The Qur’an Is A Cure | Dr. Tesneem Alkiek | Juz 18 Qur’an 30 for 30 S7 | Ramadan Series

The Day of Judgment and Divine Mercy

The Day of Judgment, subhanAllah, as a courtroom is such a scary thought. May Allah protect us and make our hisaab easy. What other judge will say, "Oh, let's bring the voluntary deeds and let's fill in," especially when the judge is the subject of the transgression? But the sustenance of the soul, subhanAllah, the Quran is that without a doubt. That the Quran, when one reads it, when one ponders over it, it starts inward. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the one that has created all of creation. He's created the human beings, the plants, everything. That moment that you feel belittled or insignificant or like people are making fun of you and you have those moments. Remember this fierce discussion that's like, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala putting these people in their place, their rightful place.

Introduction to Juz 18

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh everyone. Welcome back to Quran 30 for 30. Alhamdulillah, as we come into the 18th juz. We are just at the gates of the last 10 nights. We want to remind you all inshaAllah ta'ala to please tune in to all the content that's coming up inshaAllah. Keep up with the content that's already come out. And bi'idhnillahi ta'ala, support the work of yaqeen. You have an opportunity inshaAllah these last 10 nights to plug in your donations for the last 10 bi'idhnillahi ta'ala. This is where the majority of our support comes in for the entire year. Is through people like yourselves that benefit from the content. And want other people to benefit as well inshaAllah ta'ala. And continue to do so without any charge bi'idhnillahi ta'ala.

We have with us Alhamdulillah one of our oldest contributors inshaAllah. Who's been with yaqeen from the very start Alhamdulillah. Dr. Tasneem Alkiek, how are you?

Alhamdulillah, doing good. I didn't get a doctorate this time. Doctorate, I said doctorate right? Keep it up for them inshaAllah after Ramadan. What do they have to look forward to after Ramadan? Why should they continue to tune in to yaqeen?

Alhamdulillah, we just finished wrapping up production for a whole new series for the women's series on Real Talk. At this point it's already, all 10 episodes have come out and I think this is just the start. Alhamdulillah, our media team is incredibly talented and they're really ready to produce a lot more, a lot faster, a lot better. And I think it's only the beginning. So if you enjoyed Ramadan, if you enjoyed the series before, we need your guidance in terms of what you want next because I think we're ready to move full speed ahead.

On Research and Reading

Alhamdulillah. What about the research beyond the media? What do you tell people that don't feel like reading papers? Do I go into my professor mode about the importance of literacy? Especially in AI. I guess I can speak to something because I recorded a video, one of the episodes was on marriage. I also wrote a paper on gender roles. The amount of detail I was able to go through in the paper that you can't get in a video series, it's just there's so much more to the conversation. So I think that reading papers is so valuable for those who are looking for detail, for citations and evidence. You're a lot more careful with wording and that's so important, especially when you're getting into more nuanced topics. You really want to be careful with word choice. Sometimes you're on a podcast and it's really hard to just be specific with what you're trying to say. So I think you want to take it to the next level. Bismillah, let's start reading the papers. And we'll produce the papers you want, the topics people want. So we just need to hear from you and inshallah we can do that too.

I think people often forget we never stop producing papers. We keep producing, alhamdulillah. We constantly invest in our research, alhamdulillah. Both the media quality, the substance is growing as well as the papers. You've been a huge part of that, may Allah reward you and the whole research team.

Al-Halim: The Forbearing

Last question for you before we get started with the juz is what's your favorite name of Allah at this moment?

I think Al-Halim has been resonating a lot lately. Al-Halim, I think to myself, because the way that I've been approaching the names of Allah is how can I be a better person through the name of Allah? How can I be inspired to be a better person when I think of Al-Halim? And that's something I can work on. And when I see Allah in our life, his forbearance, his gentleness, his constantly forgiving, I think to myself, man, I really have to step it up. If Allah is this generous with us, the least we can do is resemble that even a fraction.

Absolutely, may Allah reward you. Sheikh Abdullah, as we're getting into the last ten almost now, this is like a post-Ramadan dip. You've got to crank it back up. What's your quick advice to people before we get started? How do they now take it into the last ten in the right way?

I think really what's important is to look in the benefit of what is called khalwah, to have your time alone with Allah. Maybe these times of Ramadan, you're praying in congregation, then after that you're hanging out with people and stuff like that. But have you really had that time to make tahajjud? And have your time alone with Allah and to listen to your thoughts and to ponder on that. That's really important because there's a lot of programming, a lot of community in the last ten and stuff like that. But there's also that important command to really isolate yourself. Even when you're in the masjid, take a corner, sit with yourself. Try not to just constantly get lost in the community stuff, but also in your individual stuff.

The Successful Believers

JazakAllah khair, that's very beneficial. By the way, it actually fits Juz 18. So as we come to it, because Juz 18 starts off with:

So successful are the believers. And those are the ones that first and foremost have deep humility in their prayers.

Overview of Juz 18

So just a quick overview of this Juz as it relates to how Allah عز وجل talks about Himself. First and foremost, just something I noticed, the beginning of Juz 17 is Allah عز وجل describing النَّاسُ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُعْرِضُونَ They're pushing away the hour. As the hour is coming closer, they're pushing away Allah عز وجل, the hour, all thoughts of religiosity. And then this Juz starts off with قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ Like they're inviting Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and the thoughts of the hereafter and what comes into their lives. So right away there is a contrast that's being drawn.

Also Allah عز وجل mentions الفلاح, success. I know I haven't started with the part about Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala but I couldn't help this part, success. قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ The believers have been successful. After Al-Mu'minoon comes An-Nur. And Allah عز وجل says in verse 51:

So Allah عز وجل mentions that the only response for the true believers when they're called to Allah and his messenger so that he may judge between them is to say we hear and we obey. Verily they are the ones who truly succeed.

So this idea of falah is so powerful in this juz. This is how you succeed by connecting deeply to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala responding to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala inviting Allah عز وجل into your thoughts into your deeds, into your hearts and moving accordingly.

The Creator, the Light, and the Criterion

The last thing that I'll say here inshaAllah Ta'ala in regards to this overview just look at Al-Mu'minoon, An-Nur, Al-Furqan. In Surah Al-Mu'minoon Allah عز وجل introduces himself as الخالق the creator. So the one who created an insan, who created humanity and who sustains humanity. Surat An-Nur اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. And so you have this idea of Allah عز وجل creating and not just guiding but Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala bringing life in the full spiritual sense through his light to everything that he creates and then Surat Al-Furqan تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ The most blessed incubator of that light is the Quran.

And so Allah عز وجل praises himself as the creator in Surah Al-Mu'minoon. He praises himself as the light in Surah An-Nur and then he praises himself as the one who revealed the book of light, the criterion of truth. نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ It's really interesting because when Allah عز وجل refers to the Quran as الفرقان it's the criterion. And you think about the way people are being described in Juz 17. مُعْرِضُونَ Turning away, not paying attention, distant. And then in this Juz people that are deeply connecting and of course the contrast is in every Juz between the believers and the disbelievers. The فرقان sorts out light from darkness, truth from falsehood, success from failure. And all of that goes back to the source of all truth الحق Himself Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala النور Himself Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala So he's the Lord of creation. He's the light of guidance. He's the one who descends revelation.

Contemplation and Engagement with Creation

So it's, you know, there's like a visual map and I often try to think about this when I'm reading through a Juz. Like if this Juz could be summarized in a visual, right? And don't ask AI to do it for you. This is تَدَبُّر تَفَكُّر You have to sit and do it yourself. And actually draw something out in your head and your heart. It's Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala engaging every single element of creation with all that He's given around us. The book, the signs, Allah عز وجل engaging the heart, Allah engaging the mind, that translating into your prayer, that translating into every form of like deep thoughtful engagement with everything that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala has put around you.

So first and foremost, Sheikh Abdullah would love to just hear your thoughts about how we approach this concept as believers.

The Quran as Spiritual Sustenance

Yeah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. I mean, you know, when Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, the way He chooses to sustain His creation in different ways with the creation, you see that there's the tangible aspect of it. I mean, even though Allah, اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ We see how Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala causes, there's different forms of creation that illuminate on other forms of creation to bring forth life and even to sustain it. But the sustenance of the soul, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, the Quran is that without a doubt. That the Quran, when one reads it, when one ponders over it, it starts inward. And Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is the one that has created all of creation. He's created the human beings, the plants, everything, etc. But then within itself, they all work within each other, with each other in harmony, in synchrony to maintain each other all ultimately under the authority of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.

But then the Quran, with the human beings, that sustenance of recitation, that sustenance of pondering over what you recite, the blessings of struggling when reciting, it's all a form of bringing life and sustenance to the heart. In this month of Ramadan, we hear the Quran the most in this month. Whether we're in the masjid, whether we're in our homes, whether alone at the khalwah, alone with Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. A lot of times we like to use the term to recharge. Recharge our soul, recharge our heart, recharge our pondering over Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, our awareness of the creation and of the Creator.

I think that's beautiful in this regard when Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is talking about how He is the نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ and also the Quran is that which brings life. But as a result of that, the more that you recite it, the blessings, some of them you will know and encounter and realize and be thankful for. Some you will know and encounter and not be thankful for. And some you won't even realize, but it's still there. It's a blessing, but we're not even aware of it. So when you fall into the category of knowing it, realizing it, being thankful for that, that's when hopefully it will really, really become a Furqan for you. You're able to decipher between truth and falsehood. You're able to make the right choices in Ramadan. You're able to fight yourself at 2 in the morning when Fajr is at 2:45 or 3 in the morning, 3:45. You're able to do that in that month of Ramadan and hopefully sustain that within the following months, Inshallah.

Beautiful words, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.

So unless you know the truth of what's in front of you, then you can't act in a way that is in accordance with that truth. In accordance with what you know. That's such a beautiful way of looking at it. JazakAllah Khair, Shaykh.

Dr. Tasneem, any sort of thoughts on the overview of the juz before we get to the specific page I want to ask you about?

Yeah, so I just wanted to add, like, the idea that the Qur'an is a shifa, Allah describes as a shifa, like, going to imagery, right? You got to be creative with how you imagine that shifa, that cure, that protection, that Qur'an comes into your life. Because sometimes it's, like, it could be just you not getting into that car accident. My child comes out healthy from school every single day, and I think to myself, that might be the Qur'an protecting my child. Like, people ask me all the time, like, wow, mashallah, like, your life is organized and clean, or whatever, they'll say what they say. And I think to myself, it's the Qur'an protecting me. Like, that is really what gets me through day by day.

And I think it requires that little bit of imagination because sometimes we think it comes, like, in the form of, like, money, or, like, something's very specific, or I've healed from cancer. But there's so much that could have afflicted you that Allah protects you from because of your relationship with the Qur'an. And I think that's, when you start to invite that imagination, like, the possibilities are endless, and you just start to see Allah's Rahman, mercy, and shifa everywhere.

So powerful. Like, people are always like, once you get sick, let me read Qur'an. Let me do this. Let me try to cure you with the Qur'an. But it's, you know, as Hassan al-Basri rahimahullah said, obviously, it's a deeper, you know, connotation. But, you know, someone said that فلان يحفظ القرآن, that so and so memorizes the Qur'an. قال بل القرآن يحفظه. He said, rather the Qur'an protects him, right? He doesn't protect, he doesn't guard the Qur'an with his memory, right? The Qur'an envelopes him and protects him. And, of course, that's from spiritual illness. That's from physical illness. That's from so much of calamity that can come in the deepest sense of the word.

The Power of Surah al-Mu'minoon

So, Dr. Tasneem, when we get to this page, this is a really powerful page, Surah al-Mu'minoon. You know, Allah says, فتعالى الله الملك الحق. It's like, تبارك الذي. These are such powerful words. تعالى الله الملك الحق. So, exalted is Allah, the true king.

There is no God worthy of worship except Him, the Lord of the noble throne. This page, though, it really talks about, you know, Allah being greater than everything else. And the purpose that you should find in life. So, as Allah highlights how limited our time on earth is, what then should we be living for?

A Dialogue of Regret and Mercy

You know, when it comes to this particular page and the names that are brought up on this page. You know, I was very excited to have Juz 18 because this is one of the pages in the Qur'an that every time I read, I almost always have to stop. Like, it's like those goosebumps moments. The page starts off, because with this very descriptive imagery of the people who are now punished in the next life. And it's like this back and forth dialogue of them begging Allah, Ya Allah, please, we regret it. We messed up, get us out. And Allah asks them:

Did you not have all of the signs? Like, you had everything. I told you time and time again, this is my message, this is, I'm trying to guide you, and you continue to reject them. This is very, like, again, like, goosebumps dialogue between Allah and those who are now being punished.

Like, we were overwhelmed, we couldn't help ourselves, and they're just trying to negotiate any way back out. And the way Allah puts it into context is absolutely incredible.

Like, you're staying in there. I don't want, like, essentially, not a word, right? You had your chance. You could have spoken up. You could have done whatever it is that you needed to do. Now it's too late.

The Believers Who Were Mocked

You know what? There was a group of my worshippers, there was a group of people who saw the signs that I clearly displayed, clearly gave. And they responded, right? They said: Ya Allah, we believe in You. Please forgive us. Have mercy on us. Like, we see Your messages. We see Your signs. And because we know everything we're doing wrong, please forgive us, Ya Allah. Please have mercy. Like, وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ - You are the best of those who are merciful to others.

And this is the part that really just gives me chills. You guys used to make fun of these people until like you lost sight of everything. You were constantly teasing these people. You were criminalizing these people. You always were after them. And it's just such a lived experience I think for so many of us where you feel like whether you're in college, you're in school, you're in hijab in public, we all have those moments where you feel so small and belittled and like insignificant. And you're constantly like, what are you wearing that for? Why are you doing that? Are you really going to stop and pray? Like, you believe in God? Like, something even as basic of like, really? Like, the amount of times I was not taken seriously, it's like, okay, God's in the picture for you?

And there's those moments that you have and you just feel so little and insignificant. And Allah kind of flips the script on the Day of Judgment and says, those people that you sat and made fun of, like, I'm saving them. And you are going to you can sort of revel in this punishment. And I think to me, like, that is such an incredible display of Allah's mercy to us in this dunya now still. That moment that you feel belittled or insignificant or like, honestly, like, people are making fun of you and you have those moments. Remember this fierce discussion that's like Allah putting these people in their place, their rightful place.

And Allah praising you that on that day, when you got past that moment, when you were able to turn to Allah and say like, listen, this is really difficult. رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا I know I'm messing it up. Somehow I'm not doing what I need to be doing. وَارْحَمْنَا Have mercy on us. وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ Right? It's just like, this is Allah inviting you, be one of those people you were made fun of, everyone's going to be made fun of. But when you stand out and you push through and you make this du'a, that is really what's going to distinguish you on the day of judgment. So to me, it's a message of like fear, fear of being among those who make fun of those who believe in God, but of hope for those who stick through despite that.

The Brief Nature of Life

And so this is like a really important segue, really like the setup to what Allah says next. And then it says, they're asked like, قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ - Like how long were you even on this earth? Like how long were you even there to make fun of, to disbelieve, to neglect my signs? And they respond like just a few days, like I don't know. The time went by so fast. It was a couple days here and there. And Allah says, no, no, like again, putting it into context.

Like at the end of the day, you neglected my signs. It was all just a few days. It was just a blink of an eye and everything was over. Those few days, you had the opportunity. That limited time on earth, you had that opportunity. I created you for a purpose. I sent you signs. You have something to look forward to, to push through. Like literally, it just builds up all into this moment.

The True King

Allah says, Exalted is Allah. الملك الحق, right? And there's a couple ways you can read this ayah. But الملك الحق, like if you read them separately, I think is a good starting point. الملك, the king. But the king of what? The king of this world, right? Those moments when you feel unsure, like inconfident about who you are as a Muslim, as a believer, that it's difficult. And it is difficult to believe, right? God is the true king. He's the owner of this world. Like I don't care who's in power now. We have that focus. God is الملك.

And الحق, we have truth. We have the furqan, right? We have what can guide us, make us, help us make those distinctions, have us stick to the truth, have that clarity that people are so desperately looking for, right? And then you can read the names together. الملك الحق, the true king. The only king, right? The best of kings.

And I think it's like, again, that powerful reminder of putting things in their place that people will make fun of you. Those people who exist who deny me. When you stick through, you make this du'a, وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ. And the surah also ends with the same thing. وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ - That you are the best of those who have mercy. It's this desperate plea, Allah have mercy on us because it's not easy. And when you do, Allah says, I will give you your rightful place.

This world is only a few days. It's going to pass like this. You're going to be asked and it's going to be like, what, it was just a day or two? Allah says, reminds us, we did not create you without that purpose. So to me, when I read الملك الحق, I think to myself, Allah is the real, he's the one in charge, right? Don't lose sight of that. And we have the truth. We have something that these people don't have. And it's that what sets us apart. And it's that which gets us to that place, that rank, where we can be told, Allah says, no, no, you, you get all of this because you stood fast, right? You get all of this because despite everyone pressuring you, you believed in my word.

A Du'a for These Last Ten Nights

And it's an invitation to make this du'a day in and day out, especially last ten nights of Ramadan:

Ya Allah, please forgive us, have mercy on us. You are the best of those who have mercy.

Reflection on Allah's Warnings

Yes, subhanAllah. There's a lot of things that went through my mind in that, subhanAllah. That verse always, every time, it's like, the first thing I think about is, you know, if you're that person that has told someone something over and over and time and time again and they don't do it and then when they finally, you know, see the, they get stung by the reality of what you told them to stay away from and they come to you and say, no, no, I told you. That's it, I've told you. That's it. You know, now you have to deal with that particular situation. You have to face the consequences. Allah is a much greater, much greater example. SubhanAllah, when Allah at the same time, He's saying, no, no, stay there and don't even speak. That's it. All those opportunities that's been there in this life.

And then I started to think about, subhanAllah, there was an individual that used to live with me. He was locked up, you know, mashAllah, of course, mashAllah, Allah bless him. I met him when he became a Muslim. He became a Muslim. He got kicked out of his house. He lived with me. Then when I went to go study in Medina, he went back to jail. Then I graduated from Medina. We ended up living together again. Don't ask me how. That's just from the qadr of Allah.