Signs & Science: ... and Join Me with The Reformed

… Legislation is not but for Allah. He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. [12:40]
And when I am ill, then He cures me, [Al-Quran 26:80]

Mission of the Messengers-XXXIII
Disease & Cure - IX

Glad Tidings: Reformed Family Reunited

رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ

My Lord! Thou hast given me of the kingdom and taught me of the interpretation of sayings: ~~Originator~~ Separator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my guardian in this world and the hereafter; make me die a muslim and join me with the ~~good~~ reformed.

[Al-Quran 12:101, Translation: Shakir; edited in italics]

This prayer by Prophet Joseph (Yusuf) acknowledges Allah as the Lord and Sustainer (رَبِّ), Grantor of kingdom (آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ), Teacher of knowledge of interpretation of events (عَلَّمْتَنِي مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ), Separator of the skies and earth (فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ), Guardian in this world and the hereafter (وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ), the Taker in death (تَوَفَّنِي), and then appeals for death as a muslim and to be joined with the reformed.

Backdrop
Surah Yusuf is a beautiful story about a Believer (Yusuf, english: Joseph) being reunited with his family after several years of separation. The story begins with a wondrous dream that is shown to Joseph. His elder brothers concoct a plot to get rid of little Joseph. This leads to the separation of little Joseph from his family. After many years, eventually, the brothers are humbled before Joseph. They admit their fault and seek forgiveness for their sin.

Surah Yusuf relates to us many contrasts in human nature, and provides many psychological insights.

In Joseph's brothers and in the character of the wife of Aziz, we see Satan's exploitation of the weaknesses in human character and the consequent vices leading them to commit sins. It is also a story of discontent with what Allah has granted or withheld from them, and attempting to change the course according to their desires. Envy, passion, slander, gossip, self-righteousness, etc. can be noted in how they play out in the development of events. It is a story about eventual realisation and reform.

It is also a story of how Allah is in complete control, and how nothing can frustrate Allah's plans. The story also holds lessons in trusting Allah's will even when we do not understand the wisdom. It is also a story about Allah granting wisdom and power to whom He Wills, and that Allah's decisions are always right! It is a reminder that Allah never lets the reward to be lost of those who fear Allah and are patient, and continuously do good kindly deeds. It is a story about the eventual success achieved through submission to Allah.

In Joseph and his father, we note: piety and beautiful patience, never losing hope in the Mercy of Allah, restraining oneself from sinful desires, doing the right thing, choosing imprisonment over comfort to be able to continue being pious, acknowledging the inclination of the nafs towards sin, the toll that suppression of grief takes on the health of the body, how the desire to be reunited with a loved one affects the vision, not complaining to anyone except Allah, trusting Allah's Promises and His Plans, and awaiting Allah's Plans to unfold, restoration of health and power, and gratitude for all that is granted.

The story concludes with a beautiful scene:

وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا لَهُ سُجَّدًا ۖ وَقَالَ يَا أَبَتِ هَـٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقًّا ۖ وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِي إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِي مِنَ السِّجْنِ وَجَاءَ بِكُم مِّنَ الْبَدْوِ مِن بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ الشَّيْطَانُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِي ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٌ لِّمَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

And he raised his parents upon the throne, and they bowed to him in prostration. And he said, "O my father, this is the explanation of my vision of before. My Lord has made it reality. And He was certainly good to me when He took me out of prison and brought you [here] from bedouin life after Satan had induced [estrangement] between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Indeed, it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise.

[Al-Quran 12:100, Translation: Saheeh International]

And so we read in the next ayat (Q12:101) Joseph praying that he is granted death as a Muslim and is joined with the reformed (وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ). Note that in his prayer, he especially mentions that Allah is his Lord/Sustainer (رَبِّ), and that Allah is the Separator (فَاطِرَ) of the skies and earth.

To Separate
Fatir (فَاطِرَ) means Separator, as studied in the post: Allah, fāṭir (فَاطِر) of the Skies and Earth. We find references to this act of Allah in several quotes across The Quran, both in terms of separation of the skies and earth, and in the separation of individual humans, as stated by Prophet Abraham (Q43:27), Messenger Hud (Q11:51), the unnamed Believer mentioned in the story of the town in Surah Yasin (Q36:22), and the magicians who fell in prostration when Moses' staff converted into a serpent and devoured all their magic (Q20:72).

To Join
Another concept is that of joining or re-unification, as denoted by the word: أَلْحِقْنِي . The root lām ḥā qāf (ل ح ق) occurs in The Quran six times in the following ayaat:

Screenshot from corpus.quran.com

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُم مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ ۚ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌ

And those who believed and whose descendants followed them in faith - We will join with them their descendants, and We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds. Every person, for what he earned, is retained.

[Al-Quran 52:21, Translation: Saheeh International]

The Reformed
It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that in Prophet Abraham is the best example to follow. The Quran exhorts us to do acts of reform, and informs us that Prophet Abraham will be among the reformed:

وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ ۚ وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among ~~the righteous~~ الصَّالِحِينَ.

[Al-Quran 2:130, Translation: Saheeh International; edited to retain arabic word]

As discussed in prior posts:

Excerpt from Prayer & Remembrance of God:

The Quran quotes Abraham as professing that 'when I am ill, it is He who cures me' (Q26:80); praying for wisdom and to be joined with the righteous/reformed/uncorrupted (وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ) (Q26:83); and stating that those who comes with a sound heart (بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ) (Q26:89) will be successful in the Hereafter.

Excerpt from The Right Religion:

Al-Quran 20:118 informs us that there was enough in the Garden for Adam and his wife to neither go naked nor hungry. In Adam’s Attempt to Improve upon Allah’s Creation, I have discussed the genetic loss of natural clothing that Adam and his wife suffered in their pursuit of Immortality. It’s a loss we all witness constantly on our own bodies (our bare skin) throughout our lives. Our clothing is a sign from Allah!
Surah at-Teen reasons that since humans have gone from being an excellent creation to a much lower form, then how can anyone belie the Deen:

Excerpt from Days of Allah:

Prophet Solomon’s Prayer

Prophet-King Solomon (Sulaiman) was the heir of Prophet-King David (Dawood). He was granted a mighty kingdom such that no one shall be granted after him [Qur’an 35:35 – 35:39]. Flashing back to the trial of Adam in the Garden and consequent corruption of his genome, as discussed in Adam’s Attempt to Improve upon Allah’s Creation, the prayer of Prophet Solomon (Sulaiman) asking to be included among the ‘salaiheen’ takes on a new meaning in the context of the correction of the genome:

[Al Qur’an 27:19] So he smiled - laughing at her speech and said, "My Lord! Grant me (the) power that I may thank You (for) Your Favor which You have bestowed on me and on my parents and that I may do righteous (deeds), that will please You. And admit me by Your Mercy among Your slaves righteous."

The root ‘S-L-H’ for the word ‘alssaliheena’, generally translated as righteous, is defined in Lane’s Lexicon page 1714 as … it, and he, was, or became, good, incorrupt, right, just, righteous, virtuous or honest; it was, or became, in a good, incorrupt, right, sound or proper, state, or in a state of order; …

A Muslim
After informing us that Prophet Abraham will be among the reformed (الصَّالِحِينَ) in the Hereafter, Surah alBaqarah continues to inform us:

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَـٰهَكَ وَإِلَـٰهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَـٰهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

When his Lord said to him, "Submit", he said "I have submitted [in Islam] to the Lord of the worlds."

And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Jacob, [saying], "O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion (الدِّينَ), so do not die except while you are Muslims."

Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac - one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."

That was a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.

[Al-Quran 2:131-134, Translation: Saheeh International; edited to retain arabic word]

Sincere submission to Allah is the legacy of Abraham, the Hanif, that we are supposed to emulate if we hope for a beautiful hereafter. Surah al-Bayinnah ayat 5 sums it up as sincerity in the deen, worshipping as a hanif, establishing prayer and giving zakat, terming it as the (دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ) the standing/established law of recompense:

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَ‌ٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

[Al-Quran 98:5]

The Laws of Recompense

قَالَ لَا يَأْتِيكُمَا طَعَامٌ تُرْزَقَانِهِ إِلَّا نَبَّأْتُكُمَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِ قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمَا ۚ ذَ‌ٰلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِي رَبِّي ۚ

إِنِّي تَرَكْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَهُم بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ

He said: "Before any food comes (in due course) to feed either of you, I will surely reveal to you the truth and meaning of this ere it befall you: that is part of the (duty) which my Lord hath taught me.

I have (I assure you) abandoned the ways of a people that believe not in Allah and that (even) deny the Hereafter.

[Al-Quran 12:37, Translation: Yusuf Ali]

He said, "You will not receive food that is provided to you except that I will inform you of its interpretation before it comes to you. That is from what my Lord has taught me.

Indeed, I have left the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah, and they, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers.

[Al-Quran 12:37, Translation: Saheeh International]

Surah Yusuf is also a story of two parallel deens (laws of recompense):

the first is the deen of Allah, the Real King, which is the legacy of the Abrahamic religions, to which submit Jacob (Israel) and his sons (Bani Israel), including Joseph, which he even propounds while held in prison (Q12:40)
the other is the deen of the King of Egypt, where Joseph arrives after being separated from his family, and where eventually, he comes to assume an important post in the government of the King of Egypt.

As a Prophet and as an important functionary in the government, Joseph therefore has two sets of laws: one based on his religion, according to which he hopes to be recompensed for his deeds in the Hereafter, and interestingly is also used in the missing cup scene in the story, in lieu of the Egyptian legal system, which is the other set of laws that Joseph is serving under. Thus, in this story, we can see the deen, the shariah and the law of the land, similar to the situation many believers find themselves in today.

Our daily prayers include prayer for guidance on the straight or established path (اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ) and acknowledge Allah as the King of the Day of Judgment or Recompense (مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ):