CHAPTER 35, VERSES 2 – 7: DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY THE GREAT DECEIVER

"Whatever Allah grants to people of mercy – none can withhold it; and whatever He withholds – none can release it thereafter.  And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.  Oh mankind, remember God’s grace toward you.   Is there any creator other than God that can sustain you from both the sky (rain) and the earth? None has the right to be worshipped but God.   Why then are you turning away from Him? And if they call you a liar (Prophet Muhammad) remember that many messengers before you were called liars.  And God will decide all things.   Oh mankind, God’s promise is true.  So do not let the present life deceive you and do not let the great Deceiver (Satan) deceive you about God.  Indeed, Satan is your enemy so treat him as such.  He only invites his followers to the blazing Fire.  Those who disbelieve will have severe torment; and those who believe and do righteous good deeds, will have forgiveness and a great reward." (Quran 35: 2-7)

This article discusses six essential verses from the beginning of Chapter 35 of the Quran.  The chapter is known by two different names, both taken from the first verse; Al-Fatir meaning The Originator or Al-Malaikah meaning the Angels.  Islamic scholars agree that the style of the chapter indicates that it was revealed during the Meccan period at a time when the efforts of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, to spread his message were being frustrated and blocked.  The six verses under discussion remind the believers of the mercy and grace of God and warn them of the deception inherent in the worldly life.  They conclude with advice to treat Satan as an open enemy and a reinforcement of the contrast between the afterlife of the believer and the disbeliever.

One aspect of God’s power is the mercy mentioned in verse two; the mercy he grants to humankind.  The Arabic word used here has been variously translated as mercy, grace and blessings.  When this attribute is fully understood it takes root in a person’s heart and mind; God’s power to give or withhold as He wills changes how we view the life of this world.  There is no other power in the heavens or the earth and understanding this means a believer abandons any thought of receiving mercy or blessings from any other source.  Those of creation that have some power or authority are also subservient to His will and power.  God’s grace is reflected in the favors he showers upon humankind, collectively and individually and his grace is reflected equally in what is denied. 

Prophet Muhammad emphasized this in several of his sayings.  He wanted the believers to have a complete and working knowledge of the fact that there is no power in the universe that does not have God as its source.  He said, "None has the right to be worshipped except God, alone, without partner, to Him belongs all sovereignty and praise and He is over all things omnipotent.  O God, none can prevent what You have willed to bestow and none can bestow what You have willed to prevent, and no wealth or majesty can benefit anyone, as from You is all wealth and majesty." [1]

The next verse, three, asks us to remember the blessings that God has bestowed on us.  It is questioning how we could possibly forget them? Is there any creator other than God? Could anyone or anything send us sustenance from the heavens and the earth? No! None has the right to be worshipped but God, so how could anyone turn their back on this indisputable truth.

God now addresses Prophet Muhammad, reminding him that messengers before him had also been accused of lying.  There is no need for you to be worried God tells him.  Eventually all matters return to God and He will make the final decision, all judgment rests with Him.  God’s promise is true.  Therefore, do not be deceived by the life of this world.  The worldly accessories of this life can delude people into thinking that God’s promise is not true.  The attractions of this life do blind us from seeing the big picture.  The world is a transitory place.   It is little more than a rest stop on the way to life everlasting.  If we run after wealth and power thinking that it will secure our future we have deluded ourselves.  If we are stumbling around, unable to focus on the proximity of the Hereafter we become prey to the great deceiver, Satan, whose purpose is to lead humankind away from the straight path. 

Satan will never be anything but an enemy thus God instructs us to treat him as an enemy.  Do not befriend him or listen to his advice.  Do not follow his example; do not follow in his footsteps because his footsteps lead to nowhere but the blazing Fire.  God wants the believers to be alert and prepared to engage in this never-ending battle with humankind’s greatest adversary. 

Never forget that Satan’s goal is to make you believe that God does not exist.  If he cannot make you forget about God he will try to make you think that God has abandoned you; left you defenseless in a world full of terrors.  The believer knows that this is not true.  God is accessible at all times and has provided us with all that we need for our spiritual survival.   In his last sermon Prophet Muhammad told us that Satan had lost all hope of leading the believers astray in big things and reminded us to beware of following him in the small things. 

God says that those who disbelieve will be punished severely.  That is Satan’s ultimate goal; to make sure that he is not the only one being punished in the Hellfire.  A modern saying is that misery loves company, and Satan is working to assure that he is not the only one to be miserable on the Day of Judgment.  On the other hand, however, those who believe and do good deeds will be forgiven and richly rewarded. -islamreligion.com

Deeds that are like Hajj in their reward

There are several deeds  which Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam has equated to the reward of Haj. Those who are not undertaking the Haj journey, may reap the reward of Haj by virtue of the following deeds:

1. Wudhu at home before attending Congregational Salaah:

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam has stated: “One who purifies himself (makes Wudhu) and leaves his home to attend the Fardh Salaah in congregation, receives the reward of a Haji in the state of Ihram, and if he leaves for the Salaatud-Dhuhaa (Chaast), he gets the reward of Umrah.” (Abu Dawud)

2. Salaatul Ishraaq:

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam has stated: “Whoever offers his Fajr Salaah in congregation, and then remains seated making the Zikr of Allah until (approximately 15 mins after) sunrise after which he offers two Rakaats of Salaah (Ishraaq), will receive the reward of one complete Haj and one complete Umrah.” (Sunan Tirmidhi)

3. Going to the Masjid to acquire Knowledge:

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam has stated: “Whoever goes to the Masjid for the purpose of learning or teaching Knowledge, receives the reward of a Haji whose Haj was perfect.” (Tabarani)

4. Serving one’s parents:

Sayyiduna Anas Radhiyallahu Anhu reports that a man came to Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam and said: “I wish to participate in Jihad, but I cannot afford it.” Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam enquired if any of his parents were alive, to which he replied, “Yes! My mother is alive.” Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam said: “Show Allah how you serve her. If you do so you will be like a Haji, a Mu’tamir (one performing Umrah) and a Mujaahid.” (Targheeb)

Note: The promises of “Reward of Haj” are restricted to the reward only. It does not mean that the compulsory Haj will be fulfilled by these deeds. (Sharh-Nawawi). - jamiat.org.za

How to be mindful of Allah at all times

If a person makes zikr (remembrance)with their tongue and their heart isn’t in it, they will get the reward for that zikr, and it will be written in their good deeds but that zikr won’t purify their heart and it won’t bring them closer to Allah SWT. The biggest example of this is our own Salaah. In Salaah we are making zikr of the tongue. We’re reciting Takbir, Tasmiyah, Suratul Fatiha, but our hearts isn’t in it.

Allah SWT tells us to establish the spoken and physical Salaah so that we remember Him with our heart. The reality is that we don’t remember Allah Ta’ala with our heart even though the tongue is making zikr.

Anybody who says I pray but I don’t feel anything, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t saying anything, they are saying. It doesn’t mean that they’re not doing sajdahs, they are bowing, they are prostrating. Their body is doing zikr, their tongue is doing zikr but their heart is not doing zikr. We will get sawaab (reward) for that salaah. That salaah will be written in our book of deeds but that Salaah isn’t going to fix us the way Allah Ta’alah says it can. When Salaah is prayed with the Qalb (heart) then not only do we get the reward, but we get Tazkiyyah. The prayer affects us, the prayer purifies us. Each and every prayer brings us closer to Allah SWT. So if it is true of zikr of the tongue of Salaah it’s true for other zikr, even Durood Sharif.

If a person has love for Rasulullah SAW and they recite the Durood Sharif just once they can become closer to Allah SWT. But not if you say it 1000 times and it just rolls of your tongue. If you are doing something routinely on one day it becomes more routine.  Every successive Salaah we pray without feeling, every Salaah we pray just routinely makes it even more just a routine. It’s not good to do our Tazkiyyah and it’s not good to do our closeness to Allah Ta’ala unless our heart is in it.

You can’t be ghaafil (unaware, heedless) and zikr-e-qalbi (remembrance of the heart). You can’t be doing zikr-e-lisaani (remembrance of the tongue) and be ghaafil. If you are ghaafil it means you are not remembering Allah SWT with the heart. You won’t be able to do it. By forcing yourself to do it, you have to remove the ghaflah to be doing zikr-e-qalbi. That’s why people find Muraqabah (concentration) difficult in the beginning. Because in order to muraqabah (have concentration) you must remove the ghaflah (unmindfulness). You can’t do it with ghaflat. Murakkabah is the cure. It’s good that you find it difficult. If you find Muraqabah difficult it means you’re struggling. You’re fighting the battle against ghaflah. It’s a difficult battle. It’s very good. If you get a prescribed zikr to do that you find difficult to do, it’s very good. It means you’re finally trying to push back the frontiers of ghaflat. And if you have the zikr that you find totally easy, there’s a 99% chance that you find it easy because you’re doing it while ghafila. The zikr-e-qalb is special.

If I said recite Durood Sharif 100 times and every time feel a different love for Nabi – e – Kareem SAW, every time, you’d say ‘I don’t know, I’d have to go very slow, maybe I could do it three or five times’. When people recite zikr-e-lisaani quickly, you won’t even talk to a human being like that. Can you imagine me talking to you at a very fast speed? I wouldn’t talk to anybody like that. You will get reward for it but it’s not going to affect your heart. Tilawat (recitation) of the Quraan is the greatest zikr-e-lisaani. And recitation of the Quraan inside Salaah is the greatest zikr-e-lisaani. That’s what the Ulama have taught us.

Today I sat for half an hour in Muraqabah and I couldn’t concentrate some people complain. I could only sit for five minutes. Then they lose the heart for it. There’s a reason for that. It’s because you didn’t do it with the heart. The more you remember Allah Ta’ala outside Ibaadah, whether that Ibaadah is tilawat, it’s Salaah, its Murakkabah, the more you remember Allah Ta’ala outside Ibaadah, the more you will be able to remember Him inside Ibaadah. And the less you remember Allah Ta’ala outside Ibaadah, the less you will be able to remember Him inside Ibaadah. That’s why wuqoof-e-qalbi is a very good place to start. The best part is that wuqoof-e-qalbi is that zikr that you do when you are busy. This takes away the number one excuse of being too busy to do zikr. Wuqoof-e-qalbi doesn’t require any time. You have to really chase this wuqoof-e-qalbi. Keep reminding your heart. Erase that ghaflat second by second. You have to whittle it away and chip away at that ghaflah second by second. Even if you can say that today I was 10 seconds less ghaafil (unaware) than I was yesterday, that is making progress. So don’t worry that you can’t do wuqoof and that you can’t remember Allah Ta’ala 24 hours. It’s not going to happen instantly.

Everyday there should be a mission. I want to be less ghaafil than I was yesterday. I want to be more zaakir today than I was yesterday. I want to have at least some increase in my wuqoof-e-qalbi. As you start increasing that, then your zikr in Muraqabah will go up. If a person who does a lot of wuqoof-e-qalbi sits for Murakkabah for 20 minutes, 15 minutes will be zikr and five minutes will be ghaflat. A person who doesn’t do wuqoof-e-qalbi and they try to sit one hour in Murakkabah a day. Three minutes will be zikr and 57 minutes will be ghaflah. Because that was the ratio outside of the Murakkabah in the rest of the 20 hours they were awake. For 19 and half hours they were not doing any wuqoof-e-qalbi. They were in ghaflah.

As ghaafil as you are in your wuqoof-e-qalbi, you’re going to be that ghaafil in your Murakkabah. As zaakir as you are in your wuqoof-e-qalbi, you’re going to be that zaakir in your Murakkabah. As much as you remember Allah Ta’ala in the day and night, that’s as much as you remember Him in your worship. And as little as you remember Allah Ta’ala in your day and night, then that’s as little you will remember Him in your worship. Remembering Allah Ta’ala more and more and more gives us the power to do Ibaadah. It gives us the passion and feeling in Ibaadah.

The zikr you’re doing while you’re busy, or while you’re driving or while you’re walking from one building to the next is wuqoof-e-qalbi. Remembering Allah Ta’ala in your qalb. Remind your heart to remember Allah Ta’ala. The more that you remind your heart to remember Allah Ta’ala, the more that you actually sit down to remember Allah Ta’ala, the easier it becomes.

The key in the beginning is wuqoof-e-qalbi. Many people think that wuqoof-e-qalbi is an extra thing and they go for Murakkabah first and they’re not able to do it. You have to work really, really hard in your wuqoof-e-qalbi. At night a muhasaba you can do is examine yourself and recount your day. Think about how much of your time awake your heart remembered Allah Ta’ala. You’ll be amazed at the answer you’re going to get. The reason our Deen teaches us to do muhasaba is because it motivates us. It makes us realise how much or little we have and it makes us realise how much we sin. Until you examine your remembrance of Allah Ta’ala, before you eat, after you eat etc, you won’t do wuqoof-e-qalbi. The number one thing that will stop you from examining yourself is ghaflat.

Ghaflah is a killer disease. It kills our zikr, our taqwa, our Imaan. Ghaflah is one of the major problems in this day and age. That’s why this method of zikr of the Mashaaiq is brilliant, it’s wonderful. It attacks ghaflah directly. You can walk around doing zikr-e-lisaani and you are not attacking ghaflah at all, you aren’t putting a dent in your ghaflat. Wuqoof-e-qalbi attacks ghaflah dead on.

You have to be obsessed about wuqoof-e-qalbi otherwise it won’t happen. You cannot have a light intention. We are so obsessively ghaafil. We even read whatsapp messages from strangers. Some people read the newspaper cover to cover. Even those sections that is not pertinent. The West fuels it. The maximum obsession is to do wuqoof-e-qalbi all the time. Zikr-e-qalbi is the 21st Century Tasawwuf made centuries before. The only way to get out of ghaflat is to become obsessive about your wuqoof-e-qalbi. When you’re obsessive about your wuqoof-e-qalbi then you will start remembering Allah Ta’ala outside Ibaadah. When you do that, then you will start feeling something in Murakkabah.

“And remember your Lord within yourself in humility and in fear without being apparent in speech – in the mornings and the evenings. And do not be among the heedless.” Surah al-A’raf verse 205

All things outside of worship, Shaytaan and our nafs are trying to get us to be heedless. If you are obsessed about wuqoof-e-qalbi it will all fall into place.

When you’re sweeping dust gets kicked up. And if a lot of dust gets kicked up, you realise you have a lot of sweeping to do. You are sweeping your qalb (heart) with Allah alone. Dust will get kicked up. All types of clutter and junk will come out. No problem, keep sweeping, keep sitting, keep trying, keep doing it. The only way to get out of it is to go through it. If you walk into a room and it’s full of junk and clutter, you take a couple of things out for one minute and you’ll find it’s still cluttered. That’s the way the heart is. It’s cluttered. Your room will take time to get the clutter out. Just like that, is your Qalb. Our qalb has junk and clutter in it. Some of us, our qalb has filth and najaasat in it that we polluted ourselves. When you are sitting in Murakkabah, you are cleaning.

Zikr is the purifying polish of the qalb. If there is a lot of dirt there, keep scrubbing. Muraqabah is pouring the water, keep doing it, keep sitting and scrubbing and cleaning. InshaAllah one day Allah Ta’ala will make it clean. Allah Ta’ala will ultimately have His Compassionate Mercy on us. A person who can get these two blessings of wuqoof-e-qalbi and Muraqabah, then you will see everything else open up. Salaah opens up, tilawat opens up, Durood Sharif opens, Istigfaar opens up, Kalima Tayyibah opens up. Zikr-e-qalbi is the key. - islamtoday

Divorcing wife with the word ‘talaaq’

Question

I have divorced my wife a total of 4 times; there are two divorces regarding which I want to know whether they count or not.

1) My wife called me and said that she had called the police on me; I had a panick attack and almost a nervous breakdown. I was panicking and looking out of the window when I heard sirens. I was crying and really upset, and I said to my wife “Talaq” (divorce), but then afterwards she told me that she had not actually called the police and reported me. Does the divorce count?

2) My wife was being rude and sleeping on the floor in my home against my will; I was very upset. I have had anger issues ever since I was a child. Then she went on the phone to talk to her sister and kept talking about our problems, and I completely lost my temper got up and picked her up and threw her out of the room and at some point I said "Talaq" though I do not know exactly when. I was extremely angry, and I believe my anger took over, because when my wife mentioned to me later that day that I had said “Talaq” I could not clearly remember when I had said it or even if I actually did say it, but I instantly felt very upset and regretful.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad , is His slave and Messenger.

Saying the word “Talaaq” to your wife is not an explicit expression of divorce; it is a metaphor of divorce, and accordingly divorce does not take effect unless you had the intention to issue a divorce, because no pronoun was used to refer to your wife in particular. Haashiyat Al-Qalyoobi ‘ala Tuhfat Al-Muhtaaj reads, “For example, if a husband says to his wife, ‘I divorce you,’ (it counts as a divorce). He must use a pronoun referring to the person he is addressing...”

Sayyid Saabiq  wrote, “It is a condition in an explicit divorce that it includes a reference to the wife, such as saying, ‘My wife is divorced,’ or, ‘You are divorced.’” [Fiqh As-Sunnah]

If you did not intend to issue a divorce with the word “Talaaq,” divorce does not take effect. However, if you intended to issue a divorce but divorced her because you thought that she had called the police – and if she had not done so, you would not have pronounced the divorce – and then it turned out that she had not called the police, some researching scholars held that divorce does not take effect in this situation. If the divorce was conditioned on a reason and then that reason is proven to be untrue, the divorce is not effective.

Ibn Al-Qayyim  said:

“...This means that if the husband had a reason for the divorce and then it becomes clear that that reason does not exist, then, according to the view of (Imaam) Ahmad, the divorce does not take effect. And according to our Shaykh (Ibn Taymiyyah), it is not a condition for the reason to be pronounced in words and, according to him, there is no difference between divorcing her for a reason that was mentioned in words or not mentioned. If it becomes clear that the reason did not take place, then divorce did not take place. This must be the only appropriate opinion in the (Hanbali) school and according to the principles of the Imaams.” [I‘laam Al-Muwaqqi‘een, 4/90]

If you pronounced the words of divorce in a state of extreme anger such that you became completely unaware of what was happening and spoke and acted without having control of yourself, then divorce does not take effect. 

We advise you to present your question verbally to a reliable scholar whose knowledge and righteousness are trusted in your country, as he can ask you for more details about your state at the time of divorce and your intention behind what you said and thus give you a fatwa accordingly.

Allah knows best.

-islamweb.net

Touched mother's private part as child

Question

Assalaamualaikum. I have a question for my closed friend. At the age of 9 or 10 (3rd or 4th grade), he slept with his mother. Due to the bad society they live in, he learned about sexual intercourse in school etc., so one night, while he was sleeping with his mother, he touched the private part of his mother with lust (at the age mention above) while his mother was asleep. Recently, they heared about "Hurmat-e-Musaharat", so they are very depressed of thinking that the marriage of his parents is broken. He already repented for it, but due to Waswaas (devilish/obsessive whisperings), he cannot focus on his work or prayers and also dreamed of being intimate with his sister etc. He is of a reputable family here. I told him that this is only valid for adults and that he was not adult at that age, as mentioned (it happened about 15 year ago), but he needs a fatwa from a Mufti. Is his parents' marriage broken or not? Please answer as soon as possible.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad , is His slave and Messenger.

What the boy did has no effect on his mother's marriage. He should fill his time with what benefits him (in this worldly life and the Hereafter) instead and ignore these illusions and satanic whispers that distract him and disturb his life.

Allah knows best.

-islamweb.net

Dealing with disobedient revert wife

Question

Assalaamualaikum. I need help with the following issue: my wife and I met before she became Muslim, while I embraced Islam a week before I met her. I told her that I would not marry her as a non-Muslim, so she embraced Islam and attended the masjid every week in order to learn from the imam and it is about 40 km from her place to the masjid. The problem is that she stopped everything which I had been trying to teach her after our wedding and which she was actually doing. We have been married a little over two years now, and she never even read the Quran, and she is disobedient to me in a lot of things; for example, if I comand her to do something, she will say that I am not the one to tell her to do something. May Allah reward you.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad , is His slave and Messenger.

Firstly, we would like to congratulate you for the blessing that Allah bestowed upon you and your wife by guiding you to Islam; verily, it is a priceless blessing that calls for gratitude to Allah. One of the most important manifestations of gratitude to Allah is to seek useful knowledge, carry out righteous deeds, attend Thikr (remembrance of Allah) gatherings, and keep the company of righteous people.

Our advice to you regarding your wife is as follows:

First, be patient with her; patience yields praised consequences. 

Second, supplicate Allah in her favor frequently; Allah has commanded us to supplicate Him and promised to answer our supplications. Verily, He does not disappoint whoever turns to Him in sincere supplication; He says (what means): {And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hellfire (rendered) contemptible.} [Quran 40:60]

Third, give her advice. Tameem Ad-Daari  reported that the Prophet , said, "The religion is (founded on the exchange of sincere) advice." We asked, "To whom?" He replied, "To Allah, to His Book, to His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims, and to their common folk." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] And let the advice be given in a gentle manner out of compassion for her and having her best interest at heart, for that would make her more accepting of your advice. ‘Aa'ishah  narrated that the Prophet , said, "Kindness is not found in anything but that it adorns it, and it is not withdrawn from anything but that it makes it defective." [Muslim]

You should also remind her of the obligation to obey her husband in what is lawful and good. You can mention the following hadeeth to her: Abu Hurayrah  reported that the Prophet , said, "If I were to order anyone to perform Sujood (prostrate) before another (out of reverence), I would have ordered the woman to perform Sujood before her husband." [At-Tirmithi]

It should be noted that the wife's obedience to her husband is pertinent to the marriage-related matters and its implications, as scholars clarified. You should also clarify to her that disobeying her husband in matters wherein she is obliged to obey him is a kind of Nushooz (recalcitrance), for which Islam prescribed a treatment.Eventually, if your efforts to change her attitude fail, you may consider divorce. Abu Moosa  narrated that the Prophet , said, "There are three individuals who, when they supplicate Allah, their supplication is not answered: a man who has an ill-mannered wife but who does not divorce her..." [Al-Bayhaqi]

It is worth mentioning that a non-Muslim woman may pretend to be interested in embracing Islam only because she wants to marry a Muslim man, and then once she marries him, she shows her real character. Such women often take the Shahaadah (the two testimonies of faith) without adhering to the manifest Islamic rituals such as the prayer, fasting, etc.

It should also be noted that abandoning the Quran is blameworthy. Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {And the Messenger has said: "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Quran as (a thing) abandoned."} [Quran 25: 30] One manifestation of the blameworthy abandonment of the Quran is refraining from reciting it.

Some scholars said that the Muslim should recite the whole Quran at least twice a year if he cannot recite it more. Imaam Ahmad  held that it is disliked to let forty days pass without reciting the whole Quran unless there is a valid excuse. In any case, you should encourage her in this regard by reminding her of the great merit and abundant rewards of reciting the Quran, as has been established in the Quran and authentic Sunnah.

Allah knows best.

-islamweb.net

CHAPTER 5, AL-MAIDAH (THE FEAST) (PART 3 OF 3)

Verses 87-108 Good things which God has made lawful, ruling on oaths, wine, gambling, and some other prohibited practices, hunting, directions to the believers, testimony at the time of bequest

Forbidding good things that God has made lawful is not a sign of piety.  Being excessive is displeasing to God, but consuming good food in moderation is perfectly fine.  God does not take us to account for breaking thoughtless oaths. 

God forbids alcoholic beverages, gambling, and divination to believers and calls them Satan’s doing. 

God asks to obey Him and His messenger and to be on guard, but if people chose not to pay heed, then the messenger is only supposed to deliver the message clearly.  Those who believe and do good deeds cannot be blamed for what they consumed in the past as long as they are mindful of God, have proper belief, and follow it with good works.  After all, God loves those who do good. 

No one is allowed to hunt while performing pilgrimage to Mecca.  Anyone who kills a game intentionally must atone for it.  Catching and eating seafood is nevertheless allowed.  God is merciful and at the same time severe in punishment. 

The duty of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, is to deliver the message, not to force people to accept it.  Good and bad are not the same.  Too much questioning of matters might make things difficult; God’s silence sometimes is because He is forgiving and forbearing. 

When asked to surrender to God’s revelation, people are said to use their reason, but they tend to follow the path of their ancestors.  You are responsible for yourself if you believe. 

Leave a will before death.

Verses 109-120: Questioning messengers on the Day of Resurrection about the people’s responses, reminder of miracles of Jesus and the story of the table, dialogue between Jesus and His Lord on the Day of Resurrection, good consequences of the truthful

As such, this passage aims to establish the truth about God and servitude to Him as conceived by Islam.  This truth is presented through a great scene portrayed here in which Jesus speaks in front of all of God’s messengers and rest of humanity.  The chapter presents this truth in a vivid scene taken from the Day of Judgement in the same way as the Quran presents various scenes of that great Day.  In all such presentations, the picture is portrayed in such an inspiring, vivid and effective way that we almost see it before our very eyes.  We hear what is being said and feel every reaction and response.

God will ask the prophets he sent to people as to what response they got.  Jesus will be reminded of God’s favors and miracles he performed with God’s permission: speaking to people from the cradle, knowledge of the Scripture, the Torah, and the Gospel, and wisdom, making birds out of clay that would turn alive when Jesus breathed into them, healing the blind and the leper, bringing the dead back to life, protection when people tried to harm him when he showed them signs, and the disciplines believing in him and devoting themselves to God.

The disciples requested Jesus to ask God to send down a feast for them from heaven.  Jesus warned them, to which they responded that they simply wish to eat and to have their hearts reassured and that he has told them the truth and be witnesses to it.  Jesus then prayed to the Lord to send down a feast from the heaven.  God accepted the prayer of Jesus, but cautioned that anyone who disbelieves after seeing the sign will be given an exemplary punishment.

On the Final Day, God will ask Jesus if he demanded people to worship him and his mother, Mary, in his earthly ministry.  God knows very well what Jesus said to people.  But this worrying interrogation on that fearful Day is intended for people other than the one to whom it is addressed.

Jesus will plead innocence and will state that he never did and had no business asking people to worship him.  Had he done so, God would have known as He knows everything unseen.  Jesus’ answer is tinged with awe and fear.  He starts by glorifying God and follows this immediately with an absolute denial of any such thoughts or of any such claims.  Jesus will declare that he said nothing to his community other than calling on them to worship God alone, and stating that, like them, he is no more than God’s servant.  He will then disclaim any responsibility for what they did after the end of his time on earth.  Jesus will conclude with leaving the fate of his people absolutely to God, stating at the same time that they are His servants and at His disposal.  God can forgive them or punish them.  Whether He decides on one course or the other, that decision is based on His wisdom. 

"This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness." This is God’s word at the end of that interrogation beheld by all creatures.  It is the final and decisive word.  It is coupled with the reward that befits truthfulness and those who are truthful. -islamreligion.com