Ramadan

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And I also repeat Moses’ supplication: [20:26] “And make this matter easy for me.” I remember Moses’ mother’s test and how God blessed her (28:10).

When evening brings relief from hunger and thirst we thank God for allowing us to succeed. [2:152] You shall remember Me, that I may remember you, and be thankful to Me; do not be unappreciative. [5:35] O you who believe, you shall reverence GOD and seek the ways and means to Him, and strive in His cause, that you may succeed. [7:69] “Is it too much of a wonder that a message should come to you from your Lord, through a man like you, to warn you? Recall that He made you inheritors after the people of Noah, and multiplied your number. Remember GOD's blessings, that you may succeed.” [22:77] O you who believe, you shall bow, prostrate, worship your Lord, and work righteousness, that you may succeed.

Finally, if we did not do as well as we had hoped we would on any given day, we implore God to guide us to do better next time (18:24).

May God bless all the fasters with a successful Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak!

 Lory

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[7:94] Whenever we sent a prophet to any community, we afflicted its people with adversity and hardship, that they may implore. [7:95] Then we substituted peace and prosperity in place of that hardship. But alas, they turned heedless and said, “It was our parents who experienced that hardship before prosperity.” Consequently, we punished them suddenly when they least expected. [7:96] Had the people of those communities believed and turned righteous, we would have showered them with blessings from the heaven and the earth. Since they decided to disbelieve, we punished them for what they earned.

Loan of Righteousness

In five verses God speaks of our lending Him a loan of righteousness:

[2:245] Who would lend GOD a loan of righteousness, to have it repaid to them multiplied manifold? GOD is the One who provides and withholds, and to Him you will be returned.

[5:12] GOD had taken a covenant from the Children of Israel, and we raised among them twelve patriarchs. And GOD said, “I am with you, so long as you observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and believe in My messengers and respect them, and continue to lend GOD a loan of righteousness. ….”

[57:11] Who would like to loan GOD a loan of righteousness, to have it multiplied for him manifold, and end up with a generous recompense?

[64:17] If you lend GOD a loan of righteousness, He will multiply the reward for you manifold, and forgive you. GOD is Appreciative, Clement.

[73:20] Your Lord knows that you meditate during two-thirds of the night, …. He knows that you cannot always do this. He has pardoned you. Instead, you shall read what you can of the Quran. …You shall read what you can of it, and observe the contact prayers (Salat), give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and lend GOD a loan of righteousness. ….

As you can see, verses 5:12 and 73:20 specifically mention Zakat while verses 2:245, 57:11 and 64:17 all speak of the reward being multiplied, bringing to mind verse 2:261:  The example of those who spend their monies in the cause of GOD is that of a grain that produces seven spikes, with a hundred grains in each spike. GOD multiplies this manifold for whomever He wills. GOD is Bounteous, Knower.

Perhaps that is why in the past I have always associated the loan of righteousness with charity. 

And indeed we know that charity is repaid manifold, sometimes here and of course in the hereafter.

However, there is another way we might look at this. What is it that we are loaning in these verses? It is righteousness itself. When we look more closely, especially at 2:245 and 57:11, we can see that the repayment may actually be an increase of our righteousness!

This is in perfect accord with 74:56, which tells us that God is the source of righteousness. Thus we loan to God what He, in His awesome mercy, has given us in the first place. As 8:17 tells us, God is the One who does everything, “But He thus gives the believers a chance to earn a lot of credit.”

Whether or not God rewards us materially in this world, if we are blessed to become more righteous, that is far better than any material reward could ever be. Material is only useful in this life, but greater righteousness increases our reward for eternity. Praise be to God, Lord of the universe.

Lisa

[74:56] They cannot take heed against GOD's will. He is the source of righteousness; He is the source of forgiveness.

God Is Doing Everything

[8:17] It was not you who killed them; GOD is the One who killed them. It was not you who threw when you threw; GOD is the One who threw. But He thus gives the believers a chance to earn a lot of credit. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.

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