ASPIRE INSTITUTE

Category: Tafsir Notes

Ayatul Kursi: Living In The Presence Of Allah s.w.t. [Post event write-up]
Quran Masterclass, Tafsir Al-Quran sessions have been going on for more than 2 years now. It began on 11 March 2013, with Ustaz Dr. Muhammad Haniff Hassan as a guest speaker for that first session. Since then, QMC has been conducting special insertions to add flavors and widen the students’ worldview.

Recently – on Monday, 6 April 2015, we had a special insertion to our Tafsir Al-Quran session titled Ayatul Kursi: Living In The Presence Of Allah s.w.t. We invited Ustaz Tarmizi Wahid, Cheif Executive Officer of Safinah. It was an engaging, enjoyable, fulfilling, motivational and an inspirational one.

“One of the fun moments filled with joy :)”

The session was also made extra special since Ustaz Mizi and Ustaz Yazid were school mates in Madrasah Aljunied and in Al-Azhar University they shared their childhood stories and university life during the session. However, this short write-up shall not include those stories but rather it will be focused on the points that were shared by both Ustaz Mizi and Ustaz Yazid during the session.
- “The best of speech is the Words of Allah (Al-Quran), and the best of chapters is Surah Al-Baqarah, and the best of verses is Ayatul Kursi.”
- Allah does not get tired from watching over us and this universe. He is Al-Hayyu Al-Qayyum, the Ever-Living, without any beginning and no end. And He is not dependent on anything. All of His creations depend on Him. so when we depend on Allah, we depend on He who is truly independent and do not depend on others, that give us strength, independence and motivation.
- Ustaz Mizi shared a story whereby Iblees, the devil himself informed Abu Hurairah that when ayatul kursi is recited it is a protection none can penetrate.
- Allah does not sleep, He is aware of everything. He knows what is going on in our lives. He listens to our every prayers. Thus in life when bad things seem to happen against us in our lives, it is in actual reality for us NOT against us. As the verse 51 in Surah At-Taubah aptly says: “Say, “Never will befall us except what Allah has decreed for us, He (is) our Protector.” And on Allah [so] let the believers put (their) trust.” When we understand this we live in a world where nothing ever goes wrong.
- Allah is always watching, listening and protecting the skies above us, the ground we walked upon, the history that we are keeping secret and future that we seek. He is watching all these FOR US, listening TO US and protecting US from all harm. Thus living with Allah means we should feel SAFE.
- If we recitre Ayatul Kursi after every solah, between us and heaven is just death.
The session ended the way it began we read Ayatul Kursi together, again, feeling in our hearts that we are under the protection of Allah. Feeling safe, feeling complete, feeling blessed, that is what we feel we when live our life In The Presence of Allah.

Special P.S. : There was a video recording of this session. Please let us know in the comment box below if you wish to watch it.
April 10, 2015
#SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge – Day 5 Verse 6; The Destination for The Disbelievers

Today is the fifth day of the #SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge and we are reading and memorizing verse 6 of Surah Al-Mulk.

While verse 5 from Surah Al-Mulk coached us to looked for beauty and function in the creation of Allah s.w.t. like the sky above us, and have faith in Him. Verse 6 warns us of the fate of those who refuse to believe in Allah.

“And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of Hell, and wretched is the destination.” Surah Al-Mulk, Verse 6

Previous verse mentions that the Allah s.w.t. made the stars as missiles for the devils and He prepared for them the doom of flame. In this verse Allah warns us from following their footsteps. For those who disbelieve in Allah they will share the same fate and are going to the same destination.

As believers we should be aware of our direction and emphasize on growing our Imaan and Ilm, faith and knowledge. A servant with strong Imaan and knowledge will not be easily misdirected. By reading, understanding and memorizing verses from the Quran we are increasing our faith and also our knowledge. Below is a hadith narrating the benefits of memorizing Surah Al-Mulk;

Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said,

“Verily, there is a chapter in the Qur’an which contains thirty Ayat that will intercede on behalf of its reciter until he is forgiven. (It is): ‘Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion.’”

[This Hadith was collected by At-Tirmidhi and the four Sunan Compilers. At-Tirmidhi said concerning it, “This is a Hasan Hadith.”]

He (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to recite Surah As-Sajdah and Surah Al-Mulk (in Arabic) before sleeping.

[Reference: At-Tirmithi, An-Nasa’i. See also Al-Albani, Sahihul-Jami ’ As-Saghir 4/255]

I hope this motivates you to read, understand and memorize verse 6 from Surah Al-Mulk.

InsyaAllah if Allah wills, i see you tomorrow.

#‎SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge‬ ‪#‎OneVerseADay‬

January 19, 2015
#SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge – Day 4 Verse 5; of Beauty, Function and System

Today is the fourth day of the #SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge and we are reading and memorizing verse 5 of Surah Al-Mulk.

While verse 4 from Surah Al-Mulk taught us that it is useless for us to look for imperfection in the creation of Allah s.w.t. because His creation is perfect and bears His Unchallenged Magnificence, verse 5 informs us that His creation bears both beauty and function. Taking the sky as an example, it has both beauty and function, Allah beautified the skies with stars during the night and with rainbow after the rain. This beauty Allah created is FOR US and as a symbol of HIS LOVE for us, to remind us that like the stars, His guidance is ready to guide us in times of darkness, and like the rainbow His love is there during rainy days. The presence of Allah can be felt through His creations. As His servants, we just need to readily accept our position as His servant and the presence shall be felt, like the saying goes; when the student is ready the teacher appears.

This verse also informs us that divine beauty is accompanied by function, together it creates a beautiful system. Taking the stars as an example, it beautifies the night sky but it is also used as something to be thrown to the devils.

This verse taught us that the creation of Allah is both beautiful and purposeful. As observant believer, observing the wisdom of Allah in His creation increase our awareness of the presence is every creation and in any situation. An observant believer is then grateful in every situation.

Today our challenge take us to reading, understanding and memorizing verse 5. Verse 5 of Surah Al-Mulk teaches us that the creation of Allah is both beautiful and purposeful. As an observant believer, we seek to notice the beauty and purpose of Allah in everything, increasing the feeling of the presence of Allah s.w.t in every creation and in any situation. An observant believer is then always remembers Allah and always grateful to Him.

“And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with stars and have made [from] them what is thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze.” Surah Al-Mulk, Verse 5

Noticing this beauty and acknowledging its sense of purposefulness put us in a state of gratefulness and drives us to be positive in every situation and to have the skills to turn any setback to a great come back.

I hope this motivates you to read, understand and memorize verse 5 from Surah Al-Mulk.

InsyaAllah if Allah wills, i see you tomorrow.

#‎SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge‬ ‪#‎OneVerseADay‬

January 17, 2015
#SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge – Day 3 Verse 4; A Servant’s Humility

Today is the third day of the #SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge and we are reading and memorizing verse 4 of Surah Al-Mulk.

Verse 3 from Surah Al-Mulk also teaches us how to observe Allah’s creation. It teaches us to observe Allah’s creation
using the lense of Ar-Rahman. The phrase “ma tara fi khalqir Rahmani min tafawut” implies that when we view
Allah’s creation using the lense of Ar-Rahman we shall see the signs of His Mighty Magnificence and seamless perfection
in everything.

Today our challenge take us to reading, understanding and memorizing verse 4. Verse 4 of Surah Al-Mulk teaches us that
it is useless and tiresome affair to find the fault or imperfection in the creation of Allah. The Might of His Magnificence
can be felt in the heart of a servant when looking at His creation. And when the Might of Allah’s Magnificence is felt,
it shall leave the servant in a state of humility.

“Then return [your] vision twice again. [Your] vision will return to you humbled while it is fatigued.” Surah Al-Mulk, Verse 4

This state of humility drives us to look within our own shortcomings and invest more on improving ourselves
rather then looking externally at others; it will only makes us tired and waste our time. But if we direct our effort on
our growing our imaan, our amaal. In due time we ourselves will reap the benefits. A servant’s humility is his zeal,
it is what giving spirit to his amaal grows it.

I hope this motivates you to read, understand and memorize verse 3 from Surah Al-Mulk.

InsyaAllah if Allah wills, i see you tomorrow.

#‎SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge‬ ‪#‎OneVerseADay‬

January 15, 2015
#SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge – Day 2 Verse 3; The Magnificence of Allah’s Creation

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Yesterday I extended an invitation for us to read, understand and memorize the verses 1-2 from Surah Al-Mulk. Today Let’s read, understand and memorize verse 3 from the surah.

Here are some of my reflections you may want to note about these verses:

1- The first verse implies that abundance materialize when we live in the Kingdom of Allah, He is very powerful over everything, nothing is impossible for Him.

2- The second verse teaches us that even death and life along with their magnificence are created by Allah s.w.t. the Magnificent. And the wisdom behind it is to observe which of us are most beautiful in our deed. Not most, not greatest, but beautiful in our deed.

3- The third verse which we are reading, understanding and memorizing today teaches us that the Kingdom of Allah is beautiful as it is perfect. The verse also challenges us to find imperfection in it. There is none. The imperfection that we see is the imperfection within our own self. For in His magnificent creation there is perfection in its imperfection which we do not yet have grasp the wisdom to understand all.

This verse also invites us to see within ourselves, to look for our own imperfection, the imperfection in our deed and in our conduct. The imperfection we see in others are signals inviting us to improve our own deed and beautify our own conduct. If we can understand this, then true beauty is truly within, – not without.

I hope this motivates you to read, understand and memorize verse 3 from Surah Al-Mulk.

InsyaAllah if Allah wills i see you tomorrow.

Until then please read, understand and memorize verse 3 today.

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#‎SurahAlMulk30DayChallenge‬ ‪#‎OneVerseADay‬

January 15, 2015