who made the sea to serve you, that you may eat from its tender meat and extract from it ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, as you seek His bounties, so that you may give thanks.
And there is a lesson for you in cattle: We give you a drink from their bellies, from between waste and blood, pure milk, refreshing to the drinkers. And from the fruits of date-palms and grapevines, you derive sugar and wholesome food. In this is a sign for people who understand. And your Lord inspired the bee: “Set up hives in the mountains, and in the trees, and in what they construct.” Then eat of all the fruits, and go along the pathways of your Lord, with precision. From their bellies emerges a fluid of diverse colors, containing healing for the people. Surely in this is a sign for people who reflect.
By Dr. Omar Suleiman & Sh. Ismail Kamdar
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