حَبِيبٌbelovedمِنْfromالْصَّحَابَةِthe companions::إِذَاifذَكَرْنَاwe rememberاللَّهَAllahوَحَمَدْنَاهُand praised Himوَسَبَّحْنَاهُand glorified Himفَتِلْكَthen that isزِيَادَتُهُHis increase,,وَإِذَاand ifغَفَلْنَاwe neglectوَنَسِينَاand forgetوَضَيَّعْنَاand wasteفَتِلْكَthen that isنَقْصَانُهُHis deficiency,,وَكَانَand wasمُعَاذٌMuazابْنُson ofجَبَلٍJabalيَقُولُsaysلِأَصْحَابِهِto his companions::اُجْلِسُواsit downبِنَاwith usسَاعَةًfor an hourنُؤْمِنُwe can have faith,,قَالَHe saidتَعَالَىthe Most High::﴿{وَلَاand do notتُطِعْobeyمَنْwhoأَغْفَلْنَاWe have made heedlessقَلْبَهُhis heartعَنْfromذِكْرِنَاOur remembranceوَاتَّبَعَand followedهَوَاهُhis desires﴾}[الكَهْفِ[AL-KAHF::٢٨28]]وَقَالَAnd He saidتَعَالَىthe Most High::﴿{وَذَكِّرْAnd remindفَإِنَّfor indeedالذِّكْرَىthe reminderتَنْفَعُbenefitsالْمُؤْمِنِينَthe believers[الذَّارِيَاتِ][AL-DHARIYAT]]وَقَالَAnd He saidتَعَالَىthe Most High::سَيَذَّكَّرُwill rememberمَنwhoيَخْشَىfearsوَيَتَجَانَّبُهَاand avoids itالْأَشْفَىthe most purified﴾}[الأَعْلَى][AL-A'LA]]ثُمَّThenكُلَّمَاwheneverتَذَكَّرَa person remembersالْإنْسَانُthe humanمَاwhatعَرَفَهُhe knewقَبْلَbeforeذَٰلِكَthat,,وَعَمِلَand actedبِهِon it,,حَصَلَhe obtainsلَهُfor himمَعْرِفَةًknowledgeشَيْءٍabout somethingآخَرَelseلَمْthat he did notيَكُنbeعَرَفَهُhe knewقَبْلَbeforeذَٰلِكَthat,,وَعَرَفَand he knowsمِنْofمَعَانِيthe meaningsأَسْمَاءِof the namesاللَّهِAllahوَآيَاتِهِand His versesمَاwhatلَمْhe did notيَكُنbeعَرَفَهُhe knewقَبْلَbeforeذَٰلِكَthat,,كَمَاasفِيinالْأَثَرِthe narration::«مَنْ"Whoeverعَمِلَactsبِمَاbased on whatعَلِمَhe knowsوَرَثَهُAllah will inherit himعِلْمًاknowledgeمَاwhatلَمْhe did notيَعْلَمْknow(١))(1),,وَهَذَاand thisأَمْرٌis an affairيَجِدُهُhe findsفِيinنَفْسِهِhimselfكُلُّeveryمُؤْمِنٍbeliever..وَفِيAnd in«الصَّحِيحِthe Sahih,,عَنْaboutالنَّبِيِّthe Prophetﷺ::مَثَلُThe exampleالَّذِيof the oneيَذْكُرُrememberingرَبَّهُhis Lordوَالَّذِيand the oneلَاdoes notيَذْكُرُrememberرَبَّهُhis Lord,,مَثَلُis likeالْحَيِّthe livingوَالْمَيْتِand the dead..قَالَHe saidتَعَالَىthe Most High::﴿{وَإِذَاAnd ifتُلِيَتْis recitedعَلَيْهِمْto themوَآيَاتُهُHis versesزَادَتْهُمْit increases themإِيمَانًاin faith﴾}[الْأَنْفَالِ[AL-ANFAL::٢2]]،,وَذَلِكَand thatأَنَّهَاit (the reminder) isتَزِيدُهُمْincreasing themعِلْمًاknowledgeمَاwhatلَمْthey did notيَكُونُواhave beenقَبْلَbeforeذَٰلِكَthatعَلِمُوهُthey knew it,,وَتَزِيدُهُمْand it increases themعَمَلًاactionبِذَلِكَwith thatالْعِلْمِknowledge,,وَتَزِيدُهُمْand it increases themتَذَكُّرًاremembranceلِمَاfor whatكَانُواthey wereيَنسَوْهُforgettingوَعَمَلًاand actionبِتِلْكَwith thatالتَّذْكِرَةِreminder,,وَكَذَٰلِكَand likewiseمَاwhatيُشَاهِدُهُthe servants seeالْعِبَادُthe servantsمِنْofالْآيَاتِthe signsفِيinالْآفَاقِthe horizons,,وَفِيand inأَنفُسِهِمْthemselves,,قَالَHe saidتَعَالَىthe Most High::﴿{سَنُرِيهِمْWe will show themآيَتِنَاOur signsفِيinالْآفَاقِthe horizonsوَفِيand inأَنفُسِهِمْthemselvesحَتَّىuntilيَتَبَيَّنَit becomes clearلَهُمْfor themأَنَّهُthat it (al-Qur'an) isالْحَقُّthe truth﴾}[فُصِّلَتْ[FUSSILAT::٥٣53]]،,أَيmeaning thatأَنْthatالْقُرْآنَthe Quranحَقٌّis true,,ثُمَّAnd thenقَالَHe saidتَعَالَىthe Most High::﴿{أَوَلَمْDid notيَكْفِsufficeبِرَبِّكَwith your Lordأَنَّهُthat He isعَلَىoverكُلِّeverythingشَيْءٍa witnessشَهِيدٌa witness﴾}[فُصِّلَتْ][FUSSILAT,,فَإِنَّfor that, indeedاللَّهَAllahشَهِيدٌis a witnessفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Quranبِمَاabout whatأَخْبَرَHe informedبِهِof itفَآمَنَand the believers have faithبِهِin itالْمُؤْمِنُونَthe believersثُمَّand thenأَرَاهُمْshows themفِيinالْآفَاقِthe horizonsوَفِيand inأَنفُسِهِمْthemselvesمِنْfromالْآيَاتِthe signsمَاwhatيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىonمَثَلِsuch asمَاwhatأَخْبَرَwas toldبِهِof itفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Quranفَبَيَّنَتْand made clearلَهُمْto themهَذِهِtheseالْآيَاتِsignsأَنَّthatالْقُرْآنَthe Quranحَقٌّis the truthمَعَwithمَاwhatكَانَhad beenقَدpreviouslyحَصَلَreceivedلَهُمْfor themقَبْلَprior toذَٰلِكَthat..تَبْصِرَةٌA reminderوَقَالَAnd He saidتَعَالَىthe Most High::(أَفَلَمْ(Have they notيَنْظُرُواlookedإِلَىatالسَّمَاءِthe skyفَوْقَهُمْabove themكَيْفَhowبَنَيْنَاهَاWe have built itوَزَيَّنَّاهَاand adorned itوَمَاand there is notلَهَاfor itمِنْofفُرُوجٍcracks.وَالْأَرْضَAnd the earthمَدَدْنَاهَاWe have spread itوَأَلْقَيْنَاand We have placedفِيهَاin itرَوَاسِيَmountainsوَأَنْبَتْنَاand We have caused to growفِيهَاin itمِنْofكُلِّeveryزَوْجٍpairبَهِيجٍdelightfulوَذِكْرَىand a reminderلِكُلِّfor everyعَبْدٍservantمُنِيبٍwho turns in repentance﴾}[قَ][QAF]]فَالْآيَاتُThus, the signsالْمَخْلُوقَةُcreatedوَالْمُتْلُوَةُand recited،,فِيهَاthereinتَبْصِرَةٌis a reminder،,وَفِيهَاand in itتَذْكِرَةٌis a reminderتَبْصِرَةٌa reminderمِنَfromالْعَمَىblindnessوَتَذْكِرَةٌand a reminderمِنَfromالْغَفْلَةِheedlessnessفَيُبْصِرُso he seesمَنْwhoلَمْhas notيَكُنbeعُرِفَknownحَتَّىuntilيَعْرِفَhe knows,,وَيَذْكُرَand he remembersمَنْwhoعَرَفَhas knownوَنَسِيَand forgotوَالْإِنْسَانُand a personيَقْرَأُreadsالسُّورَةَthe chapterمَرَّاتٍmany times,,حَتَّىuntilسُورَةِthe Surah(١)(1)
A beloved among the companions: If we mention Allah and praise Him and glorify Him, then that is His increase, and if we neglect, forget, and waste, then that is His deficiency. Muaz Ibn Jabal used to say to his companions: 'Let us sit for an hour to strengthen our faith.' The Most High said: 'And do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desires' [Al-Kahf: 28]. And the Most High said: 'And remind, for the reminder benefits the believers' [Al-Dhariyat]. And the Most High said: 'The one who fears will remember, and those who are pure will avoid it' [The Most High]. Whenever a person remembers what he knew before, and acted on it, he gains knowledge about something else that he did not know before, and he knows of the meanings of Allah's names and His verses what he did not know before, as in the narration: 'Whoever acts on what he knows, Allah will inherit him knowledge of what he did not know (1). This is something every believer finds in himself. In the Sahih, the Prophet ﷺ said: 'The one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not remember his Lord is like the living and the dead.' The Most High said: 'And when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith' [Al-Anfal: 2], as it increases their knowledge of what they did not know before, increases their actions based on that knowledge, and increases their remembrance of what they have forgotten and acting upon that reminder. Similarly, what the servants witness from the signs in the horizons and within themselves. The Most High said: 'We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth' [Fussilat: 53], meaning that the Quran is true. Then the Most High said: 'Did it not suffice with your Lord that He is a witness over everything?' [Fussilat], for Allah is a witness in the Quran to what He has informed of, and the believers had faith in it, then He showed them in the horizons and within themselves signs that indicate what He has informed of in the Quran. These signs clarified to them that the Quran is true, along with what had been revealed to them prior to that. Reminder The Most High said: 'Have they not looked at the sky above them, how We have built it and adorned it, and there are no cracks in it? And We have spread the earth and placed in it mountains and caused it to grow with every delightful pair and a reminder for every servant who turns in repentance' [Qaf]. The created and recited signs therein are reminders; and they provide a reminder of blindness and heedlessness so that they see those who have not known until they know, and they remember those who have known and forgotten. A person reads the chapter many times, until the Surah (1) comes to him.
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