Juz 15- Juz Gems
The Qur’an and Good Company
Tonight our mashayikh will recite Surat al Isra’a and the majority of Surat al-Kahf during taraweeh of the 15th night of Ramadan. Today’s juz gem reflects the importance of two major components in a believer’s life- the Qur’an and maintaining good company:
وَاتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِن كِتَابِ رَبِّكَ ۖ لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَلَن تَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَدًا ﴿٢٧﴾ وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا ﴿٢٨﴾
“And recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. There is no changer of His words, and never will you find in other than Him a refuge. And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect,” (Surat al Kahf, verses 27-28).
Surat al Kahf, or the cave, is named after the refuge a group of righteous young men found when they escaped from an unjust ruler threatening to execute them for their belief in God. Allah (swt) saved this group of believers and increased them in guidance (18:10) because of their faith in Him. Allah then describes two key components that provide a refuge for us as believers- the Qur’an and righteous companionship.
Allah describes the Qur’an in Surat al Kahf as upright, (18:1) and in Surat al Baqara as a guidance for the pious, of which there is no doubt (2:2). When one begins the journey of getting to know the Qur’an, she will find that the Qur’an becomes a beloved companion and a source of comfort through every difficulty. Many people may find it a struggle to establish a relationship with the Quran because of the language barrier. Know full well that your struggle is appreciated by Allah (17:19) and there are more and more resources out there to help us grasp the deeper wisdom of this generous book.
The second major component that serves as our “cave” in this world is surrounding oneself with people who remind us of Allah. According to the tafseer of Ibn Kathir, “keep yourself patient with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and evening…” was revealed about the nobles of Quraysh when they asked the Prophet to sit with them on his own, and not to bring his weak Companions with him, such as Bilal, `Ammar, Suhayb, Khabbab and Ibn Mas`ud. The Quraysh wanted him to sit with them on his own, but Allah forbade him from doing that, and said, "And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon." Allah commanded him to patiently content himself with sitting with the "weak" believers.
Ramadan is a wonderful time to grow closer to the Qur’an and establish close ties with the community. Allah reminds us that keeping good company also requires patience. It is easy to become distracted and vie for what everyone else is vying for- the glitter of this world. And yet, we all know people in our lives whose mere presence reminds us of Allah. They make everyone else feel at ease in their company and carry themselves with a sense of honor while remaining humble in their demeanor. May we strive to be the people that Allah is referring to when He commands His believers to sit with those who call on their Lord in the morning and evening only desiring His countenance. Just like Ramadan provides us with the ability to break our bad habits, we should look closely at those that may be influencing us to continue engaging in harmful actions. Make sincere dua that Allah places good people on your path to help and encourage you throughout life's journey.
May Allah enter us into Jannah for the mere fact that we loved one another for His sake and may the Qur’an act as a witness for us and not against us on the Day of Judgment! Ameen.