Tafsir Of Surah Al-Muzzammil (73) - 4/4

'A'udhu billahi min al-Shaytan al-rajim, Bismillah, al-Rahman, al-Rahim. Al-hamdulillah Rabbi 'l-alameen, wa sallaLlahu 'ala sayyidina Muhammadin wa aalihi at-tahireen. Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa aali Muhammad.

We continue with the verses of Surah Muzammil, chapter 73, verse number 17: "Fa kayfa tattaqoona in kaffartum yawman yaj'alul wildaana sheeba"(73:17). So if you disbelieve, how will you avoid the day in which We make children white-headed.

Now if you remember the previous verses, we are talking about the Day of Judgement, talking about - sorry, talking about the messengers sent to previous nations like Fir'awn, and also a day in which the earth will shake and the mountains will become like moving sand dunes.

And that day of course the punishment for the disbelievers would be: "Inna ladayna ankalan wa jaheema" (73:12), "Wa ta'aman dha ghussatin wa 'adhaaban aleema"(73:13). There are, of course, different types of punishments, shackles and fetters and the food which would be choking.

Now, if you disregard all these things that I am warning you and you disregard what happened to Fir'awn after We sent Musa, "Fa kayfa tattaqoona in kaffartum yawman yaj'alul wildaana sheeba" (73:17), where, how will you protect yourself? "Tattaqoon" here means protection. How would you protect yourself? You know, "taqwa" is protection, literally "taqwa" means protection. You protect yourself against something, that is "taqwa". And when we say we should have taqwa in our faith, it means that we protect ourselves against sin, we protect ourselves to be punished by Allah, we protect ourselves from violating our obligations, the rights of others, what is due to Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala , so this is taqwa.

And here it is used in its literal sense. "Fa kayfa tattaqoona", how would you have - "taqwa" means you would take protection - if you disobey, if you disbelieve, "in kaffartum", if you do not take heed of what I am telling you, how would you protect yourself against a day "yaj'alul wildaana sheeba", which makes the children white-headed.

Now, this is of course, a metaphor. A metaphorical usage of language, it is a sort of linguistic device denoting the difficulty of that day, which is ahead of us. You know, when difficulties come to a person, we say that he or she was aged very quickly or for example, their hairs whitened very quickly. Now here to denote the enormity of the difficulties of the day, which we are having in front of us on the Day of Judgment, this metaphor is used as the day when the children will become white-headed. It is not that they literally will become white-headed, but the difficulties are such that if those difficulties were given in this world to a child, would have become white-headed, would grow old, unnaturally would grow old.

Now, why that day is very difficult? While we know that for many people it is very easy, it is just like a blink of an eye, they go. Now, the more we immerse ourselves in this world, the more difficult will become our journey in the hereafter. I am not talking about barzakh, this is talking about a day after resurrection, the Day of Resurrection.

In that day, the more we are immersed in this world, the more our heart - because, actually what we take out with ourselves to the other world is is our heart and what it is attached to. That is our soul, isn't it? So if the soul is attached to dunya, it cannot untangle itself very easily, and therefore there would be difficulty. In that journey, it is always that there will be difficulty. Such difficulty that if it would have come to children, this would have made them white-headed. Their hair would have grown white because of the difficulties.

Now, let me read one passage from Nahjul Balagha for you in which Amir ul-Mu'mineen advises his son about the difficulties of the day, describes in a different manner the day which is mentioned in this verse. "Wa'lam ya bunnayya, wa'lam, anna amaamaka tareeqan dha masaafatan ba'eeda." There is a road ahead of you which is so long and it is slow . It is very long, it is a prolonged journey. Now this journey of course is not a physical journey, it is a spiritual journey. Our soul should journey from our arrogance, our selfishness to the dedication to God, to love of God. Should leave whatever that self-focused attitude to attitude of love, attitude of thinking about others and above all, of course, Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala.

So this journey, if you have done it in this world, it is very easy. It is the blink of an eye, you go. But if you have not gone through this journey in this world, if you have not purified your heart, as the Qur'an says: "Yawma la yanfa'au maalun wa la banoon" (26:88), "Illa man attallaha bi qalbin saleem"(28:89). Nothing would actually benefit on that day, wealth, children, except whoever comes with pure hearts. If you go with pure heart, it is just blink of an eye, you go. Before people just realize that they are they are woken up, you are in paradise.

If you are otherwise, you are not like that, then the heart should go through a process. And that process is a journey. And that journey is very difficult. "Wa'lam anna amaamaka tareeqan dha masaafatan ba'eeda wa mashaqatan shadeeda", utter difficulty. If you want to go through that process, it is utter difficulty. "Wa annahu la ghina bika feehi 'an husnil irtiyad". "Irtiyad" means choosing. You have to actually choose the best provision, "wa qadri balaghik." "Husnil irtiyad wa qadri balaghik." You have to choose your best provision for that journey. That journey is difficult, that journey is hard, that journey needs provisions, take it from this world. "Ma'a khiffatal dhahr", and you have to be light. In that journey, if you are very heavy, many things on you, you cannot move quick. "Fala tahmillana 'ala dhahrika fawqa taa'qatik", so do not burden yourself with things that in that journey, in that world, it would be beyond your capability to carry on.

And then he says again, "Wa'lam anna amamaka 'aqabatan ka'ooda". "Aqaba" is the pass on the hill, those very difficult turns and twists on the mountain's roads, the mountainous pass. There is, it means that there are complications there. These complications are not easy to overcome. So ahead of you, my son, remember there is those twists and turns of the mountainous roads. "Ka'ood" means very difficult of course.

"Al mukhiffu feeha ahsanu haalan minal muthqil", whoever is lighter is of course better in situation, their situation is better than those who are heavy. What is heaviness? Heaviness is what you have loaded on your hearts. What is lightness? Lightness is the, of course, less attachments that you have to things, you have actually given away whatever you were attached to. So you are very light. You can move.

Now if you cannot move faster then: "wal mubti'u 'alayha aqbahhu haalan minal musri'", the one who moves fast is very good, but the one who moves slow there, this journey takes long for them, then their situation is ugly, is intolerable, is very difficult.

So here what He says, what the Qur'an says here in verse number 17, "Fa kayfa tattaqoona in kaffartum"(73:17). Now you are just saying that we do not know, this messenger may be mad, may be just dreaming or something like that. If you say such things and just waste your time by playing around like that, how would you protect yourself in that day, which makes the children white-headed?

"Al sama'u munfattirun bih"(73:18), it is not just you who are just frail, very small creatures. The whole heaven will crack open from it. That is the difficulty. "Kana wa'dahu maf'ula"(73:18), His promise is bound to be fulfilled. This is a promise which never is going to be missed. It is bound to happen. So this is again talking about the difficulty of that day. Al sama'u munfattirun bih"(73:18).

Now verse number nineteen "Inna hadhihi tadhkira"(73:19), this is indeed a reminder. Meaning, we have discussed this before, that what is the meaning of reminder? Reminder means that you already know something, I am reminding you. As we are taught by our religious teachings, all knowledge is inside us. Whatever is outside are just reminders for us to remember them. Our soul contains all this knowledge. So it is all a reminder. And the Messenger is also a reminder.

Now, "fa man sha'a"(73:19), whoever wishes, anyone who wishes "ittakhadha illa rabbihi sabeela"(73:19), would take away towards his Lord. So "fa man sha'a"(73:19), means that you are in absolute freedom, whatever you want to choose, whichever way you want to choose. I am just reminding you what is going to happen. And then when you come, for example, with heavy burdens, do not blame Me. I have - first of all, you had the knowledge for it, you had the conscience and all these thing that I put in you. And secondly, I sent reminders to you. So when you come, you would not have any pretext that "I did not know, I could not understand."

If you wish, "fa man sha'a"(73:19), by this reminder by the dhikr that We have sent down, would take away towards his Lord, "ittakhadha illa rabbihi sabeela"(73:19). It means that the whole purpose of this reminder, of the Qur'an, or all the messengers were all reminders. Even the Prophet is named in the Qur'an to be a reminder. So in Surah Talaq, it says that "Qad aznalla Allahu ilaykum dhikra"(65:10), We have sent you a reminder, "Rasulan yatloo 'alaykum ayaatillah"(65:11), a Messenger which is a reminder.

Now, this reminder has come to actually facilitate for those who want to take away to their Lord. Those who do not want to take away to their Lord, to find a way, a path to their Lord, this reminder whether a messenger, a book or whatever cannot do anything for them. So it is all our will, our wish. The Messengers cannot force us.

Sometimes in a family, one person, one child, one of the siblings goes astray and the parents think that it is their fault, while they have given the same education to everyone, they have sent them to good schools and everything, and then they blame themselves that why we could not, for example, guide my child better. And it is a very of course frustrating situation. However we have to know that we have no control over our children when they grow up. Exactly the same way that a prophet has no control over us.

This whole set up is created so that we show where we are willing to go. We show our heartfelt or heartily inclinations. And that is all. Allah wants to know this, the whole world is set up for that, so that those who want to go to Allah, go to Allah. Those who want to go away from Allah, go away from Allah.

It is a very complicated and very dangerous situation, actually. You are there and your will and your wish, whatever you want. "Inna hadhihi tadhkira"(73:19), I am reminding you. Now if you wish, you take, you assume the path to your Lord. If you do not wish, I cannot. "Wa ma anta 'aleyhim bi jabbar"(50:45), you cannot force them, "fa dhakkir bil Qur'ani man yakhafu wa'eed", you can only remind those who are fearful of these future threats that I make. If they are not fearful, you cannot do anything.

Now, this was actually the end of the beginning, the first section of the surah. As you remember, the sooner started with "Ya ayyuhal muzzammil"(73:1), "Qummil layla illa qaleela"(73:2), "Nisfahu awinqus minhu qaleela"(73:3). Oh, you wrapped in your cloak. Wake up during the night. Half of it, more than half, less than half and "Rattil al Qur'ana tarteela"(73:4), recite the Qur'an.

Now, apparently, after these verses were revealed, the Prophet and the mu'minoon were very meticulous about and very attentive not to lose these hours of the night. And it became very difficult for them. They woke up half of the night after they slept a little bit, they woke up half of the night. They woke up one third or two third of the night and they prayed. The Prophet prayed. They prayed. It became very difficult and not everyone could do it.

Now, this final verse of Surah Muzammil, which is a very long verse actually, in this verse Allah says that it is very good you do that, but I know it is not feasible. I know because of practical reasons, this is not something that all of you can do. I know that you are trying hard. Of course, this is not addressed to the Prophet. The Prophet always to the end of his life, he continued practicing it and Imam Ali peace be upon him as well, continued practicing this type of Salat ul-Layl. And he said that since the time the Prophet told me and I think he was very young when Prophet advised him to do that, advised me to Salat ul-Layl, to night worship, I never missed one night in prayer. Because they know what blessings, what bounties are there.

If, for example, you are told that every day you come out of your house and take a bus for two hours and there, there is someone who gives you two thousand pounds and go back, just do that. Just go there two hours, take the two thousand pounds and go back. You would not like to miss even one day, isn't it? No, of course, you lose two thousand pounds. You would not want to miss one day. You do not say, oh, today I am tired, I do not go. No, because then you feel that no, I will lose two thousand pounds.

These people who are attentive, they know what they lose if they do not wake up and have this vigil every night. Of course, they are not punished, they are not going to be punished, but they know what they lose, what blessings that Allah pours down on them in their heart. They know they lose it. So they do not want to miss even one night. That is why Imam Ali says, I did not miss even one night.

You know, our idea of worship is a bit different. Our idea of worship is that, 'Okay, we have to do it to get rewards from Allah. Now, I did not do it. Allah is merciful. It does not matter. Allah is not going to punish me'. No, they did not think of the worship like that. They actually felt what they lose if they miss one night of that prayer.

And here, as the Prophet was doing it, the mu'minoon were encouraged to do it. Now, here the final verse is that, I am easing this on you. I know that practically it is not possible for all of you to do it.

"Inna rabbaka ya'lamu annaka taqooma adna min thuluthayy al-layl wa nisfahau wa thuluthahu wa taa'ifatun minnal ladheena ma'aka"(73:20). Indeed your Lord knows that you stand vigil nearly two thirds of the night, or at times a half or a third of it, along with a group of those who are with you.

Now, what was the beginning of this Surah? "Qummil layla illa qaleela"(73:2), stand in worship on the night except a little. "Nisfahu", half of it, or add something, "ow zidd 'alayhi". "Nisfahu ow inqus minhu qaleela"(73:3), or a little less, a little more, and recite the Qur'an.

Now here the Prophet, a little less than half and little more than half, the practice of the Prophet was this. Since the revelation of these verses which were at the early days of Makkah, until this verse was revealed, which was early days of Madinah. Ten, fifteen years. Ten, fifteen years, Prophet was standing every night. How much? The half, little bit less, one third, little bit more, two thirds of the night.

Now Allah says your Lord knows that you, you the messenger, "innaka taqoomu adna min thuluthayy al-layl"(73:20), a little bit less than two thirds of the night. Sometimes half of the night, sometimes one third of the night. And a group of people who are with you. So it was not only the Prophet. After this advice came and Prophet was doing this, a group of mu'minoon were doing this along with the Prophet every night.

"Wallahu yuqqaddirul layla wal nahar"(73:20), Allah measures the night and the day. How He would not know it, you see? Allah knows of course we do it. How He would not know while He is actually "yulijj al layla fil nahar wa yulijal nahar fil layl"(57:6), He brings night into the day, He brings day into the night. You know this verse, which is repeatedly mentioned in the Qur'an. He brings night into the day and day to night, means that He knows what happens in the day and He knows what happens in the night. He is the one who brings an end to the day and He is the one who brings an end to the night.

So there is a hadith which is reported in Majma'ul Bayyan from Hakimul Hazakani, from Ibn Abbas. Hakimul Hazakani is a moderate Sunni reporter of hadith. Hakim, you know Hakim, when we call someone Hakim in hadith, it means that they have with them, either in their memory or they are quite well versed in four hundred thousand hadith with all the isnad and chains of transmission. Four hundred thousand hadith, this we call them Hakim in hadith.

Okay, so Hazakani was one of them. He reports from Ibn Abbas that these "ta'ifa" included Imam Ali and Abu Dharr. These are the two, only two names that he mentions. "Wa ta'ifatun minnal ladheena ma'al", who are these "ta'ifa"? Of course not every mu'min were doing it. It says "wa ta'ifatun", a group of people who are with you. And apparently, if we know the names of these people, it is very important, isn't it? To know who was so dedicated that stood up with the Prophet. Now two names are only mentioned here through Ibn Abbas. Of course, Ibn Abbas at that time was a baby, of course, so he had learned from others that who were those who were praying with the Prophet during nighttime.

"Inna rabbaka ya'lamu"(73:20), your Lord knows, of course, that you and a group of people who are with you, a group of mu'mineen, are standing in prayer, two thirds of the night, one third and one half of the night. Why? Because I am the one who measures the night and day, I know everything.

(Question from audience: Salman Al Muhammadi was not amongst them?) Probably, but we have not heard anything in hadith. He only mentions these two names, Imam Ali and Abu Dharr. And we know that Salman joined the Prophet later in Medina.

Now, the other mu'minoon who could not do it, what happened to them? Not every believer could do it. We know that Iman, Faith has degrees. Some have higher faith, some have lower degrees of faith. And those who have, who are on the higher stations of faith should not look down on those who have lower stations of faith. Sometimes some people are, for example, very good, goodly inclined because of the depth of their faith into worship prayer, and they should not actually force those who are not heartily inclined because of their weaker faith to do the same thing.

And therefore, Allah is giving a general reduction in this duty. I know you are doing it, but I know that you cannot, you are not capable to keep up. Of course this is not addressed to the Prophet, it is not addressed to people like Imam Ali and Abu Dharr because they were doing it anyhow for all these long time and they would have continued doing it. But it is a general, of course, message for all the believers.

And this is very important for us. We learn a lesson from this. If there are some believers who are not capable of doing long worships, it looks very arduous for them, we should not press them to do it. Gradually when they progress in faith, they would find out themselves. And we are now in those lower degrees. We hope that those who are in higher degrees would actually help us to progress rather than humiliate us because of what we cannot do, because we are not in that position of faith.

"'Alima an lan tuhsoohu fa taaba 'alaykum"(73:20), Allah knows that you are not able to keep up with this, it is very difficult. Nowadays of course you know, we go to work from eight o'clock in the morning, nine o'clock in the morning in this country, of course, in our countries, it is seven or eight o'clock in the morning until five o'clock in the afternoon. And how can we keep awake during the night, all those long hours? We cannot do it. We lose. Of course we lose anyhow.

But Allah, "fa taaba 'alaykum" means Allah has turned to you with lenience. Even if you are tired, you cannot do it. Allah would reward you. So "taaba 'alaykum". Tawba from Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, is not always forgiving sins. It is not a sin, not waking up, because it is recommended, it is not an obligation, it is not a sin. But here "taaba 'alaykum" means He is turning to you with leniency. He wants to reduce this obligation, "fa taaba 'alaykum".

In Faydh Kashani's "Al Safi" he explain this verse. He says "fa taaba 'alaykum bil tarkhees", with permission, "fi tarkill qiyaamal muqaddar wa raf'il tabi'ata minh". He has actually permitted you given you leave to sleep and he is not going to bring consequences on you for that reason. And when Allah says that he has turned to you with leniency, means that even if you cannot do that Salat ul-Layl, Allah will reward you, will reward you. This is how He turns to us with leniency. Wow, He rewards us for things that we cannot do, or we do not do. He rewards us for things that we do not do. That is very great, "fa taaba 'alaykum"(73:20).

Now but what I advise you is this, this is very important. "Faqra'oo ma tayyassara minal Qur'an"(73:20), recite whatever is feasible for you from the Qur'an. This "faqra'oo ma tayyassara" means recite in Salaat, because it is talking about Salat ul-Layl. As much as is possible, as much as is possible, recite the Qur'an for you.

Now, this feasibility or capability differs with different people, isn't it? I mean, someone who sleeps in the afternoon, they have more possibility for waking up closer to the dawn before Fajr and pray, those who work all the day, they cannot do it. But Allah says, as much as you can. I have turned to you with leniency, as much as you can "faqra'oo ma tayyassara minal Qur'an"(73:20). And the meaning as Faydh Kashani says "Fa salloo bima tayyassara 'alaykum minal qira'a". Recite the Qur'an in your salat as much as you can.

Now some of us do not know Arabic. We cannot recite much in our Salaat, isn't it? We just memorize a few surahs and we just recited in our salat. It is fine, you see? Allah says it is fine, as much as you can. Try your best, try your best, as much as you can "faqra'oo ma tayyassara minal Qur'an"(73:20). (Question from audience: sorry, but we are still talking about Salat ul-Layl, not any other salat?) Yes, we are talking about Salat ul-Layl.

"Faqra'oo ma tayyassara minal Qur'an"(73:20). Now, there is one very beautiful explanation of this "ma tayyassara minal Qur'an" from Imam al-Ridha, 'alayhi assalam [Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa aali Muhammad]. He says "ma tayyassara minal Qur'an", not as much as you can. You know, sometimes we put the Qur'an in front of ourselves, we read, it will come to an end without knowing, and while we are reciting, we are thinking about what I am going to do when I finish, what I want do later on, and all these things.

No, this is not "ma tayyassara minhu lakum". Or sometimes even during Salatul Layl, we recite Qur'an, but we are sleepy. We do not understand what we say. We just want to finish the Surah quickly. Now, he says "ma tayyassara minhu lakum fi al-khushoo' al-qalb wa safaa'us-sirr". To the extent that this khushoo' which is humility of the heart and the purity of your soul, you can keep that as much, to that extent. If you get bored, you want just to finish, it is not much use.

Because when you recite the Qur'an, especially during Salat ul-Layl when we recite the Qur'an, the aim is that the meanings of the Qur'an reveal itself to us. That is the main purpose of reciting Qur'an in Salat ul-Layl. Because it is a very private time, it is a time where our mind is not preoccupied, we feel more connection to Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, we are alone. The main purpose is that when we are reciting the Qur'an, we really wish that the meanings reveal themselves to us. The meaning that you cannot find in any tafsir, the meaning that neither I can find in any tafsir to tell you, nor when you find them, you can tell anyone, you see. It is your Qur'an, it is your revelation. Allah reveals it to your heart. We want that.

Now Imam al-Ridha, 'alayhi asalam, says, as long as your khushoo' in your heart is there, as long as the purity of the soul is there, continue reciting. When you are bored, leave it. It is not of much benefit anymore.

And also there is another hadith in Tafsir al-Qummi. You know Tafsir al-Qummi is an old tafsir, it comprises weak and sound narrations. So not everything in Tafsir al-Qummi is correct and not everything in Tafsir al-Qummi is incorrect. And people have doubted whether it is from Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi or from another Ali ibn Ibrahim.

Now this hadith is from Tafsir al-Qummi. He says "Wa'lamu annahu lam ya'ti nabiyyun qat illa bi salat il-layl". No Prophet has come except that one of the injunctions of that Prophet was night prayer, Salat ul-Layl. Night prayer, we do not mean Salat ul-'Isha. The salat that you do before Fajr at dawn, before dawn.

"Wa'lamu annahu lam ya'ti nabiyyun qat illa bi salat il-layl, wa la ja'a nabiyyun qat bi salat il-layl fi awal al layl." And no Prophet has brought Salat ul-Layl, the night prayer, at the beginning of the night. Because some people who are lazy they say before we sleep we do Salat ul-Layl and then we sleep. It is eleven rakkahs for example, now of course for us it is eleven rakkahs. We do it quickly before we sleep. He says no Prophet has actually mentioned such a thing that you recite your Salat ul-Layl before you fall asleep. It should be after you sleep, you wake up, you are fresh and as the beginning of the verse says "Inna nashia'tal layli hiyya ashhaddu wat'an" (73:6), or "ashaddu mutawati'atan", it is more agreeable to the soul for receiving those blessings.

And also another practical hint or reason why it is not, why Allah has reduced this obligation, "'alimma anna sayyakuna minkum mardha"(73:20), He knows that some of you will be sick. Of course, when we are sick we cannot do Salat ul-Layl. And some of us are mentally sick, isn't it? I am mentally sick, we think that why should I wake up during the night and why should I put all these burdens for me, Allah is forgiving. As I said, think about that two thousand pounds, you would not like to miss that two thousand pounds. That is what I mean, mentally sick.

"Wa aakharuna yadhribunna fil ardh yabtaghoona min fadhlil Allah"(73:20). Others traveling lands seeking Allah's grace, means doing business, going here and there, from morning to the evening they are working, We know that this is not possible for them, it is not possible for them to wake up during the night. "Wa aakharuna yuqatiloona fi sabeel illah"(73:20). And others are fighting in the way of God. So another reason, you go for the jihad.

So "faqra'oo ma tayyassara minh"(73:20), so recite as much as possible. Now, these three which are mentioned here, some of you may be ill, some of you do business, some of you go to jihad, are not the only reasons why I have taken this obligation from you. These are just examples. Some of you study a lot. Some of you have to, for example, have an exam tomorrow. You cannot keep waking during the night. All these things, although if we think about that two thousand pounds, nothing is worth more than that, isn't it? Nothing is worth more than that.

So "faqra'oo ma tayyassara minh"(73:20), recite as much as possible, but do not forget the obligatory prayers. Obligatory prayers, I am not giving any permission, any concession on that. "Wa aqeemul salaat"(73:20), do your obligated prayers. And obligatory prayer is always more, much more important than whatever we do as recommended Salatul Layl or whatever. If we do one thousand rakkahs during the night, its worth is not like the two rakkahs of Fajr that we do as an obligation. Why that is recommended and this is an obligation? Means this could not be missed, should not be missed. The benefit of this should not be missed.

So "Wa aqeemul salaat wa aatul zakaat"(73:20), that zakat obligatory charity that we have to give. And in addition to that obligatory chairty, "wa aqridhullaha qardhan hassanan"(73:20), and give good loan to Allah. Now this is in addition to Zakat. Giving good loan to Allah means that you give whatever you have to those who need it, it is as if you are giving to God. And it is a loan, I remind you it is a loan, you are not just giving it away. I am going to give it back to you. That is the meaning of loan, isn't it? With interest. Seven hundred times, isn't it? I am going to give it back to you.

Now, these three things you do not miss. Salat ul-Layl, you miss. Okay, you miss a great blessing, but you miss it, all right. However, these three things you do not miss: "Wa aqeemul salaat, wa aatul zakaat, wa aqridhullaha qardhan hassanan"(73:20).

"Wa ma tuqqadimu li'anfisukum min khayrin tajidoohu 'ind Allah"(73:20), whatever good you send forth to yourself, you want to do hundreds rakkahs every night, no, nothing at all, two rakkahs, ten rakkahs, you want to give charity whatever you have, you want to give only for example one hundredth of one share of the hundred times of your worth, whatever you do, you do it for yourself. I am not going to benefit from it. And I keep the record of it. You will find it with God. "Wa ma tuqqadimu li'anfisukum"(73:20), it means what you do, you are sending it forth.

As Amir ul-Mu'mineen says to his son in that very letter, that "if you find someone who can take your wealth for you to aakhira, do not hesitate, give it to them". How can someone take our wealth to aakhira for us? Okay, they are in need. I have for example five thousand pounds. I do not need it. They need it. Come take this five thousand pounds. When should I give it back to you? InshaAllah in the next world. Take it for me there and they can take it for you. You cannot take anything with you, you cannot take anything with you from this world. But people can take things for you there.

So whatever you send forth for yourself, you will find it 'inda Allah, not in the way that you gave it, no, "huwaa khayran", it is much better. Much better, it means as the Prophet peace be upon him said that, if you give one dirham in the way of Allah, Allah would make it grow and grow and grow until when on the Day of Judgment you go for your account, you see that one dirham is there as big as the Mount Uhud. Allah has made it so huge. And He says take your one dirham. Wow, how can I take this one dirham, it is so huge.

So this is what we can send forth, "huwwa khayran wa a'dhama ajran"(73:20). "A'dham ajran" means better, more rewarding that what you spend in this world or what you leave behind that your heirs want to distribute among them, that is good of course you leave something for your children. But the better is that you send it yourself rather than they do it for you.

"Wastaghfirullu Allah"(73:20). Now whatever you do, you have shortcomings. Whatever you do, you have faults. For your faults, you seek forgiveness from Allah, "inna Allaha ghafooran raheem"(73:20) means I accept. You ask forgiveness, I accept, I forgive. And this is what we need. You know, one of the most, the best tidings, the best news which is given to us in the Qur'an is that "la yukaffira Allah 'anhum sayi'at"(48:5). "Ula'ikkal ladheena nataqabbala minhum ahsana ma 'amilu" (46:16), those people who are grateful We accept the best of things that they have done "wa nattajaawazu 'an sayi'atihim" (46:16), We forgive their evils. And because no one is free from evil, ask forgiveness, I am forgiving.

InshaAllah, Allah will give all of us the blessings of this Surah. Wa salla-lahu 'ala Muhammadin wa alihi at-tahireen. [Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa aali Muhammad].