fada_all
Junior Member
Reminder Benefits Only Those Who Fear Allah
And remind them, for truly the believers benefit from being reminded. (Surat adh-Dhariyat: 55)
In the life of this world, Allah grants people a life long enough to take lessons from the many reminders He offers them. Essentially, there are many things that happen to a person in the course of his life that are to be regarded as reminders. For example, deaths being reported in the news or those we witness ourselves, should be taken as warnings. By these examples, Allah reminds us that we too may also meet our deaths at any moment. Likewise, physical weaknesses we cannot forestall are also reminders from our Lord. As mentioned earlier, Allah creates these weaknesses in man to make him understand that this world is not worthy of being devoted to. In addition, the loss of certain blessings or some disaster may also be a reminder from Allah. Though a person may be very beautiful or wealthy, by the Will of Allah, it may take only an instant for him or her to lose his beauty or possessions.
Never forget that any of these instances are simply reminders from Allah to His servants as a mercy, and that we must reflect upon them, and proceed along the straight path to which He summons us. However, as stated in the Qur'an, while these reminders benefit believers, they only upset those who are arrogant towards Allah:
Remind, then, if the reminder benefits. He who has fear will be reminded; but the most miserable will shun it. (Surat al-A'la: 9-11)
Again, never forget that Allah has sent the Qur'an to mankind as a guide, a warning and reminder, as stated in the Qur'an:
We have made things clear in this Qur'an so that they might pay heed, but it only makes them run away the more! (Surat al-Isra': 41)
There are many verses in the Qur'an which relate the fact that many reminders and warnings are given to people. Therefore, whoever ignores and turns away from them deserves to be punished. This is made clear in the Qur'an as follows:
As a reminder. We were never unjust. (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 209)
He warned them of Our onslaught but they dismissed the warnings. (Surat al-Qamar: 36)
Never forget that all the reminders you receive are actually coming from Allah. Allah has informed His servants, by way of His messengers and books, about His commands, and has made them know how they may conduct themselves in order to please Him. Allah has charged believers with the task of enjoining the good, forbidding the wrong and reminding of the truth. Therefore, every reminder a believer receives is important. The Qur'an advises people to enjoin good and forbid evil and to remind one another of their responsibilities. In this manner, Allah's messengers warned their people in order to save them from the eternal torment:
Mankind was a single community. Then Allah sent out Prophets bringing good news and giving warning, and with them He sent down the Book with truth to decide between people regarding their differences. Only those who were given it differed about it, after the Clear Signs had come to them, envying one another. Then, by His permission, Allah guided those who believed to the truth of that about which they had differed. Allah guides whoever He wills to a straight path. (Surat al-Baqara: 213)
People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, making things clear to you, after a period with no Messengers, lest you should say, "No one came to us bringing good news or warning." Someone has come to you bringing good news and a warning. Allah has power over all things. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 19)
The Qur'an repeatedly stresses the importance of obedience to messengers. That is because, once the messenger clearly conveys the message of the Book and the religion to his people, there remains no longer any excuse they can make to Allah:
Messengers bringing good news and giving warning, so that people will have no argument against Allah after the coming of the Messengers. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat an-Nisa': 165)
Prophet Nuh's summoning his people to the religion, their insistence on rejecting it, and the terrible end they suffered, are all related in the Qur'an as lessons to be retained by the generations that followed after them:
We sent Nuh to his people: "Warn your people before a painful punishment comes to them." He said, "My people, I am a clear warner to you. Worship Allah, heed Him and obey me. He will forgive you your wrong actions and defer you until a specified time. When Allah's time comes it cannot be deferred, if you only knew." He said, "My Lord, I have called my people night and day but my calling has only made them more evasive. Indeed, every time I called them to Your forgiveness, they put their fingers in their ears, wrapped themselves up in their clothes and were overweeningly arrogant. Then I called them openly. Then I addressed them publicly and addressed them privately. I said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Truly He is Endlessly Forgiving.'" (Surah Nuh: 1-10)
They said, "Nuh, you have argued with us and argued much so bring us what you have promised us if you are telling the truth." He said, "Allah will bring it to you if He wills and you will not be able to prevent it. My counsel will not benefit you, for all my desire to counsel you, if Allah desires to lead you into error. He is your Lord and you will return to Him." Or do they say, "He has invented it"? Say: "If I have invented it the crime will be laid at my door, but I am innocent of the crimes which you commit." It was revealed to Nuh: "None of your people are going to believe except for those who already believe, so do not be distressed at what they do." (Surah Hud: 32-36)
Another example related in the Qu'ran is that of the tribe of Israel, who failed to heed the reminders sent to them or to redress their wrongdoings. For that reason, their hearts grew hard, and were deprived of compassion:
Allah made a covenant with the tribe of Israel and We raised up twelve leaders from among them. Allah said, "I am with you. If you establish prayer and pay alms, and believe in My Messengers and respect and support them, and make a generous loan to Allah, I will erase your wrong actions from you and admit you into Gardens with rivers flowing under them. Any of you who disbelieve after that have gone astray from the right way." But because of their breaking of their covenant, We have cursed them and made their hearts hard. They distort the true meaning of words and have forgotten a good portion of what they were reminded of. You will never cease to come upon some act of treachery on their part, except for a few of them. Yet pardon them, and overlook. Allah loves good-doers. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 12-13)
In the Qur'an, Allah relates of the various methods employed by messengers and truthful believers who followed them to guide their people to Allah's religion. Important stages in the history of past civilizations are narrated in the Qur'an, the only guide of the path of truth delineated for the human beings, so that the succeeding generations could draw lessons:
What are they waiting for but the same fate as those who passed away before them? Say: "Wait, I will be among the people waiting with you." (Surah Yunus: 102)
Never forget that these reminders benefit only those who fear Allah, whereas those without such fear cannot reflect upon nor draw lessons from them. Allah relates this condition of the rejecters as follows:
As for those who are disbelievers, it makes no difference to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe. Allah has sealed up their hearts and hearing and over their eyes is a blindfold. They will have a terrible punishment. (Surat al-Baqara: 6-7)
To turn away from the warnings of our Lord, and to forget those deeds one has done, is actually "a great wrong." Thus, Allah has obscured their understanding and deprived them of His blessings. That is because they are the ones who will never be guided:
Who could do greater wrong than someone who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord and then turns away from them, forgetting all that he has done before? We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. Though you call them to guidance, they will nonetheless never be guided. (Surat al-Kahf: 57)
And remind them, for truly the believers benefit from being reminded. (Surat adh-Dhariyat: 55)
In the life of this world, Allah grants people a life long enough to take lessons from the many reminders He offers them. Essentially, there are many things that happen to a person in the course of his life that are to be regarded as reminders. For example, deaths being reported in the news or those we witness ourselves, should be taken as warnings. By these examples, Allah reminds us that we too may also meet our deaths at any moment. Likewise, physical weaknesses we cannot forestall are also reminders from our Lord. As mentioned earlier, Allah creates these weaknesses in man to make him understand that this world is not worthy of being devoted to. In addition, the loss of certain blessings or some disaster may also be a reminder from Allah. Though a person may be very beautiful or wealthy, by the Will of Allah, it may take only an instant for him or her to lose his beauty or possessions.
Never forget that any of these instances are simply reminders from Allah to His servants as a mercy, and that we must reflect upon them, and proceed along the straight path to which He summons us. However, as stated in the Qur'an, while these reminders benefit believers, they only upset those who are arrogant towards Allah:
Remind, then, if the reminder benefits. He who has fear will be reminded; but the most miserable will shun it. (Surat al-A'la: 9-11)
Again, never forget that Allah has sent the Qur'an to mankind as a guide, a warning and reminder, as stated in the Qur'an:
We have made things clear in this Qur'an so that they might pay heed, but it only makes them run away the more! (Surat al-Isra': 41)
There are many verses in the Qur'an which relate the fact that many reminders and warnings are given to people. Therefore, whoever ignores and turns away from them deserves to be punished. This is made clear in the Qur'an as follows:
As a reminder. We were never unjust. (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 209)
He warned them of Our onslaught but they dismissed the warnings. (Surat al-Qamar: 36)
Never forget that all the reminders you receive are actually coming from Allah. Allah has informed His servants, by way of His messengers and books, about His commands, and has made them know how they may conduct themselves in order to please Him. Allah has charged believers with the task of enjoining the good, forbidding the wrong and reminding of the truth. Therefore, every reminder a believer receives is important. The Qur'an advises people to enjoin good and forbid evil and to remind one another of their responsibilities. In this manner, Allah's messengers warned their people in order to save them from the eternal torment:
Mankind was a single community. Then Allah sent out Prophets bringing good news and giving warning, and with them He sent down the Book with truth to decide between people regarding their differences. Only those who were given it differed about it, after the Clear Signs had come to them, envying one another. Then, by His permission, Allah guided those who believed to the truth of that about which they had differed. Allah guides whoever He wills to a straight path. (Surat al-Baqara: 213)
People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, making things clear to you, after a period with no Messengers, lest you should say, "No one came to us bringing good news or warning." Someone has come to you bringing good news and a warning. Allah has power over all things. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 19)
The Qur'an repeatedly stresses the importance of obedience to messengers. That is because, once the messenger clearly conveys the message of the Book and the religion to his people, there remains no longer any excuse they can make to Allah:
Messengers bringing good news and giving warning, so that people will have no argument against Allah after the coming of the Messengers. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat an-Nisa': 165)
Prophet Nuh's summoning his people to the religion, their insistence on rejecting it, and the terrible end they suffered, are all related in the Qur'an as lessons to be retained by the generations that followed after them:
We sent Nuh to his people: "Warn your people before a painful punishment comes to them." He said, "My people, I am a clear warner to you. Worship Allah, heed Him and obey me. He will forgive you your wrong actions and defer you until a specified time. When Allah's time comes it cannot be deferred, if you only knew." He said, "My Lord, I have called my people night and day but my calling has only made them more evasive. Indeed, every time I called them to Your forgiveness, they put their fingers in their ears, wrapped themselves up in their clothes and were overweeningly arrogant. Then I called them openly. Then I addressed them publicly and addressed them privately. I said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Truly He is Endlessly Forgiving.'" (Surah Nuh: 1-10)
They said, "Nuh, you have argued with us and argued much so bring us what you have promised us if you are telling the truth." He said, "Allah will bring it to you if He wills and you will not be able to prevent it. My counsel will not benefit you, for all my desire to counsel you, if Allah desires to lead you into error. He is your Lord and you will return to Him." Or do they say, "He has invented it"? Say: "If I have invented it the crime will be laid at my door, but I am innocent of the crimes which you commit." It was revealed to Nuh: "None of your people are going to believe except for those who already believe, so do not be distressed at what they do." (Surah Hud: 32-36)
Another example related in the Qu'ran is that of the tribe of Israel, who failed to heed the reminders sent to them or to redress their wrongdoings. For that reason, their hearts grew hard, and were deprived of compassion:
Allah made a covenant with the tribe of Israel and We raised up twelve leaders from among them. Allah said, "I am with you. If you establish prayer and pay alms, and believe in My Messengers and respect and support them, and make a generous loan to Allah, I will erase your wrong actions from you and admit you into Gardens with rivers flowing under them. Any of you who disbelieve after that have gone astray from the right way." But because of their breaking of their covenant, We have cursed them and made their hearts hard. They distort the true meaning of words and have forgotten a good portion of what they were reminded of. You will never cease to come upon some act of treachery on their part, except for a few of them. Yet pardon them, and overlook. Allah loves good-doers. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 12-13)
In the Qur'an, Allah relates of the various methods employed by messengers and truthful believers who followed them to guide their people to Allah's religion. Important stages in the history of past civilizations are narrated in the Qur'an, the only guide of the path of truth delineated for the human beings, so that the succeeding generations could draw lessons:
What are they waiting for but the same fate as those who passed away before them? Say: "Wait, I will be among the people waiting with you." (Surah Yunus: 102)
Never forget that these reminders benefit only those who fear Allah, whereas those without such fear cannot reflect upon nor draw lessons from them. Allah relates this condition of the rejecters as follows:
As for those who are disbelievers, it makes no difference to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe. Allah has sealed up their hearts and hearing and over their eyes is a blindfold. They will have a terrible punishment. (Surat al-Baqara: 6-7)
To turn away from the warnings of our Lord, and to forget those deeds one has done, is actually "a great wrong." Thus, Allah has obscured their understanding and deprived them of His blessings. That is because they are the ones who will never be guided:
Who could do greater wrong than someone who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord and then turns away from them, forgetting all that he has done before? We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. Though you call them to guidance, they will nonetheless never be guided. (Surat al-Kahf: 57)
