
One year, during a sermon in the month of Shaban, the khatib deviated from his usual tone. The 15th of Shaban was typically reserved for a sermon focused on the horrors of the Day of Judgment. The audience would be left shaken, with tears streaming down their faces as they trembled with fear. But that year, the Khatib took a different approach. 'Let us speak of mercy this time,' he said. The sermon still revolved around the Day of Judgment, but with a distinct twist. As before, the audience was overcome with emotion, but this time, it was not just fear that moved them – it was the longing to behold their Lord, to meet the Merciful One. The air was thick with the sound of stifled sobs, as if the very thought of this encounter had left them breathless. And in that moment, the balance was restored – the scales of fear and hope, of dread and longing, were finally evened out.

In line with the Quran's approach, wherever Allah SWT has warned of the Day of Judgment's terrors and horrors, He has also highlighted the beautiful culmination awaiting His righteous servants. This balance is intentional, ensuring that His servants are not consumed solely by fear, but also remain hopeful of His mercy and love. This equilibrium was further reinforced when I learned Surah An-Najm from Ustadh  Nouman Ali Khan.
He explained that 'the Day of Judgment is not just a day of reckoning, but also a day of meeting with our Lord. On this day, Allah will acknowledge and appreciate our efforts, as stated in the Quran, 'And that his effort will soon be observed' (Quran 53:40). Imagine the scene where your Lord showcases your every small effort, every struggle, and every sacrifice you made for His sake. The angels will be witness to your endeavors, and your Lord will proudly present your accomplishments to them. Your Lord will say, 'Look, my servant has sacrificed his desires for my sake. He persevered through hardships, maintaining his faith in me. He gave up on the warmth of his bed for the sake of my worship.' '

Reflect on the fact that Allah will magnify our small efforts through His mercy, displaying them to the angels. He will reciprocate our 'excellence' with His own 'excellence'.

This image balances Judgement Day's  daunting prospect with  a moment of anticipation and longing.  

Although the horrors of that day are indeed a reality, and the Quran has vividly described these terrifying moments to serve as a poignant  reminder for us, Allah SWT has also revealed the sweetness of that day. This is because, in addition to His fine justice and absolute authority, Allah is infinitely merciful towards His servants. He wants us to strike a balance in our attitudes and actions, and so, He has shared with us the promise of a day when our efforts will be acknowledged and appreciated. Human psychology is such that we intensely fear public shaming, but we also intensely desire public recognition. And when the recognizer is none other than our Lord, who wouldn't want to strive for that recognition?
In essence, Allah's mercy and justice are intertwined, and the Day of Judgment is a testament to this balance. While we should indeed be mindful of the day's horrors and strive to avoid them, we should also be heartened by the promise of Allah's recognition and reward for our efforts.

May Allah inspire us to strive for His sake, and may He grant us the strength to make efforts that will be worthy of recognition on the Day of Judgment. May He bless us with the reward of our endeavors on that day, and may we be among those who are praised by our Lord and His angels. May Allah enable us to strive towards Him and grant us the reward of our efforts on the Day of Judgment.

JUZ 29
RAMADHAN WILL LEAVE US BUT MAY WE NEVER  LEAVE RAMADHAN
Let those who worship Ramadhan know that Ramadhan will leave  
But  for those who worship Allah, they know that Allah is The Ever-Living.

JUZ 29 closes Ramadhan with the call for da'wah.
Juz 29 gives a checklist on how to spread The Quran as 'Hudan linnaas'; a Guide for all humanity.

Al Mulk : is reiterating our responsibility to spread the Quran far and wide, even with one ayah.
Al Qalam ayat 14 : tells us that da'wah with the best actions emanating from the best akhlak is way better than a thousand words.
Al Haqqah ayat 44-47 : deals with the integrity of person doing da'wah (da’ie) and the content of the da'wah
Nuh : inspiring the high standard for patience in da'wah
Al Jin : puts the stress on sound knowledge and good listening skills to have maximum input for da'wah
Al Muzzammil : stresses on the night worship when the Quran hits the heart of the da'ie before he goes out to touch others’ hearts 
Al Muddaththir : talks of character building for the da'ie to be out of his comfort zone and to avoid bad character
Al Qiyamah : pushes for the commitment to learn from teachers and to source  expert transmission of knowledge (talaqqi) from a mentor
Al Insan : tells us of the ultimate motivation for the da'ie is his eventual meeting with Allah SWT in the paradise of Zanjabila where Allah SWT will appreciate him for his services
Al-Mursalat Ayat 4-5 : likens the da'ie to  raindrops that fall slowly and gently rejuvenating the dead earth

Barakallaahu fikum.

#JUZ29 #Ramadhan

Thank you Ustaz Syaari for your sharing of knowledge.  

♦ Mentioning the Day of Judgement and Death Together

    In part of a discussion regarding surah al-Qamar, sheikh al-Islam ibn Taymiyah highlighted the following stylistic feature of the Qur’an:

     والله تعالى في كتابه يجمع بين ذكر القيامة الكبرى والصغرى كما في سورة الواقعة ذكر في أولها القيامة الكبرى وفي آخرها القيامة الصغرى وذلك كثير في سور القرآن مثل سورة ق وسورة القيامة وسورة التكاثر وسورة الفجر وغير ذلك

    Throughout His Book, Allah has often mentioned both the Day of Judgement and death together. Take, for example, surah al-Waqi’ah [56] – He mentioned the Day of Judgement in the beginning of the surah and death at the end.

    This [i.e. jointly mentioning the Day of Judgement and death] can be found in many surahs throughout the Qur’an, such as surah Qaf [50], surah al-Qiyamah [75], surah al-Takathur [102], surah al-Fajr [89], and others.

    [al-Jawab al-Saheeh 1/424]