Recitation of surah Yunus with Malay/Indonesian transliteration,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRaN2TkvO_o
HUMANS ARE VULNERABLE AND WEAK. When faced with hardship, they can easily feel completely helpless, despondent and exposed. Crises can overwhelm and subdue them. It is such moments that many people seek God and plead for His support and assistance. However, in some cases, as soon as the difficulty is overcome and the ordeal is over, people's faith dwindles and their yearning towards God fades away. The surah tells us:
And if misfortune touch a man he crieth unto Us, (while reclining) on his side, or sitting or standing, but when We have relieved him of the misfortune he goeth his way as though he had not cried unto Us because of a misfortune that afflicted him. Thus have the deeds of the transgressors been made fair-seeming unto the prodigal. (12)
This is indeed a scurrilous and disgraceful trait. One ought always to remember who had come to one's rescue when needed, and to acknowledge the favor one owes God Almighty and be loyal to Him under all circumstances. The surah depicts this type of behavior in more detail, saying:
He it is Who maketh you to go on the land and the sea till, when ye are in the ships and they sail with them with a fair breeze and they are glad therein, a storm-wind reacheth them and the wave cometh unto them from every side and they deem that they are overwhelmed therein; (then) they cry unto Allah, making their faith pure for Him only: If Thou deliver us from this, we truly will be of the thankful. (22)Yet when He hath delivered them, behold! they rebel in the earth wrongfully. O mankind! Your rebellion is only against yourselves. (Ye have) enjoyment of the life of the world; then unto Us is your return and We shall proclaim unto you what ye used to do. (23)
It is a psychological fact of human behavior that when one is drowning or surrounded by danger, one turns to no one else but God Almighty. He is the only resort and the real savior. The vexing question here is why, once saved, does humankind immediately forget the hand that saved it and deny the favor extended to it? It is indeed a serious and disturbing defect of human nature that needs urgent and constant attention. Those who at times of triumph and prosperity forget everything else deserve whatever punishment they may receive. Such punishment is usually swift and comes when it is least expected. God says:
The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect. (24)
Sudden and severe disasters are painful and devastating to individuals as well as to society as a whole. Calamities usually strike the crops shortly before the harvest and just as the owners begin to feel confident that it is within their grasp to gather it. This makes the impact that much calamitous. As humans, every one of us is entitled to call upon God's help and support when hardship strikes, but when God comes to our help, we are expected to show gratitude and to continue to do so even after the ordeal is over. Humanity cannot stand alone and shall always be in need of God's help and support. The example given in the surah applies in many different situations in human life. Humankind's arrogance and conceit provoke God's anger which can strike suddenly and with devastating consequence.
Excerpt from " A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Myuhammad al-Ghazali
[ 1917 - 1996 ]
Reflection and commentary by Dr Israr Ahmed:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YpYqfNdytg
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