The 365 · Verses · Day 271 · Justice
Qur'an 76:10
إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوْمًا عَبُوسًا قَمْطَرِيرًا
“We fear the Day of our Lord, a woefully grim Day. (Quran 76:10)”
Svenska: Vi fruktar en dag av vår Herre, en grym, beklagansvärd dag. (Koranen 76:10)
A reflection to carry
Allah completed the portrait of the abrār in Sūrat al-Insan with their stated motive: 'innā nakhāfu min rabbinā yawman ʿabūsan qamṭarīrā.' Truly we fear from our Lord a stern, harsh Day. The believers who fed the destitute, the orphan, the captive (Day 270, 76:8), did so with the explicit motive of fearing the Day. The verse is preceded by their statement of pure niyyah (76:9: for the face of Allah, not for reward or thanks) and is followed by Allah's response (76:11-12: 'so Allah will protect them from the evil of that Day and grant them brightness and joy'). Read it as a complete arc: they feared, so they fed; they fed, so Allah protected them; protected from the Day they feared. Ya akhī, ya ukhtī, the verse shows that khawf al-akhirah is a fuel of iḥsān, not its opposite. The believer who fears the Day gives generously; the believer who does not fear the Day gives lazily. Combine the khawf (Day 227) and the giving; you get the abrār-believer. And Allah's promise: He will protect you from the Day you feared.
Read the longer reflection
Yā Rabb, You let the people of al-Insan speak their motive in their own words. 'Innā nakhāfu min rabbinā yawman ʿabūsan qamṭarīrā.' We fear from our Lord a stern, harsh Day. The fear is not paralyzing; it is propulsive. They fed because they feared the Day. And You responded (76:11-12): 'so Allah will protect them from the evil of that Day and grant them brightness and joy.' The arc closes: the fear produced the giving; the giving earned protection from the very Day they feared. Ya Allāh, integrate khawf al-akhirah into my giving. Let my giving be fueled by the awareness of the Day You named stern and harsh. Let me see the Day clearly enough that my hand opens easily; let me see my own potential standing on that Day with thin scales clearly enough that my sadaqah today seeks to fill them. And ya Rabb, give me the promise You gave the abrār: 'fa-waqāhum Allāhu sharra dhālika al-yawm.' So Allah protected them from the evil of that Day. Let me arrive at the Day having earned that protection. Let the food I sent to the destitute be my food on the Day; the support I sent to the orphan be my support on the Day; the rescue I sent to the asīr be my rescue on the Day. The arc is sealed by the giving. Make me of those You protect. Āmīn ya Wakīl.
A verse, a healing, and a Sunnah, every morning.
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