Juz 20: Allah’s Loud and Silent Revelations | Sh. Hisham Abu Yusuf

 Sh. Hisham Abu Yusuf joins Dr. Omar Suleiman and Sh. Abdullah Oduro as he beautifully recites a portion of Juz 20. They then reflect on how the Qur’an keeps us humble, Allah’s presence and actions in His creation and in our lives, and the raw conversations we need to have with Allah in the last 10 nights of Ramadan. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:05

Your tests are temporary, but Allah is permanent. You cannot have perspective in test and trial unless you have dua and unless you understand the nature of your test and trial is temporary.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

But Allah has created us this way in order for us to retreat to Him in those times of hardship, and that's the whole point. We're tested with the Qadr and the choices of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. What we wanted to happen in life after doing so many good deeds, but we still didn't get what we ultimately wanted.

SPEAKER_02 0:31

The one who responds to the desperate when he calls, not anybody, but you have to show the desperation. Al-Muttar. And most of us think we're self-reliant, but Allah is saying, I want you to beg me.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

Asalaamu alaikum rahmatalikata, everyone. Welcome back to Quran 30 for 30. Alhamdulillah, we are in just 20. As we come into the last 10 nights, dear brothers and sisters, we want to invite you bid the naitarah to of course make dua for us at Yacheen, inshaAllah ta'ala, but also to support the work at Yaheen. This is an opportunity, inshaAllah Ta'ala, for you to go ahead and automate your donations for the last 10 nights. And inshaAllah ta'ala with all the good work that you're doing and all the good deeds and supporting the many good organizations that are out there. We hope that you're seeing that Yaqeen is leveling up. Alhamdulillah, we're constantly growing, we're constantly expanding our team, our resources, and we do that after the help of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala with your support, inshaAllah ta'ala, and these last 10 nights of Ramadan are crucial. So the general rule of thumb is that whatever you've donated in the past, if you have, donate the same amount or more. And if you're first time, uh if you're a first timer to Yaqeen, inshaAllah ta'ala, then donate inshaAllah ta'ala and make it a recurring habit. May Allah bless you all and accept from you all and allow you to observe Raidatul Qadr and all of us. Allah Amin. We have a very special guest for the first time, Alhamdulillah Shaykh Isam Abu Yusuf. Hayak Allah Shaykh Isam. Alhamdulillah, lovely to be here. Allah Iban Akfiq. It's lovely to have you, mashaAllah. Uh mashaAllah, you have the Roots Academy Alhamdulillah Rahmeen. I remember when you came up to me and introduced it to me. You said we use a lot of Yaheen curriculum, right? Alhamdulillah. We benefit a lot from Yachin, alhamdulillah. Yachin's doing some amazing work, Alhamdulillah. Allah.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

So you do curriculum for college students, Alhamdulillah, free curriculum for university students. It's a whole end-to-end delivery of free Islamic studies classes on university campuses on 70 campuses. So 70 instructors every week turning up on 70 universities across the UK, Canada, Australia, and the US. That's incredible. And uh want to transform the entire generation with the with a structured but contemporary approach to learning Islam.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

InshaAllah masha'll that's incredible. Alhamdulillah. May Allah give you to fiqh in there. Uh Shaykh, before I start, what is your favorite name of Allah's Parta at the moment?

SPEAKER_02 2:44

Um in this particular moment, Allah's name Al Wali. Um subhanAllah, obviously I'm uh travelling at the moment and I'm on my own away from my family. And uh as I'm on my own and traveling, in travel there's a lot of uncertainty, a lot of challenges, things go out of you know out of plan sometimes. But uh Allah's name al Wali reminds me no matter where I am, what I'm going through, how much uncertainty, what goes out of plan. Uh Allah is close, Allah is protecting me, Allah is watching.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Amazing, mashallah, and is there any you know, if someone were to have an elevator conversation with you and say we got ten nights coming up, what's the advice that you give them? Like, Shay, how do I make the most of these last ten nights?

SPEAKER_02 3:29

The most important thing I think is to have raw conversations with Allah at night. So a lot of us have scripted conversations or we have very formal conversations with Allah and um a lot of us are going through the emotions. But if that was the case the first twenty days, in these last ten ten nights, this is the opportunity. First shoot waq tarib, really, really have a raw, long sujood, raise your hands and have long conversations with Allah. Wait a sa'ala qa'ibadi and if any qaribi if my slaves ask me about ask you about me, O Muhammad and tell them I'm near.

SPEAKER_01 4:02

So this is the opportunity to ask and to ask ambitiously. Allah Keshayk. So inshaAllah for everyone that's uh tuning in, I'm gonna actually ask Shaykh Ishaan to read in a bit, inshaAllah, uh to recite, uh, which will be unique, but um inshaAllah will benefit from uh his recitation as well as his reflections. We are in Juz 20, and I'm gonna give a very short overview because uh I think that the the the section that you're going to comment on that's going to guide our conversation with the is such a rich section. I think it's you know, I remember subhanAllah praying in the haram and uh the Shaykh reciting this, and I think it's probably my most memorable salah in in the haram uh was the recitation of these verses uh from Suratin Naman. So just 20 obviously goes from uh Namal to uh the first part of Al-Ankabut. And there's just one connection when we talk about how Allah talks about Himself that I immediately was just thinking of, subhanAllah, as in verse 62 of Suratin Naman. That who is the one who answers the desperate one when he calls upon him and removes harm. Okay, and of course, this is one of the verses you're gonna be commenting on. That's the one of the ilahun ma'Allah, the verses, is there any God with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? And of course, there is no God uh with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. But the one portion of this verse, I won't even like comment on the verse, but connect that to the beginning of Surat. Right, do people think that they simply say, we believe, and they'll be left alone, they won't be tested. We have tested those that came before you. Through that, we make known who amongst you are truthful and who amongst you are amongst uh those who have uh belied the covenant with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that uh are not truthful to your covenant with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. This is an incredible idea because it shows you you have the desperate human being, the desperate believer calling out to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and then you have Allah giving the reason for the desperation. What was the point of the desperation in the first place? Like you would think, like, okay, who's the one who responds to you when you call out to him in your desperation? Right? And it's Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And then Allah Azza gives you the answer. He did that actually to make known your belief, to make you shine, your faith shine, and to further pronounce your position amongst humanity. So he elevated you through that trial, and that was the purpose. It was to test not your capacity, but to test your faith. And so that's one thing that that I really uh took as Allah Azza speaking about himself. He doesn't just give his side, right? He gives the other side of it as well, which is what's the intention of bringing you to these tests and through these tests, right? And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala talks about those who are able to stand the tests in Surah Alan Kabut, and Allah Azza gives us in Surah Tin Namal the way to uh the way to withstand the test, which is dua. So the dua that you find in Surat Namal, that regimen of dua, that personal conversation with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is what is able to get you through your most difficult trials. And Allah mentions the opposite side of that as well, uh, which are the hypocrites who will pretend to be with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala when things are good, right? But when they are tested, Ja'ala fitna ta' nasi qa'a dablah, right? Walla inja'a nasul. Right, Allah mentions that these are these same people who ja'l fitna ta' nasi qa'adabilla. I'd actually love for you guys to comment on this, inshaAllah ta'ala. But then when Allah Azza's help comes to them, they will say, We were with you the whole time. Doesn't Allah Azza know what's in the hearts of the people? So you don't make dua with an empty heart, a heart that is ghafil, a heart that is heedless. And you don't pretend belief when you were actually heedless, you don't jump on the bandwagon while things are good and then forsake when things are hard. You call out to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in comfort and in pain throughout all of these states with the different names, knowing that it's the same Rabb that will deliver you uh in each of these situations. Uh the last thing that we find in Al-Khasas, I was just thinking about this when Allah mentions uh everything will perish except for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's uh face, that verily to him belongs judgment, and to him you will return. Your tests are temporary, but Allah is permanent. Your blessings are temporary, but the bestower of those blessings is permanent, right? The the feelings that are evoked through those hardships and through those blessings are temporary feelings, but you're standing in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and your relationship with Him is a permanent relationship, right? So you cannot have perspective in test and trial unless you have du'a and unless you understand the nature of your test and trial is temporary. And you can't appreciate how temporary test and trial is unless you appreciate the permanence of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And so this is, I think, a beautiful way that this this juz just comes together in such a beautiful way between uh these uh these suwar. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allow us to be amongst those that call upon him with desperation, whether we're in hardship or whether we are in ease. Allah Amin. Shaykh Abdullah, I'd I'd love to hear your thoughts before, inshaAllah, we go to Shaykh Isha.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

It's beautiful how you mentioned tests and trials, and you know, we look at the word fitna and how fitna literally, you know, results in that, or fitna can mean that which brings you to a hard situation, and uh how are you allowing that to mold you into to to the results of the trials that you're facing. But even the trial in and of itself, you know, sometimes when we're in involved with the dunya and we're evolved with things that can take us away from our main focus, and that's the nature of the human being, because we are neglectful as human beings. We're some nests that we we can be we can forget and be neglectful at times. But Allah has created us this way in order for us to retreat to Him in those times of hardship, and that's the whole point. Because sometimes we think, okay, when the times of raha and ease are there, the times of fitna come, the times of trial come. Someone passes away that we love dearly, and they were a righteous person, and we may ask why. We're tested with the qadr and the choices of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. What we wanted to happen in life after doing so many good deeds, but we still didn't get what we ultimately wanted. We've made dua these many times, and the people that are disbelievers or not, or they're Muslims, and they're not worshiping the Allah the way that I know that I'm worshiping, they're getting what they want and I'm not, right? It's very, very important that that trial and tribulation is a huge opportunity for you to be vulnerable and to call on Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, even to complain to him about the affliction that you're going through, but to ultimately ask him to alleviate the pain, to alleviate the suffering, to alleviate the worry, to alleviate the death, to alleviate that the sadness. Because you don't want the sadness to turn to despair, but you cut it off when you have those emotions that are very, very, very intense. When you feel that, it's an opportunity. Allah is putting it in front of you. What choice are you going to make? And that's what's so beautiful about Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala saying, Fatannah, we have put this in front of you for a divine opportunity. It's an opportunity. And what strengthens you using the opportunity for your advantage is the remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That's why dhikr of Allah is so important. Remembering remembering Allah and remembering his names. When you mention his names, you know, from the wisdom of Allah having different names is because of different events that you'll face in your life. If you remember the event of you losing your job, you remember al-Razak. But if you've never learned or if you never knew the name Al-Razak exists, it may be a little more difficult for you to call on him in a very intense way that it has a lot of passion when understanding the context of Razak and the name and the stories that he's given. So it's beautiful how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala used in these verses, and you know, particularly in Surah Al-Ankabut, the la one of my favorite verses in the Quran, the last verse of chapter of An Kabut, you know, Walla Ja'hadu, Finah, the Nadi Anhum Subalana, that they strive for Allah. You know, the scholars mention the two conditions for an action to be accepted is the intention and the following of the Sunnah the Prophet. Jahadu, finah. They strive, they act, but for what reason? For what intention? For what ultimate goal? Finah, then Allah makes numerous forms of surety from the linguistic standpoint, we will surely guide them to our way. So it's beautiful. This this Jew is really talking about fitna and trials and the purpose behind it. And I like how you mentioned how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is Baq, basically, he will always be there, and how your trials are something that's temporary. But it it there's a key for you to always rely on the one that will always be there, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So it's beautiful. It's on the Shaykh Shalam. Any thoughts you have on the juz itself or this overview?

SPEAKER_02 13:15

It's a beautiful juz uh Surah Namal, specifically, if you were to zoom into Surah Namal, it has this theme, this running theme of uh civilization and kingdom. So you have this uh the clash of two civilizations. You have Bil-Khis and Sulaiman alayhi salaam. Um Sulaiman alayh. But uh at the same time, what's the point of the material progress of the kingdom if at the same time the they're worshipping a sun? And so there is a thread throughout uh Surahul Naml that the people of the Firaun's mentioned, the story of Tamud's mentioned, and Sulaiman's mentioned. But Sulaiman alayhi sam is put forward as the example and the title of the Surah Surahul Namul, this incident where he you know comes across the ants, and this is part of his kingdom. But instead of me, I I've progressed, etc., his uh attitude is always uh when he sees the ants, he can hear the ants talking to each other, and he's so surprised at this blessing Allah gave him. So one of the beautiful things about Surah Namal is the words Alhamdulillah are repeated. So the last ayah. So there's a recurring theme, say Alhamdulillah. Like, I'm gonna give you there are two tests, right? Surah al-Qasas is the opposite test, the test of oppression and weakness of the Ummah of individuals. I'm I've lost, I don't have much going on for me. Surah Al Nam is the opposite, it's the test of kingdom and power and might and status and prestige and comfort. And Allah saying, you better thank me or I will take it away from you. And you will be in the beginning of Surah Al-Kasas, you will be at the very bottom of the hierarchy again. There's another beautiful thing about uh these three surahs in this juris is a cluster of three surahs that start with tasen. Tasin meem, tasin, tasin me. The second ayah, tilka ayatul ki'abil mubeen, tilka ayatul qitabil mubeen, with the exception of namel. Namel, Allah adds the word Quran, tilka atul Qur'ani wa kitab al-mubeen. The Quran comes again at the beginning and end of the surah as well. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says at the end of the surah, al-Quran, beginning of the surah, or in nekalatul Quran, oh Muhammad. In this world where I'm going to at some point give your Ummah might and power and civilizational progress, etc., don't forget what's going to ground you in shukar, what's going to ground you in humility, it's the Quran, there's nothing else for you. This is, I think, some of the uh subtleties of this surah.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

SubhanAllah, like when you think about the spectrum, one of the things that you know I used to teach um on Ayyub alayhi salam, pretty extensive course on Ayyub a Islam, and even looking at the way like this prophet is spoken about biblically actually, he's one of the most spoken about prophets in the you know in the Bible, right? And the Quran, his section is very short, right? Um, and both of the times he is mentioned, he's mentioned right after Sulaiman alayhi salam. And there's something actually amazing about that, that Sulaiman alayhi salam is the example of a person who has been blessed in ways that you will never be blessed. And Ayyub alayisam is an example of a person who will be tested in ways you will never be tested. So here's your roadmap of Sabr, here's your roadmap of Shukur. Choose your roadmap. You're somewhere on the spectrum, but you have to act like one of these two prophets in bala or in in in in hardship or in ease. And that's you know, subhanallah, something that's that's deeply um beautiful and profound about the Quran, that the order of the stories, it's it always gives you the contrast because through that contrast you really get to understand the depth of what Allah is trying to convey to you. So Shaykh Hisham, um there is this section, Surtin Namal, I believe verse 59 and 65 or 64, the ilahun ma'Allah. Would you please recite it for us, inshaAllah, then give us uh an explanation of it.

SPEAKER_03 18:14

Umjal Wajalal Wajal Bain al Bahaloini Halajum Allah Balakumla Yalamoon Wajak Shifus Wajak Shifus Alayajalu kumhula Alam Kalila Matadakalun Maydi Kumfiulumatilbarriwal Bah Wamain Ursinurya Bushram Bainaya Day Rahmati Ailahum Alah Taalallahu Shrikum Maya Badaul Kalkatum Mayu Wamainasama iwalum Allah Kulhatubhana kum in kum tum sadiken Kulaya lamuma fisama watiwal art bil Raiba ila yashuna ayyana yubatun these beautiful ayat uh from Sultun Namal after telling the story of Sulaiman of Musa and Firaun of Lut, um it's almost the uh the pause in the stories to step back and take the key lesson.

SPEAKER_02 20:21

And it begins with Qur alhamdulillah. Sulaiman, when I gave him all the blessings, he said Alhamdulillah, he was gr grateful. But Fira'un was the opposite. He was it was all me. Bin Qui is the opposition of Sulaiman. This is all of us. So it begins with Qur Alhamdulillah. In this passage, uh there's two unique things that stand out that's um pretty much unparalleled in the Quran. The first is five times Allah asks, Do you have an ilah, an ultimate one worthy of worship, the one ultimately in control? Is there an illah other than Allah? Five times he asks the question. The other thing is that in this in these few verses, there are 15 actions of Allah, fifteen verbs that Allah responds and he takes and he gives and he reveals, etc., etc. And he creates and he sends. Um because you know, for many of us, when you think about the name knowing Allah, we think about his names and attributes, right? We think about names, names are consistent. This person is a driver, they're always driving. But an action uh it indicates something that's happening right now, it uh indicates presence. For many of us, when we think about Allah's names and attributes, oftentimes there's this distance from Allah where you know human beings have developed so much technologically, and this person brought me the food, and that person paid my paycheck, and we're so many layers removed from the actions of Allah. Here Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala repeatedly emphasizes it's me who's doing all of this. It might look like your boss is paying the paycheck, it might look like uh you know somebody brought your food to you, but it's me. It's not them. Look beyond the layers, look beyond the layers. The superficiality and see that I'm the ultimate doer, I'm the one in control. So Alhamdulillah, say alhamdulillah, greet my select slaves, the prophets who we just mentioned. Allah is Allah better or the other false gods that you've put up, you've propped up. And then he begins to mention. One of the beautiful things about this passage, Allah begins by talking about the physical universe, and then he begins to talk about his interactions with human beings. When he's talking about the physical universe, he talks in the past tense. Khalakah, Anzelah, Ja'ala, these are all past tense verbs. I created, I sent down the water, I did, etc. When he's talking about human beings, he talks in the present tense. Yujibul Muttarai, I respond now, I'm responding to you as you ask. Wa Yakshifu Su, I am removing your your difficulties. Wa Yahalukun khula fa'ad, I am currently giving you establishment and making you my representations on this earth. He's present in our lives. But when you look at the universe around you, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is present in every snowflake, in every raindrop. Allah's actions, his intervention is constantly present in the world that we look at. So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala highlights. Look at I've sent down the water from the sky. And for Ambatna bihi hadabajah through this water, I have planted. He sent down, he, he, he. But when he gets to the planting of plants, he says, Ambatna, I did it. Because human beings think that they're the ones doing the planting. Whereas all the other all the other verbs sending the water from the sky, these are all things you know are supernatural. But uh you plant the seed, you water the seed. So you have this illusion that hey, it's my garden, I've done it. Allah is saying, No, have it be, it's not you. I am the one who made it happen. Just in case you thought it was you doing the gardening and you doing the morning of the lawn. You know, it wasn't you guys who didn't. Can there be an ilah with Allah? So if we zoom out of this passage in context, there's two contemporary themes that I think are really relevant. The first is um material progress. So the world's gone through an industrial revolution, it's gone through a technological revolution, and we've gotten to the point where everything's convenient, everything's same-day delivery, next day delivery. Uh human beings seem to be in so much more control than they were before. 300 years ago, uh, most of the world was based on agriculture. People were waiting, you know, for plants to grow. They were more dependent on Allah. Now human beings depend on themselves. Allah a husgna. And so here, this passage reminds us that to reconnect with Allah, we have to get off our devices and reconnect with Allah's creation. We have to get out of the concrete jungles that we live in. We have to take time to withdraw as the Prophet withdrew in the case of Hera. And manja'al al-Dakararan. What about the one who made the earth stable or flat? Waja'ala khila anhara and he mirrored it with rivers. Waja'ala'a al-ha rawasi and he made in it peaks. So the terrain that he designed, al-Bahraini Haajiza, and between the two seas he's created a barrier. Is there an illah other than Allah? And then he comes to the human being. You have to zoom out of yourself and observe Allah in the universe. See, the Quran is the loud revelation, but the creation of Allah is a silent revelation. Allah's names and attributes are present in every single piece of the living world, if only we connected and saw them. And then he talks about Allah, his actions in our lives. The one who responds to the desperate when he calls. Not anybody, but you have to show the desperation. Al-Muttar. And most of us think we're self-reliant, but Allah is saying, I want you to beg me. Al-Muttarra idaa. Then Allah talks about his guidance. In the darkness of the sea and the land, who shows you the way? Who gave you stars for navigation and compasses? And I send the wind as a congratulation, as a glad tiding before my mercy. And then he ends the passage by talking about the beginning and the end. Go back to where it all came from. I started and I ended the creation. And I provide you, giving you evidence if you are truthful. But all of this is to say what? What's the conclusion of all of this? Why do you guys not see Allah's attributes? Why don't you recognize His names? Why aren't you constantly living in the remnants of Allah? There's one problem. You guys are detached from the afterlife. You guys are marred and obsessed with this world and your progress and your devices and your shopping and this whole world that's this consumption that's overwhelmed you. The materialism has clouded you from the reality of Allah. You don't see the akhira. Worse belhum fishak minha. You don't even realize it's you're not even not even certain about it. Worse belhum minha amun, you've been blinded. So this surah, there's a running theme of blindness and seeing. Allah talks about Firahun being blind, but he knew it deep down. Umatina Muba Siratan he says, there's a theme in this in this surah, in the last are everywhere, but you guys, you don't see it. My names and attributes are everywhere, but you're not connected to them. This is my understanding of this passage.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

Beautiful. Felt like I was swimming. Yes. Allah make you from the people of the Quran. Beautiful. Shaykh Abdullah, inshaAllah, just uh your remarks, insha'Allah, ta'ala, sort of take us home.

SPEAKER_00 27:51

No, I think this is beautiful because the rhetorical questioning is so profound, and exactly what you mentioned, Jazakullah, Shaykhana, is uh, you know, mentioning aspects of creation, then the human being themselves, then their hal internally, you know, is what's so profound. And I think it's even a good method of da'wah to those that may not know Islam, you know, family members, when just going through these questions that with their fitrah they can acknowledge, but then after that at the very end, Kulhatu Burhana Kum. Like, what do you have to present after I presented all of this? Like, what can you really, you know, answer that is sufficient, even within yourself? So that's just that's what's so beautiful in Jazaklah, how you illuminated on those beautiful verses, all those ayat. The ayat that talk about the ayat. Yeah, subhangly verses all communication.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

It reminded me, Shaykh, of um the the very famous uh narration when the Prophet spoke to the father of Raman ibn Hussein, radiallahu anuma, and he told him, How many gods do you worship? He said, I worship seven, six on earth and one in the heavens. The Prophet said, Which one do you really turn to with your hope and fear? He said, The one in the heavens. The Prophet said, Then leave the six on earth and focus on the one in the heavens. And that's really what this set of ayat is. Like at the end of the day, what do you actually anchor yourself in? And it is Allah Azzaal. May Allah help us all come to that crystallization of Tawaheed and realization, experience, experiencing of Tawheed in our lives and uh guide others to it as well. Zaklakhir Shah Hisham is a pleasure to have you. InshaAllah we'll hope to have you again uh Bidnaita over and over again. Zakmallah Khairan, assalaam alaikum rahmatullah barakatam.