Yet another beautiful ayah depicting the attractive style of the Holy Quran: concise and lucid while clearly enunciating multiple directives. Unfortunately some flawed conclusions about Divine Trust (Tawakkul) and Predestination from this ayah have gained wide and general acceptance resulting in inertia and sluggishness almost deadness in our individual and communal life. It is a good ayah, therefore for discussion.

In this verse Allah Ta’aala declares sequentially that:

1] HE provides for us, all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims in ways, means and timings quite unknown to us —limited or unlimited

2] If we put our trust in HIM, we will be taken care of fully and completely by our Lord and Creator

3] It is no problem for the All-Powerful and Omnipresent to accomplish whatever HE wants, however HE wants and wherever HE wants.  And lastly

4] HE has already drawn the boundaries for all the things to follow.

Many of the ayahs of the Quran have a specific meaning relevant to the reason for its revelation. But all of these have as well a role for application in other situations. The index ayah is the third in Surah Talaaq. Hence it is initially read as injunctions and guidance in matters of Divorce. However it has wider and very significant other applications . As Mufti Mohammed Shafi has stated “This occasion of revelation indicates that this verse, though related to divorcing situation in this context, has general application for all circumstances.” I intend to concentrate here on the important general implications of this verse in the life of a Muslim.

Our Holy Text is not an ordinary book with a set pattern of a  prelude, an introduction, chapters, index and a bibliography. It is a miracle from Allah Ta’aala Subhanahoo given to our Holy Prophet. It therefore has a characteristic style of reading and studying, depending on who you are and what  are you looking for. An intending Hafiz is concerned with parts (paraa) of the Quran only; thirty of them and equal. If you are reading and studying the Quran A to Z, then Surah by Surah is the way to go about. Here again different Mufassirs have adopted different style because each Surah covers different problems faced by Muslims over a period of time. Most exegists deal the subject ayah by ayah. Mufti Mohammed Shafi has followed a different style in his Ma’aariful Quran. As he is going through a Surah, he combines ayahs with similar contents and translates and discusses them as a group. Lastly when you want to live your Deen, when you are looking for guidance from the Book in the market place, when you are on the hunt for the do’s and don’ts of Islam then individual ayahs are our targets. It may be one ayah, part of an ayah, a group of ayah, sequential or spread across the Holy Book. In other words you have to “google” the Quran. If you do that for “riba”you will find seven ayahs in Surah Al-Baqaraa, two in Surah Al-Nisa, one in Surah Al-Imraan and one way out in  Surah Al-Rum. Try “hijab” and you will have three hits in Surah Al-Ahzab and perhaps equal number in Surah Al-Noor. The index ayah that we are discussing today is different from all of these. It has to be combined, as done by Mufti Mohammed Shafi to the last part of the previous ayah to understand the full significance:^[3]

So now the translation gains additional and meaningful weight: “And whoever fears Allah, for him Allah brings forth a way out / and gives him provision (of his needs) from where he does not even imagine”      (last part of ayah 2/first part of ayah 3)

 “…….. So put your trust (in Allah) if ye are indeed believers.”  and^[5]

“……..And on Allah let all men of faith put their trust.”

 “……So seek from Allah provision and worship Him……..”