بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Samar Hasan

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَّا يُسْأَلُ عَن ذَنبِهِ إِنسٌ وَلَا جَانٌّ

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

يُعْرَفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمْ فَيُؤْخَذُ بِالنَّوَاصِي وَالْأَقْدَامِ

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

هَذِهِ جَهَنَّمُ الَّتِي يُكَذِّبُ بِهَا الْمُجْرِمُونَ

يَطُوفُونَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ حَمِيمٍ آنٍ

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

“So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -
Then on that Day none will be asked about his sin among men or jinn.
So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?
The criminals will be known by their marks, and they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet.
So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?
This is Hell, which the criminals deny.
They will go around between it and scalding water, heated [to the utmost degree].
So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?”
[Al-Qur'an - Surat Ar-Raĥmān (The Beneficent): 38-45]

One of the most beautiful surahs of the Qur’an: Surah Rahman.

Lessons in how the sun and the moon move by precise calculation, how the stars and the trees prostrate to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى),  descriptions of how the perfections of the Creator are shown in His creation, and inevitably the blessings He has bestowed upon us… All pointing towards one sign - that the Qur’an is undoubtedly from Allah (سبحانه و تعالى).

Unlike any other Chapter, this one repeats one verse (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ) after every verse or two, throughout!

And then the mention of more blessings: the two seas meeting side by side, the pearl and the coral, the ships with sails elevated in the sea like mountains… a grand picture painted by the Most Perfect Artist!

And then, all of a sudden, I find myself trying to memorize this beautiful surah which now talks about Hell. Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) actually mentions Hell and its descriptions followed by “So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?”! I was quite taken aback. Pondering over this brought me to the realization that Jahannam  (Hell) truly is a blessing.

How or why would I ever try to walk on the Straight Path or do any good deeds if I had the security of a promised Paradise, with no fear of accountability or consequences for my actions?

It says,”This is Jahannam, which the criminals deny; they will go around between it and scalding water, heated [to the utmost degree]“! How excruciatingly painful! But again, “So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?”

 ”… But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.”
[Al-Qur'an - Surat Al-Baqarah: 216] 

Isn’t it a blessing that we have a real judicial system that (sometimes)  gives us hope? Not to mention the imperfections and corruption that  are generally  present in this man-made system. Allah’s (سبحانه و تعالى) system of ‘adl (justice) is unquestionably perfect. It will have scales that will leave not even an atom‘s weight worth of good or bad.

And while Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) will punish the evil, He will reward the good with His mercy inshaAllah. May He have mercy on all of us, and give us the ability to walk on the Straight Path with firmness, Ameen.