[The want of plenty distracted you] at-Takāthur:1 What is this Takāthur (plenty/excess)? Allāh ﷻ does not specify what this plenty is, thus scholars such as as-Saʿdī comment that it includes everything that takes you away from the obedience of Allāh ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ, and everything that increasingly occupies your heart and time. Be it wealth, entertainment, socialising, life dedicated to social media… or a simple hobby of leisurely reading — in an excessive form. Anything and everything. Note: When…
Much of the societal and interpersonal problems are condensed in the following āyah, [The want of plenty distracted you] Takārhur:1 Alhākum – distracted you, this word is derived from the root word lahuw (think: amusement, pastime, diversion, distraction). An almost synonym for the term lahuw is laʿib (لعب). This āyah uses the word lahuw. Ibn al-Qayyim comments, ❝Lahuw is for the heart whereas laʿib is for the limbs.❞ The want of plenty consumed your heart leaving you with an unconcerned…
It is Allāh Who favours us with guidance and then He says in sūrat Ar-Raḥmān, ﴾Is the reward for good anything but good?﴿, implying as if we did good, for which He then rewards us with iḥsān [goodness] — when in reality to Him belongs all that is good, firstly and lastly. Tafsīr Ibn al-ʿUthaymīn [رحمه الله]…
[And seek forgiveness of your Lord and turn to Him in repentance whereupon He will grant you a fair enjoyment of life until an appointed term.] Hūd:3 In sūrah Hūd Allāh commands us to do Istighfār (seek forgiveness) then He commands us to do Tawbah (turn to Him in repentance). Which raises an important question: what is the difference between the two? Their meanings are almost identical. Yet they are two completely different actions, and in order to fulfil…