Day 33
The First Command in the Quran
TL;DR:
Day 33 of Be Quranic focuses on Ayah 21 of Surah al-Baqarah, which is the first command in the Quran to enslave ourselves to our Master, Allah, who created us and our ancestors.
This command follows the introduction of different human types: the pious, the disbelievers, and the hypocrites.
The ayah emphasises gratitude towards Allah for creating us as humans with intellect and free will, placing us at the top of the creation hierarchy.
Obeying Allah is an expression of this gratitude, making our worship pleasurable rather than a struggle.
The key to happiness is gratitude, recognising and thanking Allah for His blessings, which transforms our worship into a joyful act and leads to a more content and fulfilling life.
Welcome to Day 33 of Be Quranic, where we take short passages from the Quran daily, extract practical lessons from them, and apply them to our daily lives to be more Quranic.
Insha'Allah, today we continue our study of Surah al-Baqarah and we are now at Ayah number 21, which reads, "O mankind, enslave yourself to your Master who created all of you and those before you so that you may have taqwa." This ayah is the first command in the Quran in terms of the order in the Mushaf and comes at a crucial juncture in the structure of the Surah.
After describing the three types of humans – the people of taqwa, the kafir, and the munafiqeen – Allah now commands all to worship and enslave themselves to Him. This command echoes our declaration in Surat al-Fatiha: "You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help." It reminds us that our sole purpose is to please Allah and seek His pleasure.
The ayah beautifully highlights our relationship with Allah by reminding us of our creation and existence. Allah, as our Creator and Sustainer, didn't need to give a reason for us to worship Him, but He graciously does, reminding us that He created us and our ancestors. This understanding should cultivate gratitude within us, for He chose to create us as humans, the highest rank in the hierarchy of creation.
This gratitude is the foundation of our relationship with Allah. When gratitude powers our worship, it becomes pleasurable rather than a struggle. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) exemplified this when he prayed until his feet were swollen, not out of fear of Jahannam but out of gratitude for Allah's countless blessings.
We are encouraged to keep a gratitude journal, noting down things we are thankful for each night. This practice transforms our perspective, making us happier and more content, as acknowledged by both religious teachings and modern psychology.
In essence, this ayah commands us to worship and enslave ourselves to Allah out of gratitude for our creation and existence, transforming our worship into an act of joyful gratitude rather than a burden.