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Allah’s message in Surah Rahman

The Holy Quran is a righteous book of guidance for those who are astray. It is a beacon of light for those who are on a dark path of spiritual destruction, a beacon of light for he who has lost hope. It elaborates and magnifies the beauty of Allah, our Creator and Provider. As we go along the Holy Quran, the message seems to be the same yet it is very much eloquent and expressed in a beautiful manner beyond doubt. We are told to worship Allah alone and not associate any false gods with him. For the pious, gardens of paradise await and for those who reject the true path, they will be greeted with Hell as an eternal abode and scalding hot water to quench their never-ending thirst.

Surah Rahman is that chapter from the Holy Quran which makes us marvel at Allah’s eloquence with words and His manner of speech. The main summary or epitome of the noble surah can be extracted from a verse contained in itself.

“So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?”

The main reason and purpose that the Almighty sent down the Holy Quran was to enable us to recognize our purpose in life and be properly introduced to his Omnipotent and Unique status as the Everlasting. When I studied Surah Rahman in an attempt to decipher the message encoded in the beautiful verses, I outlined three main sections which Ar-Rahman contained.

Verses 1-30

These verses remind us of how Allah is superior in every way and in every aspect. He begins the verse by reminding us how we were taught to speak with eloquence and the Holy Quran. The sun and the moon as well as all other celestial bodies remain suspended in the heavens as a result of His flawlessly articulate commands. Even the trees prostrate to recognize His unchallenged status as the Supreme Being in the universe. Through His unlimited wisdom, Allah explains to us how he makes the sea useful to us, in commandeering ships and covering vast distances. Not only that, the sea, powerful enough to wipe civilizations and destroy livelihoods, remains calm and docile for us humans by the will of Allah alone. Through the sea, not only are human beings able to extract pearls and corals but also livelihood and means of sustenance.

Verses 31-45

Allah provides us with a prequel of an indubitable event which will take place at an anointed time, whose knowledge is only kept with Him. For the ones who reject Him and take false gods as their saviors, Allah has prepared for them a most heinous punishment. A vivid, bone-chilling picture comes to mind when Allah informs us that the Judgment Day or Yaum-e-Qiyamah will be a day when no soul will be able to help each other. When the heavens are split open and become like the rose colored oil. Only then will man be face to face with his grievances but repentance on that day, will be of no use.

The evil-doers will plead and beg for mercy, only to be dragged by their feet and forelocks and thrown disgracefully into Hell. A place, whose fuel is men and stones, where scalding hot water is served to quench thirst and the scorching heat is enough to melt the most resilient of objects.

Verses 46-78

Allah, who is ever mindful of all His servants and their doings, will award those who have believed in Him and faced all obstacles but remained steadfast in His obedience. In these ayahs, He tells us how the pious would be rewarded with pure, chaste and extremely beautiful women as companions in paradise. A beautiful scenario of peace, serenity, calmness, joy and delight comes to mind when we picture Allah’s created heaven, through these verses. Gardens flowing with rivers and fruits of all kinds are presented as rewards for those who suffered in their previous lives but remained committed to Islam.

“So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?”

In between these ayahs, Allah asks us this reflective question numerous times. After recounting to man His countless blessings and favors upon him, this ayah serves as a pondering thought for those of us who are at times, not mindful of His favors.

As someone who is sound of mind, medically fit and able to earn an honest living, I am most grateful to Allah. You can bow down in prostration to Him for centuries on end yet still, Allah’s blessings outnumber our gratitude. Man should ponder over the meaning of this ayah and how purposely Allah has repeated it after narrating to us His favors, blessings and might. It is He who fashioned us in our mother’s wombs and made us out of clay. A helpless drop of semen is transformed into a lump of flesh and then into a walking, talking, breathing human being capable of great things. Whether it be the vast, unlimited universe, gigantic oceans or the soaring sky, Allah remains Master of All. Only through simplicity, humbleness and modesty in character, will we be able to implement Surah Rahman’s glorious message in letter and spirit.

Surah Rahman has considerably guided me and made me a better human being. Its verses are articulate and potent as far as conveying a positive message is concerned. May Allah guide us all and help us to derive the fruitful, logical and beneficial lessons from Surah Rahman.

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