Parables: between a hard, barren rock -or- a garden high and fertile.....

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تُبۡطِلُواْ صَدَقَـٰتِكُم
بِٱلۡمَنِّ وَٱلۡأَذَىٰ كَٱلَّذِى يُنفِقُ مَالَهُ ۥ رِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا
يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ‌ۖ فَمَثَلُهُ ۥ كَمَثَلِ صَفۡوَانٍ
عَلَيۡهِ تُرَابٌ۬ فَأَصَابَهُ ۥ وَابِلٌ۬ فَتَرَڪَهُ ۥ صَلۡدً۬ا‌ۖ لَّا
يَقۡدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَىۡءٍ۬ مِّمَّا ڪَسَبُواْ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ
ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ وَمَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَٲلَهُمُ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ
مَرۡضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ وَتَثۡبِيتً۬ا مِّنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡ كَمَثَلِ جَنَّةِۭ بِرَبۡوَةٍ
أَصَابَهَا وَابِلٌ۬ فَـَٔاتَتۡ أُڪُلَهَا ضِعۡفَيۡنِ فَإِن لَّمۡ يُصِبۡہَا
وَابِلٌ۬ فَطَلٌّ۬‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ أَيَوَدُّ
أَحَدُڪُمۡ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ ۥ جَنَّةٌ۬ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ۬ وَأَعۡنَابٍ۬ تَجۡرِى
مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ لَهُ ۥ فِيهَا مِن ڪُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٲتِ
وَأَصَابَهُ ٱلۡكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ۥ ذُرِّيَّةٌ۬ ضُعَفَآءُ فَأَصَابَهَآ
إِعۡصَارٌ۬ فِيهِ نَارٌ۬ فَٱحۡتَرَقَتۡ‌ۗ كَذَٲلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَڪُمُ
ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

"O ye who believe! Cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury― like those who spend their substance to be seen of men, but believe neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. They are in Parable (similitude) like a hard, barren rock, on which is a little soil; on it falls heavy rain, which leaves it (just) a bare stone. They will be able to do nothing with aught they have earned. And Allah guideth not those who reject faith.

And the likeness (similitude) of those who spend their substance seeking to please Allah and to strengthen their souls, is as a garden high and fertile: heavy rain falls on it but makes it yield a double increase of harvest, and if it receives not heavy rain, light moisture sufficeth it. Allah seeth well whatever ye do. Does any of you wish that he should have a garden with date-palms and vines and streams flowing underneath and all kinds of fruit, while he is stricken with old age, and his children are not strong (enough to look after themselves)― that it should be caught in a whirlwind, with fire therein, and be burnt up? Thus doth Allah make clear to you (His) signs; that ye may consider."

(Qur'an: Baqarah: 2: 264-266)

REFLECTION

Our Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. has said in a famous hadith:

‏عن ‏ ‏عمر بن الخطاب ‏ ‏قال ‏قال رسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله
عليه وسلم ‏ ‏إنما الأعمال ‏ ‏بالنية ‏ ‏وإنما لامرئ ما نوى فمن كانت هجرته إلى
الله ورسوله فهجرته إلى الله ورسوله ومن كانت هجرته لدنيا يصيبها أو امرأة يتزوجها
فهجرته إلى ما هاجر إليه

'Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:

“(The value of) an action depends on the intention behind it. A man will be rewarded only for what he intended. The emigration of one who emigrates for the sake of Allah and His Messenger (may peace be upon him) is for the sake of Allah and His Messenger (may peace be upon him); and the emigration of one who emigrates for gaining a worldly advantage or for marrying a woman is for what he has emigrated.”

[Hadith reported by Muslim]

Parable: barren rock, on which is a little soil; on it falls heavy rain

Thus actions may look exactly alike, yet its merits lie in one’s intention. When a rightful deed is being done for the sake of Allah s.w.t., sincerely not for other motives such as worldly consideration or out of personal vanity or conceit, then it deserves Allah’s acceptance. Yet, we have to be careful that this is not then nullified by our subsequent attitude and action regarding it. Act of goodness, although initially was done sincerely for Allah, but which we later refer to it again, but with the purpose of humiliating or cause some personal hurt to those who benefitted from it – this would completely wipe all trace of its goodness in the sight of Allah and therefore does not deserve any reward. Allah brings forth this parable vividly:

كَمَثَلِ صَفۡوَانٍ عَلَيۡهِ تُرَابٌ۬ فَأَصَابَهُ ۥ وَابِلٌ۬ فَتَرَڪَهُ ۥ صَلۡدً۬ا‌ۖ لَّا يَقۡدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَىۡءٍ۬ مِّمَّا ڪَسَبُواْ‌ۗ

“..... like a hard, barren rock, on which is a little soil; on it falls heavy rain, which leaves it (just) a bare stone. They will be able to do nothing with aught they have earned.”

O! What a waste of efforts, all those potential goodness that awaits us in the eternal hereafter, suddenly removed from us. And why? Only because we follow our conceit and egoistic temperament, to feel superior and wishing to lord over others whom we may have helped? And that too for just a short moment!

This teaches us a principle that any good act done for the sake of Allah s.w.t. should best be left to Allah, even when our good act is reciprocated with ingratitude by those who benefitted from it. If our purpose of doing it is sincerely for the sake of Allah, than it would already be regarded as good by Him. Yet, at times our sincerity towards Allah may be tested. And Satan would incite our Nafs ‘amarah (commanding self) to become reckless, succumbing to our ego, conceit and arrogance. We forget that the ability for us to doing any good act is from Allah s.w.t. We on our own can do nothing. Thus we are taught to utter ‘Haw-qalah’ or ( مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ - `Allah's Will (be done)! There is no power but with Allah!') whenever those things we may have done are mentioned, rather than gloat and try to take credit for them.

Parable (similitude) of those who spend seeking to please Allah

On the other hand, Allah s.w.t. provide another vivid parable for those whose deeds of charity were done for the sake of seeking Allah’s pleasure, as means of strengthening their soul (i.e. to affirm their faith in Allah s.w.t.). It is interesting that Allah uses this term (which literally signify “making firm and stable”), that acts of charity must be linked to our faith – as means of making it firmer. Thus the common word for charitable deeds is “sadaqah”, from the root “SDQ” – meaning “to be true, affirming the truth.” And the likeness of those who spend their substance seeking to please Allah and to strengthen their souls, is:

كَمَثَلِ جَنَّةِۭ بِرَبۡوَةٍ أَصَابَهَا وَابِلٌ۬ فَـَٔاتَتۡ أُڪُلَهَا ضِعۡفَيۡنِ فَإِن لَّمۡ يُصِبۡہَا وَابِلٌ۬ فَطَلٌّ۬‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

“(likeness) as a garden high and fertile: heavy rain falls on it but makes it yield a double increase of harvest, and if it receives not heavy rain, light moisture suffices it. Allah seeth well whatever ye do.”

SubHaanaAllah! This reflects the generosity of Allah s.w.t. He likens such deed “as garden high and fertile” – a potential for recipient of continuous growth and harvest of unfailing produce, subject to subsequent existence of moisture, if not heavy rain even a light moisture would be sufficient. This totally removes the common misperception that reward is a “one-off” or “tit-for-tat” which people usually envisage it between us human perhaps, but not for Allah Who is Most Gracious and Generous. Thus, we need to guard that ‘capital’ (liken as the high and fertile garden) and not to lose it, as would happen in the previous parable. We should ‘protect our investment’ and seek to increase the yield. This is possible with Allah’s promise to believers who conscientiously persevere and patiently strive with sincerity seeking nearness to Allah with every act of righteous, even though it is little or small. In fact, Allah sees and knows full well what we are doing. Thus it is that, to be grateful to Allah for Him granting us the ability to do those past good deeds, would in fact bring further bestowals, as Allah s.w.t. promises:

وَإِذۡ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمۡ لَٮِٕن شَڪَرۡتُمۡ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَٮِٕن ڪَفَرۡتُمۡ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ۬

"And remember! Your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): "If ye aregrateful,I will add more (favours) unto you; but if ye show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed."

(Qur’an: Ibrahim: 14: 7)

REMEMBER THE FUTURE AND HASTEN TO MAKE PROVISION

Allah s.w.t. then reminds us of the utter foolishness for one to lose provisions meant for the hereafter already in hand. He likens the state of man there in the hereafter, as having no more possibility for working to gather provision or progeny. In such a state to have lost the provision already acquired would indeed be most tragic, and we cannot begin to imagine the regret that it would cause us:

أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُڪُمۡ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ ۥ جَنَّةٌ۬ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ۬ وَأَعۡنَابٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ لَهُ ۥ فِيهَا مِن ڪُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٲتِ وَأَصَابَهُ ٱلۡكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ۥ ذُرِّيَّةٌ۬ ضُعَفَآءُ

فَأَصَابَهَآ إِعۡصَارٌ۬ فِيهِ نَارٌ۬ فَٱحۡتَرَقَتۡ‌ۗ كَذَٲلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَڪُمُ ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“Does any of you wish that he should have a garden with date-palms and vines and streams flowing underneath and all kinds of fruit, while he is stricken with old age, and his children are not strong (enough to look after themselves)― that it should be caught in a whirlwind, with fire therein, and be burnt up? Thus doth Allah make clear to you (His) signs; that ye may consider."

SubHaanAllah! O how much we may have wasted unknowingly. O how little is our provision for the hereafter! We can only turn to Allah alone and beg for His Mercy and Generosity, and by striving to sincerely follow His beloved Messenger Muhammad s.a.w., we hope to gain Allah’s love and forgiveness, as He promises:

قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬

Say: "If ye do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

(Qur’an: Aali’imran: 3: 31)

OUR DO’A

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوبَنَا بَعۡدَ إِذۡ هَدَيۡتَنَا وَهَبۡ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةً‌ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡوَهَّابُ

رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ ٱلنَّاسِ لِيَوۡمٍ۬ لَّا رَيۡبَ فِيهِ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُخۡلِفُ ٱلۡمِيعَادَ

رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسۡرَافَنَا فِىٓ أَمۡرِنَا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ

"Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thee: for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure.

Our Lord! Thou art He that will gather mankind together against a day about which there is no doubt: for Allah never fails in His promise.

Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and anything we may have done that transgressed our duty; establish our feet firmly and help us against those that resist Faith.

O Allah! Shower Your salutations of Peace and Blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad, and upon his companions and followers of this Deen, grant us help and be pleased with us and every believer who strive in upholding this Deen in this world and the Hereafter.

Aa-min!-