We can recall from the last few ayahs that Allah (SWT) gives us the fate of those who disbelieve Him (the hellfire awaits them) and those who believe Him (the Gardens of Paradise await them).
Ayah 28 continues: “How is it that you deny Allah despite that you were lifeless and He gave you life, then He will make you die, then make you live again, and then to Him you will be returned?”
This highlights the phases of life a person goes through. First we didn’t used to exist, then we were born in this world, then we will die and then be raised again to face Allah. These are all blessings of Allah. There are 4 important points to note from this ayah:
i) Allah (SWT) asks how can people disbelieve Him when He is the one who has created them. Now the Quraish, those people against Prophet Muhammad (SAW) back in his time, actually believed in Allah, but the did not want to follow the Prophet (SAW) because they said he was illiterate and the Quran had some things which they did not believe in. But Allah says how can they disbelieve Him, so this comes to show the high status of the RasulAllah. To be a Muslim you have to believe that there in no God but Allah, and Muhammad (SAW) is the final prophet.
ii) Many stages of life have been mentioned, but one stage has not been mentioned, and that is the barzakh. The ‘barzakh’ is the period between death and resurrection. It is the time when the angels will question us about our faith, and our rewards or punishments will start from there (the grave) itself. Because this period is not a distinct entity, it does not need to be mentioned separately, but there is proof in the Quran and Hadith that it does exist.
iii) Allah highlights why we will be raised again…we will be judged by Him.
iv) Death is a blessing because it will lead us to our eternal life.
Proceeding to Ayah 29: “It is He who created for you all that the earth contains; then He turned to the heavens and made them seven skies – and He is the knower of all things.”
Everything on earth was created for our benefit. A pious Sufi Ibn ‘Ata’ says about this verse that Allah has created the earth to serve you, so that you may serve Him. Also, everything created on earth is halal unless otherwise stated haram in the Quran or Hadith.
Allah (SWT) highlights here that He has not only created the earth, but also the skies, so that not only when you look at things on earth do you get reminded of Him, but also when you look at the sky. Every single thing on earth and beyond should remind us of the blessings and greatness of Allah. What leaves us stunned on top of this is that Allah has created this expansive universe, and He knows everything that is going on everywhere. “He is the knower of all things.”
May Allah give us the tawfiq to realize His greatness, and may we be amongst those rewarded in the barzakh and Paradise.
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