SURAH MULK

Regarding Surah Mulk, Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is reported to have said, “There is a Surah in the Quraan that comprises of thirty verses and it is my heart’s desire that this Surah must be in the heart of every believer.”

If a mother had made Wasiyyat then the son will ensure that he fulfils the mother’s Wasiyyat. Our Nabie Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam has expressed his heart’s desire that every one of us should commit Surah Mulk to memory. Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is most compassionate and merciful thus he further mentioned that this Surah comprises of only thirty verses. There is an indication psychologically that there are thirty days in the month. You should therefore learn one Aayat per day which is easy and in a month you would have memorised the entire Surah. This Surah has to be recited daily so remembering it is absolutely easy. There are many people that heard this and acted upon these teachings. May Allah Ta'ala grant us the Taufeeq as well.

It is preferable that this Surah is recited between Maghrib and Esha every night. Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam wouldn’t retire to bed until he recited this Surah. If a person is being punished due to his sins in the grave, this Surah would appear in the form of a bird and spread its wings over a person and protect him from Azaab. If we come to know that there are snakes or scorpions outside the Masjid, we are safe in the Masjid but we are in anxiety. Similarly, the bird will protect a person but there will be anxiety. Who is it that can say that he hasn’t committed sins? Allah Ta'ala will protect us by the recitation of Surah Mulk. A person that recites Surah Mulk and Surah Sajda gets the reward of worshipping Allah c on Lailatul Qadr. We don’t know the exact night of Qadr yet here a person gets the reward of Lailatul Qadr throughout the year by reciting these two Surahs. If we have memorized these Surahs they can be recited whilst walking home after Salaah.

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Most Exalted is the Being in Whose control is all kingdom (everything in the universe) and Who has power over everything

Surah Mulk commences with the verse which translates as, “Most blessed is that Being in Whose hand is all kingdom and He has power over all things.” The word ‘Tabarak’ refers to Barakah and blessings. We complain that there isn’t Barakah in our time, money, health, food, etc. In this verse we are being told that ‘Barakah’ is by Allah Ta'ala but we are seeking it elsewhere. If you are looking for something in a place where it does not exist then how will you be able to find it.

SEARCHING IN THE INCORRECT PLACE

This can be understood from the following example. A person that lived in a tin shanty owned a gold coin which was the only asset in his life. He lost the coin somewhere in his tin shanty but began searching for it in the street where there was some light. He was unable to find it as it was not the place where he lost it. His friend came by and asked, “What is the problem?” He said that he lost his gold coin and he is busy searching for it. The friend assisted him to look for it but was unable to find it. He asked his friend, “Where did you lose it?” He replied, “In my tin shanty.” He then asked, “Why are you looking for it here?” The friend said, “I do not have any lights in my tin shanty which makes it difficult to find it, thus I am looking for it here under the street lights.” He will never find it in the street. If he uses a candle, or even moves his hand on the ground he will probably find it after some time in the tin shanty, but not on the street. We are looking for Barakah today where it isn’t.

CREATION OF LIFE AND DEATH

الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ

He has created death and life to test which of you carry out the best acts (during his/her lifetime before death).  He is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving.

Allah Ta'ala is that being that created death. People generally hate death, especially the philosophers cannot accept death. We work so hard in the Dunya, accumulate so much of wealth, build our houses, we just get set for life and then death approaches and everything is lost. They can’t understand how a person is so health conscious yet they finally leave the world. Death is a reality that no person can ever deny. A person doesn’t die due to old age or sickness, but it is Allah Ta'ala that created death. When the people of Jannat will enter Jannat and the people of Jahnnam will enter Jahannam then death will be brought in the form of a lamb and slaughtered. Thereafter a decision will be made that there isn’t any death after this. The people of Jannat will live forever, and we make Dua that Allah Ta'ala protects us from Jahannam. There is no death for the people of Jahannam.

مِّن وَرَآئِهِ جَهَنَّمُ وَيُسْقَى مِن مَّاء صَدِيدٍ

Before him is Jahannam where he will be given (oozing) pus to drink

It will seem as though death will approach from every side but a person will not die. Death will approach from all sides like a mountain falling on a person, or like a truck falling on a person or a dragon eating him but he will never die. In Jahannam there isn’t any resting in peace. What a great creator is Allah that He created something like Maut!

الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ

He has created death and life

Not only did Allah create death but He created life as well. Death is not in our hands and neither is it in committing suicide. If one has to read Guinness book of records he will find that how many people attempted committing suicide but never died. A person will only die when death is written. In the entire world there are generally people that are suffering from depression and want to commit suicide. There was a high bridge in India from where people would throw themselves down and commit suicide. One person was tired of life, everywhere he goes there are long queues, traffic jams, so he decided to commit suicide. When he reached the bridge the line was so long that he changed his mind. This proves that death is not in your hands and according to your decision. In Nepal, an earthquake had taken place and a hundred year old man was pulled out who is still living, a baby survived the earthquake. Death will only approach on its appointed time. This is in the knowledge of Allah Ta'ala.

THE ROOH

We should go to libraries and read books written on the soul. The philosophers have written 20 volumes of the Rooh. When you reach the end of the book, you are more confused than before you commenced reading. You will end up with more questions in your mind than answers. The Quraan explains the Rooh in three words.

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّن الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً

They (the Jews) ask you (O Muhammad e) about the soul (What is it?). (Without giving a detailed reply to the question, Allaah commands Rasulullaah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam to) Say, “It is from the command of my Rabb (It is from among Allaah’s creation).” You have been granted only a little bit of knowledge. (The knowledge of mankind and that of Rasulullaah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is extremely little compared to the knowledge of Allaah.

This is from the command of Allah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam. We are all seated here with our bodies fully functioning. If the Rooh leaves the body, preparations for Janaazah will be required. If the eyes of the deceased are transferred into another person’s body, it will work perfectly. If the heart of the deceased is transferred into another person’s body it will function perfectly. This means that the body parts are working but the command of Allah has left the body.

Allah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is the creator of death as well as life. Why in this verse of the Quraan Sharif has death been mentioned first and thereafter life whereas we live first and then leave the world? The Ulema state that we have been born to die and not to live. Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is reported to have said,

الدنيا مزرعة الاخرة

The world is a plantation of the hereafter

Our object of life is not investments and things of the world, big degrees, big bank balances, but preparation for the hereafter. When we out in Jamaat then too our intention should be preparation of the hereafter. When studying to be an Alim, our intention should be preparation of the hereafter. These aspects slip our minds and we not even aware as to why we are in the world. Becoming a Sheikh, Maulana, etc. is being carried out as a profession. A person gets into a car, checks the oil, water, tyre pressure levels, fills fuel, etc. but drives around without having any destination in mind. He will be regarded as an insane person. He has a GPS but drives around without even punching in his destination. We are performing our five daily Salaah, building homes, doing business, cooking food, but we have no objective in mind. We earn, go to sleep, to the toilet in the morning, and this cycle will continue. There is an Urdu saying,

دن کو کمانا  رات کو کھانا  اور صبح کو پاخانہ

Earn during the day, eat at night and pass it in stool in the morning

This means that the human being has become a machine to manufacture stool. No! This is not the reason for being here in the world. Our object should be preparation for the Aakhirat. I am not here to watch porn and commit sin. I am not here to live it up and establish myself in the world.

Allah Ta'ala says,

أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ

While living in the world,) Did you think that We had created you in vain (for no purpose) and that you would not return to Us (to answer for what you did in the world) ?”

You will have to return to us. This Dunya is a transit lounge, like a person travelling somewhere and waits at the airport for a few hours to get a connecting flight. A foolish person will want to change the chairs and couches in the transit lounge that have aged. This is exactly the situation with Dunya. The world is not our permanent abode yet we are making so much of effort for the Dunya. My garden at home must be perfect, the toilet must be perfect, etc. We are not worried about the next plane that we have to catch to the Aakhirat. We not even worried whether we have our visa or not?

لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ

to test you

The entire system of life and death has been created to test you as to which of you are best in actions. When the Ghusht I’laan is made the announcer announces by saying our success is in aa-maal (letting wealth come) instead of Aa’maal (actions). The change in meaning is due to the incorrect pronunciation.  The verse didn’t say, “Aktharu Amala” meaning which of you did the most of actions. Allah Ta'ala wants quality and not quantity. A person performs Tahajjud for his entire life but his heart is not present, or a person performs Tahajjud Salaah but without Wudhu. It is quality that is important and not quantity. The Tafseer of ‘Ahsanu Amala’ is,

أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا

Which of you are best in actions?

Who possesses the best brains? A person with the best brains prepares for his eternal everlasting life. The life of Dunya is like a bubble on water that will burst anytime. How foolish isn’t a person that makes effort for a bubble, and no effort for the real life of the hereafter!

The second Tafseer is,

ايكم اسرع بطاعة الله

Which of you are eager to go ahead in the obedience of Allah

ايكم اورع بمحارم الله

Who amongst you is most pious by abstaining from Haraam?

Hadrat Umar R.A used to apply sharp brakes on hearing the command of Allah Ta'ala. You may inspect your wife from the time of Esha until Fajr, but don’t even entertain the thought of another woman, apply sharp brakes. If Allah Ta'ala blesses you with Halaal funds then use it, apply sharp brakes from Haraam. Don’t accept even one cent of Haraam money.

وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ

He is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving.

‘Aziz’ means

الغالب على كل شىء ولا يغلبه شىء

He overpowers everything and nothing overpowers Him. He is also Ghafoor. Hadrat Maulana Anzar Shah Kashmiri R.A explained that when a person commits a sin then the Quraan refers to him as ‘Dhaalim’. In this case, a person should make Taubah and he will find Allah c to be Ghaafir. If a person committed a lot of sins then he will be termed as Dhallaam and for him Allah is Ghaffaar. Finally, for a person that sins 24 hours, Allah is ‘Ghafoor’ (one that forgives in abundance). May Allah Ta'ala give us the Taufeeq of acting upon these advices.