Thursday, June 30, 2011

Today's Reading

The following verses of Holy Quran from Chapter 39 inspired me today:

God is the Creator
Of all things, and He
Is the Guardian and Disposer
Of all affairs. (39: 62)

To Him belong the keys
Of the heavens
And the earth:
And those who reject
The Signs of God,-
It is they who will
Be in loss. (39:63)

Saturday, June 11, 2011

One, yet we differ

As we read The Quran, it is increasingly clear that the divisions on the basis of religion are human-made. In the Book's 42nd chapter, the following verses explain the phenomenon.

11. (He is) the Creator
Of the heavens and
The earth: He has made
For you pairs
From among yourselves,
And pairs among cattle:
By this means does He
Multiply you: there is nothing
Whatever like unto Him,
And He is the One
That hears and sees.

12. To Him belong the keys
Of the heavens and the earth:
He enlarges and restricts
The Sustenance to whom
He will: for He knows
Full well all things.

13. The same religion has He
Established for you as that
Which He enjoined on Noah-
The which We have sent
By inspiration to thee-
And that which We enjoined
On Abraham, Moses and Jesus:
Namely, that ye should remain
Steadfast in Religion, and make
No divisions therein:
To those who worship
Other things than God,
Hard is the (way)
To which thou callest them.
God chooses to Himself
Those whom He pleases,
And guides to Himself
Those who turn (to Him).

14. And they became divided
Only after knowledge
Reached them, - being insolent to
One another.
Had it not been
For a word that
Went forth before
From thy Lord,
(Tending) to a Term appointed,
The matter would have
Been settled between them:
But truly those who have
Inherited the Book after them
Are in suspicious (disquieting)
Doubt concerning it.

15. Now then, for that (reason),
Call (them to the Faith),
And stand steadfast
As thou art commanded,
Nor follow thou their vain
Desires; but say; "I believe
In whatever Book
God has sent down;
And I am commanded
To judge justly between you.
God is our Lord
And your Lord! For us
(Is the responsibility for)
Our deeds, and for you
For your deeds. There is
No contention between us
And you. God will
Bring us together,
And to Him is
(Our) final goal.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Wealth and children are not yours

If you ever thought your wealth and children are yours alone, you may be making a mistake. That is the message that I get while reading The Quran. Here is a sample verse from tenth chapter. (10:24)

The likeness of the life
Of the Present is
As the rain which we
Send down from the skies:
By its mingling arises
The produce of the earth-
Which provides food
For humans and animals:
(It grows) till the earth
Is clad with its golden
Ornaments and is decked out
(In beauty): the people to whom
It belongs think they have
All powers of disposal over it:
There reaches Our command
By night or by day,
And we make it
Like a harvest clean-mown,
As if it had not flourished
Only the day before!
Thus do We explain
The Signs in detail
For those who reflect.

Monday, June 6, 2011

What Nature tells us about God?

A keen observation of Nature may lead to remembrance of God; In its 16th chapter, Quran tells us why in detail:

Chapter 16

Verse 65: And God sends down rain
From the skies, and gives therewith
Life to the earth after its death:
Verily in this is a Sign
For those who listen.

66: And verily in cattle (too)
Will ye find an instructive Sign.
From what is within their bodies,
Between excretions and blood,
We produce, for your drink,
Milk, pure and agreeable
To those who drink it.

67: And from the fruit
Of the date-palm and the vine,
Ye get out strong drink,
And wholesome food: behold, in this
Also is a Sign
For those who are wise.

68: And thy Lord taught the Bee
To build its cells in hills,
On trees, and in (humans') habitations;

69: Then to eat of all
The produce (of the earth)
And follow the ways of Thy
Lord made smooth: there issues
From within their bodies
A drink of varying colours,
Wherein is healing for humans:
Verily in this is a Sign
For those who give thought.

70: It is God Who creates you
And takes your souls at death;
And of you there are
Some who are sent back
To a feeble age, so that
They know nothing after
Having known (much):
For God is All-Knowing,
All-Powerful.

71: God has bestowed His gifts
Of sustenance more freely on some
Of you than on others: those
More favoured are not going
To throw back their gifts
To those whom their right hands
Possess, so as to be equal
In that respect. Will they then
Deny the favours of God?

These words have made me remember God.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

IT IS A DUTY TO STOP INJUSTICE

Why Holy Quran says it is your duty to stop injustice? These three verses (115 to 117) in Chapter 11 make things clear:

115. And be steadfast in patience;
For verily God will not suffer
The reward of the righteous
To perish.

116. If only there had been
Of the generations before you,
Humans of righteousness
Who prohibited humans
From mischief in the earth
(But there were none)
Except a few among them
Whom we saved (from harm)
But the wrong-doers pursued
The enjoyment of the good things
Of life which were given to them,
And persisted in sin.

117. Nor would thy Lord be
The One to destroy
The towns unjustly
While their people are
Righteous.

These words are worth contemplating these days.