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Unit 3 · Lesson 2 of 3

To Him Belongs Everything

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Lesson Content

لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ"To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth."al-Baqarah 2:255, sentence 4

Complete ownership

He is al-Malik: everything in the heavens and the earth is His, by creation, ownership and management. Whoever owns nothing deserves no worship.

Say: call upon those you claim besides Allah. They do not own an atom's weight in the heavens or on the earth, they have no share in either, and He has no helper among them.Saba' 34:22
What false gods are denied in Saba' 34:22
Own nothingNot an atom's weight on their own
No shareNo partnership in ownership
No helperAllah needs no assistant among them
  • "Besides Allah": people can believe in Allah and still worship others as a way to Him.
  • Delegated dominion is a false idea: claiming Allah gave dominion to a prophet or a jinn so they may be asked is from the waswasah of shaytan. No one stands beside Allah in dominion or knowledge.

He gives and He takes

قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاءُ"Say: O Allah, Owner of the dominion, You give dominion to whom You will and You take dominion from whom You will."Al 'Imran 3:26

Everything a person owns in this life ends in one of two ways: he is separated from it at death, or it is taken from him by illness, calamity or the like (al-Badr).

EveningThe owners of the garden

They swore to pick its fruit in the morning, without saying in sha' Allah.

NightA visitation from their Lord

Something came upon the garden while they slept and burnt it.

MorningNothing left

It became black like a dark night. The evening before they owned a rich garden; in the morning they owned nothing.

al-Qalam 68:17-20, as cited by al-Badr

Hasr. In "lahu ma fi as-samawat", the predicate "to Him" comes before the subject "whatever". In Arabic this gives exclusivity: to Him alone belongs everything. Since creating, kingship and management are His alone, we must surrender to Him alone.

Contentment with qadr. Because we are His possession, He has the right to do with us as He wills: with our selves, families, wealth and countries.

"To Allah belongs what He takes, and to Him belongs what He gives, and everything with Him has an appointed term, so be patient and hope for reward."al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ to his daughter on the death of her child

A woman loses her savings in a failed business. Sentence 4 reminds her: it was His before it was hers, it was a trust with her, and He who took it is the One who gives. This is not resignation; it is knowing who the Owner is.

Key points

  • Everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Allah alone.
  • False gods own no atom's weight, have no share, and are no helper (34:22).
  • Delegated dominion to prophets, saints or jinn is a false idea.
  • He gives dominion and takes it (3:26); the owners of the garden.
  • Ibn 'Uthaymeen: the word order gives exclusivity (hasr); contentment with qadr follows from His ownership.

Quiz

5 questions

Test your understanding of this lesson.

1. What three things does Saba' 34:22 deny of false gods?
2. Someone says: Allah gave a certain saint control over rain, so we ask him for rain. What is this called in the lesson?
3. Put the story of the owners of the garden in order.
In the morning it was black like a dark night
Something from their Lord came upon it while they slept
They who owned a rich garden now owned nothing
They swore to pick the fruit without saying in sha' Allah
Drag items here in correct order
4. What does the word order in "lahu ma fi as-samawat" show, according to Ibn 'Uthaymeen?
5. A man's car is stolen. Which statement best reflects sentence 4?

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