آسمان سے گرا تو سجدے میں آ جھکا

ٹھوکر نے مجھے عقل کا راستہ دکھا دیا

(راست)

Cast down from the heavens, I found elevation in prostration;

The stumble that brought me low became the compass that led me to wisdom 

(Raast)

How Strong Should a Believer's Faith Be?

When we talk about faith, we find that every individual reaches a different stage of faith, and this is one of the reasons why the درجات (ranks) of Paradise are also different.

Every human being possesses a different level of strength, and accordingly, each person is tested within their own capacity. This is why Allah says in the Qur'an that He does not burden anyone beyond their capacity.

To understand this, let us consider an incident from Surah Al-Kahf.

The Determination of Prophet Musa (AS)

Allah says:

Surah Al-Kahf (18:60)

وَاِذۡ قَالَ مُوۡسٰى لِفَتٰٮهُ لَاۤ اَبۡرَحُ حَتّٰۤى اَبۡلُغَ مَجۡمَعَ الۡبَحۡرَيۡنِ اَوۡ اَمۡضِىَ حُقُبًا‏

> And remember when Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) said to his young companion: "I will not turn back until I reach the junction of the two seas, even if I have to travel for ages."

In some translations, the word huquban is rendered as "for ages," "for a long time," or "for a prolonged period." However, regardless of the wording used in the translation, the meaning is clear: I am not going to turn back.

Now, let us look at what his companion said in verse 63 when they had become hungry.

Allah says:

Surah Al-Kahf (18:63)

قَالَ اَرَءَيۡتَ اِذۡ اَوَيۡنَاۤ اِلَى الصَّخۡرَةِ فَاِنِّىۡ نَسِيۡتُ الۡحُوۡتَ

وَمَاۤ اَنۡسٰٮنِيۡهُ اِلَّا الشَّيۡطٰنُ اَنۡ اَذۡكُرَهٗ‌‌ۚ وَاتَّخَذَ سَبِيۡلَهٗ فِىۡ الْبَحْرِ‌ۖ عَجَبًا‏

> He replied: "Do you remember when we rested beside the rock? I forgot the fish, and none but Satan made me forget to mention it to you. And it made its way into the sea in a strange manner."

When you reflect upon this verse, you will notice that they had stopped to rest.

This means that their bodies had become tired. They had not turned back; rather, they had simply stopped somewhere to rest.

Their bodies had physical limitations, limitations from which no human being can free themselves. They also became hungry, which further demonstrates how vulnerable and limited we are as human beings.

We all have our limits, and eventually, we have to stop somewhere.

But did their determination become exhausted?

Of course not.

They stopped because their physical limitations compelled them to do so. It was much like a car that has to be stopped after running for a certain period so that its engine can cool down and its fuel can be replenished.

We, too, are like that.

We begin something with our full energy, complete conviction, and strong belief. But as the journey becomes longer, our bodies begin to grow tired. Our determination starts weakening, and our hopes begin to fade.

Yet the faith of a believer is such that even when the body becomes exhausted, determination grows weaker, and hope seems to die, the believer does not turn back.

Because even when every other hope appears to have disappeared, a small hope still remains within them.

They lose in every possible way, until eventually, they surrender to one final acceptance:

Whatever Allah wills.

And this capacity is different in every human being. Some reach this position after making only a little effort, while others arrive at the same conclusion after making tremendous efforts.

Every person's trial is different, and every matter ultimately rests in the hands of Allah.

For He may allow every trace of hope within someone to fade, only to breathe life into that hope once more, empowering them to rise beyond their perceived limits and attain extraordinary heights.

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Allah says in Quran:

Surah Az-Zumar (39:21)

اَلَمۡ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ اَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَسَلَـكَهٗ يَنَابِيۡعَ فِىۡ الۡاَرۡضِ ثُمَّ يُخۡرِجُ بِهٖ زَرۡعًا مُّخۡتَلِفًا اَلۡوَانُهٗ ثُمَّ يَهِيۡجُ فَتَرٰٮهُ مُصۡفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَجۡعَلُهٗ حُطَامًا‌ؕ اِنَّ فِىۡ ذٰلِكَ لَذِكۡرٰى لِاُولِىۡ الۡاَلۡبَابِ

“Have you not seen that Allah sends down water from the sky, then makes it flow as springs in the earth, and then brings forth crops of different colours through it? Then they dry up, and you see them turn yellow; then He reduces them to broken pieces. Surely, in this there is a reminder for people of understanding.”

The Classical Tafsir and the Deeper Lessons Within the Verse

When we read the tafsir of Surah Az-Zumar, verse 21, we learn that the water in the earth has its origin in water sent down from the sky. This is also connected to a scientific fact: water moves through the natural water cycle, evaporating, forming clouds, and returning to the earth as precipitation.

Then comes the question of how water returns from the sky in the form of rain. Sometimes, precipitation also occurs as snow. The water then flows through the earth as springs, and crops grow through it. These crops emerge in different colours, eventually turn yellow, and are then reduced by Allah to broken pieces.

The stages of the crops are compared to the stages of human life. Human beings are born, reach youth, grow old, and eventually die. The reminder in this passage teaches us that death is inevitable and that we should strive towards a good end.

This is the core meaning of a classical interpretation of the verse. However, there are further, deeper lessons within it that invite us to reflect—lessons for people who use their intellect and think carefully.

To discover these lessons, we need to reflect more deeply.

1. Water: A Reminder That Provision Comes from Allah

When we turn our attention to the part about water, we can reflect on the fact that provision comes from Allah.

Allah has promised in the Qur’an that the provision of every living creature is His responsibility.

Surah Hud (11:6)

وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا ۚ كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ

“And there is no creature on earth whose provision is not upon Allah. And He knows where it lives and where it is laid to rest. All is in a clear Record.”

We must make an effort to obtain our provision, but we do not have complete control over it. We can work, plan, and struggle to achieve our goals, yet the ultimate outcome is not entirely within our power.

Just as crops depend on water that Allah sends down and on the conditions He has created, our lives also depend on provision that we cannot produce or control entirely by ourselves.

2. Crops of Different Colours: A Reflection on the Diversity of Mankind

The verse mentions crops of different colours. We can reflect on this diversity as a reminder of the differences among human beings.

Just as crops grow in different colours, human beings are also different from one another. Each person has different qualities, abilities, circumstances, and potential.

This diversity, too, exists by the will of Allah. Every human being has a different light within them, and each may have a different purpose to fulfil in life.

This is a point for reflection: just as the variety among crops is part of the world Allah has created, the differences among human beings also invite us to think about the wisdom behind creation.

3. When the Crop Is Crushed: What Is Revealed?

Now comes the part of the verse in which Allah reduces the crop to broken pieces.

There is a question worth reflecting upon: when a crop is harvested and then broken apart, what can be found within it?

Seeds, right?

Can you determine the quality of a crop and properly examine what it has produced without opening it up and looking at what is inside?

Of course not.

You have to examine it closely and separate its contents to discover what it has produced.

This gives us a point to reflect upon concerning the Day of Judgment. What if our deeds, too, are brought fully into view, so that what we have done becomes clear?

The Qur’an tells us that on that Day, people will be shown their deeds.

Surah Az-Zalzalah (99:6–8)

يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ ۝٦

فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ ۝٧

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ۝٨

“On that Day, people will proceed in separate groups to be shown their deeds.

So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it,

and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”

Just as examining a crop reveals what it contains, the Day of Judgment will bring our deeds before us.

And what if the seeds are not good?

What do you do with them?

You discard them as waste, don't you?

This question encourages us to examine the quality of what we are producing through our lives. What kind of deeds are we cultivating? What will they reveal when they are brought into view?

4. Why Does the Verse Say “A Reminder”?

This brings us to the final part of the verse:

“Surely, in this there is a reminder for people of understanding.”

The verse does not merely invite us to notice that crops grow, turn yellow, and become broken pieces. It calls upon people of understanding to take a lesson from what they observe.

The word reminder is important here. It invites us to ask ourselves how we can improve, how we can recognise our shortcomings, and how we can seek guidance.

If you want to know the reality of Can You Control Your Thoughts?

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A Cup of Tea and a Piece of Me 

After finishing my article, I found my evening snacks and a cup of tea waiting on the bedside table.

I ate my sandwiches, and then, as I took a sip of tea, I was met with an unpleasant taste and a foul smell of milk. Perhaps the milk had gone bad. The tea was also lacking in sweetness; it simply did not taste right.

My first instinct was to throw it away. But then a thought crossed my mind: What a waste of Rizq.

I considered taking it out of my room and putting it in the cat’s bowl. Yet, before I could do so, another thought occurred to me.

Why not try to make it better?

I poured the tea back into a saucepan and placed it over the heat once more. I added a little sugar to restore its sweetness and some cardamom to give it a pleasant fragrance. Then I allowed it to come to a boil twice more.

When I finally poured it back into my cup, it was different. It had become pleasant enough to drink, and there was even a certain delight in its taste.

And then, quite unexpectedly, a thought stirred within me.

Perhaps this was how my own life felt.

My life had seemed harsh lately, as though something in it were missing. Perhaps I, too, lacked sweetness. Perhaps there was something within me that had yet to develop its fragrance.

Perhaps Allah was allowing me to pass through more of life's fire so that I might emerge more refined, more beautiful in character, and more complete in the ways I had yet to understand.

But I had been asking myself why I was being placed over the fire again and again.

All I could feel was the burning.

I could not see the sugar that might bring sweetness to my life, nor could I notice the cardamom that might give it fragrance. My attention was entirely consumed by the heat. I was so preoccupied with the pain of being burned that I could not look beyond it.

All I could perceive was the fire, and all I could feel was its sting.

I began to imagine my very existence rising into the air as steam, as though the heat were slowly transforming me into something I could no longer recognize. Just as the tea's consistency had changed through further boiling, I, too, felt that the substance of my being was undergoing a transformation.

Perhaps I was not merely enduring the heat. Perhaps I was being changed by it.

And then, for the first time, I began to see things differently.

The tea had not become fit to drink by escaping the fire, but by passing through it once more. Its sweetness had been restored, its fragrance had been awakened, and its very nature had changed.

And I wondered whether there were things within me that could only be revealed, refined, or transformed through the difficult experiences I had been struggling to understand.

Perhaps the problem was not simply that life had become bitter.

Perhaps there was something in me that was still missing.

Then another thought crossed my mind: If I could not bring myself to enjoy a cup of tea because it lacked what it needed, how could I presume to be pleasing to Allah while I, too, remained incomplete in ways I could not fully perceive? Just as I had recognized the tea’s shortcomings, Allah knew far better than I ever could what was lacking within me, how much remained to be refined, and what needed to change. I could not see the entirety of my own imperfections, nor could I fully comprehend the wisdom behind every hardship. Perhaps my task was not to understand every moment of pain, but to endure it with patience, to remain steadfast through the heat, and to keep striving towards becoming the person I ought to be. Until, by His mercy, my character began to reflect what He loves.

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