Ramadan, Ramadan, Side Feature

RAMADAN REFLECTIONS: Part 2: Reflecting on the Greatness of Allah

Using Ramadan to Make a Lasting Change to our Lives

In this blessed month of Ramadan, we immerse ourselves in ibadaat – prayers, dhikr, qiyaam, recitation of Qur’an – striving to seek forgiveness from our Rabb and to secure as much rewards for the Hereafter as possible. We may also try and use this month to make a change to our lives to become more obedient servants of Allah سبحانه وتعالى by doing our best to fulfil all our Islamic obligations and keeping away from the prohibitions of our Deen. So we may endeavour to perform our 5 daily prayers on time, adopt the Islamic dress, guard our tongues from what is haram, refrain from mixing with the opposite sex, avoid haram environments and make time to seek knowledge about Islam and carry the Islamic dawah. However, after this month is over, we may slip into our old ways, neglecting our Islamic duties and overstepping the limits of our Deen. Or perhaps we struggle with overcoming certain desires or traits that we have which can lead us into falling into the disobedience of our Lord سبحانه وتعالى. So this month does not create a lasting or complete change within us. Why is this?

One reason for this perhaps is that we haven’t used this month to contemplate deeply on the Greatness of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Creator of the Universe, or reflect sincerely on our relationship with Him as His creation. Perhaps we haven’t given time to ponder over the true implications of the fact that everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him; that our return will be to Him, and that our final destiny Fire or Paradise lies in His Hands alone. For if we truly appreciated all of this and the Greatness of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, then surely this would have an impact upon our lives and leave a lasting imprint upon our lifestyle, desires and actions.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says,

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ وَمَن يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ

“Hast thou not seen that unto Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the hills, the trees, the animals, and a great number among mankind.”

(Al-Hajj: 18)

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِن شَيْءٍ يَتَفَيَّأُ ظِلَالُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَالشَّمَائِلِ سُجَّدًا لِّلَّهِ وَهُمْ دَاخِرُونَ

“Do they not look at God’s creation, (even) among (inanimate) things, – how their very shadows turn round, from the right and the left, prostrating themselves to God, and that in the humblest manner?”

(An-Nahl: 48)

Abu Dhar (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«إنى أرى ما لا ترون؛ أطت السماء وحق لها أن تئط، ما فيها موضع أربع أصابع إلا وملك واضع جبهته ساجداً لله تعالى، والله لو تعلمون ما أعلم، لضحكتم قليلاً، ولبكيتم كثيراً، وما تلذذتم بالنساء على الفرش، ولخرجتم إلى الصعدات تجأورن إلى الله تعالى»

“I see what you do not see and I hear what you do not hear; heaven cries, and it has right to do so. By Him, in Whose Hand my soul is, there is not a space of four fingers in which there is not an angel who is prostrating his forehead before Allah, the Exalted. By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little, weep much, and you would not enjoy women in beds, but would go out to the open space beseeching Allah.”

If all of this creation does sajda (prostrates) to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, submits to him completely, and obeys His every command – for such is His Greatness – then how can we not submit in obedience to His سبحانه وتعالى’s commands in every aspect of our lives?

When Prophet Musa (as) asked to see Allah سبحانه وتعالى, He سبحانه وتعالى revealed just a tiny fraction of His Light on a mountain and it collapsed to dust while Musa (as) fell down unconscious, for such is His سبحانه وتعالى’s Magnificence.

Ayatul Kursi in Surah al-Baqara describes the Kursi – the Footstool of Allah سبحانه وتعالى – extending over the heavens and the earth. However, in one hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said,

«مَا الْكُرْسِيُّ فِي الْعَرْشِ إِلا كَحَلَقَةٍ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ أُلْقِيَتْ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَيْ فَلاةٍ مِنَ الأَرْضِ»

“The Kursi compared to the ‘Arsh (the Throne of Allah) is nothing but like a ring thrown out upon the open space of the desert.”

If the Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, then how much greater is the ‘Arsh? And therefore, what is the Majesty of the One who Created all of this – Allah سبحانه وتعالى? Knowing that this Exalted Being is the One we will be returning to, and that we will stand in front of to be judged by for every action – even the size of an atom – that we have performed, how can we not submit to what He سبحانه وتعالى has asked of us completely and wholeheartedly, rather than following our own whims and desires?

Indeed, the qualities of Perfection, Sustainer, Most-Great, All-Powerful, All-Knowledgeable, All-Wise, All-Hearing, All-Seeing – are His and His alone. Not a leaf falls but He knows it, not a fly takes flight but He سبحانه وتعالى sustains it, not a grain lies in the darkness of the earth but He is aware of it. He is the One Who only has to say “Kun” (Be) – fa yakun (and it is).

In addition, Surah Al-Mulk describes beautifully how all that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah سبحانه وتعالى. His is the Dominion and Authority over all creation and all things are subject to His Command. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says,

الَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبۡعَ سَمَـٰوَٲتٍ۬ طِبَاقً۬ا‌ۖ مَّا تَرَىٰ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ مِن تَفَـٰوُتٍ۬‌ۖ فَٱرۡجِعِ ٱلۡبَصَرَ هَلۡ تَرَىٰ مِن فُطُورٍ۬ ثُمَّ ٱرۡجِعِ ٱلۡبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيۡنِ يَنقَلِبۡ إِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡبَصَرُ خَاسِئً۬ا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ۬

“Who has created the seven heavens one above another; you can see no fault in the creation of the Most Gracious. Then look again: ‘Can you see any rifts?” Then look again and yet again: your sight will return to you in a state of humiliation and worn out.”

(Al-Mulk: 3-4)

The scholars Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and Qatada in their tafseer of this surah describe how if the human being were to look for any flaws or defects in the heavens, then his sight would return feeble and broken from exhaustion from his inability to see any deficiencies. We on the other hand are full of weaknesses, deficient in our knowledge of life and the world, and utterly, utterly dependent upon Him. If this is the case, how can we ever think that we know better than Him how to organize our lives, our family, a society, or a state in a manner to minimize problems and ensure tranquility, harmony, and justice for all?

Furthermore, we can never, ever count even if we try the blessings that our Creator has bestowed upon us – our health, our parents, our children, our families, our friends, our food, our provision, our wealth, the homes in which we dwell. Not a penny do we earn without His Help; not one success do we enjoy in life without His Support. He is the One who has given us our mind, senses and heart to appreciate the beauty of the world and experience the feeling of happiness in life. If He has given us all this and so much more, how can we turn our back on Him, show ingratitude, disobey even one of His Commands and follow our desires in how we want to live our lives?

Insha Allah, if we sincerely reflect on all these things; on the magnificence of our Rabb who we will return to, then surely we will come to the conclusion that the only relationship we can ever have with a Being of such Greatness is total submission, subservience and obedience to His every Command.

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ

“Blessed is He in Whose hand is the dominion, and He has power over all things, Who created death and life that He may try you – which of you is best in deeds; and He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.”

(Al-Mulk: 1-2)

 

Written for The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Dr. Nazreen Nawaz

Director of the Women’s Section in the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir