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Ramadan

Memorize Surah al-Mulk Ramadan 2021 | Verse 15

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Verse 15

هُوَٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَٱمْشُوا۟ فِى مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا۟ مِن رِّزْقِهِۦۖوَ إِلَيْهِ ٱلنُّشُورُ

Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) says: He is One who made the earth subservient for you, so walk among its mountains and eat from His provisions. To Him is the resurrection and place of return.

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With verse #15, Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is now picking back up fromverse #5, wherein He spent that verse and the previous verses talking about His majestic and divine ability with creation. He opened up the sūrah by declaring that all in existence, al-Mulk, the dominion, supreme authority, belongs to Him. He then continued by stating that He created life and death, He created the seven heavens in layers, And in that creation there is no deficiency, no error, no imperfection. He then stated that He created the stars, like lamps, adorning the lowest heaven, our sky.

Now Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is continuing that same line of describing His magnificent creations, and how His creations are a blessing for us. He begins by telling us that He made the earth subservient to us. Meaning, He made the earth, land, easy, smooth, and comfortable for us to walk upon. We are able to step, stand, walk, jump, run on this earth with stability. The earth is subservient to us; the earth submits itself to be conducive to our movement.

We know that Allāh created the earth, but that is not the only thing that this verse is telling us. Allāh  subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) could have just told us that He created the earth and that’s it, as He has told us many other times in the Quran, but that is not the point here. Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is telling us how He made the earth. Not just saying that He did in fact make the earth, but how He made the earth. And by telling us how He made the earth, He connects it back to us. He made the earth subservient for you. He made the earth easy to walk on for you. He made the earth a suitable space for life for you. This should invoke feelings of utter gratitude from us for what Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has blessed us with. Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has made certain aspects of our lives so easy for us. He made the earth a suitable space for living, walking, going about our daily lives. If He had wanted, He could have made walking a test for us, He could have made it challenging to find stability on the earth. But He didn’t, He made this part of our lives so easy, and so that necessitates gratitude from us.

This verse hearkens back to a similar concept in Sūrahal-Wāqiʿah, wherein Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) asks us if we have seen the water that we drink. And He asks us — do you send it down from the clouds or did Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He)? And then He says:  If We wanted, we could have made it bitter and salty. So then why are you not grateful?

Again Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is describing an everyday, routine aspect of our lives that He has made so easy for us, and yet we take for granted by not showing Him proper gratitude for these blessings. Part of what Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is doing here is firstly bringing these aspects of our lives to light as blessings. How many of us ever even thought about the fact that we can easily walk and stand on this earth as a blessing? It is something so routine that we may not have even noticed that it is actually a blessing from Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He). Something that could have been another way, but because of Allāh’s subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) grace and mercy, He made it suitable and easy for us.

After making us recognize that these things are blessings, Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) then reminds us to be grateful. After describing how He made the earth smooth, easy, subservient, and suitable for us, Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) tells us — go, walk around the mountains, pathways, and channels — see for yourself how much Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has blessed you by simply making the world the way that it is.
Go and see for yourself, how perfectly Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has made this earth. Experience the creation of Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He), to recognize Allāh’s subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) magnificence and to be grateful for all that He has blessed us with. Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) also tells us — go eat from the provisions that He has provided you with. Again, experience these blessings that He has blessed you with, so that you can truly be grateful for them.

As human beings, we cannot be grateful for something unless we know what we are being grateful for. We need to experience a blessing first before recognizing it as a blessing and showing gratitude to Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He). So Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is telling us — eat. Food is a blessing, but the only way we, as human beings, can recognize it as a blessing is if we actually experience it by eating. Eat, enjoy, savor. And as you do, as you realize how much happiness and strength this food is giving you, be grateful.

Appreciate the blessings Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He)has given you and do not take them for granted. Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has blessed us with so many things that we may not even recognize as blessings because they are such routine parts of our lives. Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is reminding us — be cognizant of your environment, your surroundings, the world around you. Go and experience it, go and explore. Go see for yourself how perfectly Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has made this world, how Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) designed everything to be the best it could possibly be — just for you.

Allāh closes by reminding us — yes, I made the earth and gave you food and provided you with all these blessings in this life, but do not forget where your ultimate return is. Do not think that all these worldly blessings are going to last forever. This worldly life is not our permanent abode. Do not be deceived by how enjoyable Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has made this world. Appreciate it and be grateful for it, but do not be deceived by it thinking that this world is all there is. Our return is to Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He), we are ultimately going back to Him. As beautiful and enjoyable Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has made this life, He made this life is temporary. Our permanent abode is yet to come.

May Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) help us to recognize the blessings around us, be grateful for those blessings, and utilize those blessings in a manner that is pleasing to Him.

So again, our verse for today is:

هُوَٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَٱمْشُوا۟ فِى مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا۟ مِن رِّزْقِهِۦۖوَ إِلَيْهِ ٱلنُّشُورُ
He is One who made the earth subservient for you, so walk among its mountains and eat from His provisions. To Him is the resurrection and place of return.

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Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.

The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small. Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.

Shaykha Ayesha Syed Hussain started her journey as a student of knowledge when she started attending the University of California Irvine (UCI). She went to ḥalaqāt at UCI’s MSU, took a number of courses at CIU, and starting memorizing The Qurʾān, excelling in all three. She then enrolled into the 5 Years Masters & ʿĀlimiyyah Degree offered at IOK Seminary, again, being at the top of her class. She completed her bachelor’s degree at UCI in three years, and began teaching Qurʾān at IOK and ICOI (Islamic Center of Irvine). In her 4th year as an IOK Seminary Student, she completed the memorization of the entire Qurʾān, earned her bachelor’s degree from IOK, along with her Ijāzah to teach Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī. In her last year of IOK Seminary, she began attending Loyola Law School. She was granted her Master’s degree in Arabic, Islamic Law, and Tradition, receiving Ijāzah to teach Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, and also receiving Ijāzah ʿĀmmah, spanning all books of Ḥadīth. She excelled in her studies of Fiqh, and Tafsīr as well, with her Master’s thesis focusing on al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr of Ibn ʿĀshūr (rḥA). At her completion and Ijāzah Ceremony of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, she was given the honor of reading the last ḥadīth. That summer, she completed her legal clerkship and is continuing her JD at Loyola Law School. She is still at IOK, but now teaching Arabic in IOK’s Part-Time Seminary. Learn more about IOK Seminary at iokseminary.com.

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