0:06 My dear friends, Allah bless you all. Alhamdulillah. Let's continue with our look at fat. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah.
0:58 Okay. So, we were looking at the verses of and allahel. Allah told us about these people who were mocking the prophets, mocking the believers. And now we're told of another set of crimes that the Quresh were doing which were exactly like the crimes of the people of the past. But what's interesting here is that it's still done today by people and people still have this attitude uh which is to I mean the issue is saying that well I'm doing this because God wanted me to do it and if he didn't want us to be doing X Y and Zed why are we doing it? So what they want is they don't distinguish
1:44 as mainstream Sunni orthodoxy orthodoxy um explains that there's a distinction between Allah's will and Allah's command. So Allah's will is that um Zade uh is ill or let's say he's ill. He's in a he's in a hospital bed unconscious for a week, right? And you we don't have anything to say about that. That we can't control his will. Allah wills what he wants because he tests us with Allah's Allah's divine command to do with laws. We're tested with fast, pray, these sorts of things. And then we're tested with
2:30 his his uh command that is uh the queeny like what he makes occur in our lives like Zade being ill and being unconscious in the hospital. So that is what we call his will. Allah has willed things and you know we don't have a choice about certain matters and Allah has commanded things. So what we are expected to do is follow the command, obey the command. And these idolattors, they were mixing the two up. What they were saying is look where they're worshiping idols. So God must have comm God must want us to do this. No, what he wants you to to do is what he's commanded you to do. And then he's
3:15 willed that you have free choice that you have a free will. You're putting in a situation where you choose between X and Y. That is what that is what he has willed. So now you have your free choice, your free will. Execute it and obey his command. But they were saying no, he must want us to do this. So then that became a criticism of the prophets, you are making this up. They were saying to the prophets, you're making this up because we're doing this. So God must want us to do this. So therefore, what you're saying is wrong. That's how it was coming out. So it
4:02 says the polytheists argue had Allah w neither we nor our forefathers would have worshiped anything other than him nor prohibited anything without his command. Now look at this right we know about the prohibition we saw in surah and you know they certain types of camels a camel that had given birth to certain a certain number of you know children uh baby camels you know they'd cut its ear and then they let it wander around and all these sorts of things or camels that were dedicated to the idols they said no one can touch this all fabrications no basis in divine law no basis in revelation they made it of themselves And so they're saying, "Look, we're doing it, aren't we?" So if Allah wanted us to not do it, he would have stopped
4:48 us. But that's not right because what they're doing there is they're ignoring the element of free will. And I imbued very eloquently and in multiple ways he he really highlights this point that all over his when people do go wrong and do wrong, it's because of their bad choices. And here he he highlights the same thing in in this verse that it's Allah has created us. Allah could have just sent everyone to paradise. But it's a test who deserves the best. So you're put in a situation where you got to choose. You got to act in a way that shows you would choose what Allah wants you to choose. So that's the thing. And so that you have
5:34 to have free will there. So anyone that says we don't have free will is just misunderstanding the whole point of revelation, misunderstanding the whole point of this test. Allah sent us here. Yes, there are aspects of it that you know everyone may not grasp and you know like you know but the general thing is we choose our actions. I can choose to lift this mug up and I can choose to spill its contents. It's we choose our actions. So this is how it is. So it was interesting he didn't say those who associated I gods with him in divinity and then they stayed that way they became resolute in
6:19 that Allah the supreme king look at the name they're using we would not have worshiped and Allah is saying that those besides him but literally those lower than him not a single thing lower than him Right? Neither us nor our forefathers because they're following their forefathers. They say that they're on the mil of SA Ibraim. They're following the way of their the way of SA Ibraim and you know their forefathers did the same. But clearly they're lying or we could at least say that you know the way of SA Ibraim is not what they are practicing. So he says Okay. So Allah is going to dismantle the
7:05 argument. So he says, "So so did those before them. They said the same thing. Is it not the messenger's duty to only deliver the message clearly? Is their duty anything but delivering the message clearly?" Okay. So as I said comes from to associate partners with God in divinity. They're saying that someone else is also divine. Saying someone else creates or someone else has the power to create or someone else is perfect and someone else deserves worship and obedience and all of the obedience as in the way you'd obey obey God. Like you can obey the messenger but he's representing God and so obedience and you know submission and surrender to God. uh that way that is um you know this
7:51 is this is something these people made up with regards to the idols and he says so they falsely claimed that made claims about the will of Allah saying it was Allah's will that they and their ancestors worship idols they also claim Allah's will is it was Allah's will that they forbade certain types of camels and animals to themselves and others following their pagan practices. So what they're basically saying is Allah is actively engaged in controlling every single individual and their actions. Allah is they're saying Allah is making this person do this and Allah is making that person do that which
8:36 would also like it's self-contradictory because they were insinuating that the prophets were making you know all these commandments up but if Allah's actively making you do this it wouldn't that same apply to the prophets so then there's a contradiction right so it's it's wrong so no Allah doesn't make as Allah facilitates you choose good Allah will facilitate for for you to do more good. You choose bad, Allah will facilitate for you to do more bad. But it's your own choices. That's the thing. So he says their claim that it was Allah's that Allah's will is always carried out. Allah's will is always carried out. True. But your his will is that you choose. Then they argue that because of
9:22 they are living their lives as they are, it must be Allah's will, right? Which is a very wrong way of doing it and seeing things. So their false conclusions that Allah has willed them to worship idols. So it must be acceptable. So why would you get we get punished and why are you saying we're going to get punished? No, the logic is completely off, completely skewed, right? And so people in the past used it, people still use it today claim that their sins are will by Allah, you know, why why should I get punished, you know, like a feather in the wind kind of attitude. But no, Allah isn't doing this. So the correct understanding of Allah's will is that and command are two separate things. Allah's command is that we believe in him. We obey him. We follow his messengers, avoid sin, obey the commandments that have been given
10:08 us. But his will is that human beings choose in life. So they choose to obey and they choose to disobey. They will be rewarded for the good and punished for the bad. Allah says it very clear it means to will to choose between one matter or another. So he says whoever wills let him believe your choice and whoever wills let him disbelieve your choice. There are consequences to both but it's up to you. That's exactly how it is. So they can't come and say well God's making us do this. God's making us do this. Like what do you mean he's making you do this? You have a choice put in front of you. You
10:54 have a messenger who's brought you a sound argument, brought you proofs, brought you miracles. Do this or don't do this. And you're saying God's making me do contrary to what you're claiming God's sent you with and what he's given evidences and miracles to support him in the prophet in saying this is what God wants you to do. And then you go do what you want and you say no, God's wanting me to do this because I'm doing it. Like what kind of foolish argument is this? It's just people who don't think So when he said rhetorical question and the question with illah it's there to adjust their understanding is there to make them think well you know what maybe we're
11:41 we're not quite right on this. So is there any obligation on the prophets besides And same root as the word you know and like we say same there's more emphasis in this must I believe and but he's you know is there any obligation on the prophets on the messengers besides clearly conveying the message fully and clearly in a way that can be understood because if it's coming out as something really complex beyond the capacity and capability of you know most people to understand then you know there's no point to the
12:27 message. So like you know some you know some it's not some complicated philosophical argument uh that's only a few people are going to understand or some really complicated you know aspect of astrophysic physics that only a few people uh can understand. No, it's clear sound reason and logic that anyone can grasp. And that's the thing. So it's incumbent on the messengers to clearly convey the message. Is there anything beyond that? No. They do not want anything. They do not charge anything. They don't ask anything. Just listen to us and obey God's command. So Allah's will is his business. He granted us free choice and our responsibility is to choose. Choose to obey, choose to disobey. That's on
13:12 you. And so he says in the next verse, by God we surely sent to every community a messenger right what is he saying such beautiful words where the messenger says worship Allah worship your creator worship your lord who's made you he doesn't need anything from you but he wants you to do this for your betterment imagine someone who just like we see elsewhere in Quran we see you know people with no belief in God on the last day just bereft of morality bereft of you know honesty I mean how many a time you know you end up
13:59 in a situation and uh you know people just lie lie through their teeth for for no reason because they don't think of what's beyond they don't think of the afterlife you know um someone hit my car recently and um I was in my lane and perfectly you know I wasn't doing anything wrong. Came into me, hit my car, and then I and then we got out, we spoke, and I could just tell I knew that they're going to lie about it later. And lo and behold, they lied. Oh, you know, he came to us like I didn't, right? The same thing. You know, people just don't see the consequences of their actions. They don't think about the last day. They don't think about reward and punishment. And this is what happens. And people, you know, go around buming
14:45 children. And people go around murdering innocent people because they don't really care about consequences, right? So, and those consequences come from knowing that there's a lord who's created you. There's reward as punishment the day of judgment and the the devil basically shun false gods. So from to cross limits and it's referring to anything falsely worshiped besides Allah. So and some of them amongst them are those who Allah guided. They chose the correct way. So Allah guided
15:31 them and amongst them are those who misguidance was fully realized right destined to stray. No not this. No there's a very clear distinction in this verse. Abu Abu says that for amongst them are those who Allah has guided meaning they chose the right way and then Allah facilitated it for for them to travel that way and be of the guided then he says and just even listen to the word we'll talk more about it more but instead of the feminine form really emphasizes ital huge vast amounts Allah to be on top to dominate and for
16:16 something to be fully established and you know uh realized or misguidance or being lost was completely realized in them. Can you see the distinction in the way the two were expressed? Allah guided them. They chose it. So by Allah's favor, Allah gave them more guidance and facilitated for them to do that. But then this other group uh misguidance was fully realized on them. This change in style, he didn't say Allah misguided them. The change in style indicates it was their choice. They made the wrong choice and therefore misguidance became their defining characteristic. What a distinction between the two. Uh so
17:03 actually before that so he says those before them did exactly the same thing. They said, "Oh, well, we're doing it. God must want us to do it. Who are you to tell us otherwise?" They did the exact same thing. And guess what? What does the verse say, right? Um, yeah, it's coming now. But guess what? They did that thing. Where did they end up? I'll talk about that a second in a second actually. Let's talk about this. So he says I'll talk about this. He says Allah swears an oath that Allah
17:50 doesn't need us but to guide us to help us he sent you know messengers to in every um in every nation right and because there are Allah hasn't created us for this world of 70 80 90 years or whatever a person's lifespan is there are you know further consequences he wants us in paradise forever and so every nation got a guide what did they choose to do with it some followed you know some disobeyed but they were told shun the devil shun worshiing false deities so is from the word jump side so it's the strongest form of shunning something you're on one side and that's on the other side you're on one part you know one end of the valley and that's on
18:36 the other and never you know the east is it the east is is the east and the west is the west and never the twin shall meet same attitude ude and for any falsely obeyed deity it can be referred to the devil or anything right like that and the word as I said amongst these people are those who Allah the supreme king guided they saw the messages and they saw yeah this makes sense it resonates with my soul I'm going to do it I accept it so then they started and then Allah guided them and you know You you what do you have? You have you start look at a man who was intoxicated performing
19:23 around the once a man who worshiped idols and then Allah showed him the truth and he had enough fairness in his heart. It was a defining trait of his actually fairness and justice to say this is the truth. I accept it and he accepted it and then and then look at what he became. He became one of the greatest human beings ever. A man who was ruling an empire. He was in Medina and he was saying if a donkey was being abused in Iraq, mistreated in Iraq, I would feel responsible. Look at that. Look at that beautiful blessed man. This is what we say. Someone who accept the truth and Allah guides them.
20:08 Allah changes them. who has that kind of humanity today and then there are people who casually sit I'm not even talking about hundreds of miles away casually sit you know uh you know two three miles away then they just casually press buttons you know dropping bombs on innocents without a care in the world and here is a man who you know a beast of burden you know knowing it's it's going through pain hundreds of miles away that would affect him. This is what he's saying. And then so then there are those who choose the opposite. So then is fully realized and just dominates them. The dala and then so
20:54 here it's mentioned with the feminine. This is got no you know not saying anything about masculine you know men or women rather you know generally men are stronger than um females whatever. So sometimes the meanings in the Arabic language reflect that because of the genders and stuff. But here the because it's got this extra da it's actually that you drop and it becomes a and you stop on it. It really opens the meaning of like the sound is not stopped. It's not blocked. You're stopping on it. No, you're stopping on an open sound. So vast huge you know heinous misguidance has been real it's just
21:40 established itself on these people through their choices look really enhances the force of it meaning so then Allah says okay if you're saying that God wants you to do you know what you're doing and all the idolatry and all the changing his laws and everything he wants you to do it and the people before You also did that. Then how did they end up? Were they did they end up in happy lives? You know like the people of Su the people of you know S the people of Sud the people of Sud the people the people of you know uh of the other prophets. How did they end up? Ask
22:26 yourself that. Did they end up in living nice, happy, long lives or were they utterly destroyed because they schemed against the prophets and their followers and they totally rejected God's message and they mocked the message just like you're doing. You're mocking Allah's message. You're mocking the messenger. You're you're you're saying, "When is this last day going to come? We can't wait for it to come. It's not coming soon enough." And they were doing all of this. They were torturing the believers. How did they end up? So Allah doesn't say this directly. Allah says it in a stronger way. So he say he says so go walk in the land travel in the land and see the outcome of those who denied the messengers. They denied the messengers like you're denying your messenger. What happened? They rejected
23:12 the guidance and were destroyed. Does that show that Allah wants them to do wanted them to do what they were doing? Does that show that Allah wants these people to do what they're doing and just carry on? God's willed it so you can keep doing it. No, it shows they were given free choice. They have a free will and they were given the right thing to do and they were shown what the wrong is so they avoid it. But they followed the wrong action and they brought consequences on themselves. Allah did not wrong them, but rather they their own selves were wronging again and again. There's the answer to you. Answer to these
23:58 people. And anyone that makes a claim, I'm only doing it because God wants me to do it. No, you're doing it because you're choosing it to be like this. You're choosing this action. Allah, you know. So, they rejected the guidance and they were destroyed, proving their beliefs and understanding were completely wrong. And God didn't want them to be doing what they did. And then with the situation being like this and with the messenger of Allah sallallah.aii wasallam being as loving and as kind and caring and as compassionate as he was sallaihi wasallam. You're talking about someone who would go to people who were mocking him, who were insulting him, who were
24:43 harming him because they didn't want to hear his message. And he went to them day after day after day after day for years putting up with the abuse just to save them from the hellfire. Someone who knew the nature of the hellfire. someone who knew what a painful torment they're bringing on themselves through their actions and he had an intense desire to save these people from their own actions from their own choices and whilst they were being abusive and harmful he was still trying to guide them saiam so then Allah says that if you still have if you have this keen desire
25:29 for their guidance Then people can be guided. But those who are actively trying to mislead others, they're not going to get guided. Allah will not force them to become good if they're actively trying to make other people bad. That's what he's saying. So in if even if you or prophet are keen is when you're really avid and eager for something. But here the messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam as a said is extremely avid and eager for their good their benefit for them to be guided so they don't get punished. If you're keen on their guidance, then Allah certainly does not guide those who
26:14 he leaves to stray. Uh, no, that's a mistransation. Uh, right. Uh, or you know, um, that is one interpretation. No, it's not misation. Those who misguide others as Abu puts it, right? That's the stronger one, right? And so he says um and they will have certainly have no helpers they will certainly have no helpers put it right. So uh so he's saying the the one
27:00 who Allah so let's not focus on guidance and misguidance here. Let's focus on this point. He says, "Look, those people who those people with their bad choices who choose misguidance, Allah will not force them to be guided." Or those who are out to try and harm others and misguide others, Allah will not force them uh to become guided. They're out there trying to lead other people astray. And you think, you know, don't think that Allah will guide them. But the first uh um the first position Yeah. Okay. So Allah Allahel is
27:46 saying that these people are doing the actions. So let's just put it simply. Allah sends guidance. You choose it. He will increase that. He will guide you further and make you rooted in it. like said or you choose to shun it and ignore it and by doing so repeatedly someone goes further off course he's misguided at this point and this is because of an active knowing choice they make so he says someone who willingly makes this choice and willingly chooses to go away from good Allah is not going to force him to come back and be you know good it has to be a choice they make that's what he's
28:31 And then he says so means a strong desire to attain something Allah addresses the messenger that he's saying even if you have you know you're intensely eager for their guidance he only guides those who seek it if they're not seeking it and if they're actively doing the opposite Allah will not guide them and for the those who turn away and lead others astray will not be guided as says as well right And he's the one who had the position that they're misguiding others. And those though they may see the path, they choose not to walk it. And they will have no helpers whatsoever. Emphasizing their complete lack of support. They will have no helpers that when the consequences come, there will be no one to deflect those
29:17 consequences or to uh intercede to have those consequences not affect them. No, no one can stop those consequences when they come to them because they brought them on themselves when they turned away from God. That's the issue here. And we ask Allah for protection and constant guidance so we can always be safe from the paths that lead away from his pleasure to his wrath. And this is basically, you know, what they choose. And it's a matter of choice. It's free choice. Anyone who says there's no free choice in the human experience and no free will uh is mis you know just misunderstood just completely wrong. That's the position of
30:03 Sunni Orthodoxy and it's it's clearly understood from the Quran otherwise what would be the point of sending messengers with the book and with miracles if so if if the receiving end if the receiving party have no choice in choosing right or wrong they're just forced to go down a road. It just doesn't make sense. Okay, let's stop here. Allah bless you all and we'll continue from this point. am. Alhamdulillah.
