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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Mercy of Qur'an and the Advent of Zaman - Commentary On Four Suras Sura 4 : Surat Ul-mulk (the Kingdom) Introduction This Meccan sura illustrates and proves the comprehensive totality of lordship. Creation appears to be made of different systems, each moving towards the fulfillment of its potential, and these systems, seen or unseen, are interlinked. The Controller of all these systems is one Creator Who is beyond time and encompasses all of creation.

All bounties and mercies are for the purpose of recognizing His unbounded mercy, the mercy of this beneficent Creator to Whom all creation will return, and by Whose grace creation has come about. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

1 Blessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom, and He has power over all things, 2 Who created death and life that He may try you-which of you is best in deeds; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving, The creation is based on the Creator's love for what He created. And what He created was from Him, sustained by Him, supported by Him, to Him. When that love is made manifest to the created, he tastes joy and blessedness. The source and transmission of that joy and blessedness exist at all times.

It is only the created who inadver­tently block it. The entire creation is a result of the blessedness of He Whose creation is His kingdom. Everything in it is in His hand and comes from His power. Every creational entity, therefore, derives its power directly from the Creator. Allah created the experiences of life and death. In this life, man is put into situations in order to be purified of any additions which are perversely taken on.

The bala (affliction) is a necessary test which moves him, with knowledge, into higher degrees of purity. Affliction (balwa) is his means of eliminating the barrier of desires and expectations existing between himself and the Crea­tor. Affliction teaches the created being to live freely, acknowledg­ing the gift of life given to him. The best of actions are those which are done with no expectations. They are purely and simply fi sablli-llah (for the sake of Allah).

The first manifestation of creation is life. The experience of life is meaningful only if there exists its opposite, the experience of death. These experiences are such that everyone goes through them. Just as there is outer life and death, so is there inner life and death. When the heart is hardened it is as if dead.