الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله تعالى من شرور أنفسنا، وسيئات أعمالنا، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعه إلى يوم الدين

Today, I’ll inshallah talk about the universal regret that all people will be facing if they not careful. Let me give you a real example of regrets.  In 2017 a friend was encouraged to buy bitcoins, so he bought 10 coins, the cost of each was $600, so he invested $6,000.  Two years later, in 2019, his son started bugging him to buy him a new car though the son has already a good running car.  The wife also was on the side of the son because a friend of her bought to their son a new car.  Out of love for his son and his wife and to make them happy, he told the son that he will give him the 10 bitcoins and that should be enough for him to buy a new car. At that time, the price of the bitcoin escalated and each one was $3700, so the son sold the ten bitcoins for $37,000 and bought a new car.  In 2020, a year after the son sold the coins for $37,000, the same ten coins became worth $380,000 which is over ten times the price the son got. If the son had some patience and was satisfied with his old car and if the mother did not try to compete with her friend regarding whose son has better car, the family could have $380,000 (by the way their price now is over $400,000). In addition to the regret for selling the coins, the mother is blaming the father; why he was so soft and did not convince the son to be satisfied with the car he had.

This situation happens often, at least in the case, the father did not need to do anything illegal to satisfy his son and his wife. Imagine if he would have taken bribe or embezzled money and then got caught and went to jail.  How much regret, he will have and blame he will get even from those for whom he committed the crime to satisfy.

On the Day of Judgment everyone will have the feeling of regrets and people will be blaming each other.  Those who are destined to Hell will obviously feel great sorrow and major regret for the wrong they did to achieve temporary enjoyment on earth.  Even those who are successful and are destined for paradise will also feel sorrow and regret for all the opportunities that they wasted from doing more righteous deeds to achieve higher rank in paradise.   This is why the Day of Judgment in called the Day of regrets and sorrow which in Arabic is called Yaum Al-Taghabun (يَوۡمُ ٱلتَّغَابُنِ‌)

Surat At-Taghabun (التغابن) which is number 64 and includes 18 verses focuses in this universal regret that everyone will feel on the Day of Judgement and discuss the undelaying cause for deviating from the commands of Allah.  The Suart highlights social distractions as the main cause.

The central verse is the Surat is verse 9; Allah says:

 يَوۡمَ يَجۡمَعُكُمۡ لِيَوۡمِ ٱلۡجَمۡعِ‌ۖ ذَٲلِكَ يَوۡمُ ٱلتَّغَابُنِ‌ۗ وَمَن يُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ وَيَعۡمَلۡ صَـٰلِحً۬ا يُكَفِّرۡ عَنۡهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِۦ وَيُدۡخِلۡهُ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِہَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَآ أَبَدً۬ا‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ (٩)

(And remember) the Day when He will gather you on the Day of Assembly, that is the Day of sorrow on the major loss.

And whosoever believes in Allah and does righteous deeds, He will expiate from him his sins, and will admit him to Gardens under which rivers flow to dwell therein forever, that will be the great success. (Al-Taghabun 64:9) 

In this Surat Allah highlights an important relationship that we should be careful with to ensure that it does make us deviate from the commands of Allah.  This is the relationship of love for the spouse the children.   Allah warns us of this love by saying: 

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِنَّ مِنۡ أَزۡوَٲجِكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَـٰدِڪُمۡ عَدُوًّ۬ا لَّڪُمۡ فَٱحۡذَرُوهُمۡ‌ۚ وَإِن تَعۡفُواْ وَتَصۡفَحُواْ وَتَغۡفِرُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ (١٤)

O you who believe, among your spouses and your children are your enemies, so beware of them! But if you pardon, overlook, and forgive, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Al-Taghabun 64:14)

Allah is not saying that all spouses and children fall under this warning and thus Allah used the proposition (مِن) to mean that only some of the spouses and children are enemies. Not enemies of the type that they will fight you but you will consider them as enemies on the day of Judgement when you feel that they were the reason for you facing severe punishment for violating Allah’s commands. 

But the verse tempers this warning so that a person does not treat the spouse and children as enemies because of their continuous demands.  Allah does not want their excessive demands to create animosity, but one should (وَإِن تَعۡفُواْ وَتَصۡفَحُواْ وَتَغۡفِرُواْ ) be tolerant and forgive them and overlook their excessive demands.  After all they are your family and their motive is not to hurt you but they may lack knowledge of the consequence of their demands.

Allah then highlights the two things that one must ensure that he balances his love for them with his love for what Allah has for him in the Hereafter. These are money and children, Allah says:

إِنَّمَآ أَمۡوَٲلُكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَـٰدُكُمۡ فِتۡنَةٌ۬‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُ ۥۤ أَجۡرٌ عَظِيمٌ۬ (١٥)

Your wealth and your children are but a trial, whereas Allah! With Him is a great reward. (Al-Taghabun 64:15)

We note that in verse 14, Allah states that only some of your spouses and children are enemies and not all of them. But in verse 15, Allah states that for all, wealth and children are but a test and those who will pass this test will be rewarded with great bliss.  Note that spouse is not listed here, because the norm is that the person is willing to sacrifice for his children more than his spouse.

As a side note, This point that the natural instinct of the person is to sacrifice for his children more that his wife and for his wife more than his parents and for his parents more than his brothers is highlighted in Surat Abas.  Allah says, regarding the condition of a person on the day of judgment when he sees his family:

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلصَّآخَّةُ (٣٣) يَوۡمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلۡمَرۡءُ مِنۡ أَخِيهِ (٣٤) وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِ (٣٥) وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ (٣٦) لِكُلِّ ٱمۡرِىٍٕ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ شَأۡنٌ۬ يُغۡنِيهِ (٣٧)

“When the Deafening Noise comes, (33) The Day when one will flee from his brother, (34) And from his mother and father, (35) And from his wife and children, (36) Everyone will have enough concern of himself to care for others.” (Abas 80:35)

Note that the person’s concern for himself makes him flee first from his brothers, then his parents, then his wife and last from his children and this is related to the level of love for each.  When I give a talk during marriage, I quote these verses to advise the mother of the groom not to compete with her daughter in law because it natural that her son will be attached to his wife more than his mother.

But one thing interesting is to note that in another verse, the person who will be punished will try to ransom himself by offering as sacrifice the most valuable to him and go to the least as we see in Surat al-Maarj: 

يُبَصَّرُونَہُمۡ‌ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِى مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِٮِٕذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ (١١) وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ (١٢) وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـٔۡوِيهِ (١٣) وَمَن فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعً۬ا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ (١٤)

“Though they will be made to see each other. The guilty person will desire to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day by his children, (11) And his wife and his brother, (12) And his kin who sheltered him, (13) And all those on earth, that he may save himself.” (Al-Maarj 70:11)

Note that in this case, the guilty person is not offering his parents as a sacrifice, why? Because even in this situation, he knows that the parents are honored by Allah and if he would offer them as sacrifice to save himself, Allah will punish him even more for his lack of passion towards them.

Back to Suart Al-Taghabum, Allah is informing us that having what we love of money and children are test for us:

إِنَّمَآ أَمۡوَٲلُكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَـٰدُكُمۡ فِتۡنَةٌ۬‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُ ۥۤ أَجۡرٌ عَظِيمٌ۬ (١٥)

Your wealth and your children are but a trial, whereas Allah! With Him is a great reward. (Al-Taghabun 64:15)

The test is to assess whether our love for money and children over shadow our obedience to Allah.    Why we are tested?  Allah revelaed to us the purpose of Him establishing these tests by saying in surah Al-Ankabout:

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ  وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ) العنكبوت(

“Do people think that they will be left alone on saying, We believe”, and they will not be tested? We did test those before them, so Allah can affirm who are the truthful and who are the liars.” (Al-Ankabout 29:2-5)

Since Allah tells us that our money and our children are a test (فِتۡنَةٌ۬‌ۚ), we need to ensure that we pass the test. We pass the test by the way we acquire and use our money and by the way we raise our children. While they are test in this life, they are also assets for us even after our death as they can keep adding to our good deeds. The Prophet (PBUH) said:

إِذَا مَاتَ الْإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ، إِلَّا مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ، أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ، أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ [مسلم عن أبي هريرة]

“When a person dies, his work ends, except for three: ongoing charity, knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child who prays for him.” [Muslim, Tirmidhi]

To temper our natural love for money and children who may the reason why we are accumulating money in the first place, Allah demands that we demonstrate our righteousness by spending our money in charity, Allah says:

فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ وَٱسۡمَعُواْ وَأَطِيعُواْ وَأَنفِقُواْ خَيۡرً۬ا لِّأَنفُسِڪُمۡ‌ۗ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفۡسِهِۦ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

So, keep your awareness of Allah as much as you can; listen and obey; and spend in charity that is better for yourselves. And whoever is saved from his own greed, they are the successful ones. (Al-Taghabun 64:16) 

Being generous and always seeking opportunities to spend money in charity is a command that has been repeated in the Quran so many times.  It is also emphasized in many sayings of the prophet (PBUH).  I’ll mention two hadith:

The Prophet (PBUH) said: (الصَّدقة برهان), the charity is the proof of your belief.

He (PBUH) also said:

عن عبد الله بن عمر ـ رضي الله عنهما ـ قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إن لله أقواماً اختصهم بالنعم لمنافع العباد، يقرهم فيها ما بذلوها، فإذا منعوها نزعها منهم، فحولها إلى غيرهم. ] الطبراني في الأوسط، وابن أبي الدنيا في قضاء الحوائج[

 “Allah has chosen certain people and granted them special fortunes to use for helping others. Whoever becomes miser with these fortunes, Allah will remove it from him and awarded to someone else who is capable of fulfilling Allah’s will.”

This hadeath is reinforced by the verse in Surat Mohammad in which Allah says that those who will be miser and don’t spend in charity, they will be replaced. Allah says:

هَا أَنْتُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ تُدْعَوْنَ لِتُنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يَبْخَلُ وَمَنْ يَبْخَلْ فَإِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَاللَّهُ الْغَنِيُّ وَأَنْتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ وَإِنْ تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُونُوا أَمْثَالَكُمْ

“Here you are being invited to spend in the way of Allah, but among you are some who are miser. But anyone who is miser, his miserliness is only on the expense of his soul.  Allah is rich and you are poor.  If you refuse, Allah will replace you with others who will not be like you.” (Mohammad 47:38) 

In spite of all the repeat of the command to spend in charity, Allah knows that some may still refuse to spend in charity.  So, Allah offered a business deal as an incentive by informing us that this money we spend is merely a loan to Him and He will pay it back in multiples.  Allah said:

إِن تُقۡرِضُواْ ٱللَّهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنً۬ا يُضَـٰعِفۡهُ لَكُمۡ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ شَكُورٌ حَلِيمٌ (١٧)

If you lend Allah a goodly loan, He will multiply it for you, and will forgive you. And Allah is Most appreciative and, Most Forbearing. (Al-Taghabun 64:17) 

While Allah has all the treasures in Heaven and earth and He granted some of them to us, He tells us if we give part of what He has given us to others who are in need, He will consider it as a loan to Him and He will pay us back many multiples.  The command to treat any charity you give as a loan to Allah is repeated several times in the Quran. 

Therefore, when someone asks for money, do not look at him as the one who is asking you, look at him as a messenger from Allah to borrow money from you to invest for you with Allah.  Don’t focus on the person, focus on Allah and his promises. This is highlighted by hadith Qudsi that the Prophet (PBUH) narrated.  In part of this hadith, Allah will say to a person on the Day of Judgment:

 يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، اسْتَطْعَمْتُكَ فَلَمْ تُطْعِمْنِي، قَالَ: يَا رَبِّ، وَكَيْفَ أُطْعِمُكَ، وَأَنْتَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ؟ قَالَ: أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّهُ اسْتَطْعَمَكَ عَبْدِي فُلَانٌ، فَلَمْ تُطْعِمْهُ؟ أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّكَ لَوْ أَطْعَمْتَهُ لَوَجَدْتَ ذَلِكَ عِنْدِي؟ [مسلم عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ]

“O’ son of Adam, I was hungry and you did not feed Me. The man will answer: ‘How could I feed you and You are the Lord of the worlds!’ Allah will say: ‘Did you not know that my slave so asked you to feed him, and you did not feed him. Didn’t you know that if you fed him you would have found that (i.e. reward) with Me.”‘ (Muslim).

Independent whether you will glorify Allah by obeying His commands or not, you should know that everything in heavens and earth are in a state of continuous glorification of Him.  Surat Al-Taghabun starts with:   

يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۖ لَهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ وَلَهُ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ‌ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ (١)

All that in the heavens and all that in the earth glorify Allah. To Him belongs the kingdom and for Him is all the praises, and He is powerful over all things. (Al-Taghabun 64:1)

We have talked previously about the concept of Tasbeeh (التسبيح) that involves both glorifying (نمجِّده) Allah by attributing complete and absolute perfection to Him, and by declaring our complete submission to Him.   Note that glorification of Allah (التسبيح) came in the Quran in different forms in the Quran.  It came in the present tense as in this surah (يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ). it came in the past tense as in Surat Al-Saf (سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ), it came as command (سَبِّحِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَى) and it came as noun (سُبۡحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسۡرَىٰ بِعَبۡدِهِۦ) and (سبحان الله) or as addressed name (سبحانك) and (سبحانه).

An essential part of glorifying Allah is to have the proper views about Him when you interpret verses in the Quran.   As example in verse 2, Allah says:

 هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُمۡ فَمِنكُمۡ ڪَافِرٌ۬ وَمِنكُم مُّؤۡمِنٌ۬‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ (٢)

He is the One who created you, then some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers. And Allah is All-Seer of what you do. (Al-Taghabun 64:2)

When you read this verse, you cannot interpret it to mean that Allah creates some people as believers and creates some as disbelievers.   The verse is merely stating a fact that since Allah had granted people free choice some people will be believers and some will be disbelievers. Going beyond that and asking why Allah does this or does not do this is violation of glorifying Him and you will not be in state of Tasbeeh and thus you will be conflicting and disharmonious with everything around you that are in a state of continuous glorification of Allah. 

Surat Al-Taghabun continuous by affirming the favors that Allah granted us and also confirming His ultimate Knowledge; Allah says:  

خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَصَوَّرَكُمۡ فَأَحۡسَنَ صُوَرَكُمۡ‌ۖ وَإِلَيۡهِ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ (٣)

He has created the heavens and the earth with truth, and He shaped you and made good your forms, And to Him is the final Return. (Al-Taghabun 64:3)

يَعۡلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعۡلِنُونَ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ (٤)

He knows what is in the heavens and earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you reveal. And Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the chests (of men).  (Al-Taghabun 64:4)

The Surat includes the reminder that while Allah has bestowed on us many great favors, we should not take these for granted because Allah will severely punish those who do  not obey His commands.  Allah says:  

أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ نَبَؤُاْ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ فَذَاقُواْ وَبَالَ أَمۡرِهِمۡ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۬ (٥)

“Has not the news reached you of those who disbelieved before? They tasted the evil consequence of their conduct, and for them there will be a painful punishment”. (Al-Taghabun 64:5)

Allah points out the main reasons for people’s disbelief and they are: 1) rejecting the idea that Allah will send humans as messengers and 2) denying the Day of Judgment; Allah says:  

 ذَٲلِكَ بِأَنَّهُ ۥ كَانَت تَّأۡتِيہِمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَقَالُوٓاْ أَبَشَرٌ۬ يَہۡدُونَنَا فَكَفَرُواْ وَتَوَلَّواْ‌ۚ وَّٱسۡتَغۡنَى ٱللَّهُ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ۬ (٦)

That is because their Messengers used to come to them with clear proofs (signs), but they said: “Shall mere men guide us?” So, they disbelieved and turned away (from the truth), But Allah did not care, and Allah is all-Independent, worthy of all praise. (Al-Taghabun 64:6)

 زَعَمَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَن لَّن يُبۡعَثُواْ‌ۚ قُلۡ بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّى لَتُبۡعَثُنَّ ثُمَّ لَتُنَبَّؤُنَّ بِمَا عَمِلۡتُمۡ‌ۚ وَذَٲلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ۬ (٧)

The disbelievers claim that they will never be resurrected. Say: “Yes! By my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you will be told about what you did, and that is so easy for Allah. (Al-Taghabun 64:7)

Believing in the Day of Judgment is the most important article of belief.  If there is no day of judgment and this life is all that exist, why anyone wants to be moral. People will transgress if they know that there is no reward or punishment.   But to affirm that there is a Day of Judgment, Allah makes an oath that they will be raised up and they will be held accountable for all that they did (بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّى لَتُبۡعَثُنَّ ثُمَّ لَتُنَبَّؤُنَّ بِمَا عَمِلۡتُمۡ‌ۚ)

Then Allah affirms the Prophethood of Mohammad (PBUH) and the authenticity of the Quran and commands that mankind should believe in both, the messenger and the message:

فَـَٔامِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلنُّورِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلۡنَا‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ۬ (٨)

Therefore, believe in Allah and His Messenger, and in the Light (this Qur’ân) which We have sent down. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do. (Al-Taghabun 64:8)

Allah refers to the Quran as light (Nour).    In Arabic we have two terms that are often used synonymously, these are “Nour” (نور) (Light) and the second term is “Daw’a” (ضوء ) and the Quran uses both terms. Sometimes both are translated as light.  But to differentiate between them, some interpreters translate Nour as light and translate “Dawa” as “illumination”.

But if you examine the use of the terms in the Quran, you can conclude that the term “Nour” is used to refer to the source of guidance to something that we may not see but understand such as the calendar but the “Dawaa and Dia’a” (ضوء  ضِيَاءً) refers to something that allows us to see with the eye. The following verse in Surat Younes may offer clarification, Allah says: 

هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ  )يونس(

“It is He Who made the sun an illumination and the moon as a light and measured out for it stages, that you might know the number of years and the calculation (of time).” (Younes 10:5)

We pray to Allah to guide us with the light of the Quran and to make it and the Prophet (PBUH) as intercessors for us on the Day of Judgement and to make us on that day of those who have no regrets.         DUA