A verse from Surah Rehman
Surah Rehman is the 55th Surah with 78 verses in the Holy Quran. It is a Meccan Surah, although some researchers contend that a few portions of it date to the Medina period.
This article is about the thirteenth (13th) verse of the chapter. My noble father recited the Holy Quran in his mellifluous voice during early morning hours.
It was in his lap, I trust, this verse fell upon my eardrums. Its lyrical and rhythmic beauty was captured well by my father in its recitation. That was the first association with the verse. In the very early teens, sometimes my brother-in-law, Mahmudul Aziz, whom I feared a lot, would take me to his office.
On the drive to the office, he would invariably be reciting loudly either Surah Yaseen or Surah Rehman. If it was Surah Rehman, then each time while, recklessly driving, he would too very rhythmically recite, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”
Once I began serious reading of the Holy Quran, again in my mid-teens, I would ponder on what “Bounties” was Allah SWT reminding mankind about? I would reflect; then conclude that the bounty is that my Dad is alive; well placed in life; I was attending at a good and renowned school; there were helpers at home; the food partaken was good and life was good; hence, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”
This chapter begins with Ar-Rehman, the first verse, which means “The Most Beneficent”. This is a Divine appellation. A poetic characteristic of prose.
The refrain, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”, translated into “Which then, of your Lord’s Blessings do you both, Men and Jinn deny” appears 31 times in a Surah that has only 78 verses. Most translators, however, render the verse as “which of the bounties of your Lord, will ye deny”.
According to a tradition related by Abdullah Ibne Mas’ud (RA), The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Everything has an adornment, and the adornment of the Holy Quran is Surah Ar-Rehman”.??The refrain, “which of the bounties of your Lord, well ye deny?” indicates, failure to acknowledge either in word or thought or in the conduct.
If one misuses Allah’s gifts or ignores them, that then is equivalent to ingratitude or denial or refusal to benefit, or profit by Allah’s Infinite Grace.
There are pairs but there is unity. The verses remind that man was taught the Quran; on how man was created, taught speech; blessed with intelligence, and how man was blessed with the power of expression, with the ability and capacity to understand.
The Surah then reveals the mysteries of the astronomical universe, the appearance, and movements of the Sun and the Moon; it tells us about Botany, by mentioning that even herbs and trees bow in adoration to the One and Only Lord.
The Surah goes on to explain to mankind to reflect and ponder upon the Lord’s Balance of Justice. The verses further reveal the variety, wholesomeness, and tasteful nature of the fruits, dates, and sweet-smelling plants and shrubs.
Besides the creation of man, the Surah emphases to recall the creation of fire, smoke, and the creation of Jinn.
The progressive cultivation of forests and their need for natural habitat are emphasized in the Surah.
As I progressed through the years of my life, while reciting Surah Rehman, the verse, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban” began to open up my thought process and started to give me newer dimensions and meaning to this verse.
Upon examination, everything around us which was until then accepted as a given thing started to appear like an “unacknowledged” bounty. At being blessed with my firstborn, the verse acquired an entirely different meaning to my life.
As His servants, we have not and will never be able to express our thanks and gratitude for the numerous seen and unseen bounties.
“He has let loose the two seas, converging together, with a barrier between them they do not a breakthrough” (55: 19-20).
Oceanographers have only recently discovered this property of the seas, that they come together and yet do not mingle, the cause of the physical force called, “surface tension”, which does not allow for mixing up the neighbouring seas.
Harun Yahya, the authority on the research of the Holy Quran says, “The interesting side to this is that during the period when people had no knowledge of physics, surface tension, or oceanography; this was revealed in the Holy Quran.
Today’s science knows there are large waves, strong currents, and tides in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Mediterranean Sea water enters the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar. But their temperature, salinity, and densities do not change, because of the barrier that separates them. (Source: HarunYahya: Miracles of the Quran).
Some of my friends who have stood on the beaches/shores of Cape Town in South Africa confirmed that there is a visible line that separates the water of the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”
In order to express gratitude, just examine the function of the organs of the human body. Once I asked, Dr Adeeb Rizvi, the messiah – when he does open up human bodies to do transplants, does his faith increase in science or God? He said, many search for God, I see Divinity every day at work – the cobweb of veins, arteries, muscles work in unison, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban” and if they fail to, there is trouble, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”
The standard pulse rate is 72 BPM (beats per minute) – and if my heart beats 72 plus or 72 minus, I feel unwell, due to arrhythmia – irregular pulse or rapid pulse, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”.
The liver on average releases bile, 800-1000 milliliters or 27/34 fluid ounces, that help to digest fat and food.
If my liver release is more than 1000 or less than 800 milliliters of bile, I feel unwell, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”.
The pancreas release pancreatic juices, enzymes, that help to break down sugar, fats, and starch; these perform two functions, an exocrine function that helps in digestion and an endocrine function that regulates blood sugar. Any increase or decrease in the level of insulin generation causes me to feel unwell, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”.
The kidney has seven basic functions to perform: all are important but its function of being a regulator of extracellular fluid volume is critical; since they work to ensure an adequate quantity of plasma to keep blood flowing to vital organs.
Further, it excretes the waste and toxins. Any disturbance by them to function, I feel unwell, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”. My lungs need air for breathing.
Air is a mixture of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, water vapors, and some other gases. Air is; 78% nitrogen, and 21% Oxygen, and 1% other gases. My lungs would fail or burst if this equation were to be disturbed or changed, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”
As supervisor of a large number of people, I have a false sense of power – my signatures alone, can do or undo – what I forget in the milieu of everyday living is that, in a flash of a moment all blood supply to my arm can stop – rendering my hand lifeless – no power to even hold the pen! So, what false pride of doing and undoing others.
“Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban”. None of us can even make a resting fly on our forehead to move away if Allah were to deprive, us of the arms – The Holy Quran also alludes to this allegory.
Powerless then a tiny fly. So, “Fabiahyi Aala-e-Rabikuma Tukazziban” O’ Allah, our inadequate expression of gratitude be accepted and pardon us for not knowing in their fullest, Your Bounties upon us. (Ameen)
—The writer is a banker with an interest in religion.
