وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ


This surah mentions the pair of contrasting emotions twice – first under the divine will and the second time under human free will. While there are various interpretations of the first verse(43), I recently discovered a medical interpretation when my mother faced a challenge. As a chronic patient with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, she experienced a condition known as Sjögren's(SHOW-gren’s) syndrome, where the glands responsible for moisture production in the body are affected.

When this condition attacked her tear-producing glands, her eyes became dry, irritated, and sensitive to light. I remember feeling deeply connected to the verse every time I put artificial tears in her eyes. 
The disease also affects saliva production, leading to dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, and speaking. which my mother is still going through. (May Allah ease her suffering)
There are blessings we often take for granted but then there are those blessings we fail to recognize even. The ability to cry and laugh. how often do we thank Allah for these faculties?
Do we even correspond to them in the expected way?

 In the second verse(60), the human reaction to these emotions is depicted – laughing when we should cry, believing our emotions are within our control, we get intoxicated by this illusion of 'control'. We often forget that our emotions and their expression are subject to a higher power.

I recently tried laughter therapy, knowing that laughter can stimulate saliva production. Though she didn't quite enjoy it, it made me ponder – we were laughing, exercising our free will, but was our reaction appropriate to the situation?
Do we always use our free will in the right direction, or do we often misuse it?
While that laughter was situationally relevant, serving a purpose, can we say the same about every instance of laughter and tears? It's not just a glandular interplay, but an expression of our response. The angle from which we view situations, our response to the decree of Allah. our definitions of joy and sorrow – do they truly align with the circumstances?

Indeed, it is Allah who grants us the capacity to laugh and cry. But by granting us the  free will, the ability to choose, Allah has imbued these emotions with a higher value. By bestowing upon us the faculty of choice, He tests our character. How do we utilize these gifts? Where do we direct them? Our response to this trial reveals the true measure of our being.

This experience made me reflect on the importance of aligning our actions and emotions with a higher purpose, rather than just following our own desires. We have been entrusted with emotions, with which we can either cross the boundaries and get intoxicated  or submit to the will of Allah for we've been given the 'choice'.

#MindfulEmotions

Reflections on Surah An-Najm Ayah 60