Day 11 (Juz 11):-

“And, you are not engaged in any matter or recite anything of the Qur’an and you do not do any deed except that We are witness over you when you are involved in it. And not absent from your Lord is any part of an atom’s weight within the earth or within the heaven or anything smaller than that or greater but that it is in a clear Book.” [10: 61]

This is the peak of muraqabah – realising that you are constantly under watch. There is no deed you do except that you have an audience. Witnesses. To record your deed and to testify. If it’s a good deed, there is jubilance, and if it’s a bad deed, then there is regret. It’s interestingly that in the verse above, Allah singles out the act of ‘reciting the Qur’an’. It is a mighty deed of promised reward because you are reciting the chosen Words of Allah, and at the time that you are reciting, you have a grand audience with Him and His Angels. And were you to recite at the early hours of the day when people around you are asleep, then that is a time of witnessing:

“Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.” [17: 78]

Day 12 (Juz 12):-

“Then when the fear had left Ibrahim (Abraham), and the glad tidings had reached him, he began to plead with Us for the people of Lut (Lot).” [11: 74]

The sincerity of the Prophets is such a beautiful thing to read about. These were legends; great men who desired nothing more than that Allah be worshipped in the land. They wanted nothing but guidance for their people. They didn’t desire wealth, or fame, or social ranking… just that people turned to their Creator, and were saved in this life and the Next. Ibrahim (AS) hosted guests who came as travellers, but panic overtook him when he saw them not eating as guests usually do. But they comforted him and informed him that they were Angels sent to the people of Lut. So the fear he had of them left him, but as it did, a different type of fear crept into his heart – fear for the people of Lut. It was no secret that they were engaged in heinous crimes, and that their Prophet was struggling with them and urging them to abandon sins – of sodomy, homosexuality, highway robbery, and indecent behaviour. The Prophets all knew the end of their people would be the seize of Allah if they persisted in their sins despite warnings, and so Ibrahim immediately began to plead with the Angels to spare the people or grant them respite. His sincerity bore deep and his concern for Mankind was ever present. Thus Allah says after this verse: “Indeed, Ibrahim was forbearing, tender-hearted, oft-returning (to his Lord)” [11: 75]

But despite their love, the Prophets (and the righteous after them) were often ridiculed for holding on to ‘holy’ principles which were a ‘thing of the past’, and their love which transcended the mere desires of this world, was often taken for intolerance and thrown back at them. But still the Prophets held on to save the people from what was to come – because they saw beyond this world and they knew the reality of the Hereafter. They were being inspired by Allah, they communicated with Angels, and they knew the age-old battle between Man and Shaytan – a battle which has fighting grounds that begin in the heart, but has affects which corrupt both individual and society, religion and politics, earth and heaven, Dunya and Akhirah. Indeed, Allah knows what you do not know. Principles never change, but the plots of Shaytan do, and the heart of Man is ever impressionable.

Day 13 (Juz 13):-

“They said, “By Allah, you will not cease remembering Yusuf until you become fatally ill or become of those who perish.” He said, “I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know.” [12: 86]

Sometimes, people will trivialize your sorrow and suffering and they will admonish you not realising how untimely it is to admonish a person in their vulnerable state. But you know your hurt more than they do, and Allah knows your pain more than you do yourself. Ya’qub (AS) lost his son for many years and his sorrow remained with him. The people advised him, admonished him, and even warned him of imminent death if he did not give up the thought of Yusuf in his heart. But he was a father, and he was a Prophet – thus he knew from Allah what the people did not know.

Whilst it’s good to lend ear to good advice and counsel from people, there will be times in life when you should perhaps step back from absorbing everything people say to you. If, deep in your heart, you have immense hope in Allah regarding a matter, then let none crush that hope. Raise your complaints only to Allah As Ya’qub did, and do not raise them to the people. Let go of hearkening to mortals who do not see beyond their own realities and instead flee to Allah and follow the sincerity that you find within yourself. Guidance is from Allah, and He places signs in your life. So depend on no-one but Him, intend no-one but Him, place hope in no-one but Him, and fear no-one but Him. He sees and hears everything, and He is the only One who can bring new realities, wipe away old ones, and answer those deep and desperate calls of your heart. Indeed, no-one despairs from the relief and mercy of God except those who do not believe in Him – so if you still have hope, then you still have faith, and if you still have faith, then you must have hope.

Day 14 (Juz 14):-

“And indeed We know the preceding ones among you, and We know the later ones.” [15: 24]

Scholars have interpreted this verse in two ways: 1) that Allah knows the first generations and the latter ones, and 2) that Allah knows the ones who go forth in earnest and those who lag behind. Either way, Allah knows all about you.

He is fully aware of those who push forward, hastening towards good deeds, and He knows the passions and motivations that drive people towards Him. Likewise, He is fully aware of those who lag behind and make little effort towards Him. The life you have been given is an open and empty chest, ready for you to fill it with what you desire – of treasure or trash, hope or regret, joy or sorrow. Fill it with what you may, but it is only one life. So if you’re not happy with that job, or that group of friends, or that attitude you carry, or that sin you keep falling into, get up and do something about it. Actively change it for the better because the choice has been placed firmly with you. And there is no argument on the Day of Reckoning.

Seek out the paths of goodness and become a forerunner in righteous deeds. Say to Allah “I will do my best” and then go ahead and do just that. It is your scroll of deeds and your slate of testimony, so make sure you fill it with the Pleasure of Allah as much as you possibly can before you return to Him. And don’t think that His Pleasure is unattainable; for it can be in a very small deed that you disregard often.

Day 15 (Juz 15):-

“And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart – each of those you will be questioned.” [17: 36]

One of my favourite narrations is one which the scholars deemed to be an entire quarter of a person’s akhlaq. It’s the hadith where the Prophet (s) told us, “From the perfection of one’s Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.” [al-Tirmidhi, hasan]. Imagine that. It’s basically saying that our Islam will never be perfect if we’re so concerned with things that are none of our business. And in this verse we understand the reason why… because it leads us to regretful questioning. It leads us to paths that bring more harm than good. It leads us to woefully wronging others and ourselves. It leads us to bad thoughts, suspicions, ill-feelings, partiality and unfair bias. It leads us to a complete waste of our time.

We’ve become people who are overloaded with information and this has led us to having an insatiable desire to want to know – we feel the need to know about other people, their possessions, their personal affairs, about this and that, and sadly, social networking feeds right into that. We listen to gossip and backbiting – becoming so lost in the affair that we fail to see right from wrong. It’s like finding yourself suddenly lost in a thick forest surrounded by tall trees that are all identical – how on earth do you find the way out? It happened because you took the wrong turn somewhere, or took the wrong road. And that’s effectively what happens when we involve ourselves with something that we have no knowledge of… we land in deep waters big time. So spare yourself the trouble and keep your eyes, ears, and heart clean from this remorseful pursuit that’s often led by shaytan’s temptations. Spare yourself the questioning that lies at the end of this. Let go of things that are none of your business and you’ll be blessed with ample opportunity to perfect your own business and your Islam.