Don't expect Allah to do your job for you

There are two important ayahs at the end of Surah Yunus. The first ayah is:

قُلِ ٱنظُرُوا۟ مَاذَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَا تُغْنِى ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّذُرُ عَن قَوْمٍۢ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ

Say, “Look at what is there in the heavens and the earth.” But, signs and warnings do not suffice a people who do not believe. [10:101]

Reflecting on Allah’s creation

In the first ayah, Allah is calling on everyone. He uses the command form of qul, i.e. tell them – tell everyone to look at what is in the heavens and earth. This is a call to reflect and ponder, which was not a common practice in Makkah except for very few of the people, such as Waraqah ibn Nawfal.

Allah Almighty is saying that when you look at the heavens and earth, it’s very clear that it should bring you closer to Him. Reflection itself is a form of ibadah. He is addressing the people of Makkah, who were stubborn in rejecting the call of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). Look at everything Allah created: the air you breathe; the sun whose warmth you enjoy; plants; fruits; galaxies… Humans are still discovering new things about all of these.

Recognising Allah through His creation

Allah is inviting minds to think about creation, and it is a strong message for anyone willing to explore the truth in an unbiased way. The truth is very bright, but what can you do with sunlight if someone closes their eyes?

We think of the saying, ‘You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.’ Allah has created plenty of signs, but if you close your eyes and block your hearts, that’s it. We have the example of Firaun, who was so stubborn right up to the last moment when he was sinking into the ocean – and by then it was too late.

Don’t rely on anything but Allah

In the second ayah, Allah reminds us not to rely on anything other than Him, as He is the only one who can benefit or harm you.

وَلَا تَدْعُ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكَ وَلَا يَضُرُّكَ ۖ فَإِن فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذًۭا مِّنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

And do not invoke, other than Allah, what neither benefits you nor harms you, for, if you do so, then you will surely be one of the unjust. [10:106]

These days we can think of the people of Gaza, who have no one to invoke but Him. If they try invoking anyone else, such as the Arab leaders, they will be wasting their time. Allah is the only one who can give you protection.

Allah won’t do your job for you

Thinking about these two ayahs together, Allah is the one who created the whole universe – and we are just a tiny speck on the map. It would be very easy for Allah to give relief to the people of Palestine.

A common question people ask is why He hasn’t done anything to stop the atrocities going on. The answer is that Allah will not do your job. It is our obligation to defend our people, not His. Just like you can’t say, ‘I’m too busy for salah today, you do it for me’.

وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًۭا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟

Hold fast, all of you, to the cord of Allah, and be not divided. [3:103]

The unity of the ummah is what protects it, and it’s our job to unite it in the same way as it is our obligation to pray Dhuhr every day. Allah won’t do it unless we come together and understand this.

We will not be respected until we are united. Inshallah this is coming, although it is a painful process. We have been sleeping for many years, like the people of the cave, but now the community is waking up. Inshallah Allah will bring relief sooner rather than later, and we put our trust in Him.

Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 24th Ramadan 2025. Transcribed by H Khan.

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