Exegesis of Surat al-Dhariyat, verses (20 - 22), and other selected verses, and what is derived from them.

The Shaykh : Allah the Exalted said: Allah (Mighty and Majestic) did not specify these signs; rather, they were mentioned in a general form to encompass every sign in the earth, whether the signs are in the events that occur in it or in the nature and composition of the earth itself. Indeed, there are great signs in the earth regarding its composition, as Allah the Exalted said: You find a single stone containing several minerals, and it is one stone. You sometimes see in the mountains stripes of white and red, differing in their colors, and black crows. You find in it soft, yielding earth and hard earth, among other things known by geologists as great signs.
There are signs in the events that occur in it, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and others. There are also signs in the nature of the atmosphere, such as heat, cold, stormy winds, cold winds, and warm winds, among other things. When a person reflects on these, he knows the power of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from one aspect, and he knows His wisdom and mercy from another aspect. This is because the signs of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) are observed by a person not only in terms of power and greatness, but also in terms of wisdom and mercy. For everything you find is suitable for its place and time, and everything you find is a trace of the mercy of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). The important point is that the word "signs" is a general indefinite term for everything that occurs in the earth as signs, and for everything in its nature and composition, and so on. "Signs for those who are certain" means for those who are certain of the existence of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), His greatness, and His majesty. As for one who doubts, may Allah protect us from that, he will not benefit from these signs; rather, these signs may be a harm to him. For the cosmic or legislative signs may be good for a person, or they may be evil. Listen to the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He): This means from the Qur'an: Similarly, regarding the cosmic signs, some people benefit from them and use them as evidence for the signs of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) contained in them, while others are the opposite; what they find in the signs leads them to atheism, may Allah protect us from that. For this reason, He said: This means not for every person, but for the one who is certain. As for the doubter, the hesitant one, and the disbeliever, he will not benefit from these signs.
Also, in yourselves are signs. The word "signs" is omitted here, and therefore we say in grammar that "in yourselves" is a prepositional phrase serving as the predicate for an omitted subject, and the implied meaning is "and in yourselves are signs." The wisdom, and Allah knows best, and in our limited knowledge we believe that Allah omitted these signs because they are closer to the human being than the earth and more intimate to the human being than the earth, because they are in his own self. In yourselves are signs. The signs of the self are not only in the composition of the body, nor only in the powers that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has deposited in it, but also in the fluctuations of circumstances. You find a person fluctuating from joy to sadness, from grief to happiness, with strange and great fluctuations. Indeed, a person finds himself changed in an instant, and sometimes he finds himself changed without a reason. He is cheerful, with a broad mind and happy, and then he becomes depressed and sad without a reason. Sometimes it is the opposite. This is regarding psychological states. Similarly, regarding faith states, which are greater and more dangerous, you find a person at times having such certainty that it is as if he is witnessing the matters of the unseen with sensory perception, as if he sees the Throne, as if he sees the heavens, as if he sees the angels, as if he sees everything that Allah has informed about regarding the matters of the unseen. And at times this certainty decreases, decreasing for reasons that may be known or unknown. But among the known reasons is the scarcity of obedience, for the scarcity of obedience is among the causes of the weakness of certainty. If a person's obedience decreases, his certainty weakens. Allah the Exalted said: There are also reasons that a person does not know what they are, among which are amusement and heedlessness. For this reason, the Companions said to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): And thus, whenever a person is amused, his certainty decreases and his faith decreases. Therefore, the Shari'ah forbade games and false amusement that increase a person's distance from the obedience of Allah and from reflecting on the signs of Allah.
Also, in the self there are signs. In the souls of people, you find some who are easygoing, soft, with open faces and happy; everyone who sees them is pleased with their face, and everyone who sits with them has their grief and worry removed. And there are people who are the opposite, frowning and scowling; as soon as you see them, if you were happy, sadness and evil would come to you. This is also among the signs of the self, and they are very numerous. And whoever wants more of this and to look into the power of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) in the signs in our selves, let him read the words of Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) in *Miftah Dar al-Sa'adah* (The Key to the Abode of Happiness); he will find wonders upon wonders. And also in his small book, which is great in meaning, *Al-Tabyan fi Aqsam al-Qur'an* (The Clarification of the Divisions of the Qur'an), he mentioned wonders upon wonders. The interrogation here is for rebuke and denial, as if Allah the Exalted is saying: Do you not see in yourselves? Do you not observe? Do you not reflect? Do you not think? If you do not know these signs, then you do not see. So the interrogation here is for what? For rebuke, and for denial: Do we not observe? It is a call from Allah the Exalted to His servants to observe the signs. If you do not observe the signs, know that you are deprived. Allah the Exalted said: So if you do not benefit from the signs, know that you are deprived and that your faith is deficient. So, my brother, you must reflect on the signs of Allah, on the cosmic signs of Allah and what is in this great universe of the signs of Allah indicating His greatness, His dominion, His mercy, and His wisdom. And also on the legislative signs of Allah. And whoever Allah opens up to regarding the legislative signs benefits from them more than he benefits from the cosmic signs. If he reflects on what Allah has informed about regarding Himself, His names, attributes, actions, and rulings, his faith in Allah (Mighty and Majestic) increases, and he knows thereby the wisdom and mercy. If he reflects on what Allah has informed about regarding the Last Day and what will be in it of reward, punishment, recompense, and reckoning, his faith in Allah also increases. And the more a person reflects on the legislative signs of Allah, the more his faith increases. And some of the successful people have an increase in faith through the legislative signs that is greater than their increase in faith through the cosmic signs.
As for the person whom Allah opens up to in this and that, how excellent it is! In the sky is our provision. What is this provision? Many scholars said that the intended meaning of "provision" here is rain, because Allah the Exalted said: So He said: Meaning: the rain. And the rain is called provision because it is the cause of provision. When Allah sends down the rain, the earth brings forth water and pasture, a provision for us and our livestock. This is provision. How many people have their provision dependent on what is sent down of rain, such as crops, grass, water, and others. Indeed, Allah the Exalted said: Can anyone send down water from the clouds? It is not possible. Can anyone create water in the clouds? It is not possible. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the One who takes charge of that. This is the substance of provision; without water, we would perish. And reflect on His saying the Exalted: He did not say "If We had willed, We would not have sent it down," even though if He had willed, He would not have sent it down. But He said: The regret of a person for water that is in front of him but he cannot drink and does not find it pleasant is greater than his regret for water that is missing, because water that exists but you do not benefit from and cannot drink causes more regret than water that is missing. For this reason, Allah mentioned this state. Have you seen now, if this sweet, clear, delicious rain became bitter and salty, what would the situation be? It would be very difficult. For this reason, He said:
He says: So the provision is the rain, as in the noble verse: And it is possible to say that the provision in the sky is broader than that. It can be said that in the sky is our provision from the rain, and what Allah has written for us in the Preserved Tablet of physical benefits and utilities, such as wealth and children, and others. So this saying is more comprehensive and broader.
And know that it is necessary for the one who argues with the Qur'an and the Sunnah to observe a useful rule, which is: if we interpret the Qur'anic or Prophetic text with a narrower meaning and interpret it with a broader meaning, which do we take?
The student: The broader one.

The Shaykh : We adopt the second opinion, which is the more general one, because the general includes the specific, but not vice versa. May Allah except cases where evidence indicates it is specific; in that case, we follow the evidence. But when the evidence does not indicate specificity, take the general, because the general includes the specific, but not vice versa. So here, if we say that the intended meaning of "provision" here is broader than rain, the answer is correct; it includes rain and other things. And His saying: and the sun and the moon and others, and His saying: meaning, and therein is what you are promised. What is it that we promise? What we promise is Paradise. Paradise is in the sky, not on the earth. Paradise is in the sky. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said in the story of Adam: and the descent is from above to below. So Paradise is in the sky. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that Paradise has levels, and that the highest of them is al-Firdaws, and that it is the highest and also the middle of it. This is an indication that the gardens are like a dome; its highest point is its middle. Its highest point. He said: So it is the highest thing. We ask Allah to make us and you among its inhabitants. Indeed, He is Able to do all things. So what we are promised is Paradise. So provision is in the sky, and the Paradise that we are promised in the Hereafter is in the sky. So we, the people of the earth, are in need of the sky in this worldly life and in the Hereafter. So in the sky is our provision in this world, and therein is what we are promised in the Hereafter, which is Paradise. We ask Allah to make us and you among its people.
Then He, Mighty and Majestic, said: And we will speak, if Allah wills, about this verse in the next meeting to allow time for questions. So let us start from the right, with those who are not from the people of al-Qasim, or specifically not from the people of Unaizah.
The student: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Shaykh : People of Unaizah, if there is some time left, there is no harm.