70 Lessons from the Stories of the Quran by Ammar Awais - HTML preview

Introduction

The Quran was revealed by Allah for the guidance of

the entire humanity. While this guidance is often

conveyed in explicit terms, the Quran also enlightens its

readers through narrations and examples from the lives

of earlier generations. As human beings, we have an

affinity for stories, and lessons conveyed to us through

stories make a lasting impact. We also tend to learn

more readily through others’ experiences rather than

plain advice. Moreover, many of us are curious about

the lives and circumstances of the prophets and others

whom Allah honoured. It is for such reasons that

stories and examples from the past are plentiful in the

Quran, with many ayaat (verses) and even complete

surahs (chapters) dedicated to these.

Allah states in the Quran, ―We relate to you the best

of stories in what We have revealed to you of this

Quran although you were, before it, among the

unaware.‖ (12:3) Allah describes the stories of the

Quran as the ―best of stories‖; the corresponding

Arabic phrase, ―ahsan al-qasas‖ has alternatively been

translated as ―the most beautiful of stories‖. The

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

purpose of these stories is not to entertain, however.

They inspire us to attain true faith, as well as to adhere

to it under all circumstances. Some of these stories may

even appeal to us in a personal way, and give us true

ideals to follow.

The stories of the Quran are further meant to

strengthen our trust in Allah, to highlight the power of

prayer, and to demonstrate what great things can be

achieved with Allah’s help and our own unwavering

determination. These stories give us beautiful lessons

in steadfastness, courage, love, repentance, truthfulness,

and trust in Allah. Indeed, every story has its own set of

lessons and insights. We must remember though that

the Quran does not mention all the stories of previous

prophets and their respective nations; it only speaks

about the most important ones, as well as those most

relevant for all times and places, in keeping with the

universal status of the Quran.

Another important aspect of the stories of the Quran is

their varied nature. Musa (Moses), for instance,

belonged to a tribe in slavery to the Pharaoh whereas

Sulayman (Solomon) possessed a magnificent kingdom;

the father of Ibrahim (Abraham) was a staunch idol-

worshipper whereas the father of Yahya (John) was a

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

prophet with a noble lineage; Nuh (Noah) lived for

nearly a thousand years whereas Isa (Jesus) was raised

by Allah at a young age. Some prophets were granted

greater authority than others; some were assigned more

laborious tasks; and some were honoured by Allah

above the rest.

However, all prophets, despite their contrasting

circumstances, conveyed the same message of true

monotheism, and emphasized good values. They called

upon their people to reflect on the universe and

recognize Allah through His signs. They informed

people about the Day of Judgement, and made clear the

consequences of their actions. Moreover, Allah

commands us to respect all prophets equally and not to

discriminate between any of them: ―Say: We believe in

Allah and that which is revealed to us and that

which was revealed to Ibrahim (Abraham) and

Ismail (Ishmael) and Ishaq (Isaac) and Yaqub

(Jacob) and the tribes, and that which was

vouchsafed to Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus) and

the prophets from their Lord. We make no

distinction between any of them, and to Him we

have surrendered.‖ (3:84)

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

Although the stories of the Quran mostly revolve

around the prophets, they were not the only ones to be

honoured by Allah. For example, Allah blew into

Maryam (Mary) through His Spirit, miraculously

granting her a son, which was a tremendous tribute to

her piety and chastity. Similarly, the great strength of

Dhul-Qarnayn, the fore-knowledge granted to Khidr,

and the resolve of the young men who hid in the cave,

all have an honourable mention in the Quran. It is clear

from the Quran that any individual can attain a lofty

status in the sight of Allah by always being conscious of

Him, and remaining steadfast on what is just. The

stories of the Quran indeed give us much to ponder

over and implement in our lives.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon all His

prophets and righteous servants, and may they

be a source of continuous guidance for all of us,

for all time to come!

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

The First of Humanity

(Lessons 1—7)

Allah created the first human being, Adam, from turaab

– translated as dust or soil. He then blew into him

through the Spirit, and commanded the angels to

prostrate to Adam, which they did. However, one of

the jinn known as Iblis (Satan), present among the

angels, refused to do so, and Allah expelled him from

the kingdom of heaven for his impertinence. Iblis then

asked Allah to grant him respite till the Day of

Judgement, so he could try and lead the descendants of

Adam astray, to which Allah agreed, revealing that His

true servants will not be misled.

Meanwhile, Adam dwelled in the garden of Paradise

where Allah created his mate, Hawwa (Eve), the first

woman, so the two of them could enjoy the blessings of

Paradise together. Allah commanded them not to eat

from a particular tree, but Iblis caused them to disobey

Allah, leading to their expulsion from Paradise and

descent on earth. Adam and Hawwa repented to Allah;

He pardoned them, chose Adam as a prophet, and

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

promised Paradise in the hereafter for whoever among

humanity lived righteously.

Let’s examine the lessons learnt from this account and

analyse its various aspects in detail.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

1

Human intellect is a great blessing

Why did Allah command the angels to prostrate to

Adam? What made Adam superior to such a noble

creation as the angels? It was his superior intellect: his

intelligence, and higher faculties of thinking, perceiving,

learning, and memorizing. That is why when the angels

remarked that the human would cause bloodshed and

corruption on earth, Allah commanded Adam to

replicate to the angels all the names Allah had taught

him, thus proving his higher intellect. We should,

therefore, engage our minds for the purpose of gaining

knowledge, researching, reflecting on the universe, and

making scientific advancements. Allah repeatedly

commands us in the Quran to use our cognitive

abilities, frequently asking the rhetorical question,

―Then will you not use reason?‖ (37:138)

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

2

Arrogance brings about one‘s downfall

When Allah commanded Iblis to prostrate to Adam, he

objected, saying, ―I am better than him! You created

me from fire and created him from clay.‖ (7:12)

Iblis’s view that he had been created from a superior

substance led him to disobey Allah; his arrogance thus

changed his status from that of a devoted servant of

Allah to becoming an outcast, destined for Hell.

Arrogance is an enormous sin that deprives us of

Allah’s favour, and distances us from Him. Prophet

Muhammad said, “He who has in his heart the weight of a

mustard seed of arrogance shall not enter Paradise.” (Muslim)

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3

Love and mercy are basic ingredients of

marriage

What was Allah’s wisdom in creating the first pair of

human beings a male and a female? We learn from the

Quran that this was not just so they would procreate,

but because they should find comfort in each other’s

company: ―And of His signs is that He created for

you from yourselves mates [i.e. spouses] that you

may find tranquillity in them; and He placed

between you affection and mercy.‖ (30:21) This ayah

further asserts that Allah has placed love and mercy

between spouses as a gift from Him. The husband and

wife should thus sincerely love each other, and adopt

mercy by overlooking each other’s faults and

shortcomings.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

4

Be content with what you have

After Allah had forbidden Adam and Hawwa to eat

from a particular tree, Iblis approached them and said,

―O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity

and possession that will not deteriorate?‖ (20:120)

Iblis tried to tempt them with promises of eternal life

and kingdom, and succeeded. It is intrinsic in human

nature to continuously desire more and not feel

satisfied for long. Even though Adam and Hawwa

enjoyed the great blessings of Paradise, Iblis used

trickery to arouse their curiosity, promising them even

greater rewards. We should try to be content with what

we possess – be it little or much – and not be greedy

for worldly possessions and luxuries. Prophet

Muhammad said, “Wealth is not in having many possessions;

rather, true wealth is the richness of the soul.” (Bukhari)

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

5

Allah accepts true repentance

After Adam and Hawwa had erred, they became

remorseful, and prayed to Allah, ―Our Lord, we have

wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us

and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among

the losers.‖ (7:23) Because they sincerely repented,

Allah turned to them in mercy, and forgave them.

Indeed, He loves to forgive, and pardons all sorts of

sins, of all magnitudes. As Prophet Muhammad said,

“Verily, Allah is more delighted with the repentance of His slave

than is a person who finds his lost camel in a desert.” (Bukhari)

We should thus repent to Allah frequently and

fervently.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

6

Always be on guard against Iblis

Iblis approaches us while concealing his enmity towards

us – just as he deceived our forefathers, Adam and

Hawwa, by claiming to be their well-wisher: ―And he

swore to them, ‗Indeed, I am to you from among

the sincere advisors.‘‖ (7:21) Hence, we must always

be on our guard against the treacherous whispers of

Iblis, and strive against him with all our faith,

conscience, and will power, while beseeching Allah for

aid against his deceptive ploys. Allah has informed us

that Iblis’s traps are ineffective when countered with

firm resolve: ―Indeed, there is for him [Iblis] no

authority over those who have believed and rely

upon their Lord.‖ (16:99)

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

7

Do not grieve over your mistakes

It is not wise to keep grieving over a costly mistake. We

must accept that Allah’s will always prevails, and

sometimes, a regrettable situation could not have been

avoided. For example, apparently, Adam and Hawwa

got humanity expelled from Paradise, but in reality,

Allah had predetermined the earth to be our abode in

this world, as He had earlier revealed to the angels:

―Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive

authority.‖ (2:30) Hence, the whole episode of the

expulsion from Paradise was merely to demonstrate

why human beings are not worthy of Paradise without

undergoing a trial period on earth. So, just as there is no

point in grieving over the expulsion of our ancestral

parents from Paradise, we must try to see Allah’s

wisdom and purpose in seemingly regrettable situations

we encounter, instead of bemoaning them.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

The Great Ship

(Lessons 8—13)

Nuh (Noah) was the next major prophet after Adam.

His people became indulged in worshipping idols

named Wadd, Suwa, Yaghuth, Ya'uq and Nasr – these

possibly being the names of righteous individuals from

earlier generations whose statues were made to honour

them, and were later exalted to divine status. Nuh

preached to his people to worship the only God, and to

live righteously. However, most of them disbelieved in

his prophethood and ridiculed him; they repelled him

and even threatened to stone him to death. Allah

commanded Nuh to construct a ship (or ark) and

accommodate the believers in it. Then He sent a severe

flood that demolished the city completely. While the

disbelievers drowned, the ship sailed to safety.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

8

Persevere in the cause of Allah

Nuh lived for 950 years, most of which he spent trying

to persuade his people to accept faith and establish

monotheism: ―And We certainly sent Nuh to his

people, and he remained among them a thousand

years less fifty…‖ (29:14) Hence, for hundreds of

years, Nuh persisted in guiding his people, striving in

the path of Allah, and facing people’s ridicule. In the

same way, we must propagate the oneness of God,

share His Word with others, spread goodness, and not

feel dejected when others oppose our actions, because

it is the effort – more than the final result – that counts

in His sight.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

9

Recognize Allah through His signs

Since Allah is not visible to us, how do we seek to

recognize Him? Through His signs and attributes! That

is exactly how Nuh and other prophets described Allah

to their people. Consider the following argument

presented by Nuh to those who opposed his message:

―What is the matter with you that you do not

attribute to Allah grandeur? Whereas He has

created you in stages! Do you not consider how

Allah has created seven heavens in layers? And He

made the moon therein a [reflected] light and

made the sun a burning lamp. And Allah has

caused you to grow from the earth a [progressive]

growth. Then He will return you into it and extract

you [another] extraction.‖ (71:13-18) We should thus

ponder over the signs of Allah and His creative

wonders around us, and encourage others to do the

same. Knowing more about the universe reveals more

about Allah because whatever exists has been created

by Him, and reflects His artistic design.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

10

Material wealth is immaterial to Allah

While wealth is a blessing from Allah, it is also a test

from Him as it may encourage one to forget Him, and

act arrogantly. This is the reason why many of the

prophets, including Nuh, had a large number of poor

followers. The affluent among the nation of Nuh asked

him rhetorically, ―Should we believe you while you

are followed by the lowest [class of people]?‖

(26:111) What these people failed to realize is that the

level of wealth one possesses has no value in the sight

of Allah; it is rather one’s faith and conduct that matter

to Him.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

11

Think before you ridicule

―And he [Nuh] constructed the ship, and whenever

the chiefs of his people passed by him, they

ridiculed him.‖ (11:38) The disbelievers felt it made

no sense to construct a ship to sail on land, and so they

made fun of their prophet. However, soon Allah

―opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring

down, and caused the earth to burst with

springs…‖ (54:11-12) This resulted in a mighty flood

that drowned all except those aboard the ship, thus

revealing the purpose of constructing a ship on land!

We should try to avoid ridiculing or disparaging others:

it could be that we are unable to comprehend the

wisdom behind a seemingly foolish act.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

12

Treat animals with kindness

Just when the flood was approaching, Allah

commanded Nuh, ―Load upon the ship of each

[creature] two mates [male and female]…‖ (11:40)

Hence, along with the believers, a pair of every species

of animals in the region was also rescued from the great

flood, so that the pair could reproduce and not become

extinct. We should similarly be kind towards animals,

and protect them from extinction by reducing

deforestation, controlling pollution levels, and

restricting the slaughter of animals for entertainment or

commercial purposes. Animal rights have clearly been

prescribed by Prophet Muhammad, who was sent as ―a

mercy to the worlds‖ (21:107) – implying ―a mercy for

all creatures‖. There is a prophetic narration about a

very sinful woman who was forgiven by Allah merely

for taking the trouble to provide water to a thirsty dog.

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran

13

Mere blood relations cannot guarantee

Paradise

A son of Nuh rejected the truth, and so was drowned

by the flood despite his father’s wish that he be rescued.

Allah declared to Nuh regarding his son, ―Indeed he is

not of your family…‖ (11:46) This is because he had

no faith in Allah and acted arrogantly. Similarly, the

wife of Nuh was also not a believer, and thus suffered

the same fate. We therefore learn that being associated

with a prophet or righteous person does not

automatically lead to salvation. Every person is judged

by Allah for his or her own deeds and degree of faith.

Allah makes this clear elsewhere in the Quran too:

―And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of

another. And if a heavily laden soul calls [another]

to [carry some of] its load, nothing of it will be

carried, even if he should be a close relative.‖

(35:18)

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Lessons from the Stories of the Quran