Surah Al Baqarah V.215-220

Perhaps You Dislike…

It may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know[Al Baqarah:216]

Students thoughts:

Sara Muhammad
I saw leaving my family back at home and coming to Canada to join my husband a not so good thing. But I recognize I am benefiting now by learning the deen of Islam and starting a family of my own, learning skills and so on.

Ruksana Khan
The most difficult thing that I find is when I go home from school I have a lot of housework. By the time it finishes I get really exhausted and little time to study. I can only do my word to word translation. It takes me a lot of time to study because I am studying almost after 20 years, I am not in the habit of being continuously busy so any way I am trying my best to do more and more to the best of my ability. This is what I find difficult but it is of course good for me learning the Qur’an and taking care of my kids. Allhumdulillah.

Sara Choudry

Charitable Family

Medihah Hussain (Group Ruqayyah)
They ask you, [O Muhammad], what they should spend. Say, “Whatever you spend of good is [to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good indeed, Allāh is Knowing of it.”[Al Baqarah:215]
 Here we see a beautiful concept: we always think that charity is only for the needy or those people you see on the street who have no homes or even the children in homes but do we think about those closest to us? We never think and realize that charity can also be with ones family and that giving to ones family is the best thing that someone can do. Also one thing that we do not think about is that the traveler should also be given our charity.
  Charity does not necessarily mean money but it means giving from what you have. It could be anything like your time or even a meal to the traveling person. One thing to remember and motivate us is that whatever we do Allah is knowing and will reward us even for the small things so don’t overlook anything.

Alcohol and Gambling

Saba Naz (Group Fatima)
One common thing that many people want to know about is why alcohol and gambling is not allowed? From verse 219 we get our answer which is as simple as “Allah said so”. What bigger reason could there be?
They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit.” And they ask you what they should spend. Say, “The excess [beyond needs].” Thus Allāh makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought. [Al Baqarah:219]
We can see from this verse that alcohol and gambling is a grave sin and although it has temporary benefits why muddle in something that is haram and has more sin than benefit. We already know that alcohol not only causes physical damage to your liver and kidneys but it also pollutes you emotionally making you unstable and sometimes making you lash out at people. We should understand the wisdom in Allahs commands and not question “why?”

Surah Al Baqarah V.204-214

Hypnotising Speech

Medihah Hussain (Group Ruqayyah)
And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allāh to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents. [Al Baqarah:204]
Upon hearing this verse I began getting flashbacks to the many times that someone would come to me and tell me something that would please me and make me feel happy because I had desired to hear that but now I realize it is only our desires and this leads a person astray.
 I began remembering the times someone would come to me and tell me that Islam is now more lenient and allows for us to make exceptions in it. We don’t have to pray five times a day because Allah knows our intentions and we intend to please Him in everything that we do. I never understood this concept but a lot of people I know were so amazed and excited that they could now practice this lenience.

Sell Yourself

Rushda Haq (Group Fatima)
And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allāh. And Allāh is kind to [His] servants. [Al Baqarah:207]
 We should be like this person who sells himself seeking the pleasure of Allah. We think that by praying five times a day whenever we can and fasting during Ramadan we have sold ourselves to the deen but we are deceiving no one but ourselves. The real way is to fear Allah and do righteous deeds and follow the sunnah of the prophet (saw). So lets not sell ourselves to the devil but lets sell ourselves for the sake of Allah (swt).

The Glorious Life

Fatima (Al Huda Student)
Beautified for those who disbelieve is the life of this world, and they ridicule those who believe. But those who fear Allāh are above them on the Day of Resurrection. And Allāh gives provision to whom He wills without account. [Al Baqarah:212]
 This verse was a reminder to me to work hard in this world for the next. Sometimes we are diverted from the task at hand by the glittery things of this world, but we need to remember that our reward are in the hereafter.
Also, we should remember to not pay any attention to the remarks any of the disbelievers make about Muslims. They may think that they are better than us now but in the end those who strove will be the truly successful.

Ambreen Haneef(Group Khadija)
The disbelievers are blindly falling into the trap of shaitan, they have got their priorities all wrong. Instead of working towards their hereafter and leaving the life of the duniya to the bare minimum they are indulging in the life of this world so much that they have forgotten their actual destination. Unfortunately, many of the Muslims today have also fallen into the same trap. They are deceived by this world that they will live here for long years and that the time to die is far away so why repent now? They do not believe in anything beyond this life and so they ridicule and laugh at the believers. Im sure that all of us are aware of the incidents which occur all of the time regarding religion. Many people find it hilarious to see Muslim women in hijabs or men growing beards because it is so ‘outdated’. However, from this verse I learnt a very important lesson that those who do comment on others and laugh at the deen they are the ones who are disbelievers and they will be taken to account. On the other hand to be provided by Allah we need to fear Him and inshallah our account on that day will be good.

One Religion

Student of Al Huda
It is hard to believe that once upon a time everyone that was on the earth was of one religion. The reason this is hard to believe is because now people even have divisions amongst their own religion. Allah says he sent down the prophets as bearers of good news and warners. They bore the good news of paradise for the believers and they warned about the penalty of doing wrong actions. The purpose of the scripture is mentioned and Allah says it was so that they could judge between people with justice.
When people had a difference the prophet referred to the scripture to settle the dispute and Allah mentions no one disbelieved except for those who did it out of jealous animosity. Allah also guided the believers to the straight path and it is only He who can guide people. We may think that we can guide or misguide but all happens with His permission.

Free Ticket to Paradise

Student of Al Huda
Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,” When is the help of Allāh?” Unquestionably, the help of Allāh is near. [Al Baqarah:214]
Amazing! We are always complaining about what difficulties we are going through and we forget about the prophet (saw) and the companions and those generations after them that suffered more than any of us could imagine. A common misconception is that if we walk around with the label ‘Muslim’ on somehow this will grant us entrance into paradise.

Surah Al Baqarah V.197-203

Plant Jannah Seeds

Fatima (Al Huda Student)
In these verses, we see that some people only ask for things in this world, while others ask not only for good in this world, but good in the next, and to be saved. We need to ask ourselves, to which group do we belong?
When we do something, is it for this world or for the next? Are we working for the good of this world or the next? These verses really made me think about my priorities. You can’t plant seeds of weeds and expect flowers to blossom! The same way, you can not plant worldly seeds and expect jannah to come out of it.