In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent

Hence, bear with patience whatever they may say, and extol your Lord’s limitless glory and praise Him before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and extol His glory, too, during the hours of the night as well as during the hours of the day, so that you may attain a state of contentment.

Do not turn your eyes covetously toward whatever splendor of this world’s life We have allowed many of them to enjoy in order that We may test them thereby. Whatever provisions your Lord may give are indeed better and more lasting.

Enjoin prayer on your people, and be diligent in its observance. We do not ask you for any provisions. It is We who provide for you.

The future belongs to the God-fearing. They say: “Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord?” Has there not come to them a clear evidence of the truth in the earlier scriptures?

Had We destroyed them with a calamity before his coming, they would have said, “Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we would have followed Your revelations rather than be humiliated and disgraced.”

Say: “Everyone is hopefully waiting; so wait, if you will. You will certainly come to know who has followed the even path, and who has been rightly guided.” (Ta Ha: 20: 130-135)

We mentioned last week that the unbelievers have been given respite. God has decreed that He would not punish them with a calamity that destroys them all and makes them extinct. Hence, the Prophet is told not to pay much attention to them or to the luxuries and comforts they have been given in this life. All that is a test for them. What God has given him of His blessings is much better and greater. He is to remain patient and steadfast: “Hence, bear with patience whatever they may say, and extol your Lord’s limitless glory and praise Him before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and extol His glory, too, during the hours of the night as well as during the hours of the day, so that you may attain a state of contentment.”

The Prophet is instructed to bear with patience whatever those unbelievers say. He is not to answer their blasphemy, rejection or ridicule.

He should be neither distressed by what they may say, nor grieved for what may await them. He is to turn to his Lord, glorifying Him before sunrise and sunset: early with the fresh breath of dawn as life awakens, and late as everything begins to cool down when the sun is about to set and the whole universe seems to close its eyes, ready to sleep. He is to glorify God and praise Him intermittently through the day and the night, so as to keep his link with Him throughout.

All this glorification is urged on the Prophet, and all his followers, “so that you may attain a state of contentment.” When we glorify God, we have a direct link with Him, and the person who maintains such a link is contented, reassured. He is in a state of contentment as everything around him feels content; and he is reassured because he knows that, with God’s help, he is safe and secure. Thus, contentedness is the fruit of worship and God’s glorification. In itself, it is a reward that is generated within one’s heart.

So the Prophet is instructed to turn his face to God offering his worship. He is further instructed: “Do not turn your eyes covetously toward whatever splendor of this world’s life We have allowed many of them to enjoy.” There is plenty of splendor in this life which may appear very tempting to mankind. There are luxuries, pleasures, wealth, children, high position and power.

But all this is merely a “flower”, to use the exact word of the Qur’an; and like a flower, all this splendor will fade within a very brief period. Hence, they are given all this splendor to enjoy “in order that We may test them thereby.” Thus, their true metal will be known by the way they use what God has favored them with of the splendor of this life. But then they must realize that at the end of the day, “whatever provisions your Lord may give are indeed better and more lasting.” This refers to what the believers are given in the life to come. These provisions are for enjoyment, not for a test. They have no special lure to turn people away from what is better. They are the better provision and they are everlasting.

We must not understand this verse as encouraging self-denial or a disdain for the comforts of this life. It is only an encouragement to hold on to the true and lasting values, maintain one’s ties with God and be contented. This is the best way to resist the temptation of the splendor of this life. When we maintain such values, we feel the freedom generated by rising above the lure of false temptation, splendid as it may appear.

“Enjoin prayer on your people.” The first duty of a Muslim is to make his home a Muslim home, enjoining his family to attend to their prayers so that they all maintain their ties with God. Thus, they are united in their high approach to life. Happy indeed is life in a home where all members turn to God for worship.

“And be diligent in its observance.” Be diligent so that you make sure of offering your prayers complete and its effect becomes a reality. Prayer restrains man from loathsome deeds and indecency. This is its true effect. To attain the level where prayer provides such restraint, it requires diligence in its observance. Unless we reach the stage that our prayer yields this fruit, it remains a mere sequence of phrases and movements.

Prayer and worship generally are duties assigned to the Prophet and believers. God does not gain anything by them. He is in no need of anybody: “We do not ask you for any provisions. It is We who provide for you.” Worship nurtures God’s consciousness within the worshiper: Hence, “the future belongs to the God-fearing.” It is man who benefits by prayer, both in this life and in the life to come. He offers his worship to God and he enjoys, as a result, a state of contentment. He is comfortable, reassured. Furthermore, he ultimately receives a much greater reward in the hereafter. As for God, He needs nothing from anyone.

As the Surah draws to its close, it refers again to those people who, enjoying position and power, reject God’s revelations and demand that the Prophet works out a miracle.

They make such demands even after the Prophet has given them the Qur’an which explains in all clarity what previous messages from God were like.

“They say: ‘Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord?’ Has there not come to them a clear evidence of the truth in the earlier scriptures?” With that they need no physical miracle. Hence, their demands betray their arrogant attitude. The Qur’an is more than sufficient as a proof. It links the new message with God’s previous messages, uniting them all and clarifying what was left in general terms in previous messages.

God has given those who deny the truth everything they need to recognize the truth and believe in it when He sent them His last Messenger: “Had We destroyed them with a calamity before his coming, they would have said, ‘Our Lord, if only You had sent us a Messenger, we would have followed Your revelations rather than be humiliated and disgraced’.”

At the time when this verse was recited to them, they had not been humiliated or disgraced. The verse describes their inevitable end which will bring them humiliation and disgrace. It may be that they would say then, “Our Lord, if only You had sent us a Messenger.” Now a messenger is sent to them and they have no excuse to justify their rejection.

As the Surah describes their end, the Prophet is commanded to leave them alone, without grieving for them. He should announce to them that he will await the end, and let them await it as they wish: “Say: Everyone is hopefully waiting; so wait, if you will. You will certainly come to know who has followed the even path, and who has been rightly guided.”

Thus the Surah ends. It started with assuring the Prophet that the Qur’an was not revealed to him to cause him any distress. It defined the role of the Qur’an: “An admonition to the God-fearing.” The end is in full harmony with the beginning. It provides a reminder and an admonition for those who may benefit thereby. As the Prophet has conveyed his message complete, the only thing that remains is to await the end, which is determined by God.