Today's Reflection [ Ayah 61 , Surah Al- Baqarah]

 

إِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَنْ نَصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَاحِدٍ فَادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنْبِتُ الْأَرْضُ مِنْ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّائِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ الَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِالَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ ۚ اهْبِطُوا مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُمْ مَا سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَالْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ

And recall when you said, “O Moses, we cannot endure one kind of food, so call to your Lord to produce for us of what the earth grows: of its herbs, and its cucumbers, and its garlic, and its lentils, and its onions.” He said, “Would you substitute worse for better? Go down to Egypt, where you will have what you asked for.” They were struck with humiliation and poverty, and incurred wrath from God. That was because they rejected God’s revelations and wrongfully killed the prophets. That was because they disobeyed and transgressed. (Quran 2:61)

Allah reminds the Children of Israel of His favors upon them. He sent down the manna and quails which was a good, pure, beneficial easily acquired food and yet, they were ungrateful. They demanded that the fresh food being sent from the heavens be replaced with that which the earth grew. Living on same kind of food every day was not possible for them. They missed their old lifestyle and demanded variety.

The Children of Israel provided a long list of items that they desired. A person who has no purpose in life searches for variety. He is someone who easily gets bored with what he has and desires change. Not only is this being ungrateful for what one has but such desires keep one restless and unfulfilled.

Look at your timewasters. Would you spend your time on social media, missed episodes, recreation and sleeping, if you have bills to pay and a living to earn? No! To survive and enjoy this life, we have to work. You have to disconnect yourself from play and amusement to actually work. How do we expect to enjoy in the Hereafter without disconnecting from the unnecessary and paying more attention to that which actually matters?

Another example of preferring the inferior over better is sleeping late, watching television, spending time on social media, or attending a late night wedding and then missing Fajr at its appointed time. Don’t miss out on the lasting rewards of the Hereafter over temporary delights of this world. Put the Hereafter before this world.

Let us not play with the verses of Allah. Let us not ignore the commands out of arrogance. If there is anything that you have a difficulty in accepting ask Allah to open up your heart and make it easier for you to obey Him. If it’s a haram job or a relationship that you cannot leave, ask Allah to rid you off of it. Ask Him for His permissible and good provision. Ask Him to make you submissive to His commands and well-pleased. Let us not invoke Allah’s wrath.