Chapter 88: Surah Al Ghashiyah (The Overwhelming) - Sheikh Mishari Rashid Efasy

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
88:1 Has not there come to you the news of the overwhelming calamity?
88:2 (Some) faces on that day shall be downcast,
88:3 Laboring, toiling,
88:4 Entering into burning fire,
88:5 Made to drink from a boiling spring.
88:6 They shall have no food but of thorns,
88:7 Which will neither fatten nor avail against hunger.
88:8 (Other) faces on that day shall be happy,
88:9 Well-pleased because of their striving,
88:10 In a lofty garden,
88:11 Wherein you shall not hear vain talk.
88:12 Therein is a fountain flowing,
88:13 Therein are thrones raised high,
88:14 And drinking-cups ready placed,
88:15 And cushions set in a row,
88:16 And carpets spread out.
88:17 Will they not then consider the camels, how they are created?
88:18 And the heaven, how it is reared aloft,
88:19 And the mountains, how they are firmly fixed,
88:20 And the earth, how it is made a vast expanse?
88:21 Therefore do remind, for you are only a reminder.
88:22 You are not a watcher over them;
88:23 But whoever turns back and disbelieves,
88:24 Allah will chastise him with the greatest chastisement.
88:25 Surely to Us is their turning back,
88:26 Then surely upon Us is the taking of their account.

The True Religion

By Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

THE RELIGION OF ISLAM
The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word "Islam" itself means. The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of "Allah" and as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah's "God's" religion; the total submission to the will of Allah "God". The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the only true god worthy of worship "Allah" and anyone who does so is termed a "Muslim", The word also implies "peace" which is the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allah. Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of Allah re-expressed in its final form.
Islam is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind. The name of God's religion lslam was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the final book of divine revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah states the following:
"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion". (Soorah Al-Maa'idah 5:3)
"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah (God) never will It be accepted of Him" (Soorah Aal'imraan 3:85)
"Abraham was not a Jew nor Christian; but an upright Muslim." (Soorah Aal'imraan 3:67)
Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah saying to Prophet Moses' people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name "Christ" comes from the Greek word Christos which means the annointed. That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title "Messiah". The name "Jesus" on the other hand, is a latinized version of the Hebrew name Esau.
For simplicity's sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet Esau (PBUH) as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his followers to. Like the prophets before him, he called the people to surrender their will to the will of Allah; (which is Islam) and he warned them to stay away from the false gods of human imagination.
According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as follows: "Yours will be done on earth as it is in Heaven".
THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM
Since the total submission of one's will to Allah represents the essence of worship, the basic message of Allah's divine religion, Islam is the worship of Allah alone and the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah.Since everything other than Allah, the Creator of all things, is Allah's creation; it may be said that Islam, in essence calls man away from the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its Creator. He is the only one deserving man's worship as it is only by His will that prayers are answered. If man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it was not the tree which answered his prayers but Allah who allowed the circumstances prayed for to take place. One might say, "That is obvious," however, to tree-worshippers it might not be. Similarly, prayers to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna, to Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad, are not answered by them but are answered by Allah. Jesus did nottell his followers to worship him but to worship Allah. As the Qur'aan states:
"And behold Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary Did you say to men, Worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah He will say-"Glory to you I could never say what I had no right (to say')" (Soorah Al-Maa'idah- 5:116)
Nor did he worship himself when he worshipped but rather he worshipped Allah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening chapter of the Qur'aan, known as Soorah Al-Faatihah, verse 4:
"You alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help".Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah also said:
"And your Lord says:"Call on Me and I will answer your(prayer)."(Soorsh Mu'min 40:60)
it is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allah and His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allah His creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of Him.
This might seem obvious, but, man's worship of creation instead of the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance of this concept. It is the belief that the essence of Allah is everywhere in His creation or that His divine being is or was present in some aspects of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of creation though such worship maybecalled the worship of Allah through his creation. How ever, the message of Islam as brought by the prophets of Allah is to worship only Allah and to avoid the worship of his creation either directly or indirectly. In the Our'aan Allah clearlystates:
"For We assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet,(with the command) worship meand avoid false gods " (Soorsh Al-Nahl 16:36)
When the idol worshipper is questioned as to why he or she bows down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but Allah who is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for Allah's essence and is not in itself Allah! One who has accepted the concept of the presence of God's being within His creation in any way will be obliged to accept this argument of idolatry. Whereas, one who understands the basic message of Islam and its implications would never concede to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that Allah is present in man. They merely had to assert that although Allah according to their false beliefs, is in all of us, He is more present in them than in the rest of us. Hence, they claim, we should submit our will to them and worship them as they are either God in person or God concentrated within the person.
Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their passing have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God's presence in man. One who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstances. God's religion in essence is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of Islam:
"Laa Elaaha lllallaah" (There is no god but Allah)
Its repetition automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.
Thus, the final Prophet of Islam is reported to have said, "Any one who says: There is no god but Allah and dies holding that (belief) will enter paradise".(Reported by Abu Dharr and collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).
It consists in the submission to Allah as one God, yielding to Him by obeying His commandments, and the denial of polytheism and polytheists.
THE MESSAGE OF FALSE RELIGION
There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies, and movements in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or the only true path to Allah. How can one determine which one is correct or if, in fact, all are correct? The method by which the answer can be found is to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the various claimants to the ultimate truth, and identify the central object of worship to which they call, directly or indirectly. False religions all have in common one basic concept with regards to Allah. They either claim that all men are gods or that specific men were Allah or that nature is Allah or that Allah is a figment of man's imagination.
Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is that Allah may be worshipped in the form of His creation. False religion invites man to the worship of creation by calling the creation or some aspect of it God. For example, prophet Jesus invited his followers to worship Allah but those who claim to be his followers today call people to worship Jesus, claiming that he was Allah!
Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles to the religion of India. He did not claim to be God nor did he suggest to his followers that he be an object of worship. Yet, today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to be God and prostrate to idols made in their perception of his likeness.
By using the principle of identifying the object of worship, false religion becomes very obvious and the contrived nature of their origin clear. As God said in the Our'aan:
That which you worship besides Him are only names you and your forefathers have invented for which Allah has sent down no authority: The command belongs only to Allah:
He has commanded that you only worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not understand ". (Soorah Yoosuf 12:40)
It may be argued that all religions teach good things so why should it matter which one we follow. The reply is that all false religions teach the greatest evil, the worship of creation. Creation-worship is the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very purpose of his creation. Man was created to worship Allah alone as Allah has explicitly stated in the Our'aan:
"I have only created Jlnns and men, that they may worship me"(Soorah Zaareeyaat 51:56)
Consequently, the worship of creation, which is the essence of idolatry, is the only unforgivable sin. One who dies in this state of idolatry has sealed his fate in the next life. This is not an opinion, but a revealed fact stated by Allah in his final revelation to man:
"Verily Allah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but He may forgive (sins) less than that for whom so ever He wishes"(Soorah An- Nisaa 4:48 and 116)
THE UNIVERSALITY OF ISLAM
Since the consequences of false religion are so grave, the true religion of Allah must be universally understandable and attainable, not confined to any people, place or time. There can not be conditions like baptism, belief in a man, as a saviour etc., for a believer to enter paradise. Within the central principle of Islam and in its definition, (the surrender of one's will to God) lies the roots of lslam's universality. Whenever man comes to the realization that Allah is one and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to Allah, he becomes a Muslim in body and spirit and is eligible for paradise. Thus, anyone at anytime in the most remote region of the world can become a Muslim, a follower of God's religion, Islam, by merely rejecting the worship of creation and by turning to Allah (God) alone-It should be noted however, that the recognition of and submission to Allah requires that one chooses between right and wrong and such a choice implies accountability. Man will be held responsible for his choices, and, as such, he should try his utmost to do good and avoid evil. The ultimate good being the worship of Allah alone and the ultimate evil being the worship of His creation along with or instead of Allah. This fact is expressed in the final revelation as follows:
"Verily those who believe, those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), the Christians and the Sabians any who believe In Allah and the last day, and work righteousness *hall have their reward with their Lord;They will not be overcome by fear nor grief (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:62).
If only they had stood by the law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side. There Is from among them a party on the right course; but many of them follow a course that Is evil.". (Soorah Al-.Maa'idah 5:66)
RECOGNITION OF ALLAH
The question which arises here is, "How can all people be expected to believe in Allah given their varying- backgrounds, societies and cultures? For people to be responsible for worshipping Allah they all have to have access to knowledge of Allah. The final revelation teaches that all mankind have the recognition of Allah imprinted on their souls, a part of their very nature with which they are created.
In Soorah Al-A'raaf, Verses 172-173; Allah explained that when He created Adam, He caused all of Adam's descendants to come into existence and took a pledge from them saying, Am I not your Lord? To which they all replied, " Yes, we testify to It:'
Allah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is their creator and only true God worthy of worship. He said, "That was In case you (mankind) should say on the day of Resurrection, "Verily we were unaware of all this." That is to say, we had no idea that You Allah, were our God. No one told us that we were only supposed to worship You alone. Allah went on to explain That it was also In case you should say, "Certainly It was our ancestors who made partners (With Allah) and we are only their descendants; will You then destroy us for what those liars did?" Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in Allah and an inborn inclination to worship Him alone called in Arabic the "Fitrah".
If the child were left alone, he would worship Allah in his own way, but all children are affected by those things around them, seen or unseen.
The Prophet (PBUH) reported that Allah said, "I created my servants in the right religion but devils made them go astray". The Prophet (PBUH) also said, "Each child is born in a state of "Fitrah", then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian, the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any that were born mutilated?" (Collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).So, just as the child submits to the physical laws which Allah has put in nature, his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allah is his Lord and Creator. But, his parents try to make him follow their own way and the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and upbringing and Allah does not hold him to account or punish him for this religion.
Throughout people's lives from childhood until the time they die, signs are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah). If the people are honest with themselves, reject their false gods and seek Allah, the way will be made easy for them but if they continually reject Allah's signs and continue to worship creation, the more difficult it will be for them to escape. For example, in the South Eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their main idol Skwatch, representing the supreme God of all creation. The homage to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog walked into the hut, The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift its hind leg and pass urine on the idol. Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple, but when his rage died down he realized that the idol could not be the Lordof the universe. Allah must be elsewhere. he now had a choice to act on his knowledge and seek Allah, or to dishonestly go along with the false beliefs of his tribe. As strange as it may seem, that was a sign from Allah for that young man. It contained within it divine guidance that what he was worshipping was false.
Prophets were sent, as was earlier mentioned, to every nation and tribe to support man's natural belief in Allah and man's inborn inclination to worship Him as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by Allah. Although, in most cases, much of the prophets' teachings became distorted, portions remained which point out right and wrong. For example, the ten commandments of the Torah, their confirmation in the Gospels and the existence of laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies. Consequently, every soul will be held to account for its belief in Allah and its acceptance of the religion of Islam; the total submission to the will of Allah.
We pray to Allah, the exalted, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him, He is indeed the Most Merciful. Praise and gratitude be to Allah,the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on prophet Muhammed, his Family, his companions, and those who rightly follow them.

The Hajj - A duty mankind owes to Allah

ALL praise and thanks is due to Allah the Sustainer and Provider of all the worlds and may his salaat and salaam be upon the noblest of prophets and messengers, our prophet, Muhammad and upon all of his family and followers. To proceed: Praise and thank Allah the Majestic, my dear brother or sister in Islam, for having extended your life to see the successive days and months, for before you now is the occasion of the Haj (Pilgrimage). So many pilgrims have already begun filling the sky with talbiyyah (declaration of answering the call to Haj) and takbeer (declaring Allah’s greatness). They come from the corners of the earth, both east and west, some having saved every penny they could for years struggling to save enough to fulfil this awesome obligation. You, my dear brother or sister, who have all the means and opportunity, why are you delaying and what are you waiting for?! Have you not read or heard the words of Allah the Most High: And Haj to the House (Al-Ka’aba) is a duty mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses and whoever disbelieves, then Allah is not in need of any of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn, and all that exists). [Ale-Imraan 97] Also His statement: And perform properly the Haj and the ‘Umrah for Allah. [Al-Baqarah 196] And finally: And proclaim to mankind the Haj. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come form every deep and distant mountain highway. [Al-Haj 27]. Dear Muslims, Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Islam is founded upon five pillars: The declaration that there is no true deity worthy of worship besides Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the performance of prayer (salaah), giving zakaat (due alms), fasting in the month of Ramadan, and pilgrimage (Haj) to the inviolable House of Allah for whoever has the means. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Is a duty for every Muslim who is able to hurry to the fulfil the Haj before falling into sin. The Messenger of Allah stated: Hasten to the Haj because none of you knows what will happen to him. [Ahmed]. It is narrated from Abdur-Rahman Ibn Saabit: Whoever dies without having performed the Haj and there was no debilitating illness as an obstacle nor unjust ruler or some overwhelming necessity preventing him, would die in the state of either a Jew or a Christian. [This statement is considered a da’eef (weak) hadith but it is supported by a similar statement by ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab and therefore known to have a sound origin according to Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani in Talkhees Al-Kabeer] It is narrated by Sa’eed ibn Mansour that Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (radiallahu ‘anhu) said: I have considered sending a man to the various cities to see whoever has the means but has not made the Haj to then impose the jizyah (a tax imposed upon non-Muslim subjects in an Islamic state). They are not Muslims. They are not Muslims. It is therefore a duty for you my brother or sister Muslim to fulfil this great obligation when it is easy at this time for you to do so, and all praise is due to Allah. Don’t let the Shaitaan cause you to sit and be overtaken by procrastination and be distracted by some desire. Ask yourself...How long will you delay it? Till next year? Who knows what condition you will be in next year? Think of the generations and how they used to trek to the Haj for months to reach the Ancient House! The benefits of Haj are tremendous and its reward is glorious. It combines both physical and material forms of worship. The former due to the undergoing any hardship, exertion, fatigue, strain, harsh conditions and travel. The latter is due to the expenditure the pilgrim makes for and during the Haj. The Messenger Of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: From Umrah to Umrah is an expiation for what occurs between the two (i.e. sins), and there is no reward for the accepted Haj other than Al-Jannah. Also he (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) stated: Whoever makes Haj and neither quarrels or commits indecency will return home like the day his mother gave birth to him. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) strongly urged increasing one’s obedience and adherence between the Haj and the ‘Umrah for he said: Make the Haj and the Umrah follow each other closely, for they remove poverty and sins as a blacksmith’s bellows remove impurities from iron, gold and silver; and Haj which is accepted gets no less a reward than Paradise. [Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2524 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud ; Umar ibn al-Khattaab. Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it, and Ahmad and Ibn Maajah transmitted it from Umar up to “from iron.”] He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) also said in a hadith that enlivens the feelings and hurries you on: From ‘Umrah to ‘Umrah is expiation for all that occurs between them (of sins) and the accepted Haj has no reward other than Al-Jannah. [Muslim] Along with this great reward is the fact that the days of Haj are few. So don’t hesitate and undervalue this chance while the means to travel are much easier compared to past days and you live a life of relative plenty. Favours call for gratitude and life is for the purpose of worshipping Allah. Don’t delay further or procrastinate and receive the good tidings as one of the delegations of Ar-Rahmaan (the Most Merciful), Allah, who has called them and they have answered Him and He has given to them. Receive the glad tidings of a great day in which there will be many false steps and slips of the tongue forgiven for the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: There is not a day when more slaves are freed from the Hellfire than on the day of Arafah. [Muslim] Be happy and find comfort and prepare for the meeting with Allah the Glorified and Majestic, and benefit from your time by doing that which will benefit you in the next life and it will then be cause for joy at the time when no amount of wealth nor progeny will avail you. The Day when the records will be made to fly and hearts will be trembling and transformed and you will see people as though they are drunken however they will not be ... rather it will be the intense punishment from Allah. Dear brothers and sisters, work for this world to the extent needed to live in it, but work also for the Hereafter in order to live in it. Don’t put things off when death is indeed before you and sickness stops you or you become engulfed in work. Instead, escape from all that and seek Allah’s aid and depend upon Him and be among those who are answering the call to Haj and remembering Allah’s greatness this year. My brother or sister Muslim: If Allah has already opened your heart and you have decided to perform the Haj for His sake and the reward of the Hereafter, I remind you of the following matters:

1. Ask Allah For Guidance And Advice (Al-Istikhaarah and Al-Istishaara) : The one who seeks guidance will not fail, nor will the one who seeks advice regret it. Seek the guidance of Allah regarding the appropriate time, transportation and companions for your journey. The Istikhaarah prayer is to perform two units (rak’atain) of prayer and afterwards supplicate to Allah saying the supplication of Al-Istikhaarah which is as follows: O Allah, I consult You as You are All-Knowing and I appeal to You to give me power as You are Omnipotent, I ask You for Your great favour, for You have power and I do not, and You know all of the hidden matters . O Allah ! If you know that this matter (then he should mention it) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and for my life in the Hereafter, (or he said: ‘for my present and future life,’) then make it (easy) for me. And if you know that this matter is not good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my life in the Hereafter, (or he said: ‘for my present and future life,’) then keep it away from me and take me away from it and choose what is good for me wherever it is and please me with it.” [Al-Bukhari]

2. Purify Your Intention To Perform The Haj For Allah Alone: It is incumbent upon the person undertaking the Haj to intend their Haj and ‘Umrah for the sake of pleasing Allah alone and attaining the reward of the Hereafter. This, so that all one’s actions and speech and expenditure is a means to get closer to Allah. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Verily deeds are judged and motivated by intention and verily every person shall get what they intended. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

3. Learn The Rites of Haj And ‘Umrah And Related Issues: Learn the conditions of Haj and its obligations, its pillars and sunnah or supererogatory aspects to the point that you can worship Allah with insight clarity and knowledge and you will also avoid errors which may spoil your Haj. Books on Haj are plentiful and easy to obtain. Your local mosque may have preparatory classes as well.

4. Leave Plenty Of Provisions For Your Family And Advise Them To Have Fear Of Allah (Taqwaa): It is obligatory for whoever intends to make Haj that they leave adequate provisions for those whose maintenance they are responsible for of money, food, and drink. One should be confident that their family is safe and sound and not left in a situation of trial or danger. It is highly recommended (and many scholars say obligatory) to have one’s will prepared before travelling.

5. Sincere Repentance To Allah For All Sins And Disobedience: Allah, Who is free of all imperfections, states: And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. [An-Noor 31] True repentance (At-Taubah) is when one renounces all his or her sins and disobedience to Allah and His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and discontinues doing them and feel truly remorseful for those past ill deeds and is determined not to return to them. If someone else’s rights have been violated they must be given back their rightful possessions or made amends with no matter what the violation may have been.

6. Use Only Lawful (halaal) Funds: Funds that were lawfully earned so that nothing sinful may touch your Haj. It may be that you Haj is accepted but tainted with some sin from some other way. It is stated in a hadith of the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) where he said: As soon as a pilgrim sets out for Haj with a provision which is lawful, and puts his foot in the stirrup (rides his mount) and calls out: ‘O, Allah! Here I am in response to Your call,’ an announcer answers him from the heavens above, saying: ‘Your call has been heard; you are a happy one; your provisions are lawful, your mount is lawful and your pilgrimage is free of sin and acceptable.’ But, if his provisions are unlawfully gained, and he puts his foot in the stirrup and calls out: ‘O Allah! Here I am in response to Your call,’ an announcer from the heavens above answers him back, saying: ‘Your call is not accepted; nor are you welcome; your food is unlawful; your provisions are unlawful; and your pilgrimage is not free of sin and is unacceptable.”’ Al-Mundhri says: “This is reported by At-Tabarani in Al-Awsat, and also by Al-Asbahani in a mursal hadith from Aslam, the freed slave of ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab.” It is said in a poem: When you make Haj with wealth whose origin is unlawful You have not made a Haj but a Haj of no consequence Allah accepts not except all that is virtuous. Not all who make the Haj to the House of Allah are successful.

7. Choose Righteous Companions: They will be good for you during travel for they will remind you of what you may have forgotten and inform you of what you may not know and look out for you and show you brotherly love. They will consider all of that as an act of worship gaining them nearness to Allah the Mighty and Majestic.

8. Adhere To The Etiquette Of Travel: Make those supplications that are well known, such as the supplication of travel and the takbeer when ascending to a high point and the tasbeeh (Subhaanallah – glorification of Allah as free of all perfection) when descending in a valley, along with supplications when stopping at places along the road etc.

9. Mentally Prepare For The Haj: Just as important as preparing physically you should prepare to make psychological adjustments to deal with the hardships, toils and inconvenience of traveling and Haj and consider all of it as good to be added to your scale of deeds. There are those who just complain and mumble about the heat, the food, the long trip... Haj is not a vacation or recreational activity! Know that the highest type of patience, and the type that is most greatly rewarded, is patience in the obedience of Allah. Even with all the transportation and road facilities, some hardship and toil will remain. Don’t nullify your deeds dear pilgrim by mentioning all you have done or irritations and petty annoyances and driving away other Muslims by your hand or your tongue. You must apply kindness and compassion.

10. Lower The Gaze From What Allah Has Made Haraam To Look At: Be conscious and fear Allah regarding those things which are unlawful. You will be in holy places of tremendous religious significance, so hold your tongue and control your limbs so that your Haj is not a sinful or false one that will be a burden upon your back on the Day of Resurrection. May Allah accept our obedience and adherence and excuse us of our shortcomings and make for us and our Muslim parents those through whom forgiveness is granted from among the pilgrims answering the call this year and in the years to come. - (GT, 30 Nov 07)

Chapter 36: Surah Yaseen - Sheikh Su'ud Shuraim

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
36:1 Ya Seen.
36:2 I swear by the Quran full of wisdom
36:3 Most surely you are one of the apostles
36:4 On a right way.
36:5 A revelation of the Mighty, the Merciful.
36:6 That you may warn a people whose fathers were not warned, so they are heedless.
36:7 Certainly the word has proved true of most of them, so they do not believe.
36:8 Surely We have placed chains on their necks, and these reach up to their chins, so they have their heads raised aloft.
36:9 And We have made before them a barrier and a barrier behind them, then We have covered them over so that they do not see.
36:10 And it is alike to them whether you warn them or warn them not: they do not believe.
36:11 You can only warn him who follows the reminder and fears the Beneficent God in secret; so announce to him forgiveness and an honorable reward.
36:12 Surely We give life to the dead, and We write down what they have sent before and their footprints, and We have recorded everything in a clear writing.
36:13 And set out to them an example of the people of the town, when the messengers came to it.
36:14 When We sent to them two, they rejected both of them, then We strengthened (them) with a third, so they said: Surely we are messengers to you.
36:15 They said: You are naught but mortals like ourselves, nor has the Beneficent God revealed anything; you only lie.
36:16 They said: Our Lord knows that we are most surely messengers to you.
36:17 And nothing devolves on us but a clear deliverance (of the message).
36:18 They said: Surely we augur evil from you; if you do not desist, we will certainly stone you, and there shall certainly afflict vou a painful chastisement from us.
36:19 They said: Your evil fortune is with you; what! if you are reminded! Nay, you are an extravagant people.
36:20 And from the remote part of the city there came a man running, he said: O my people! follow the messengers;
36:21 Follow him who does not ask you for reward, and they are the followers of the right course;
36:22 And what reason have I that I should not serve Him Who brought me into existence? And to Him you shall be brought back;
36:23 What! shall I take besides Him gods whose intercession, If the Beneficent God should desire to afflict me with a harm, shall not avail me aught, nor shall they be able to deliver me?
36:24 In that case I shall most surely be in clear error:
36:25 Surely I believe in your Lord, therefore hear me.
36:26 It was said: Enter the garden. He said: O would that my people had known
36:27 Of that on account of which my Lord has forgiven me and made me of the honored ones!
36:28 And We did not send down upon his people after him any hosts from heaven, nor do We ever send down.
36:29 It was naught but a single cry, and lo! they were still.
36:30 Alas for the servants! there comes not to them an apostle but they mock at him.
36:31 Do they not consider how many of the generations have We destroyed before them, because they do not turn to them?
36:32 And all of them shall surely be brought before Us.
36:33 And a sign to them is the dead earth: We give life to it and bring forth from it grain SQ they eat of it.
36:34 And We make therein gardens of palms and grapevines and We make springs to flow forth in it,
36:35 That they may eat of the fruit thereof, and their hands did not make it; will they not then be grateful?
36:36 Glory be to Him Who created pairs of all things, of what the earth grows, and of their kind and of what they do not know.
36:37 And a sign to them is the night: We draw forth from it the day, then lo! they are in the dark;
36:38 And the sun runs on to a term appointed for it; that is the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knowing.
36:39 And (as for) the moon, We have ordained for it stages till it becomes again as an old dry palm branch.
36:40 Neither is it allowable to the sun that it should overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day; and all float on in a sphere.
36:41 And a sign to them is that We bear their offspring in the laden ship.
36:42 And We have created for them the like of it, what they will ride on.
36:43 And if We please, We can drown them, then there shall be no succorer for them, nor shall they be rescued
36:44 But (by) mercy from Us and for enjoyment till a time.
36:45 And when it is said to them: Guard against what is before you and what is behind you, that mercy may be had on you.
36:46 And there comes not to them a communication of the communications of their Lord but they turn aside from it.
36:47 And when it is said to them: Spend out of what Allah has given you, those who disbelieve say to those who believe: Shall we feed him whom, if Allah please, He could feed? You are in naught but clear error.
36:48 And they say: When will this threat come to pass, if you are truthful?
36:49 They wait not for aught but a single cry which will overtake them while they yet contend with one another.
36:50 So they shall not be able to make a bequest, nor shall they return to their families.
36:51 And the trumpet shall be blown, when lo ! from their graves they shall hasten on to their Lord.
36:52 They shall say: O woe to us! who has raised us up from our sleeping-place? This is what the Beneficent God promised and the apostles told the truth.
36:53 There would be naught but a single cry, when lo ! they shall all be brought before Us;
36:54 So this day no soul shall be dealt with unjustly in the least; and you shall not be rewarded aught but that which you did.
36:55 Surely the dwellers of the garden shall on that day be in an occupation quite happy.
36:56 They and their wives shall be in shades, reclining on raised couches.
36:57 They shall have fruits therein, and they shall have whatever they desire.
36:58 Peace: a word from a Merciful Lord.
36:59 And get aside today, O guilty ones!
36:60 Did I not charge you, O children of Adam ! that you should not serve the Shaitan? Surely he is your open enemy,
36:61 And that you should serve Me; this is the right way.
36:62 And certainly he led astray numerous people from among you. What! could you not then understand?
36:63 This is the hell with which you were threatened.
36:64 Enter into it this day because you disbelieved.
36:65 On that day We will set a seal upon their mouths, and their hands shall speak to Us, and their feet shall bear witness of what they earned.
36:66 And if We please We would certainly put out their eyes, then they would run about groping for the way, but how should they see?
36:67 And if We please We would surely transform them in their place, then they would not be able to go on, nor will they return.
36:68 And whomsoever We cause to live long, We reduce (him) to an abject state in constitution; do they not then understand?
36:69 And We have not taught him poetry, nor is it meet for him; it is nothing but a reminder and a plain Quran,
36:70 That it may warn him who would have life, and (that) the word may prove true against the unbelievers.
36:71 Do they not see that We have created cattle for them, out of what Our hands have wrought, so they are their masters?
36:72 And We have subjected them to them, so some of them they have to ride upon, and some of them they eat.
36:73 And therein they have advantages and drinks; will they not then be grateful?
36:74 And they have taken gods besides Allah that they may be helped.
36:75 (But) they shall not be able to assist them, and they shall be a host brought up before them.
36:76 Therefore let not their speech grieve you; surely We know what they do in secret and what they do openly.
36:77 Does not man see that We have created him from the small seed? Then lo! he is an open disputant.
36:78 And he strikes out a likeness for Us and forgets his own creation. Says he: Who will give life to the bones when they are rotten?
36:79 Say: He will give life to them Who brought them into existence at first, and He is cognizant of all creation
36:80 He Who has made for you the fire (to burn) from the green tree, so that with it you kindle (fire).
36:81 Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them? Yea! and He is the Creator (of all), the Knower.
36:82 His command, when He intends anything, is only to say to it: Be, so it is.
36:83 Therefore glory be to Him in Whose hand is the kingdom of all things, and to Him you shall be brought back.

Chapter 33: Surah Al Ahzab (The Confederates), Verse 1-17 - Ahmad Saud

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
33:1 O Prophet! be careful of (your duty to) Allah and do not comply with (the wishes of) the unbelievers and the hypocrites; surely Allah is Knowing, Wise;
33:2 And follow what is revealed to you from your Lord; surely Allah is Aware of what you do;
33:3 And rely on Allah; and Allah is sufficient for a Protector.
33:4 Allah has not made for any man two hearts within him; nor has He made your wives whose backs you liken to the backs of your mothers as your mothers, nor has He made those whom you assert to be your sons your real sons; these are the words of your mouths; and Allah speaks the truth and He guides to the way.
33:5 Assert their relationship to their fathers; this is more equitable with Allah; but if you do not know their fathers, then they are your brethren in faith and your friends; and there is no blame on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, but (concerning) that which your hearts do purposely (blame may rest on you), and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
33:6 The Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they have on themselves, and his wives are (as) their mothers; and the possessors of relationship have the better claim in the ordinance of Allah to inheritance, one with respect to another, than (other) believers, and (than) those who have fled (their homes), except that you do some good to your friends; this is written in the Book.
33:7 And when We made a covenant with the prophets and with you, and with Nuh and Ibrahim and Musa and Isa, son of Marium, and We made with them a strong covenant
33:8 That He may question the truthful of their truth, and He has prepared for the unbelievers a painful punishment.
33:9 O you who believe! call to mind the favor of Allah to you when there came down upon you hosts, so We sent against them a strong wind and hosts, that you saw not, and Allah is Seeing what you do.
33:10 When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes turned dull, and the hearts rose up to the throats, and you began to think diverse thoughts of Allah.
33:11 There the believers were tried and they were shaken with severe shaking.
33:12 And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease began to say: Allah and His Apostle did not promise us (victory) but only to deceive.
33:13 And when a party of them said: O people of Yasrib! there IS no place to stand for you (here), therefore go back; and a party of them asked permission of the prophet, saying. Surely our houses are exposed; and they were not exposed; they only desired to fly away.
33:14 And if an entry were made upon them from the outlying parts of it, then they were asked to wage war, they would certainly have done it, and they would not have stayed in it but a little while.
33:15 And certainly they had made a covenant with Allah before, that) they would not turn (their) backs; and Allah's covenant shall be inquired of.
33:16 Say: Flight shall not do you any good if you fly from death or slaughter, and in that case you will not be allowed to enjoy yourselves but a little.
33:17 Say: Who is it that can withhold you from Allah if He intends to do you evil, rather He intends to show you mercy? And they will not find for themselves besides Allah any guardian or a helper.

Chapter 51: Surah Adh Dhariyat (The Winds that Scatter) & Chapter 52: Surah At Tur (The Mount) - Sheikh Fahd Al Kandari

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
51:47 And the heaven, We raised it high with power, and most surely We are the makers of things ample.
51:48 And the earth, We have made it a wide extent; how well have We then spread (it) out.
51:49 And of everything We have created pairs that you may be mindful.
51:50 Therefore fly to Allah, surely I am a plain warner to you from Him.
51:51 And do not set up with Allah another god: surely I am a plain warner to you from Him.
51:52 Thus there did not come to those before them an apostle but they said: A magician or a mad man.
51:53 Have they charged each other with this? Nay! they are an inordinate people.
51:54 Then turn your back upon them for you are not to blame;
51:55 And continue to remind, for surely the reminder profits the believers.
51:56 And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me.
51:57 I do not desire from them any sustenance and I do not desire that they should feed Me.
51:58 Surely Allah is the Bestower of sustenance, the Lord of Power, the Strong.
51:59 So surely those who are unjust shall have a portion like the portion of their companions, therefore let them not ask Me to hasten on.
51:60 Therefore woe to those who disbelieve because of their day which they are threatened with.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
52:1 I swear by the Mountain,
52:2 And the Book written
52:3 In an outstretched fine parchment,
52:4 And the House (Kaaba) that is visited,
52:5 And the elevated canopy
52:6 And the swollen sea
52:7 Most surely the punishment of your Lord will come to pass;
52:8 There shall be none to avert it;
52:9 On the day when the heaven shall move from side to side
52:10 And the mountains shall pass away passing away (altogether).
52:11 So woe on that day to those who reject (the truth),
52:12 Those who sport entering into vain discourses.
52:13 The day on which they shall be driven away to the fire of hell with violence.
52:14 This is the fire which you used to give the lie to.
52:15 Is it magic then or do you not see?
52:16 Enter into it, then bear (it) patiently, or do not bear (it) patiently, it is the same to you; you shall be requited only (for) what you did.
52:17 Surely those who guard (against evil) shall be in gardens and bliss
52:18 Rejoicing because of what their Lord gave them, and their Lord saved them from the punishment of the burning fire.
52:19 Eat and drink pleasantly for what you did,
52:20 Reclining on thrones set in lines, and We will unite them to large-eyed beautiful ones.
52:21 And (as for) those who believe and their offspring follow them in faith, We will unite with them their offspring and We will not diminish to them aught of their work; every man is responsible for what he shall have wrought.
52:22 And We will aid them with fruit and flesh such as they desire.
52:23 They shall pass therein from one to another a cup wherein there shall be nothing vain nor any sin.

Chapter 17: Surah Al Isra - Verse 1-38 - Sheikh Maher Al-Maeqely

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
17:1 Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
17:2 And We gave Musa the Book and made it a guidance to the children of Israel, saying: Do not take a protector besides Me;
17:3 The offspring of those whom We bore with Nuh; surely he was a grateful servant.
17:4 And We had made known to the children of Israel in the Book: Most certainly you will make mischief in the land twice, and most certainly you will behave insolently with great insolence.
17:5 So when the promise for the first of the two came, We sent over you Our servants, of mighty prowess, so they went to and fro among the houses, and it was a promise to be accomplished.
17:6 Then We gave you back the turn to prevail against them, and aided you with wealth and children and made you a numerous band.
17:7 If you do good, you will do good for your own souls, and if you do evil, it shall be for them. So when the second promise came (We raised another people) that they may bring you to grief and that they may enter the mosque as they entered it the first time, and that they might destroy whatever they gained ascendancy over with utter destruction.
17:8 It may be that your Lord will have mercy on you, and if you again return (to disobedience) We too will return (to punishment), and We have made hell a prison for the unbelievers.
17:9 Surely this Quran guides to that which is most upright and gives good news to the believers who do good that they shall have a great reward.
17:10 And that (as for) those who do not believe in the hereafter, We have prepared for them a painful chastisement.
17:11 And man prays for evil as he ought to pray for good, and man is ever hasty.
17:12 And We have made the night and the day two signs, then We have made the sign of the night to pass away and We have made the sign of the day manifest, so that you may seek grace from your Lord, and that you might know the numbering of years and the reckoning; and We have explained everything with distinctness.
17:13 And We have made every man's actions to cling to his neck, and We will bring forth to him on the resurrection day a book which he will find wide open:
17:14 Read your book; your own self is sufficient as a reckoner against you this day.
17:15 Whoever goes aright, for his own soul does he go aright; and whoever goes astray, to its detriment only does he go astray: nor can the bearer of a burden bear the burden of another, nor do We chastise until We raise an apostle.
17:16 And when We wish to destroy a town, We send Our commandment to the people of it who lead easy lives, but they transgress therein; thus the word proves true against it, so We destroy it with utter destruction.
17:17 And how many of the generations did We destroy after Nuh! and your Lord is sufficient as Knowing and Seeing with regard to His servants' faults.
17:18 Whoever desires this present life, We hasten to him therein what We please for whomsoever We desire, then We assign to him the hell; he shall enter it despised, driven away.
17:19 And whoever desires the hereafter and strives for it as he ought to strive and he is a believer; (as for) these, their striving shall surely be accepted.
17:20 All do We aid-- these as well as those-- out of the bounty of your Lord, and the bounty of your Lord is not confined.
17:21 See how We have made some of them to excel others, and certainly the hereafter is much superior in respect of excellence.
17:22 Do not associate with Allah any other god, lest you sit down despised, neglected.
17:23 And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him, and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) "Ugh" nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word.
17:24 And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and say: O my Lord! have compassion on them, as they brought me up (when I was) little.
17:25 Your Lord knows best what is in your minds; if you are good, then He is surely Forgiving to those who turn (to Him) frequently.
17:26 And give to the near of kin his due and (to) the needy and the wayfarer, and do not squander wastefully.
17:27 Surely the squanderers are the fellows of the Shaitans and the Shaitan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.
17:28 And if you turn away from them to seek mercy from your Lord, which you hope for, speak to them a gentle word.
17:29 And do not make your hand to be shackled to your neck nor stretch it forth to the utmost (limit) of its stretching forth, lest you should (afterwards) sit down blamed, stripped off.
17:30 Surely your Lord makes plentiful the means of subsistence for whom He pleases and He straitens (them); surely He is ever Aware of, Seeing, His servants.
17:31 And do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We give them sustenance and yourselves (too); surely to kill them is a great wrong.
17:32 And go not nigh to fornication; surely it is an indecency and an evil way.
17:33 And do not kill any one whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause, and whoever is slain unjustly, We have indeed given to his heir authority, so let him not exceed the just limits in slaying; surely he is aided.
17:34 And draw not near to the property of the orphan except in a goodly way till he attains his maturity and fulfill the promise; surely (every) promise shall be questioned about.
17:35 And give full measure when you measure out, and weigh with a true balance; this is fair and better in the end.
17:36 And follow not that of which you have not the knowledge; surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these, shall be questioned about that.
17:37 And do not go about in the land exultingly, for you cannot cut through the earth nor reach the mountains in height.
17:38 All this-- the evil of it-- is hateful in the sight of your Lord.

Chapter 17: Surah Al Isra - Verse 39 - 111 - Sheikh Maher Al-Maeqely

17:39 This is of what your Lord has revealed to you of wisdom, and do not associate any other god with Allah lest you should be thrown into hell, blamed, cast away.
17:40 What! has then your Lord preferred to give you sons, and (for Himself) taken daughters from among the angels? Most surely you utter a grievous saying.
17:41 And certainly We have repeated (warnings) in this Quran that they may be mindful, but it does not add save to their aversion.
17:42 Say: If there were with Him gods as they say, then certainly they would have been able to seek a way to the Lord of power.
17:43 Glory be to Him and exalted be He in high exaltation above what they say.
17:44 The seven heavens declare His glory and the earth (too), and those who are in them; and there is not a single thing but glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification; surely He is Forbearing, Forgiving.
17:45 And when you recite the Quran, We place between you and those who do not believe in the hereafter a hidden barrier;
17:46 And We have placed coverings on their hearts and a heaviness in their ears lest they understand it, and when you mention your Lord alone in the Quran they turn their backs in aversion.
17:47 We know best what they listen to when they listen to you, and when they take counsel secretly, when the unjust say: You follow only a man deprived of reason.
17:48 See what they liken you to! So they have gone astray and cannot find the way.
17:49 And they say: What! when we shall have become bones and decayed particles, shall we then certainly be raised up, being a new creation?
17:50 Say: Become stones or iron,
17:51 Or some other creature of those which are too hard (to receive life) in your minds! But they will say: Who will return us? Say: Who created you at first. Still they will shake their heads at you and say: When will it be? Say: Maybe it has drawn nigh.
17:52 On the day when He will call you forth, then shall you obey Him, giving Him praise, and you will think that you tarried but a little (while).
17:53 And say to My servants (that) they speak that which is best; surely the Shaitan sows dissensions among them; surely the Shaitan is an open enemy to man.
17:54 Your Lord knows you best; He will have mercy on you if He pleases, or He will chastise you if He pleases; and We have not sent you as being in charge of them.
17:55 And your Lord best knows those who are in the heavens and the earth; and certainly We have made some of the prophets to excel others, and to Dawood We gave a scripture.
17:56 Say: Call on those whom you assert besides Him, so they shall not control the removal of distress from you nor (its) transference.
17:57 Those whom they call upon, themselves seek the means of access to their Lord-- whoever of them is nearest-- and they hope for His mercy and fear His chastisement; surely the chastisement of your Lord is a thing to be cautious of.
17:58 And there is not a town but We will destroy it before the day of resurrection or chastise it with a severe chastisement; this is written in the Divine ordinance.
17:59 And nothing could have hindered Us that We should send signs except that the ancients rejected them; and We gave to Samood the she-camel-- a manifest sign-- but on her account they did injustice, and We do not send signs but to make (men) fear.
17:60 And when We said to you: Surely your Lord encompasses men; and We did not make the vision which We showed you but a trial for men and the cursed tree in the Quran as well; and We cause them to fear, but it only adds to their great inordinacy.
17:61 And when We said to the angels: Make obeisance to Adam; they made obeisance, but Iblis (did it not). He said: Shall I make obeisance to him whom Thou hast created of dust?
17:62 He said: Tell me, is this he whom Thou hast honored above me? If Thou shouldst respite me to the day of resurrection, I will most certainly cause his progeny to perish except a few.
17:63 He said: Be gone! for whoever of them will follow you, then surely hell is your recompense, a full recompense:
17:64 And beguile whomsoever of them you can with your voice, and collect against them your forces riding and on foot, and share with them in wealth and children, and hold out promises to them; and the Shaitan makes not promises to them but to deceive:
17:65 Surely (as for) My servants, you have no authority over them; and your Lord is sufficient as a Protector.
17:66 Your Lord is He Who speeds the ships for you in the sea that you may seek of His grace; surely He is ever Merciful to you.
17:67 And when distress afflicts you in the sea, away go those whom you call on except He; but when He brings you safe to the land, you turn aside; and man is ever ungrateful.
17:68 What! Do you then feel secure that He will not cause a tract of land to engulf you or send on you a tornado? Then you shall not find a protector for yourselves.
17:69 Or, do you feel secure that He will (not) take you back into it another time, then send on you a fierce gale and thus drown you on account of your ungratefulness? Then you shall not find any aider against Us in the matter.
17:70 And surely We have honored the children of Adam, and We carry them in the land and the sea, and We have given them of the good things, and We have made them to excel by an appropriate excellence over most of those whom We have created.
17:71 (Remember) the day when We will call every people with their Imam; then whoever is given his book in his right hand, these shall read their book; and they shall not be dealt with a whit unjustly.
17:72 And whoever is blind in this, he shall (also) be blind in the hereafter; and more erring from the way.
17:73 And surely they had purposed to turn you away from that which We have revealed to you, that you should forge against Us other than that, and then they would certainly have taken you for a friend.
17:74 And had it not been that We had already established you, you would certainly have been near to incline to them a little;
17:75 In that case We would certainly have made you to taste a double (punishment) in this life and a double (punishment) after death, then you would not have found any helper against Us.
17:76 And.surely they purposed to unsettle you from the land that they might expel you from it, and in that case they will not tarry behind you but a little.
17:77 (This is Our) course with regard to those of Our apostles whom We sent before you, and you shall not find a change in Our course.
17:78 Keep up prayer from the declining of the sun till the darkness of the night and the morning recitation; surely the morning recitation is witnessed.
17:79 And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory.
17:80 And say: My Lord! make me to enter a goodly entering, and cause me to go forth a goodly going forth, and grant me from near Thee power to assist (me).
17:81 And say: The truth has come and the falsehood has vanished; surely falsehood is a vanishing (thing).
17:82 And We reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, and it adds only to the perdition of the unjust.
17:83 And when We bestow favor on man, he turns aside and behaves proudly, and when evil afflicts him, he is despairing.
17:84 Say: Every one acts according to his manner; but your Lord best knows who is best guided in the path.
17:85 And they ask you about the soul. Say: The soul is one of the commands of my Lord, and you are not given aught of knowledge but a little.
17:86 And if We please, We should certainly take away that which We have revealed to you, then you would not find for it any protector against Us.
17:87 But on account of mercy from your Lord-- surely His grace to you is abundant.
17:88 Say: If men and jinn should combine together to bring the like of this Quran, they could not bring the like of it, though some of them were aiders of others.
17:89 And certainly We have explained for men in this Quran every kind of similitude, but most men do not consent to aught but denying.
17:90 And they say: We will by no means believe in you until you cause a fountain to gush forth from the earth for us.
17:91 Or you should have a garden of palms and grapes in the midst of which you should cause rivers to flow forth, gushing out.
17:92 Or you should cause the heaven to come down upon us in pieces as you think, or bring Allah and the angels face to face (with us).
17:93 Or you should have a house of gold, or you should ascend into heaven, and we will not believe in your ascending until you bring down to us a book which we may read. Say: Glory be to my Lord; am I aught but a mortal apostle?
17:94 And nothing prevented people from believing when the guidance came to them except that they said: What! has Allah raised up a mortal to be an apostle?
17:95 Say: Had there been in the earth angels walking about as settlers, We would certainly have sent down to them from the heaven an angel as an apostle.
17:96 Say: Allah suffices as a witness between me and you; surely He is Aware of His servants, Seeing.
17:97 And whomsoever Allah guides, he is the follower of the right way, and whomsoever He causes to err, you shall not find for him guardians besides Him; and We will gather them together on the day of resurrection on their faces, blind and dumb and deaf; their abode is hell; whenever it becomes allayed We will add to their burning.
17:98 This is their retribution because they disbelieved in Our communications and said What! when we shall have become bones and decayed particles, shall we then indeed be raised up into a new creation?
17:99 Do they not consider that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, is able to create their like, and He has appointed for them a doom about which there is no doubt? But the unjust do not consent to aught but denying.
17:100 Say: If you control the treasures of the mercy of my Lord, then you would withhold (them) from fear of spending, and man is niggardly.
17:101 And certainly We gave Musa nine clear signs; so ask the children of Israel. When he came to them, Firon said to him: Most surely I deem you, O Musa, to be a man deprived of reason.
17:102 He said: Truly you know that none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth has sent down these as clear proof and most surely I believe you, O Firon, to be given over to perdition.
17:103 So he desired to destroy them out of the earth, but We drowned him and those with him all together;
17:104 And We said to the Israelites after him: Dwell in the land: and when the promise of the next life shall come to pass, we will bring you both together in judgment.
17:105 And with truth have We revealed it, and with truth did it come; and We have not sent you but as the giver of good news and as a warner.
17:106 And it is a Quran which We have revealed in portions so that you may read it to the people by slow degrees, and We have revealed it, revealing in portions.
17:107 Say: Believe in it or believe not; surely those who are given the knowledge before it fall down on their faces, making obeisance when it is recited to them.
17:108 And they say: Glory be to our Lord! most surely the promise of our Lord was to be fulfilled.
17:109 And they fall down on their faces weeping, and it adds to their humility.
17:110 Say: Call upon Allah or call upon, the Beneficent God; whichever you call upon, He has the best names; and do not utter your prayer with a very raised voice nor be silent with regard to it, and seek a way between these.
17:111 And say: (All) praise is due to Allah, Who has not taken a son and Who has not a partner in the kingdom, and Who has not a helper to save Him from disgrace; and proclaim His greatness magnifying (Him).

Chapter 95: Surah At Tin & Chapter 107: Surah Al Maun -Sheikh Salah Budair

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
95:1 I swear by the fig and the olive,
95:2 And mount Sinai,
95:3 And this city made secure,
95:4 Certainly We created man in the best make.
95:5 Then We render him the lowest of the low.
95:6 Except those who believe and do good, so they shall have a reward never to be cut off.
95:7 Then who can give you the lie after (this) about the judgment?
95:8 Is not Allah the best of the Judges?

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
107:1 Have you considered him who calls the judgment a lie?
107:2 That is the one who treats the orphan with harshness,
107:3 And does not urge (others) to feed the poor.
107:4 So woe to the praying ones,
107:5 Who are unmindful of their prayers,
107:6 Who do (good) to be seen,
107:7 And withhold the necessaries of life.

Chapter 57: Surah Al Hadid (Iron) - Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
57:1 Whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares the glory of Allah, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.
57:2 His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth; He gives life and causes death; and He has power over all things.
57:3 He is the First and the Last and the Ascendant (over all) and the Knower of hidden things, and He is Cognizant of all things.
57:4 He it is who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, and He is firm in power; He knows that which goes deep down into the earth and that which comes forth out of it, and that which comes down from the heaven and that which goes up into it, and He is with you wherever you are; and Allah sees what you do.
57:5 His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth; and to Allah are (all) affairs returned.
57:6 He causes the night to enter in upon the day, and causes the day to enter in upon the night, and He is Cognizant of what is in the hearts.
57:7 Believe in Allah and His Apostle, and spend out of what He has made you to be successors of; for those of you who believe and spend shall have a great reward.
57:8 And what reason have you that you should not believe in Allah? And the Apostle calls on you that you may believe in your Lord, and indeed He has made a covenant with you if you are believers.
57:9 He it is who sends down clear communications upon His servant, that he may bring you forth from utter darkness into light; and most surely Allah is Kind, Merciful to you.
57:10 And what reason have you that you should not spend in Allah's way? And Allah's is the inheritance of the heavens and the earth, not alike among you are those who spent before the victory and fought (and those who did not): they are more exalted in rank than those who spent and fought afterwards; and Allah has promised good to all; and Allah is Aware of what you do.
57:11 Who is there that will offer to Allah a good gift so He will double it for him, and he shall have an excellent reward.
57:12 On that day you will see the faithful men and the faithful women-- their light running before them and on their right hand-- good news for you today: gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein, that is the grand achievement.
57:13 On the day when the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women will say to those who believe: Wait for us, that we may have light from your light; it shall be said: Turn back and seek a light. Then separation would be brought about between them, with a wall having a door in it; (as for) the inside of it, there shall be mercy in it, and (as for) the outside of it, before it there shall be punishment.
57:14 They will cry out to them: Were we not with you? They shall say: Yea! but you caused yourselves to fall into temptation, and you waited and doubted, and vain desires deceived you till the threatened punishment of Allah came, while the archdeceiver deceived you about Allah.
57:15 So today ransom shall not be accepted from you nor from those who disbelieved; your abode is the fire; it is your friend and evil is the resort.
57:16 Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And ~that) they should not be like those who were given the Book before, but the time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and most of them are transgressors.
57:17 Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death; indeed, We have made the communications clear to you that you may understand.
57:18 Surely (as for) the charitable men and the charitable women and (those who) set apart for Allah a goodly portion, it shall be doubled for them and they shall have a noble reward.
57:19 And (as for) those who believe in Allah and His apostles, these it is that are the truthful and the faithful ones in the sight of their Lord: they shall have their reward and their light, and (as for) those who disbelieve and reject Our communications, these are the inmates of the hell.
57:20 Know that this world's life is only sport and play and gaiety and boasting among yourselves, and a vying in the multiplication of wealth and children, like the rain, whose causing the vegetation to grow, pleases the husbandmen, then it withers away so that you will see it become yellow, then it becomes dried up and broken down; and in the hereafter is a severe chastisement and (also) forgiveness from Allah and (His) pleasure; and this world's life is naught but means of deception.
57:21 Hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and to a garden the extensiveness of which is as the extensiveness of the heaven and the earth; it is prepared for those who believe in Allah and His apostles; that is the grace of Allah: He gives it to whom He pleases, and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.
57:22 No evil befalls on the earth nor in your own souls, but it is in a book before We bring it into existence; surely that is easy to Allah:
57:23 So that you may not grieve for what has escaped you, nor be exultant at what He has given you; and Allah does not love any arrogant boaster:
57:24 Those who are niggardly and enjoin niggardliness on men; and whoever turns back, then surely Allah is He Who is the Selfsufficient, the Praised.
57:25 Certainly We sent Our apostles with clear arguments, and sent down with them the Book and the balance that men may conduct themselves with equity; and We have made the iron, wherein is great violence and advantages to men, and that Allah may know who helps Him and His apostles in the secret; surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.
57:26 And certainly We sent Nuh and Ibrahim and We gave to their offspring the (gift of) prophecy and the Book; so there are among them those who go aright, and most of them are transgressors.
57:27 Then We made Our apostles to follow in their footsteps, and We sent Isa son of Marium afterwards, and We gave him the Injeel, and We put in the hearts of those who followed him kindness and mercy; and (as for) monkery, they innovated it-- We did not prescribe it to them-- only to seek Allah's pleasure, but they did not observe it with its due observance; so We gave to those of them who believed their reward, and most of them are transgressors.
57:28 O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah and believe in His Apostle: He will give you two portions of His mercy, and make for you a light with which you will walk, and forgive you, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful;
57:29 So that the followers of the Book may know that they do not control aught of the grace of Allah, and that grace is m Allah's hand, He gives it to whom He pleases; and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.