What Is 1% of Allah’s Mercy? | Dr. Mohamed AbuTaleb | Juz 13 Qur’an 30 for 30 S7 | Ramadan Series

Prophet Yusuf's Return

Looking at Prophet Ya'qub, the fact that he trusted Allah, that he relied on him, especially the return of Prophet Yusuf, seems in every human measure impossible. But it's not impossible for Allah. The characters that show up in your life that do not project cruelty but in fact bring about goodness in your life are also doing so as a manifestation of Allah's mercy.

Allah told the fire to be peaceful and to be cold upon Ibrahim. So it's always important for us to rely on the one that created all of these things that we know that can physically harm us but the one that has control over all of that, has authority and can change in any time in any way.

Opening and Introduction

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, everyone.

Welcome back to Quran 30 for 30. Alhamdulillah rabbil alameen. We are on Juz 13.

We are right in those middle days. We want to remind you, bi-idhnillahi ta'ala, to support the work of Yaqeen, to keep up. Don't fall behind in your Quran goals bi-idhnillahi ta'ala. Keep up with the series so that you can keep up with your ajza' insha'Allah ta'ala and you can finish the Quran this month. May Allah facilitate it for each and every single one of you. And also to benefit from all the resources we have on the names of Allah.

Obviously, we're just scratching the surface here and doing our best to contemplate on these names, especially in the context of the Quran and how Allah talks about Himself with His words. We are blessed to have with us, Dr. Muhammad Abu-Talib. Alhamdulillah rabbil alameen.

Discussion on Al-Wahhab

So, Dr. Muhammad, if I was to put you on the spot, your favorite name of Allah at the moment?

My favorite name of Allah at the moment is Al-Wahhab. The giver of gifts as human beings, we always appreciate the blessing of Allah giving, although there is wisdom in His withholding.

But at this moment, I really appreciate how sometimes what we think of Allah giving us, those material things in a very consumeristic culture. I find myself at this stage of life reflecting on those gifts that maybe are under the radar. Those mentors, those teachers, those friendships, those relationships that Allah has granted us from the vastness of His mercy and you appreciate.

That's one of the most special things that Allah placed in our lives. That's beautiful. That's a unique name that you chose, mashaAllah.

Juz 13 Overview: Surah Yusuf and Beyond

So, we are in Juz 13, continuing with Surah Yusuf. We were very disciplined with the last Juz to not jump into Yusuf because a lot of times, we jump past some of the other Surahs in Juz 12 in particular.

But Juz 13, obviously, we go from Yusuf, the second half of Surah Yusuf into Surah Ibrahim. And Allah continues to speak of Himself in terms of His Lutf, in terms of the way that He is present and His gifts are present and His decree is present with beauty, with wisdom.

And subhanAllah, I was noticing, as I was going through the Ayat and the names, خَيْرُ حَافِظٍ, أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ. He's the best protector. Last Juz, we talked about Al-Hafidh. He's the best of protectors. He's the most merciful of those who show mercy.

And in that actually is a gem that the characters that show up in your life that do not project cruelty, but in fact, bring about goodness in your life are also doing so as a manifestation of Allah's mercy, right? They are one piece of 1% of the Rahmah of Allah that exists on this earth. And so, even when Yusuf is finding good characters and people that are taking care of him and people that are showing him love, like the love of Ya'qub to Yusuf is from the Rahmah of Ar-Rahman, 1% of the Rahmah of Ar-Rahman. But Allah is the best protector and Allah is the most merciful of those who show mercy.

Signs in Creation

So, this is something that we see here constantly. And as I was going through, Surah Yusuf into Surah Ra'd. It's very interesting.

Allah mentions in Surah Yusuf:

How many times do they walk right past the signs of Allah in the heavens and the earth and they don't pay attention. They are indifferent to it.

And Surah Ra'd is probably one of the most beautiful Surahs in terms of opening up with those signs of Allah:

It is Allah who has raised the heavens without pillars as you can see then established Himself on the throne. He has subjected the sun and the moon each orbiting for an appointed term.

So it's like these signs are all around you and clearly you can't appreciate the beautiful wisdom and power behind the decree of Allah when things don't make sense. If you can't make sense even of the signs that are around you and the pillars just like there are pillars of qadr, pillars of decree, pillars behind this creation with Allah.

The Connection Between Ibrahim and Yusuf

Finally, one other thing that you can connect the dream of Yusuf as it plays into this juz. So Yusuf sees a dream of what? The sun and the moon. In fact, it's right at the beginning of Surah Yusuf prostrating towards him and here Allah mentions particularly the sun and the moon and their orbit and the connection of the dream of Yusuf to the dream of Ibrahim.

I think people forget that Yusuf is the great grandson of Ibrahim. There's something poetic about that. Ibrahim in this juz is thanking Allah and is making du'a for his offspring and this is the result. This is the result of that du'a. But we're moving back in time to show how Allah has planned this perfectly.

It's really interesting because the offspring of Ibrahim like first you have Ismail being sacrificed by the hand of Ibrahim or so it appears to be and then you have Yusuf being thrown into the well by his brothers and Allah has a grand plan for all of them and it all comes back so beautifully and forms what we see today. That is Allah.

Lessons from Adversity in the Stories of the Prophets

As you look at, I mean surah Yusuf is so dear to our hearts, right? And I love the way you were discussing the connection with the manifestation of Allah's ayat in different ways, right?

The surah itself, sometimes we make the mistake of fast forwarding to the end and knowing how it ends. But as you look at the surah, many things that we think are positive and desirable they come about with tests for Prophet Yusuf and the opposite. Some moments of adversity or difficulty that are not something we would desire then that brings about great openings, great opportunities for Prophet Yusuf.

Things that wouldn't have happened had he not passed through that adversity. So the connection of that story and that human experience right alongside the discussion of Allah's magnificent ayat and signs in creation right alongside what happened before it, that connection is really striking. The Quran takes us in a way that we may not anticipate, but the one that is the master of this is also the master of that, is the designer of this.

He shows his ayat in so many remarkable ways for he knows and we do not know.

When you mentioned Ibrahim and Yusuf you said Yusuf was thrown into the well and Ibrahim was thrown into the fire. SubhanAllah, from their own people from the closest people to them just showing how Allah will test you and in those severe situations Allah told the fire to be peaceful and to be cold upon Ibrahim.

So it's always important for us to rely on the one that created all of these things that we know that can physically harm us, but the one that has control over all of that has authority and can change in any time and any way.

There's a Jibreel connection here too that the narration of Jibreel and the angels waiting for an order to cool the fire on Ibrahim or to help him with the fire and then when Yusuf is thrown into the well the softening of the blow that Jibreel is at the bottom like the angels are waiting Ya Allah direct us to these pious beloved servants of yours, these Anbiya, these prophets of yours.

Al-Aleem Al-Hakeem: The All-Knowing and All-Wise

Let's get into two sets of names as they relate to the story. Dr. Muhammad, I'll start with you inshallah ta'ala, verse 83 where Allah mentions in Surah Yusuf but specifically the all-knowing and the all-wise as it relates to Ya'qub.

In interacting with the stories some of us grew up with these stories or were introduced to it as we embraced Islam it's really important to imagine ourselves in that moment and not fast forward to an ending that we know and so the mentioning and the remembering and the affirming of Prophet Ya'qub connecting to these two names at this moment there are many answers that he does not have.

Allah and his wisdom did not tell him how the story is going to end in terms of where Yusuf is right now and his problem which is a problem now that has gone from days to weeks to months to decades of separation from his beloved son has now multiplied into three that he is missing three of his children and facing an enemy is never easy but you imagine on top of that test that the conspiring and the plotting that he is mentioning is from his own blood it's from his own children it's a level of family hardship that just shows us layers and layers of difficulty and then he mentions al-aleem al-hakeem.

And so this pairing comes often in the Quran it's come as you mentioned earlier in this series but in this mentioning that Allah is all-knowing Prophet Ya'qub is asserting that the one that has decreed this knows exactly where Yusuf is knows exactly where his other children are is able to bring them together some of the great mufassirin of the past they mentioned that in this Prophet Ya'qub attaches to the knowledge of Allah and attaches also to his wisdom in his decree and his power to be able to gather them no matter how far away they are no matter how overwhelming the circumstances are no matter how impossible it seems from a human perspective.

And so it's important to know Ramadan is a time of celebration Ramadan is a time of plenty but as we go through life none of us finds every Ramadan with overjoying circumstances sometimes we face a Ramadan where the ummah is in pain or a person has parted from their loved one or they're facing some adversity but they don't have all the answers they don't know quite how it fits together in their life trajectory and the fullness of Allah's wisdom but looking at Prophet Ya'qub the fact that he trusted Allah that he relied on him especially the return of Prophet Yusuf seems in every human measure impossible but it's not impossible for Allah it's not impossible for al-aleem al-hakeem.

And it's very beautiful and amazing how the story shows us step by step that this was all part of a beautiful plan I connect actually this pairing you'll notice that his son Prophet Yusuf mentions it at the end of the surah as Yusuf is looking back in a beautiful way at all of these incidents from the desert to the shaytan coming between the brothers and all of this he says Allah is indeed subtle in achieving his aim he's a Lateef and connects it to another attribute of Allah and again he is al-aleem al-hakeem he is full of knowledge all knowing, ever knowing in every little detail, every part of our lives every part of his creation and he is wise full of wisdom, absolute in his wisdom in his decree.

Don't think that Allah is unaware of what the oppressors do.

And subhanAllah it's part of the sabr of the forgiveness that like you think we always praise the forgiveness of Yusuf but the forgiveness of Ya'qub to his sons as well right for putting him through this I cried myself blind because of what you did to my son right like this all came because of you and the irony subhanAllah the irony is that they were jealous of Yusuf right because the attention that they felt like Ya'qub was giving to Yusuf so what did they go do they caused their father all that pain and all that hurt subhanAllah like it just shows you how shaytan can twist.

Al-Kabeer Al-Muta'al: The Supreme and Most High

SubhanAllah Yusuf surah Yusuf dominates juz 12 and juz 13 in our memory but surah al-ra'd Allah then mentions al-kabeer al-muta'al and Allah's greatness in his knowledge of what's hidden in the womb starts with that so like in Yusuf Allah's greatness and his knowledge of what's hidden in decree but here Allah's greatness and what's hidden in the womb and how Allah formulates the human being in the first place and without limitation and then raises him to the position that he does right Allah is the one who elevates Allah is the one who debases at the end of the day so talk to us about al-kabeer al-muta'al.

I mean just really the greatness of the creator over creation in speaking to people that don't know Islam and that's what I always tell even my children I tell the youth especially when you're in your college class or you're even in high school or speaking to your friends in the locker room non-muslim whatever the case may be you start with the beautiful names and attributes and one of them is that he's the creator and everything else other than him is creation and using that name creator is very dare I say strategic but it's fitrah the natural the human being naturally knows that there's a something that is greater than everything so that name al-kabeer that he is al-azeem he is the great one and he is a supreme one over every single thing remind you that the opposite of that is that which is minute that which is small.

When it comes to the knowledge of Allah says عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ that he he knows both what is hidden and what is manifest he is a supreme one.

Allah knows what every female bears and what the wombs falls short of.

Speaking about this this is something that is very important to the human being when they're about to have a child they want to know the sex the child is they're able to find out and something it sometimes it may not come out as he expected but again the name of Allah mentioning al-hakeem al-aleem al-hakeem and then also being al-kabeer that he is a great one that has the greatness and from this greatness is that he creates all of these things that were previously mentioned number one number two he brings it about in a way that he is pleased with so children being that due to the fact that he is al-Kabeer and he is al-Khaliq he is a creator and because of his greatness he creates it and he creates this in this way does just as he does the earth mentioned earlier and that in the skies mentioned in the earlier verses when we look at al-Kabeer that expresses complete authority particularly in that which is even inside of you which you have no ultimate control over and I think that's what's so humbling to the human being particularly of even the mother and the father when she is about to deliver or those nine months or whatever amount of months that she's carrying her child she has no ultimate control even over that that's why it's important to remember the creator of these things he is al-kabeer and he is al-muta'al because he is al-kabeer because he is a supreme one he is the most high and the most high in all of the names and attributes and actuality if he al-Kabeer here in his in his supremacy he is al-Muta'al in that he is the most high it does not mean that there are people that are not knowledgeable but when it comes to Allah al-muta'al ala kulli shay upon every single thing in every single name and every single attribute.

Reflections on Creation and Dependency on Allah

I think that's what's important for us to remember when we may feel a level of supremacy at times within ourselves it's important to remember Allah is the epitome of that which should cause inshallah us to humble ourselves particularly in this month of Ramadan when we go through these struggles lack of better words of these challenges and actually the opportunities when we turn it back to Allah.

Surat al-ra'd is full of natural ayat of Allah and they remind us of these attributes of Allah being supreme high over everything but I'm amazed and moved by your comments about how much depth there is and we're just scratching the surface at this one ayah that sometimes we take for granted the bringing about of the life the coming into this world the growing as if Allah is reminding us of an infinite series of miracles for that to occur that we're not in control of and this is a reminder for all times and places.

But in our times age of technology age of knowledge it's amazing how the Quran puts us in that perspective right that one of the most moving experiences I ever had in my life was after a training on Islamic ethics for a hospital staff the medical staff took me on a tour of the neonatal ward and the levels of emotion of seeing these children that are born before term and of course the families may Allah many of our families here Ramadan gathered may have been tested with seeking a child for some time may Allah ease for them just the test of Prophet Ibrahim or having a child born before term and so so that was one just layers of emotion but then also seeing how all of the work of modern medicine and all of this intervention is trying to help inshallah continue this life and Allah reminds us that our creation it started from what:

And from what the scholars mentioned is this clinging form like a form that we started smaller than the tip of our fingers and if that link with the womb that is smaller than a nail or a finger severs then really there is nothing in creation that can bring it back without the permission of Allah it's even beyond much of it is beyond the reach of even our abilities even with all of the inventions that have happened and so Allah manifesting and showing his greatness in this that not only is he free in his names from the defects and shortcomings and blame where the attributes he is also unlike all other things even in those things that are not blameworthy but are a reminder of our limitations that we sweat on a hot day that we have to relieve ourselves that Allah is different and unlike all of his creation he is not limited in these ways he is not susceptible to these weaknesses and the experience I think of childbirth and of seeking a child is one of those reminders that you just you feel that utter reliance on Allah and the reality is every time we get into a car every time we go to sleep every time we want to wake up our reliance on Allah is no less than this but it's as if this really brings us into focus our utter need of him.

As long as you're in this world you're in the womb you just the visual of it right like even if you just look at the image of the womb and then the image of earth like just think of yourself still just like that baby in the womb you're just as dependent on Allah as you were in that womb it's amazing that Allah constantly brings us back to يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ like he knows what's in there and like you said so beyond the access of any of us right like you look for just this image of what's in the womb these devices to try to get as much as you can and subhanallah when you pray janazah on a miscarried fetus or you hold like a miscarried fetus like subhanallah it looks like a little something right when you carry that right like you can put it in one hand and you're like that could have been me with just one and I'm severed and that could have easily been me right.

And one thing that also just comes to mind in terms of the hikmah of it right like that the womb becoming a place where life actually comes to be like why delay the womb of Sarah for 90 years according to the Mufassirun right so that Hajar gives birth to Ismail almost instantaneously right there's a plan for Ismail and then suddenly Sarah's womb comes to life like wait what now right ضَحِكَتْ and she's like سَقَتْ وَجْهَهَا like wait what's going on why now like she'd given up hope imagine the mother of Yusuf when she was carrying Yusuf and when Yusuf was born and she looked at Yusuf the first time then Binyamin most scholars say that Yusuf and Binyamin had a different mother than the other ten children did the mother of the other ten right think that these ten will come out and one day kill their brother like there's so much right.

And at the end of the day as dependent as we are on Allah in the womb we are likewise dependent upon Allah outside of the womb the only difference is now we're accountable right we're accountable at this point for our actions and we give birth to our deeds and that's what will confront us may Allah give us the best of deeds and forgive us for our shortcomings.

We're out of time but we could talk to you all day for being blessed may Allah bless you and elevate you for your beautiful reflections and beautiful reflections as always we'll see you all tomorrow inshallah.