The Beneficent: Majesty and Splendor

 كل من عليها فان

All life upon (earth) will perish

و يبقى وجه ربك ذو الجلال و الإكرام

and your Lord's face remains: majestic and splendid.

Our Lord, Al-Rahman (the Beneficent), has manifestations of majesty and manifestations of splendor. 

تجليات جلال و تجليات جمال

We may wish to experience only the latter, but we cannot avoid the former. Last week, we witnessed terrifying manifestations of majestic power: An earthquake in Morocco that took several thousand lives, followed a few days later by flooding in Libya that took many more thousands of lives.

But the refrain in this chapter, Al-Rahman, continues:

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

How is it possible that those manifestations of overwhelming power, causing pain and suffering, are still bounties? The repeating refrain tells us that they are, in the grand scheme of things, beyond time. The verses that follow explain this to us. 

We have to pass through those manifestations of power to get to manifestations of beauty. We can't reach heaven without experiencing the painful loss of others or at least our own painful death, leaving loved ones behind in grief.

Of course, those of us who have the means to help others in their hour of need must do their best. Help is desperately needed, and may reduce some of the suffering, but it cannot relieve the deep pain of losing loved ones, which we all experience or cause, sooner or later. 

يسأله من في السموات و الأرض كل يوم هو في شأن

Everyone in heavens and earth implore Him; every day He manages some affair.

We pray that Allah will be merciful to those who have lost their lives, assist those who are still stranded, and give comfort and support to people who loved them. 

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

سنفرغ لكم أيها الثقلان

We shall turn our full attention to you two weighty species.

The Lord warns ominously that He will turn his full attention to us. Nothing can be more terrifying.

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

يا معشر الجن و الإنس إن استطعتم أن تنفذوا من أقطار السموات و الأرض فانفذوا لا تنفذون إلا بسلطان

O families of jinn and humans, if you can escape the boundaries of heavens and earth, then escape. You cannot escape without permission.

We cannot escape the manifestations of power, however painful they may be. Nor can we escape accountability on the day of judgment. 

This does not mean that we have no agency. When `Umar (r) led an expedition toward Damascus, news arrived that there was an epidemic in the city. He consulted his companions and then decided to return to Madinah. Abu `Ubaydah ibn Al-Jarrah (r) questioned his decision: "Are you escaping from God's decree, Umar?" `Umar replied: "I wish someone else would have asked this question. Yes, we escape from God's decree toward God's decree نفرّ من قدر الله إلى قدر الله." That was a good illustration of the Prophetic saying that if there were to be inspired people محدّثون among Muslims, `Umar would surely be one.

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

يرسل عليكما شواظ من نار و نحاس فلا تنتصران

[If you try to escape], you will be bombarded by flames and molten brass; and you will fail.

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

Now, comes a terrifying vision of the Day of Judgment.

فإذا انشقت السماء فكانت وردة كالدهان

So, when the sky is torn and looks like an oil-painted rose.

For a vivid illustration, see any telescope picture of a nebula. One of my favorites is the Cat's Eye Nebula picture from the Hubble Telescope. A dying star sends out burning hydrogen and dust that we see thousands of light years later as pinkish red. Those pictures are beautiful in the grand scheme of things, with the benefit of time and distance (thousands of light years), but they are violent emissions that would destroy us completely if we were close in time and space.

This is the paradox of manifestations of power and beauty. The same phenomenon is horrifically violent up close, but beautiful when viewed from a 3000 light year perspective. 

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

فيومئذ لا يسأل عن ذنبه إنس و لا جان

On that day no human or jinn will be asked about their sins.

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

يعرف المجرمون بسيماهم فيؤخذ بالنواصي و الأقدام

Transgressors will be identified by their features, and carried away head to foot.

How humiliating?

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

هذه جهنم التي يكذب بها المجرمون

This is the hellfire that transgressors deny;

يطوفون بينها و بين حنين آن

they oscillate between its flames and boiling water.

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

Now that we have passed through the frightening manifestations of majestic power, we receive the comforting news that if we nurture proper fear of immorality, we may receive beauty, which is the proper reward for beauty هل جزاء الإحسان إلا الإحسان!

Beautiful reward is described in great detail. No commentary is needed. 

و لمن خاف مقام ربه جنتان

But the one who feared his Lord's watchfulness will have two gardens

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

ذواتا أفنان

With many branches

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

فيهما عينان تجريان

Therein are two running water springs

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

فيهما من كل فاكهة زوجان

Therein are two pairs of every fruit

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

متكئين على فرش بطائنها من استبرق و جنى الجنتين دان

Reclining upon couches lined with thick silk, as the garden's fruits get draw to their hands

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

فيهن قاصرات الطرف لم يطمثهن إنس قبلهم و لا جان

Therein are maidens with full attention to them, untouched before them by any human or jinn 

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

كأنهن الياقوت و المرجان

As if they were rubies and coral.

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?

هل جزاء الإحسان إلا الإحسان

What is the reward of goodness other than goodness?

فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان

So, which of the bounties of your Lord do you deny, you two?