Assalamualaikum my dear,

How are you? How have these past two weeks been for you? (Btw, I really do wonder so hit reply to this email and let me know 😊)

This week I was reciting Surah Hijr and came across one of the verses I’d previously written to you about.

I find that whenever I record and write about a verse from the Quran to you or even just in my own Quran journal, the reflection stays with me for a very long time subhanallah And this is not me hyping my memory which is actually the memory of a goldfish. I’m the type of gal who dreads being asked what they did yesterday because that requires too much brain power to recall! But it’s me hopefully inspiring you to crack open an old notebook and record down your reflections of verses too.

The old reflection

The verses from Surah Hijr that I’m referring to are the following beautiful and profound ones -

I wrote to you about how beautiful I found these verses, particularly in 2 aspects -

1. the way Allah addresses us (nabbi i’badi 🥹)

2. the lack of symmetry between His mercy and His punishment

I wrote about how I really saw this verse to be a verse of hope for us - to carry on trying and failing, and trying again. But never stop hoping because Our Lord is not like any other.

Ever since writing that reflection, I can’t help but smile and feel warm inside every time I come across it. (And if you haven’t had a chance to read the reflection, feel free to check it out below!)

But even as I wrote to you that day, a question lingered in the back of my mind about the verse after -

—

Why this verse lingered

The reason it stuck out was because I found it interesting that Allah had started the verse with the same word as the previous 2 verses.

وَنَبِّئۡ - ‘And tell them’

It felt like there should be some sort of continuation between the other 2 verses and this one.

But the third verse was an introduction to a completely new story - the story of Ibrahim (as) and his guests. It seemed like there was no connection.

And that’s how I left it the previous time - the time I wrote you this letter.

—

But this time, as I read past these verses again, I found myself musing on this lack of connection between these 3 verses again.

It just didn’t sit right.

There could have been so many other ways Allah could have introduced the story of Ibrahim (as) and his guests. But He decided to use the same word and the previous verse.

It could not be by chance…because nothing in the Quran is by chance or accident (I mean, is anything in this whole universe by chance when we know we have a Lord who is in complete control?)

There has to be a reason.

And so I read the verses after it with an investigative mindset, searching for the connection.

And as the story was introduced to us as ‘the guest of Ibrahim (as)’, I reread that story with greater detail.

—

The guest with Ibrahim (as)

First off, who were these guests of Ibrahim (as)?

From verse 51 to 55, Allah tells us the story of the angels visiting Ibrahim (as) to give him the good news of Isaac, of a son of wisdom and knowledge in their old age.

This story is talked about in greater detail in other parts of the Quran, but it is kept rather brief here.

We see that the angels come to the house of Ibrahim (as). Ibrahim (as) senses something off with them and says he’s scared. The angels reassure him saying there’s nothing to be scared as they’re here to give him the good news that he will soon have son.

But Ibrahim (as) is taken aback.

How is he and his wife meant to have kid at their age?! They were both old and as a result, his wife would be barren.

It was impossible.

And so he says as such - “Do you give me good news despite my old age? What unlikely news!”

The angels reply that the good news is, in fact, true and then they say something interesting.

This is the exact verse-

They responded, “We give you good news in all truth, so do not be one of those who despair.”

Ibrahim (as) immediately realises his mistake - that by thinking something was impossible for Allah was him questioning Allah’s ability, him questioning Allah’s gift to him.

Him questioning Allah’s mercy on him.

He too realises he was acting in despair.

And so he immediately replies and rectifies his mindset -

‘Who would despair about mercy from Allah except those who are misguided.’

—

And do not be of the despairing ones

It’s very interesting that Ibrahim (as) himself connects despairing of Allah’s mercy to being misguided.

That sounds harsh because all Ibrahim (as) did was say that having a child, something he so wanted, at such an old age was impossible.

But assuming what feels impossible to us us also impossible to Allah is being misguided about who your Lord actually is.

The thing is, I feel like we’ve all been in those types of situations:

• Maybe you’ve been making dua for marriage for a long time, and then you find someone who seems to tick all the boxes for you. Now you find yourself wondering - this is ‘too good to be true’.

• Or maybe you see a country torn apart by war or famine across the world and you wonder ‘there’s no way this will ever end.’

When we find ourselves assuming what feels impossible to us remains impossible for our Lord, that is us showing that we don’t really know who our Lord is. And that is a sort of form of misguidance.

Every day, things we think are impossible become possible because Allah willed it.

• The man you thought who was too good to be true was sent to you by As Samee’ (The All Hearing) who heard you.

• The war you thought was impossible to end was halted overnight because Al Qadeer (The Most Powerful) and Al Hakeem (The Most Wise) halted it.

—

The connection

And when I read this verse, I realised this is maybe what the connection is to the the initial 2 verses.

It’s almost like Allah is saying:

Oh Muhammad (s), tell my servants of who I am and what My punishment is like. And tell them of an example of an impossible wish that was made possible by Your Lords command. And tell them that thinking something is impossible for your Lord is not knowing who your Lord really is.

Subhanallah.

—

So Sis,

Do not be of the ‘misguided’, of the one who limits where and how much Allah’s mercy can exist in your life.

Remember the beautiful Hadith where the Prophet ﷺ said:

And even more importantly remember, Allah is as His servant thinks of Him.

If you think Allahs ability to forgive, to have mercy, to guide is limited, you will see the limited version of it in your own life.

But if you truly believe that He is infinite in His forgiving, in His mercy, in His giving and Guiding, you will see that infinite amount blossom your own life too.

So ask, ask what you want in this life and the Next, and ask with determination that His mercy will grant you until you will be content here and There.

—

Jazakallah khair for reaching till here 🫶 

Until next time sis,
Thasneema 🌻