TRULY that is CERTAINLY from the noble tasks. (Shoora 42:43)

Allah mentions this statement many times in the Qur’an:

إِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ 

Certainly that is from the noble tasks. [Luqman 31:17], [aal Imraan 3:186].

When this statement occurs in the Qur’an, it is always in reference to Sabr (patience).

However, when this statement appears in Surah Shoora (42:43), something different occurs that does not in all the other ayaat. Allah (azza wa jal) states:

إِنَّ ذَ*ٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ
Truly that is certainly from the noble tasks. (Shoora 42:43)

This ayah is a special case because there is an extra letter, a laam. This laam is for emphasis: certainly. But why does this ayah have more emphasis, but the rest of the similar ayaat on patience do not? Because there are Two different types of patience (sabr) being referenced for these two ayaat:

The Two types of Patience

There are many types of sabr [patience] in this deen/religion, but they all fall into two basic categories:

1. When something happens to you and you do not have the power to respond. 
2. When something happens to you and you have the power to respond and take action (ie, revenge/retaliate).

1) In situations when you cannot take take action, it is still a great thing to have patience. For example the Sahaba [companions of Prophet Muhammad] in Makkah, they did not have the power to retaliate but Allah ta’ala still commanded them to have patience and He praised those who were patient. Also with the Battle of Uhud or Ahzaab, they did not have the power to retaliate but still had patience in their situation.

2) Then the Conquest of Makkah occured, and those who overpowered the Sahaba before, those who kicked them out of their homes, those who tortured them and their families were right there–the Sahaba were easily able to take revenge. Does THAT not require sabr? Which sabr/patience is more difficult? It is the sabr that one practices when they have the ABILITY to take revenge and retaliate, but they do not!

Which is the Best Patience?

Allah ta’ala mentioned in the same ayah before that statement: وَلَمَنْ صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ “and for the one who has patience and forgives” [Shura 42:43] This person could have had sabr, and retaliated BUT they had sabr and chose to forgive…so this ayah, the only time it occurs in the Qur’an, gets an extra laam.

وَلَمَنْ صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَ*ٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ

“And surely, whosoever shows patience and forgives that would truly be from the noble tasks” (Shura 42:43)

If you have the upper hand and you are in a position to retaliate and respond, but you chose to forgive – that is the harder sabr, and truly from the noble tasks.

http://tayyibaat.wordpress.com/2008/…asks/#more-797

Whoever pardons and makes reconciliation – his reward is [due] from Allah.. (ash-Shura 42:20)

Surat Al-Shuraa (42:40):

وَجَزَاء سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ (

And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation – his reward is [due] from Allah. Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers.
 
What does this mean; that his ajr/reward rests with Allah? 

It means; “The pages of the Quran are unable to hold this ajr/reward that is mentioned. That, also the dunya/world and everything within it could not carry this ajr so that it can be mentioned. So Allah (swt) preserved it in Ilm AL-Ghayb [the knowledge of the Unseen] so that he can reward those who forgive/pardon others and make peace with them with an unimaginable reward!

http://forums.almaghrib.org/showpost…&postcount=110

Think About These Words From Different Angles [Ghafir: 49]

Asalaam alaikum Warahmatulah Wabarakatuh

Think About These Words From Different Angles
Shaykh Ibn al-Uthaymeen

Think about these words from different angles [my comments in (Italics)]:

[وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِى النَّارِ لِخَزَنَةِ جَهَنَّمَ ادْعُواْ رَبَّكُمْ يُخَفِّفْ عَنَّا يَوْماً مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ

(And those in the Fire will say to the keepers (angels) of Hell: “Call upon your Lord to lighten for us the torment for a day!”) [Ghafir:49]

1. They didnt ask Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, they asked the keepers of Jahannam [hell] to make dua for them, Because Allah had told them,

[اخْسَئُواْ فِيهَا وَلاَ تُكَلِّمُونِ]

(Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!)

So they saw themselves that they are not worthy of asking Allah and supplicate to Him rather they invoke to Him via intermediate (didn’t the idolators used to invoke intermediaries in this life to ‘get their prayers answered’?).

2. They said ”Call upon your Lord”, and didnt say Call upon our Lord because their faces and hearts cannot comprehend or say ”Our Lord”, they are in the state of shame and humility that they see themselves unworthy of claiming the Lordship of Allah to them rather they said ”Your Lord”.

3. They didnt say remove from us the punishment but they said (Lighten) because they are (Allah’s refuge is sought) despair from the Mercy of Allah (didn’t the idolators used to despair of Allah’s Mercy [by saying things like; “I am too sinful to repent”], and that’s why they were unrepentant in this worldly life?).

4. They didnt say lighten the punishment for us forever rather they said ”For a Day”, only one day.

From this it is clear that they are in state of severe punishment, shame and humiliation,

وَتَرَاهُمْ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا خَـشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ يَنظُرُونَ مِن طَرْفٍ خَفِىٍّ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِنَّ الْخَـسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ أَلاَ إِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ فِى عَذَابٍ مُّقِيمٍ

”And you will see them brought forward to it (Hell) made humble by disgrace, (and) looking with stealthy glance. [ash-Shura:45] And those who believe will say: “Verily, the losers are they who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection.” [Zumar 39:15] Verily, the wrongdoers will be in a lasting torment.”

Sheikh Saalih ibn ‘Uthaymeen – Liqaa al Maftooh – No. 11 side A

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