“And Allah has made for you mates (and companions) of your own nature. And made for you out of them sons and daughters and grandchildren and provided for you sustenance of the best: will they then believe in vain things and be ungrateful for Allah's favours?” (Qur'an 16 verse 72)
Consider the general gift God gave humanity. He blessed us with spouses like us. “...mates (and companions) of your own nature...” He has not designed that man would find conjugal pleasures in beasts or jinns. He has made women from men for mutual love, pleasure and tranquillity. The spouses are like us in nature, they are not inhuman, not wicked evil incarnates, not strange aliens, but one with whom we can consult and cohabit. This foundations were laid when God created Adam and then Hawwa (Eve) from Adam's side. Then "...out of them sons and daughters and grandchildren...”. He has further blessed our unions with children who gives us such an indescribable pleasure. Then also the honour of experiencing the joy in grandchildren whose mere presence provides some unique satisfaction for the grandparents; a completely different experience and feeling (that is, between having children and grandchildren).
That is not all. Allah “...provided for you sustenance of the best...” in terms of the power to build on knowledge and experience which is not given to other creatures. Allah blessed human with quality food, the ability to transform raw food to delicious ones. To make palatable drinks from fruits. To transform grains to meals. Allah has blessed mankind with the ability to sow and grow; to cook and concoct, to distil and innovate, to mix and match, to mend and blend, to study and experiment, to write and communicate, to aspire, and inspire. Compared to other creations who perhaps are bigger and stronger, Man has been blessed with ability to transform and evolve our food, our habitat, our means of mobility, our treatment and medication; our adornments and out leisure. This is not human power or plan, but Allah's blessing, which we take for granted.
In fact, the power of dominion over other creatures is a special favour of God. “And He has subjected to you as from Him all that is in the heavens and on earth: behold in that are Signs indeed for those who reflect.” (Qur'an 45 verse 13) Gradually and when the time is ripe, Allah permits Man to advance and dominate His creations. “O you assembly of Jinns and Men! If it be you can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth pass you! But not without authority shall you be able to pass!” (Qur'an 55 verse 33)
But instead of praising and acknowledging Allah, we worship other beings in lieu of or along with Allah. We create false gods be it scientologists, idols, ideas or Satanism (in the form of Athiesm). “...Will they then believe in vain things and be ungrateful for Allah's favours?” Failure to ascribe the source of our progress is ingratitude to the One is responsible for it. Even the so-called Monothiestic faiths are not absolved. They create false gods. They worship as they desire or as it appeals to the people (follow the vain vogue), not as Allah loved to be worshipped. They define Allah as it will appeal to everybody, not as Allah defined Himself. “And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah (himself) fighs against them. How perverse are they! They have taken as lords beside Allah their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah son of Mary, when they were bidden to worship only One God. There is no god save Him. Be He glorified from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him)!” (Qur'an 9 verses 30-31)
The Muslims must learn from the misfortune of their predecessors who used to be favoured by Allah, but that changed when they seek to change Allah’s message, when they became ungrateful to their Lord. “We did aforetime grant to the Children of Israel the Book the Power of Command and Prophethood; We gave them for Sustenance things good and pure; and We favoured them above the nations.” (Qur'an 45 verse 16)
Take account of Allah’s sustenance and support and give dues to whom it is properly due, not those who neither created us nor provided sustenance for us; who cannot help us nor themselves. “For you do worship idols besides Allah and you invent falsehood. The things that ye worship besides Allah have no power to give you sustenance: then seek ye sustenance from Allah serve Him and be grateful to Him: to Him will be your return.” (Qur'an 29 verse 17)
To Allah will we all return to review and give account of our life. This is the reality. Life on earth must end, life in the Hereafter is only natural for justice, fairness and recompense to be established. That is the plan of Allah, which no one can avert. “Not on earth nor in heaven will you be able (fleeing) to frustrate (His plan) nor have you besides Allah any protector or helper.” (Qur'an 29 verse 22)
- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK.
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