[Urdu] Ep 8: فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَان Why Does Allah Keep Asking This Question?

The Profound Question of Allah's Blessings

In the last episode, we learned how we make children memorize the Qur'an. I have met so many children who say that they were beaten up a lot. I don't read anymore.

Some are traumatized. Ask someone what they have learned about religion. What do they know about the Qur'an? I don't even complain about the knowledge of the Qur'an.

What do they know about the Qur'an? What is your impression of the Qur'an? What do you think about the Qur'an? What is your attitude about the Qur'an? What we are saying will come to someone's mind. This is the manifestation of God's love. I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful. In the last sessions, we talked about the blessings of Allah. We read about them.

The Deep Meaning of "Ala'" (Blessings)

So now the word آلاء is used in the meaning of favour, so what do you think about this word? I think the meaning of this word can be favour, but as Farahi Sahib has commented on this word, it is related to إليا. إليا is the joint of the thumb and the ankle of the foot. The word إليا is used for this. These two are very important because unlike other species, we can write, screw, or stand upright because of them. The meaning of this word is that there are some qualities of Allah that cannot be attributed to anyone else. Only Allah can do such things. Allah has created such things that are very strange and shocking.

If we look at the previous verses, Allah is saying that we are not only ungrateful for these things, but we also do not think that these are strange and unusual things. If you put a woman in jail, and her child was born there and never went out of the jail. And she has never seen a window in her life. And she is 15 years old and he is taking her out for the first time. He sees the sun, he will go crazy, what is this? It is night time, where did he go? What happened to him? He will find these things shocking because he is experiencing them for the first time. They are indeed shocking, but we experience these things every day. And if you experience it every day, it will become a normal thing for you. It will become habitual.

The Desensitization to Allah's Miracles

For example, we have mobile phones and we are doing a video conference with them. If 100 years ago, someone had these things in their hands and they were talking to someone. Other people would think that Jesus has come back or a miracle has happened. The things that are around us, we become used to them. And after that, we stop being surprised by their importance. Allah is basically saying that we have become desensitized. And we don't even think about all these blessings. And that is why we dismiss them. So maybe the word آلاء is referring to this.

On the other hand, when a person tries to make something from Allah's creation, he will not be able to compete with that creation. For example, the cover of fruits. You make a cover of food. You can make any cover of food. You can't compete with the cover of fruits. You can make any cover of food. The nutrients that you get from natural food. You won't even get any supplements.

Similarly, the architecture of trees and skies. You can't compete with the sophistication of that architecture. If you go further, you can make any book or poem. You can't compete with the sophistication of the Qur'an. All of these are Allah's blessings. From beginning to end. No matter how many fans you use. The summer breeze of Allah. Or the spring breeze. The breeze that has fragrance. You can never compete with that. You are standing on the beach and the breeze is coming to you. The fresh breeze is coming. No matter how many air conditioners you make. You won't be able to compete with that.

Understanding "Takzeeb" (Denial)

I think آلاء means that Allah has created things that humans can never compete with. But still, he ignores them. On the other hand, I think تكذيب means that: What's the big deal in this? Humans acknowledge the existence of Allah. We don't deny the existence of Allah. But I don't see anything strange in his greatness. This is normal. This is science, what's the big deal in this? This is تكذيب.

Qur'an is a religious book, there are other religious books. What's the big deal in this? There are other religious books as well. What's the big deal in this? I think it is تكذيب to diminish the things that have been said. Like Quraish had said: If we wanted, we could have said the same thing. What's the big deal in this?

Why the Dual Form "Kuma"?

Right Ustad, if Allah is addressing a person, he didn't use his conscience to address him. Here, Allah used the word كاف. So, why was it necessary to use the word كما? After so many blessings. Also, the word كما here is تثنية. So, why is it تثنية here?

This is not the first address, it's the second. The first address was أقيموا الوزن بالقسط. There as well, it's about you. But it's about humans. So, from there, it was indicated that Allah is not just speaking. There are expectations as well.

The Rhetorical Power of the Question

And there are two types of expectations in Arabic. Either you are instructing someone directly, or you are indirectly demanding. I'll give you an example: Give me water. Won't you give me water? Both are instructions. But one instruction is brought in the form of a question. Right? Are you going to stand there? One is, come here. The other is, are you going to stand there?

Now, this is instead of saying, don't deny it, or be thankful, or admit it. Right? Instead of saying: You will keep doing this. Which other آلاء will you deny? Other than this.

There are two things that are being said. One is, wasn't this enough for you? Isn't this enough for you? Do you want to do more? You have denied so much. Will you do more? Will you go further than this? So, after this list, this should have been enough. You have done enough. You have denied enough. What else is left to be done? In a way, a rhetorical question is being asked. Stop it now. Stop it now.

Now, after this, the more sections that are coming. Won't you stop now? Stop it now. Won't you do it now? Will you do more? So, this shocking ungratefulness of a person and his shocking denial is being pointed towards this. And it has been brought in a very effective psychological style.

The Mystery of the Dual Address

The second famous question here: Why is it كما? Why isn't it كا or كم? If it was كم, it would have been related to أقيموا. أقيموا means to establish a balance. And here it would have been فبأي آلاء ربكم تكذبون. But كما means both of you. And even in this ayat, it is not being told what it means by both of you.

Now, in the next two verses it will be revealed خلق الإنسان من صلصال كالفخار وخلق الجان من مارج من نار. Now we know that there are two humans and two jinn. So, the first logical question was: If we wanted to talk to both humans and jinn, so, first the person who is mentioned, after that, the two are addressed. But here, before their mention, both are addressed.

The Alliance of Human and Jinn Shayateen

Now, what is coming after that makes sense. Because the person who is mentioned, now, what will you both deny? So, it has come to everyone's mind that it is about jinn and humans. But now, it is not about jinn and humans. It was only about humans. Like you said, Bushra.

Actually, this is a command from Allah that when the opponents of the prophets come, so, شياطين الإنس والجن زخرف القول غرورا. جني وإنس. وكذلك جعلنا لكل نبي عدوا شياطين الجن والإنس. In the same way, for all the prophets who kept enemies, among them were shayateen of jinn and humans. They keep encouraging each other by saying good things.

Allah has given a formula in the Qur'an that all the enemies of the prophets and messengers are a group of humans and jinn who work together. In this way, we can understand that the Quraish, whether it is Abu Lahab or Abu Jahl, who are the opponents of the messengers, there are shayateen behind them who are misguiding them. Whether they have knowledge or not is a different matter. For example, they don't have knowledge. But they don't even know that they are not alone in this team. They and their shayateen are also there. So, they are becoming شياطين الإنس. And behind them are شياطين الجن.

Exposing the Hidden Enemies

Okay? Now, when the messengers invite or oppose or there is a response in the Qur'an, so, the apparent opponent who is against you, you are answering him. So, you are usually talking to the Quraish. You are talking to their kuffar. You are talking to them. Here, the Qur'an, on this occasion, has warned the jinn that you think you are behind the scenes. No one is watching you. So, I have been watching you from the beginning. And I know your actions very well. How did you do it?

Now, the Quraish are also saying: Who is كما? The jinn are also saying: Who is كما? Who is كما? Oh my God, we also have a camera. What is the purpose of the jinn? The one who is hidden. When the night covers him, hiding him. جنين in Arabic. The mother's womb is also called جنين because the child is hidden in it. جنت is called جنت because the soil is hidden under the plants, under the thick leaves, and under the grass.

So, the jinn think they are the hidden reality. No one comes to the camera. No one is caught. Allah has exposed them in a shocking way. And in their own way, first, they didn't even know that they were being talked about. And then later, they were hit.

On the other hand, the Quraish are being slapped. They are being slapped that your actions are not only yours. You are connected to the shayateen. Because in their own way, it was also said that the Prophet is the shadow of the jinn. He is the prey of the jinn. He is the Prophet, peace be upon him. And we are saying the right thing. And they are taking us towards the wrong thing. In this case, the jinn were attributed to them. You and the jinn are on the same path. You and the shayateen are on the same path. You are a team. And they are on the other side. So, the accusation was reversed.

The Jinn's Superior Experience of Creation

In Surah At-Tur, in reality, kahin and majnoon are connected to the jinn. The kahin are the ones who would hire the jinn and talk to them. And the majnoon would become the victim. But both are connected to the jinn. There, the Qur'an denies that you are neither kahin nor majnoon. And here, it is possible that some of them are kahin and some of them are under the influence of the jinn. It is not that the jinn have left. But we are definitely hearing about their whispers. So, in this case, there is a psychological warfare going on here at this stage.

So, Ustad, it is understandable that all the blessings that have been mentioned, if I am addressing a person, it is understandable that I would say that you are refuting. But if Allah is for both, the jinn hidden behind them or the shayateen, so, in that sense, what would be the best for them?

First, let's take the Qur'an, because the first blessing was the Qur'an, which has been mentioned. When the Qur'an was revealed, the skies were closed. In Surah Al-Ahqaf, in Surah Al-Jinn, they don't understand why the skies are closed. Why is there a firing on us? Then they realized that it is because of the Qur'an. They realized. So, they have an idea of the greatness of the Qur'an. As much as humans don't. As much as humans don't. In fact, more than that. They have an idea of the greatness of the Qur'an.

Secondly, when Allah talks about the skies, we are looking at the skies from here. Who is experiencing the skies more than us? Who has a better idea of the sun and the moon? We have a different angle. Who has a better experience of the stars and the moon? The Jinn. Who has been to the jungles where no human has ever been? The Jinn. Who has been to the ocean where no human has ever been? The Jinn. They have a better experience of the world.

When Allah says I talked about species, which Arab would know which species exists? How would he know that there are polar bears in Antarctica? Or penguins? How would he know? The Jinn would know. The Jinn have seen. The Jinn have seen all kinds of fruits. Whether they eat it or not, it doesn't matter. They have seen these things. They have seen all kinds of fruits. They have seen all kinds of fruits.

The Jinn who have experienced the world, they have more appreciation for it than humans. Because they have more access to it. They have more access to it. And here, if we take the concept of blessings, they should be thankful. But if we take the concept of perfection, if we take the concept of perfection, they should have an appreciation for perfection. That Allah is one of the perfections.

The Psychological Impact of Repetition

If we look at the repetition of this verse, it has been mentioned many times. What are the reasons for this? After every blessing, this is the repetition. This is actually a psychological impact. Think about a few things. I think the point is: You see these things everyday, but you don't think. It is being repeated. Think, think, think.

But the strange thing is, in the beginning Allah has mentioned his blessings and then asked this question. But after these blessings, the day of judgement will start. And then the same question will come. But now the meaning is completely different. By that time the meaning would have changed.

So what we have to observe is not why it has been said so many times. The reason for talking so much is to wake someone up. You have to ring the alarm again and again. So that is a simple thing. But how is its flavour changing? How is its meaning changing? We have to keep an eye on this. As we progress, some meanings are the same. Like the mention of blessings. It is reinforced. When the subject will change, then its meaning will also change. You know. And then the subject will change again. Then the meaning will change again.

Because in the context of hell to say, this is one thing. In the context of heaven to say, that is another thing. It is not like the first thing. Two different audiences are saying the same thing. And their reality is different. Their context is different. And the same question is being asked. But not the same question. The meaning of that question has fundamentally changed.

The Practical Form of Gratitude

In the next episode, we are going to learn: I am using that blessing which is under the guidance of Allah. And with that blessing I am not doing injustice to myself or to anyone else. So I am being thankful. That is being thankful. You have to act on that. That is its practical form.