# Juz 18: The Qur’an Is A Cure | Dr. Tesneem Alkiek

**Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman
**Series:** Qur’an 30 for 30 | Season 7
**Published:** 2026-03-07
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/tQFk40eSGjA
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-18
**Topics:** Faith, Quran

## Summary
In this episode of Qur'an 30 for 30, Dr. Tesneem Alkiek and Sheikh Abdullah discuss Juz 18, which encompasses Surah Al-Mu'minun, Surah An-Nur, and Surah Al-Furqan. The discussion opens with the thematic contrast between Juz 17, where people are described as heedless and turning away (mu'ridun), and Juz 18, which begins with 'Qad aflaha al-mu'minun' — the successful believers who have deep humility in their prayers. The speakers highlight how Allah (ﷺ) introduces Himself across these three surahs: as Al-Khaliq (the Creator) in Al-Mu'minun, as Nur al-Samawat wal-Ard (the Light of the Heavens and Earth) in An-Nur, and as the One who revealed Al-Furqan (the Criterion) in Surah Al-Furqan. The Qur'an is described as a shifa (cure and protection), with the insight attributed to Hasan al-Basri that it is not the person who guards the Qur'an, but rather the Qur'an that guards the person. A powerful passage from Surah Al-Mu'minun is explored, depicting the Day of Judgment as a courtroom scene where the disbelievers who mocked the believers are held accountable, while those who persevered in faith and made sincere du'a — 'Ya Allah, forgive us, You are the best of those who show mercy' — are honored by Allah. The names Al-Malik and Al-Haqq are discussed as a reminder that Allah is the true and ultimate King, whose mercy (rahma) permeates all His attributes. Dr. Alkiek shares a personal reflection on Allah's name Al-Haleem (the Forbearing), noting that Allah's endless patience with human shortcomings should inspire believers to embody forbearance themselves. The episode concludes with an encouragement to utilize the last ten nights of Ramadan for khalwah (private devotion), sincere repentance, and du'a, before the opportunity passes.

## Key Points
- Juz 18 begins with 'Qad aflaha al-mu'minun' [Al-Mu'minun 23:1], contrasting with Juz 17's description of people who are heedless and turning away from Allah.
- The concept of falah (success) in this Juz is achieved by deeply connecting to Allah, responding to His call, and inviting Him into one's heart and deeds.
- Across the three surahs of Juz 18, Allah introduces Himself as Al-Khaliq (Creator) in Al-Mu'minun, as the Light of the Heavens and Earth in An-Nur, and as the Revealer of Al-Furqan (the Criterion) in Surah Al-Furqan.
- The Qur'an is described as a shifa (cure and protection) for the soul — it sustains the heart through recitation, pondering, and even the struggle of reciting.
- Hasan al-Basri's insight: it is not the person who guards the Qur'an in memory, but rather the Qur'an that envelops and protects the person from spiritual and physical harm.
- A vivid Day of Judgment scene in Surah Al-Mu'minun depicts those who mocked believers being held accountable, while those who persevered in faith and made sincere du'a are honored by Allah.
- The names Al-Malik (the King) and Al-Haqq (the Truth) remind believers that Allah is the ultimate authority, and that possessing the Qur'an means possessing the truth and clarity others lack.
- Allah's name Al-Haleem (the Forbearing) reflects His endless patience with human mistakes, which should inspire believers to be more forgiving and forbearing toward others.
- Allah's mercy (rahma) is paired with every one of His names — He is Rahman even in His justice, power, and judgment.
- The last ten nights of Ramadan are an opportunity for khalwah (private devotion with Allah), sincere repentance, and du'a, and believers are urged not to delay turning back to Allah.

## Chapters
- 0:00 Introduction
- 1:37 What’s coming next for Yaqeen?
- 3:24 Dr. Tesneem Alkiek’s favorite name of Allah
- 4:10 Post-Ramadan dip advice
- 5:20 Success of the believers
- 9:22 How Allah sustains
- 11:50 Dr. Tesneem’s thoughts on Juz 18
- 13:00 Reflecting on the powerful Surah Ibrahim
- 20:00 Day of Judgment as a courtroom
- 27:00 Takeaways to not despair

## Transcript
**[0:05]** The Day of Judgment, سبحان الله, as a courtroom is such a scary thought. May Allah عز وجل protect us and make our حساب easy. What other judge will say, "Oh, like, let's bring the voluntary deeds and, like, let's fill in," especially when the judge is the subject of the transgression? But the sustenance of the soul,

**[0:22]** سبحان الله, the Quran is that without a doubt. That the Quran, when one reads it, when one ponders over it, it starts inward. And Allah, سبحانه وتعالى, is the One that has created all of creation. He's created the human beings, the plants, everything. That moment that you feel belittled or insignificant or, like, honestly,

**[0:40]** like, people are making fun of you and you have those moments, remember this fierce discussion, this like, Allah سبحانه وتعالى putting these people in their place, their rightful place.

**[0:55]** السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته, everyone. Welcome back to Quran 30 for 30. الحمد لله رب العالمين. As we come into the 18th juz', we are just at the gates of the last 10 nights. We want to remind you all, إن شاء الله تعالى, to please tune in to all the content that's coming up, إن شاء الله. Keep

**[1:11]** up with the content that's already come out. And بإذن الله تعالى, support the work of Yaqeen. You have an opportunity, insha'Allah, in these last 10 nights to plug in your donations for the last 10 بإذن الله تعالى. This is where the majority of our support comes in for the entire year, is through people like yourselves that benefit from

**[1:27]** the content and want other people to benefit as well, إن شاء الله تعالى, and continue to do so without any charge, بإذن الله تعالى. We have with us, الحمد لله رب العالمين, one of our oldest contributors, إن شاء الله, who's been with Yaqeen from the very start, الحمد لله رب العالمين, Dr. Tasneem Alkiek. How are you?

**[1:43]** الحمد لله, doing good. I didn't get a doctora this time. Doctora? I said doctora, right? Doctor, doctora. Yeah, yeah, doctora. مرت الدكتور، right? That's what they're saying. الدكتور معاذ، ما شاء الله. الله يحفظكم. And Umm Nusayba, we can say that. That's probably like the most, like,

**[1:59]** uh— It's taken. It's taken. Umm Nusayba sticks, الحمد لله رب العالمين. Masha'Allah, you're doing a lot, الحمد لله. You're writing a lot. You got the, uh, series Real Talk, الحمد لله, was beautifully filmed. Um, what do you—what do you say to people now that are like, Yaqeen

**[2:15]** is awesome in Ramadan, but like, how do we, uh, keep it up for them, إن شاء الله تعالى, after Ramadan? What do they have to look forward to after Ramadan? Why should they continue to tune into Yaqeen? الحمد لله, we just finished wrapping up production for a whole new series, for the women's, uh, series on Real Talk. At this

**[2:32]** point, it's already—all 10 episodes have come out. And I think this is just the start, الحمد لله. Our media team is incredibly talented, and they're really ready to produce a lot more, a lot faster, a lot better. And I think it's—I think it's only the beginning. So if you enjoyed Ramadan, if you enjoyed the series before,

**[2:50]** uh, we need your guidance in terms of, like, what you want next because we're—I think ready to move full speed ahead, الحمد لله. Insha'Allah. What about the research beyond the media? You know, um, what do you tell people that don't feel like reading papers? Do I go into my professor mode about, like, the importance

**[3:06]** of literacy? Yes. Especially in AI. You know, I know, I guess I can—I can speak to something because, like, I recorded a video, and one of the episodes was on marriage. I also wrote a paper on gender roles. The amount of detail I was able to go through in the paper that you can't get in a

**[3:22]** video series, it's just—there's so much more to the conversation. So I think that reading papers is so valuable for those who are looking for detail, for citations and evidence. And, like, you're a lot more careful with wording, and that's so important, especially when you're getting into sort of, like, more nuanced topics. You really want to be

**[3:38]** careful with word choice. And, like, sometimes you're on a podcast, and it's really hard to just be, like, specific with what you're trying to say. So I think you want to take it to the next level. بسم الله, let's, you know, start reading the papers, and we'll produce the papers you want, the topics people want. So we just need to hear from you, and إن شاء الله we can

**[3:55]** do that too. I think people often forget, like, we've—we never stopped producing papers. We keep producing, الحمد لله. We constantly invest in our research, الحمد لله. And both the media quality, the substance is growing, as well as the papers. And you've been a huge part of that, May Allah عز وجل reward you and the whole

**[4:10]** research team. Last question for you before we get started with the juz' is, what's your favorite name of Allah سبحانه وتعالى at this moment? I think Al-Haleem has been resonating a lot lately. Al-Haleem, I just—I think to my—because the way that I've been approaching the names of Allah سبحانه

**[4:25]** وتعالى is, how can I be a better person through the name of Allah سبحانه وتعالى? Like, how can I be inspired to be a better person when I think of Al-Haleem? And that's something I can work on. And when I see Allah سبحانه وتعالى's hilm in our life, His forbearance, His gentleness, His, like, His

**[4:42]** 'afw, like, the constantly forgiving, I think to myself, man, I really gotta step it up. If Allah سبحانه وتعالى is this generous with us, the least we can do is sort of resemble that, even a fraction. Absolutely. Jazak Allah khair. Shaykh Abdullah, as we're getting into the last 10 almost now,

**[4:58]** like, this is like a post-Ramadan dip, you know, like, you gotta crank it back up. What's your quick advice to people before we get started? Like, how do they not take it into the last 10 in the right way? I think really what's important is to look in the benefit of what is called khalwah, to have

**[5:14]** your time alone with Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Maybe these times in Ramadan, you know, you're praying in congregation, then after that you're hanging out with people and stuff like that. But have you really had that time to make Tahajjud, you know, and have your time alone with Allah سبحانه وتعالى and to listen to your thoughts and to ponder on that? That's

**[5:30]** really important because, like, there's a lot of programming, a lot of community in the last 10 and stuff like that. But there's also, like, that important command to really isolate yourself, even when you're in the masjid, take a corner, you know, sit with yourself, like, try not to just constantly get lost in the community

**[5:47]** stuff, but also in your individual stuff. جزاك الله خيرا, that's very beneficial. By the way, it actually fits juz' 18. So as we come to it, because juz' 18 starts off with قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ, right? So successful are the believers, and those are

**[6:03]** the ones that first and foremost have deep humility in their prayers. So just a quick overview of this juz' as it relates to how Allah عز وجل talks about Himself. First and foremost, سبحان الله, this is a ملاحظة, just something I noticed the beginning of Juz' 17

**[6:18]** is Allah عز وجل describing النَّاسُ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُونَ They're pushing away the hour. As the hour is coming close to them, they're pushing away Allah عز وجل, the hour, all thoughts of religiosity. And then this juz' starts off with قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ

**[6:33]** like, they're inviting Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the thoughts of the hereafter and what comes into their lives. So right away there is a contrast that's being drawn. Also, Allah عز وجل mentions الفلاح success. I know I haven't started with the part about Allah سبحانه وتعالى, but I couldn't help

**[6:49]** this part, success. قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ The believers have been successful. After Al-Mu'minun comes An-Nur, and Allah عز وجل says in verse 51 إنما كان قول المؤمنين إذا دعوا إلى الله ورسوله ليحكم بينهم

**[7:06]** أن يقولوا سمعنا وأطعنا وأولئك هم المفلحون So Allah عز وجل mentions that the only response for the true believers when they're called to Allah and His Messenger, so that He may judge between them, is to say, "We hear and we obey." Verily, they are the ones who truly succeed. So this idea of falah

**[7:23]** is so, you know, powerful in this juz'. Like, this is how you succeed: by connecting deeply to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, responding to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, inviting Allah عز وجل into your thoughts, into your deeds, into your hearts, and moving accordingly. The last thing

**[7:38]** that I'll say here, insha'Allah تعالى, in regards to this overview, just look at Al-Mu'minun, An-Nur, Al-Furqan. In Surah Al-Mu'minun, Allah عز وجل introduces Himself as Al-Khaliq, the Creator, right? So the One who created Al-Insan, who created humanity, and who sustains humanity.

**[7:57]** Surah An-Nur, اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ. Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. And so you have this idea of Allah عز وجل creating and not just guiding, but Allah سبحانه وتعالى bringing life in the full spiritual sense through His light to everything

**[8:13]** that He created. And then Surah Al-Furqan, تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ right? The most blessed incubator of that light is the Quran, right? And so Allah عز وجل praises Himself as the Creator in Surah Al-Mu'minun, He praises Himself as the Light in

**[8:31]** Surah An-Nur, and then He praises Himself as the one who revealed the Book of Light, the criterion of truth. You know, نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ. It's really interesting because, like, when Allah عز وجل refers to the Quran as Al-Furqan, it's the criterion, right? And you think about,

**[8:46]** like, the way people are being described in Juz' 17, right? مُعْرِضُونَ, turning away, not paying attention, distant. And then in this juz', people that are deeply connecting—and of course the contrast is in every juz' between the believers and the disbelievers—the Furqan sorts

**[9:02]** out light from darkness, truth from falsehood, success from failure, right? And all of that goes back to the source of all truth, Al-Haqq Himself, سبحانه وتعالى, An-Nur Himself, سبحانه وتعالى. So He's the Lord of creation. He's the light of guidance. He's the One who descends

**[9:20]** revelation. So it's, you know, if there's, like, a visual map—and I often try to think about this when we're reading through a juz'—like, if this juz' could be summarized in a visual, right? And don't ask AI to do it for you. You know, this is تَدَبُّر وَتَفَكُّر. You have

**[9:35]** to sit and do it yourself and actually draw something out in your head and your heart. It's Allah سبحانه وتعالى engaging every single element of creation with all that He's given around us. The Book, the signs, Allah عز وجل engaging the heart,

**[9:51]** Allah engaging the mind, that translating into your prayer, that translating into every form of, like, deep, thoughtful engagement with everything that Allah سبحانه وتعالى has put around you. So first and foremost, Shaykh Abdullah, would love to just hear your thoughts

**[10:07]** about how we approach this concept as believers. Yeah, سبحان الله. I mean, you know, when Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the way He chooses to sustain His creation in different ways with the creation, you see that there's the tangible aspect of it. I mean, even though اللَّهُ نُورُ

**[10:22]** السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ we see how Allah سبحانه وتعالى causes there's different forms of creation that illuminate on other forms of creation to bring forth life and even to sustain it. But the sustenance of the soul, سبحان الله, the Quran is that without a doubt, that the Quran, when one reads it, when one ponders over it, it

**[10:39]** starts inward. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى is the One that has created all of creation. He's created the human beings, the plants, everything, etc. But then within itself, they all work within each other, with each other in harmony, in synchrony, to maintain each other all ultimately

**[10:55]** under the authority of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. But then the Quran, with the human beings, that sustenance of recitation, that sustenance of pondering over what you recite, the blessings of struggling when reciting, you know, it's all a form of bringing life and sustenance to

**[11:12]** the heart. You know, in this month of Ramadan, how the Quran is probably the—we hear the Quran the most in this month, you know, whether we're in the masjid, whether we're in our homes, whether alone at the خلوة, alone with الله سبحانه وتعالى. This is a, you know, a lot of times we like to use the term to recharge, recharge our soul, recharge our heart,

**[11:29]** recharge our pondering over الله سبحانه وتعالى, our awareness of the creation and of the Creator. I think that's beautiful in this regards when الله سبحانه وتعالى is talking about how He is the نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ and also the Quran is that which brings life. But as a result of that, the more that you recite

**[11:47]** it, the blessings, some of them you will know and encounter and realize and be thankful for, some you will know and encounter and not be thankful for, and some you won't even realize, but it's still there. It's a blessing, but we're not even aware of it. So when you fall into the category of knowing it, realizing

**[12:04]** it, being thankful for that, that's when hopefully it will really, really become a furqan for you. You're able to decipher between truth and falsehood. You're able to make the right choices in Ramadan. You're able to fight yourself at 2:00 in the morning when Fajr is at 2:45 or 3:00 in the morning, 3:45. You're able to do

**[12:20]** that in that month of Ramadan and hopefully sustain that within the following months, إن شاء الله. Beautiful words, سبحان الله. So unless you know the truth of what's in front of you, then you can't act in a way that is, you know, in accordance with that truth. نعم. with what you know. That's such a beautiful way of looking at it. جزاك الله خير شيخ. Dr. Tasneem, any

**[12:37]** sort of thoughts on the overview of the juz' before we get to the specific page I want to ask you about? Yeah, so I just wanted to add, like, the idea that the Quran is a شفاء, Allah سبحانه وتعالى describes as a شفاء, like, going to imagery, right? You got to be creative with how you imagine that شفاء, that cure, that protection that

**[12:56]** the Quran comes into your life. Because sometimes it's, like, it could be just you not getting into that car accident. My child comes out healthy from school every single day, and I think to myself, that might be the Quran protecting my child. Like, people ask me all the time, like, "ما شاء الله, like, your life is

**[13:11]** organized and clean," or whatever. They'll say what they say. And I think to myself, it's the Quran protecting me. Like, that is really what gets me through day by day. And I think it requires that little bit of imagination because sometimes we think it comes, like, in the form of, like, money or, like, something very specific, or I've healed from cancer. But there's so much that could

**[13:30]** have afflicted you that Allah سبحانه وتعالى protected you from because of your relationship with the Quran. And I think that's when you start to invite that imagination, like, the possibilities are endless, and you just start to see Allah's rahmah and mercy and shifa' everywhere. سبحان الله. So powerful. Like, people are always, like, once you get sick, let me

**[13:45]** read Quran. Let me do this. Let me try to cure you with the Quran. But it's, you know, as Hasan al-Basri رحمه الله said, obviously it's a deeper, you know, connotation. But, you know, someone said that فلان يحفظ القرآن that so-and-so memorized the Quran. قال بل

**[14:00]** القرآن يحفظه He said, rather the Quran protects him, right? He doesn't protect; he doesn't guard the Quran with his memory. Rather, the Quran envelopes him and protects him. And of course, that's from spiritual illness. That's from physical illness. That's from so much of calamity that can come in the deepest sense of the word. So, Dr.

**[14:17]** Tasneem, when we get to, um, this page, this is a really powerful page, Surah Al-Mu'minun. You know, Allah سبحانه وتعالى says, فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ. It's like, تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ. These are such powerful words. فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ. So exalted is Allah سبحانه وتعالى,

**[14:36]** الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ. There is no God worthy of worship except Him, the Lord of the noble throne. This page, though, it really talks about, you know, Allah being greater than everything else and the purpose that you should find in life. So as Allah

**[14:51]** عز وجل highlights how limited our time on earth is, what then should we be living for, you know, when it comes to this particular page and the names that are brought up on this page? You know, I was very excited to have Juz' 18 because this is one of the pages in the Quran that every time

**[15:07]** I read, I almost always have to stop. Like, it's like those goosebumps moments. The page starts off because with this very descriptive imagery of the people who are now punished in the next life. And it's like this back-and-forth dialogue of them begging Allah سبحانه وتعالى,

**[15:23]** "Ya Allah, like, please, we regret it. We messed up. Get us out." And Allah سبحانه وتعالى, أَلَمْ تَكُنْ آيَاتِي تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ. Like, Allah سبحانه وتعالى asked them, "Did you not have all of the signs? Like, you had everything. I told you time and time again, this is my message. This is I'm trying to guide you."

**[15:40]** and you continued to reject them. There's just very, like, again, like, goosebump-like dialogue between Allah سبحانه وتعالى and those who are now being punished. قَالُوا رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا شِقْوَتُنَا Like, we were overwhelmed. We couldn't help ourselves. And they're just trying to

**[15:55]** negotiate any way back out. And the way Allah سبحانه وتعالى, like, puts it into context is absolutely incredible. He says, قَالَ اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا Like, you're staying in there. وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ I don't want—like, essentially, like, not a word, right? You had your chance. You could have spoken up. You

**[16:12]** could have done whatever it is that you needed to do. Now it's too late. إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِي You know what? There was a group of my worshipers. There was a group of people who saw the signs that I clearly displayed, clearly gave, and they

**[16:28]** responded, right? إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِي يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ Ya Allah, we believe in You. Please forgive us. Have mercy on us. Like, we see Your messages. We see Your signs. And because we know everything we're doing wrong, please forgive us, Ya

**[16:44]** Allah. Please have mercy. Like, وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ You are the best of those who are merciful to others. فَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُمْ سِخْرِيًّا حَتَّىٰ أَنسَوْكُمْ ذِكْرِي And this is the part that really just gives me chills. You guys used to make fun of these people

**[17:00]** until, like, you lost sight of everything. You were constantly teasing these people. You were criminalizing these people. You always were after them. And it's just such a lived experience, I think, for so many of us, where you feel like, whether you're in college, you're

**[17:15]** in school, you're in hijab in public, we all have those moments where you feel so small and belittled and, like, insignificant. And you're constantly like, "What are you wearing that for? Why are you doing that? Really going to stop and pray? Like, you believe in God?" Like, something even as basic of, like, really, like, the

**[17:30]** amount of times I was not taken seriously. It's like, "Okay, God's in the picture for you." And there's those moments that you have and you just feel so little and insignificant. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى flips the script on the Day of Judgment and says, "Those people that you sat and made fun of, like, I'm saving

**[17:47]** them." And you are going to اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا, just you can sort of revel in this punishment. And I think to me, like, that is such an incredible display of Allah سبحانه وتعالى's, like, His mercy to us in this dunya now still. That moment that you feel belittled

**[18:04]** or insignificant or, like, honestly, like, people are making fun of you and you have those moments, remember this fierce discussion, this like, Allah سبحانه وتعالى putting these people in their place, their rightful place. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى praising you that on that day, when you got past that moment, when you were able to turn

**[18:22]** to Allah and say, like, "Listen, this is really difficult. ربنا اغفر لنا. I know I'm messing it up. Somehow I'm not doing what I need to be doing. فارحمنا وأنت خير الراحمين." Right? It's just like this is Allah سبحانه وتعالى inviting you, "Be one of those people." You were made fun of. Everyone's going to be made fun of.

**[18:38]** But when you stand out and you push through and you make this du'a, that is really what's going to distinguish you on the Day of Judgment. So to me, it's a message of, like, fear, fear of not being among those who make fun of those who believe in God, but of hope

**[18:53]** for those who stick through despite that. And so this is like a really important segue, really, like the setup to what Allah سبحانه وتعالى says next. And then it says they're asked, like, "قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ؟" Like, how long were you even on that earth, on this earth? Like, how long were you even there to make fun of, to disbelieve, to neglect my signs?

**[19:11]** You know, and they respond, like, just a few days. Like, I don't know. The time went by so fast. It was a couple of days here and there. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى says, "No, no." Like, again, putting it into context. أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا؟ Like, at the end of the day, you neglected my signs. It

**[19:27]** was all just a few days. It was just a blink of an eye and everything was over. أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا؟ Those few days, you had the opportunity. That limited time on earth, you had that opportunity. I created you for a purpose. I sent you signs. You have something to look forward to, to push through. Like,

**[19:44]** literally, it just builds up all this into this moment. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says, فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۚ Exalted is Allah سبحانه وتعالى, الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۖ Right? And there's a couple of ways you can read this ayah, but الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۖ Like, if you read them separately, I think is a good starting point. الْمَلِكُ

**[20:01]** The king. But the king of what? The king of this world, right? That those moments when you feel unsure, like, unconfident about who you are as a Muslim, as a believer, that it's difficult, and it is difficult to believe, right? God is the true king. He's the owner of this world. Like, I don't care who's in power now.

**[20:19]** We have that focus. God is الْمَلِكُ. And الْحَقُّ. We have truth. We have the Furqan, right? We have what can guide us, make us, help us make those distinctions, have us stick to the truth, have that clarity that people are so desperately looking for, right? And then you can read the names together. الملك الحق, the true king,

**[20:37]** the only king, right? The best of kings. And I think it's like, again, that powerful reminder of putting things in their place, that people will make fun of you. Those people will exist who deny me. When you stick through, you make this du'a. وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ And the surah also ends with the same thing. وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ Right?

**[20:55]** That you are the best of those who have mercy. It's this desperate plea. Allah, have mercy on us because it's not easy. And when you do, Allah سبحانه وتعالى says, "I will give you your rightful place." This world is only a few days. It's going to pass like this. You're going to be asked, and it's going to be like, "What? It was just a day or two." And Allah سبحانه وتعالى reminds us, "We did

**[21:12]** not create you without that purpose." So to me, it's when I read الملك الحق, I think to myself, Allah سبحانه وتعالى is the real. He's the one in charge, right? Don't lose sight of that. And we have the truth. We have something that these people don't have. And it's that what sets us apart. And it's that which

**[21:30]** gets us to that place, that rank where we can be told. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says, "No, no, you, you get all of this because you stood fast, right? You get all of this because despite everyone pressuring you, you believed in my word." And it's an invitation to make this du'a day in and day out,

**[21:45]** especially last nights of Ramadan. ربنا اغفر لنا وارحمنا وأنت خير الراحمين Ya Allah, please forgive us. Have mercy on us. You are the best of those who have mercy. Yeah, سبحان الله, there's a lot of things that went through my mind in that. سبحان الله, that verse always, every time, اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ It's like the first

**[22:03]** thing I think about is, you know, if you're that person that has told someone something over and over and time and time again, and they don't do it, and then when they finally, you know, see the, they get stung by the reality of what you told them to stay away from, and then they come to you, "No, no, I told you." That's it,

**[22:18]** "I've told you. That's it." You know, now you have to deal with that particular situation. You have to face the consequences. And then وَلِلَّهِ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَى Allah is a much greater, much greater example. سبحان الله, when Allah سبحانه وتعالى, الرحمن At the same time, He's saying, "No, no, stay there and don't even speak." لا تكلمون

**[22:34]** That's it. All those opportunities that's been there in this life. And then I started to think about, سبحان الله, there was an individual that used to live with me. He was locked up, you know, ما شاء الله, of course, ما شاء الله, may Allah bless him. I met him when he became a Muslim. He became a Muslim. He got kicked out of his house. He

**[22:50]** lived with me. Then when I went to go study in Medina, he went back to jail. Then I graduated from Medina. We ended up living together again. Don't ask me how. That's just from the qadr of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. But he was telling me, and I was remembering, for those of you that are out there, that, you know, when you commit that crime or you do something wrong and then you go to court, even if it's

**[23:07]** a speeding ticket, you go to court, you're very subservient at that moment. You don't want to face any penalty. You're going to be in your best manners. يعني سبحان الله وَلِلَّهِ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَى تَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ He is the owner of that day and all the other days. And that day, He's the owner. There is no

**[23:23]** لِمَنِ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ؟ As Allah سبحانه وتعالى says, "Who is the authority for on this day?" Allah is telling you. He is telling you. But if we're not reading these verses, if we're not constantly encountering what Allah is telling you, He's painting the picture for you, for you to even think about what efforts are you making. Because

**[23:40]** those of you that have went to court, at least, and many other examples, you're saying, "Man, I wish I wouldn't have done that. I wish I wouldn't have sped. I wish I would have paid that bill. I wish I would have done. I wish I would have done so and so and so and so." After that, what are you going to do in the following days? What are you going to do after this Ramadan is over? On these last ten days, how are you going to rectify

**[23:56]** those those deeds? What are you going to do? And even if it's a little, do that little deed, but have that إخلاص sincerity. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى will rectify it, insha'Allah. But that day will come. And that is what He's warning you about, the one that has authority, because He is the king, the ownership. He

**[24:13]** is the one that has authority over that day. And He's letting you know that, firstly, there will be a day that will take place. You don't want to be from those inhabitants. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى make us free from that, insha'Allah. سبحان الله, such a powerful elaboration. May Allah reward you. I don't think

**[24:28]** I'll read the page the same way again. May Allah عز وجل bless you. But سبحان الله, like that imagery of the courtroom that you're just talking about, like my brother's a lawyer. You talk about this like a lot, like what it looks like in a courtroom, right? Like, and you're right. Like, unless it's like a political prisoner,

**[24:43]** like these people that are wrongfully being held, but someone like that did something and they know they did it, what are you dependent on at that point? You're dependent upon, in the worldly sense, how well your lawyer can argue for you, how many holes your lawyer can poke,

**[25:00]** and then your performance of guilt. It's your performance of guilt, how regretful you can appear to be in those moments so that maybe the jury or the judge would look at you with some pity. And you can always see when they're like reading out, like showing the videos, you see the person kind of put their head down.

**[25:16]** Very few people will like sit up and laugh because they know they're done anyway. You know, people put their heads down. It's just kind of like, man, like, yeah, like, how do you feel about yourself right now? How do you feel about what you did? And the Day of Judgment, سبحان الله, as a courtroom, is such a scary thought.

**[25:32]** You know, may Allah عز وجل protect us and make our hisab easy. And I think the part of like خير الراحمين، اللهم ارحمنا. O Allah, have mercy on us. It's not just the forgiveness, but the fact that anybody passes through that, because you can't perform

**[25:47]** for Allah سبحانه وتعالى, you can't fake this. You can't fake regret on the Day of Judgment. The fact that anybody survives that. And in fact, Allah عز وجل guarantees the believers, right? يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا that they'll have an easy accountability. And Allah عز وجل

**[26:04]** will allow the Prophet (ﷺ) to intercede. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى will fill in, like, what other judge, seriously, what other judge will say, "Oh, like, let's bring the voluntary deeds and like, let's fill in," especially when the judge is the subject of the transgression. You aggressed on the rights of Allah عز وجل.

**[26:21]** There's not another party here. This is between you and Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Of course, if there's a ظلم towards another person, you know, يا ويلك you're in trouble. Woe to you. Like, because Allah سبحانه وتعالى is just. He's not going to show mercy on behalf of someone else. He's going to take their full rights. But overall, like, you aggressed on the rights of Allah

**[26:40]** سبحانه وتعالى. You're standing in front of Allah saying, "Where are the voluntary deeds? Patch up the obligatory good deeds." And Allah سبحانه وتعالى bringing you close to Him, نجوى, saying, like, "You committed these sins in secret. I'm covering you, I'm concealing you. I'm forgiving you for them. And by the way,

**[26:56]** I'm not going to embarrass you in front of these people." What other judge does that? So when you think of الملك الحق, Allah عز وجل is the ultimate king, the ultimate judge. The fact that that's paired with His رحمة and that's something, سبحان الله, in the very beginning of the Ramadan series, when we're talking about the names of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, if you

**[27:13]** pair الرحمن with any other name, it fits. Every other name of Allah, if you put الرحمن first, it fits, because He's الرحمن with His justice. He's الرحمن with His power. He's الرحمن with His might. He's الرحمن

**[27:28]** with His all of it, avenging. He's الرحمن with all of it, right? So at the end of the day, you know, you come back to the beginning of Surah Al-Mu'minun. Can we focus? Can we exert ourselves? And, you know, Dr. Tasneem, I

**[27:44]** want to leave the last word with you إن شاء الله, the last couple of minutes. You know, you started us off with this really powerful discussion. What are some takeaways for people to not despair? You know, I think it's beautiful because we're talking about on the Day of Judgment when it's too late. But I think about all of the times, but there's a friend that I had

**[28:01]** that was constantly sort of going down this downhill. and is a very close friend. And I kept, like, day in and day out, listen, you're in a bad space, you're in a bad place. Like, you need to get out of it. You got to do X, Y, Z. Day in and day out for months on end. Of course,

**[28:18]** months, almost a year passes by. And exactly what I predicted was going to happen happened. And I just remember being so angry the second I heard that what I told them for almost a year, day in and day out, like, you got to change, you got to change, exactly what I told them was

**[28:34]** going to happen happened. Go to my room. I'm like screaming in my pillow, like, "Hello, I gave you all the tips you needed. I was the support you needed. Like, I reminded you. Like, there was no, you have no excuse." And for like 30 seconds, I was just like sort of screaming into my pillow, like, "I can't

**[28:50]** I can't believe this happened." And then it just like something clicked in my head. And I was like, "This sounds familiar. This sounds familiar." Day in and day out, الله سبحانه وتعالى gives you signs. This is my message. These are my laws. This is what you do. Everything I'm telling you to do is good for you. Everything is

**[29:05]** good for you. Just listen to me. I got you. And day in and day out, we make a mistake. Day in and day out, we're like, "Oops, sorry, did it again." Day in and day out, we come to Ramadan and we got a full plate. And I thought to myself, like, and when I mentioned hilm in the beginning, it was like this hilm, like Allah سبحانه وتعالى,

**[29:21]** I'm like, "Wait a minute." It's like the anger within like a minute dissipated. Like, if Allah سبحانه وتعالى can forgive me day in and day out for making these mistakes, who am I not to forgive this person right now? And I had no grudge at that moment, just thinking of Allah سبحانه وتعالى's mercy

**[29:38]** and hilm, His forbearance for our mistakes day in and day out, despite every single time telling us, "I told you so." But then that is balanced, right? That rahmah, that hilm is balanced with Allah سبحانه وتعالى saying, "You have a time. You can't play this game for the rest of your life. I'll give you chance after chance

**[29:55]** after chance." But for those who have lost their chance and have continued to push past and refuse to ask for forgiveness, for that guidance, that's when Allah سبحانه وتعالى, His judgment, His decree, like you can read those verses and think like, "That's very strict." But

**[30:11]** if you know the context of like the amount of رحمة Allah سبحانه وتعالى gave you on this earth, day in and day out, I reminded you, I gave you everything. But now you are taking advantage of me. That is when, like, Allah سبحانه وتعالى, like, clarifies, like, "I'm in charge," right? الملك الحق. And so I think there's like that balancing act. Like Allah سبحانه

**[30:28]** وتعالى, His mercy is there in this dunya. Take advantage of it. Like, because when that day comes, that is when your last chance is over. And that is the reminder Allah سبحانه وتعالى, like, don't wait until you get to that day, right? We want to turn to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, especially the last ten nights

**[30:43]** of Ramadan. And He gave you that opportunity. Come back to the last ten nights to do the same thing. رب اغفر وارحم وأنت خير الراحمين. جزاكم الله خيرا. Powerful words to get us set up for the last ten. A few seconds over time, but it's good for us, insha'Allah. I don't think anyone's complaining about that take-home message. May Allah bless you and reward you. جزاكم الله خيرا

**[31:00]** Everyone, tune in, insha'Allah, tomorrow night. Keep us in your du'as. السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته.

## Other Episodes in "Qur’an 30 for 30 | Season 7"
- [Juz 30: Love Al-Razzaq More Than Rizq | Sh. Navaid Aziz](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-30.md)
- [Juz 29: Your Spiritual Report Card  | Dr. Nazir Khan](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-29.md)
- [Juz 28: How To Truly Be Conscious of Allah | Dr. Jinan Yousef](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-28.md)
- [Juz 27: The Night You Give Everything | Sh. Abu Bakr Zoud](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-27.md)
- [Juz 26: Don’t Run From Struggle | Sh. Mikaeel Smith](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-26.md)
- [Juz 25: God Is Not A Mystery | Sh. Ibrahim Hindy](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-25.md)
- [Juz 24: Candid Conversations with Allah | Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-24.md)
- [Juz 23: Facing Your Trials With Honor | Dr. Farah Islam](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-23.md)
- [Juz 22: Appreciating Muhammad ﷺ | Sh. Omar Hajjaj](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-22.md)
- [Juz 21: Allah Is The Author of History | Sr. Sarah Sultan](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-21.md)
- [Juz 20: Allah’s Loud and Silent Revelations | Sh. Hisham Abu Yusuf](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-20.md)
- [Juz 19: What Makes You Valuable to Allah? | Ust. Roohi Tahir](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-19.md)
- [Juz 17: When Allah Chooses You, How Will You Respond? | Sh. Yousef Wahb](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-17.md)
- [Juz 16: Can You Be Patient With Allah? | Ust. Lobna Mulla](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-16.md)
- [Juz 15: Join the Heavens in Glorifying Allah | Sh. Mohamud Mohamed](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-15.md)
- [Juz 14: The Surah of Blessings | Ust. Taimiyyah Zubair](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-14.md)
- [Juz 13: What Is 1% of Allah’s Mercy? | Dr. Mohamed AbuTaleb](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-13.md)
- [Juz 12: Allah Is Not Far | Sh. Omar Hedroug](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-12.md)
- [Juz 11: Stop Playing Games | Dr. Ovamir Anjum](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-11.md)
- [Juz 10: When Allah Goes To War For You | Dr. Suleiman Hani](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-10.md)
- [Juz 9: How To Memorize Allah’s Names | Dr. Haifaa Younis](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-9.md)
- [Juz 8: Whose Validation Do You Need? | Sh. Shabbir Hassan](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-8.md)
- [Juz 7: They Know Al-Lateef in Gaza | Dr. Farhan Abdul Azeez](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-7.md)
- [Juz 6: Signs of A Hypocrite | Sh. Asim Khan](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-6.md)
- [Juz 5: You Can’t Fight Fire with Fire | Ust. Fatima Lette](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-5.md)
- [Juz 4: The Final Moments of This Life | Ahmad Hraichie ( The Muslim Undertaker)](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-4.md)
- [Juz 3: How The Qur’an Makes You Rich | Dr. Tahir Wyatt](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-3.md)
- [Juz 2: The Lord of Rituals | Mufti Menk](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-2.md)
- [Juz 1: Allah’s Names in the Qur’an | Sh. Mohammad Elshinawy](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-1-mohammad-elshinawy.md)
- [TRAILER | Qur’an 30 for 30 Season 7 | Dr. Omar Suleiman and Sh. Abdullah Oduro](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-trailer.md)