On the benefits of the last two ayat of Surah Baqarah:
Abd al-Rahman b. Yazid said:
I asked Abu Mas’ud while he was making circumambulation of the Ka’bah (about the recitation of some verses from the Qur’an). He said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If anyone recited two verses from the last of Surah al-Baqarah at night, they will be sufficient for him.
Sahih (Al-Albani)
Sunan Abi Dawud 1397
The last two ayat of Surah Baqarah are two fairly short ayats that contain a lot of barakah (blessings). From Bukhari, we are told this two ayat are sufficient for anyone who will read them at night. In today’s newsletter, we will reflect on the first ayah and tomorrow the second, Insha-Allah.
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّ
وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيۡنَ أَحَدٖ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦۚ وَقَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا
وَأَطَعۡنَاۖ غُفۡرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيۡنَ أَحَدٖ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦۚ وَقَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا وَأَطَعۡنَاۖ غُفۡرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ
Surah Baqarah Ayah 286:
Aamanar-Rasoolu bimaaa unzila ilaihi mir-Rabbihee walmu’minoon; kullun aamana billaahi wa Malaaa’ikathihee wa Kutubhihee wa Rusulihee laa nufarriqu baina ahadim-mir-Rusulih wa qaaloo sami’naa wa ata’naa ghufraanaka Rabbanaa wa ilaikal-maseer
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.
Avoid complaining:
In the last verse of Surah Baqarah, Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) describes the resilience and strength the human spirit possesses, “Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.”
This is why it’s important for us to avoid complaining at all costs, it is a disease of the mind that will never improve the situation. Spend a second complaining and you have wasted a second. When you complain, what you are really doing is making yourself out to be the victim and unknowingly blaming individual tests we all must face. Instead, it is much better for you to make the choice and view yourself as a survivor rather than a victim when a calamity strikes. Say as Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) has told us “”
This does not mean we should be embarrassed or ashamed of crying or feeling weak. We learned that Prophet Yaqub (as) cried so much his vision became impaired. Suffering is inescapable, letting the tears fall shows that you have the courage to work through the pain. In Surah Yusuf Ayat 86 Yaqub (as) says, “I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know.” Complaining outwardly to everyone but Allah is the thief of patience.
And when we make du’a we shouldn’t ask for less on our plate, we should instead make du’a asking that we become more skillful and triumphant in the battles we face. Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) in the Qur’an directly says, “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient,” (2:155). Accept that test you are given and fight through it with courage.
One thing you can be sure of is Allah (swt) will never burden you with more than you were capable of shouldering. Say to yourself out loud, “I got this!” because Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) has created you capable. We are not aware of the strength of the human spirit; we constantly underestimate what we can achieve. It is only until we are pushed beyond what we thought was possible do we realize the inner strength we have. Don’t underestimate what you’re able to do. If you spend enough time, do the repetitions, acquire the right knowledge, you’ll be further along than you ever could’ve imagined. Seek help or advice from others, this is not a form of complaining but a sign of maturity.
The virtue of saying Alhamdulillah:
We also need to shift our perspective on suffering; blessings and burdens are not always mutually exclusive. There is a gift-wrapped somewhere in your suffering, you just need to dig deep enough to uncover it. From the Russian psychologist Dostoyevsky, “There is only one thing that I dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings”. The way we view our experiences and the story we tell ourselves about them is all that matters.
It is always best that we say Alhamdulillah and accept both the good and the bad of life. We don’t know what Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) could be saving us from when things don’t the way we planned. When Thomas Edison was asked what it felt like to fail 1000 times when inventing the light bulb Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” Each failure was not viewed as a personal shortcoming of Edison but represented progress, moving a step closer to getting it right. The opportunity lies in the way we wear our burdens and how we let them define us.
Remember the saying, those who think they can and those who think they can’t are both normally right.
Be of service:
There is a second meaning of this ayah, which is often overlooked but just as important.
Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) is telling us to go and live a productive and purposeful life by finding and bearing the largest burden we possibly can. To pick up the heaviest thing you can lift and carry it.
We need to accept full autonomy over our lives and to push ourselves to our fullest potential. It is no one else’s responsibility but yours to understand and to develop specific strengths and play to them.
If you find that you’re naturally creative, find ways in which you use this talent to serve humanity for the better. Cultivate and hone this skill over years and use it to bring others into the fold of Islam, “And when it is said to them, “Spend from that which Allah has provided for you,” those who disbelieve say to those who believe, “Should we feed one whom, if Allah had willed, He would have fed? You are not but in clear error.” (36:47)
All the Prophets (may peace be upon them) subscribed to this notion of adopting full responsibility. They dedicated their entire being to serving their communities and to being of service. A fulfilling life is a life of service. It’s often quoted, “if you help enough people get what they want you’ll have everything you want”.
Do you know what place on earth has the most wealth? (the answer is not what you expect). It’s said the wealthiest place on the planet is the cemetery. Here you will find inventions never created, cures never discovered, hopes, and dreams that never became a reality because people were paralyzed by fear. Fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of just not being good enough.
We need to ignore all that. Begin by putting in the effort, day by day, and take things slowly. We often fail before we begin because we shoot ourselves in the foot. We have the idea of what the end-goal should be and don’t believe it’s possible for us, so we don’t even try. If we shift the goal, ignoring the end, and focus on going to bed a little bit better and wiser than when we first woke up, you’ll make huge advancements. Sustain that over a lifetime, and you’ll end up living a life much greater than you ever anticipated. You’ll know you did not go through life unused.
The ayah continues and warns us that we “will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned.” Meaning you will reap the harvest of whatever you plant; if you plant bad you reap bad. Things have an interesting way of coming back around. You can’t get what you need without having first planted the seed. It’s like a person who plays video games all day and wonders why he or she can’t find their dream job.
Similarly, on the day of qiyamah, every being will be rewarded for the services they rendered. Whatever good or bad deeds will be stacked in front of them, they face the consequence of what one has earned.
The verse then breaks into three beautiful supplications asking Allah for strength, forgiveness, victory, and for His protection.
Rabbanaa laa tu’aakhiznaaa in naseenaaa aw akhtaanaa;
“Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.”
Rabbanaa wa laa tahmil-‘alainaaa isran kamaa hamaltahoo ‘alal-lazeena min qablinaa;
“Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us.”
Rabbanaa wa laa tuhammilnaa maa laa taaqata lanaa bih; wa’fu ‘annaa waghfir lanaa warhamnaa; Anta mawlaanaa fansurnaa ‘alal qawmil kaafireen (section 40)
“Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.”
