IOK Ramadan: Shake the Trunk of the Tree | Keys To The Divine Compass [Ep16]

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is happy to host the Institute Of Data‘s every day Ramadan sequence: Keys to the Divine Compass. By way of this sequence, every day we’ll spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, extra non secular, uplifting degree.

Earlier within the sequence: Juz 1 Juz 2 Juz 3 Juz 4 Juz 5 Juz 6 Juz 7 Juz 8 Juz 9 Juz 10 Juz 11 Juz 12 Juz 13 Juz 14 Juz 15

فَأَجَآءَهَا ٱلْمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَـٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًۭا مَّنسِيًّۭا

Then the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She stated, “Oh, I want I had died earlier than this and was lengthy forgotten.”

That means, the pains of childbirth, her contractions, and the entire difficulties she was experiencing pressured her to hunt bodily assist from the trunk of a date palm. She leaned in opposition to the trunk of the date palm or held on to it as a way to relieve among the bodily ache she was experiencing. This can be a very vivid and highly effective description of how Maryam (as) was feeling. The pains of childbirth, the ache felt by a mom when giving delivery, her contractions, are indescribable. Anybody with youngsters, significantly moms, is aware of how painful and tough this course of is. She was additionally experiencing emotional ache in addition to understood from the earlier verse.

The fruits of all of this bodily and emotional ache induced her to say, “Oh, I want I had died earlier than this and was lengthy forgotten.” I want I may have been taken from the lifetime of this world earlier than all of this ache and problem and earlier than folks would accuse me and query my modesty, chastity, and morality. I want that I may die earlier than folks accuse me of this sin and look down upon my household and me. That is a particularly highly effective expression that captures her emotions and feelings. That is how essential modesty, honor, and chastity have been to her. She’d slightly be lifeless than be accused of illicit relations and have that as a stain on her and her household. “And was lengthy forgotten.” That means, not solely lifeless however utterly forgotten and erased from folks’s recollections. Instantly after expressing her deep feelings and exposing her vulnerability earlier than Allah ﷻ, He despatched His distinctive and infinite mercy upon her.

Verse 24

فَنَادَىٰهَا مِن تَحْتِهَآ أَلَّا تَحْزَنِى قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّۭا

So he known as her from beneath her, “Don’t grieve! Your Lord has offered a stream at your toes.

“So he known as out from beneath her, ‘Don’t grieve.’” That means, somebody known as out from beneath her telling her to not be frightened, grieved, anxious, or unhappy. The students of tafsīr point out two totally different explanations right here. The primary is that Jibrīl (as) known as out to her consoling and comforting her; telling her to not be unhappy. The second is that Allah ﷻ allowed ʿIsā (as) to miraculously communicate at that second comforting his mom and telling her to not be unhappy. “Your Lord has offered a stream at your toes.” Allah ﷻ induced a small stream to movement at her toes so she may drink water, quench her thirst, cool off, and wash up. 

Verse 25

وَهُزِّىٓ إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ تُسَـٰقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًۭا جَنِيًّۭا

And shake the trunk of this palm tree in direction of you, it’ll drop contemporary, ripe dates upon you.

ٓ As one other signal that every thing will likely be alright, that the assistance and mercy of Allah ﷻ are along with her, as a supply of consolation, reassurance, and comfort, she was instructed to shake the trunk of the date palm that she was leaning in opposition to and getting assist from. As soon as she shook the trunk, the date palm would drop contemporary, ripe dates upon her. It’s talked about in a number of narrations that this explicit date palm was dry, devoid of fruit and fonds and was in the midst of the desert. Nevertheless, when she shook the trunk, contemporary ripe dates miraculously fell upon her. 

Right here it is very important observe that in line with the vast majority of students, Maryam (as) isn’t thought of to be a prophet. Nevertheless, we discover that Allah ﷻ used her to show a number of miraculous issues as an indication of His infinite would possibly and energy. Usually talking, in English, all uncommon and supernatural occasions are known as miracles. Nevertheless, inside our Sharīʿah and system of perception we differentiate between various kinds of “miracles”. The Arabic language marks the refined variations that exist between every sort. A miracle, muʿjizah, is an uncommon occasion that happens by the hands of a prophet however is solely an act of Allah ﷻ; the prophet has no position in its creation in anyway. A miracle is outlined as “a transparent interruption in God’s regular sample of making issues – one that’s inimitable (such that no different can carry out the like) and is granted to somebody who claims to be a prophet despatched by God, the exalted.” In different phrases, a miracle is a divine act that defies and transcends common norms and legal guidelines, which Allah ﷻ grants to His prophets and messengers as a way to persuade folks of the reality of their message.

A saintly miracle, or karāmah, can be one thing extraordinary. It’s an act of Allah ﷻ nevertheless it seems by the hands of somebody near Allah ﷻ. It’s an “act of God ﷻ that contradicts His customary norm, with the consequence that the servant realizes the fruit of his worship, and [as a result], his perception relating to the validity of his faith could enhance.” This incident of ripe dates falling on her lap after shaking a dry barren tree and a stream flowing at her toes are labeled as saintly miracles. 

One other attention-grabbing level to notice is that If Allah ﷺ had willed, He may have induced the dates to fall in her lap with out having her shake the tree. Allah ﷻ commanded her to shake the tree to indicate how essential it’s to make use of the signifies that we’ve got out there to us. The quantity of sustenance, meals, drink, and water every of us goes to obtain all through our lives has already been decided and decreed by Allah ﷻ. Nevertheless, that doesn’t imply that we’ll obtain our sustenance robotically with none effort; cash, meals, drink, and garments won’t simply fall into our laps. We nonetheless need to work exhausting and try for it utilizing the entire out there sources at our disposal. Planning, getting ready, and placing forth our greatest efforts isn’t opposite to the idea of yaqīn (certainty in Allah’s promise) or tawakkul, having belief in Allah ﷻ. All of that is an important side of putting our absolute belief in Allah ﷻ.