Al-Baqarah 138: “We are painted with the color that Allah gave. Who can give a better color than Allah? We are the ones worshipping Allah”.

No, we are continuing our lesson. Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 138.

We have been dyed with the dye of the colour Allah gave, it says. Look, look, look, look: the Christians.

Who can give a more beautiful colour than Allah? We are those who worship Him. What did the Christians say? We have been dyed with the dye of the colour Allah gave. Which dye? Allah's — who can give a more beautiful colour than Allah? With the religion of Islam. With the rulings of the Sharia, with the life He gave people.

According to Zamakhshari's explanations, the Christians would dye newborn children with a water. And they would say: now you have become a Christian.

They put a dye into the water.

The newborn child — as soon as they washed it with that water, they would say: now you have become a Christian. That is, they would (?) a decision in Allah's place. Yes, and

they would count this as a cleansing for the child, for that child. In the verse, in response to this, they were commanded to say: we have been dyed with Allah's dye. That is, within the command our Lord has given us, in line with it, we have been governed by His command within the Sharia rulings He sent us. It would have been more correct for them to say: we have been dyed with that.

In the verse, too, in response to this, saying 'we have been dyed with Allah's dye' was commanded. And Allah's dye is being governed by the religion of Islam. This is Allah's dye.

Accordingly, those who present their own false beliefs as if they were supposedly Allah's religion — here, too, there are some extras — presenting them as if they were religion, who satisfy their own nafs, who busy themselves with falsehood and are governed by stories they made up, and who dye children saying 'you have become a Christian', thinking they could go against Allah Almighty's covenant in pre-eternity (?) — these people, what a bad path they are on as they go. Yes. What a bad path they are on as they go. Why? These people — when Allah Almighty created people, when He said 'I am your Lord', in the address Alastu bi-Rabbikum, when He made the covenant with them — they know nothing of this — and who made a covenant with each person and wrote that person's wish as their destiny; in place of Allah Almighty, they tell those newborn children 'you have become a Christian'; deciding in place of Allah Almighty — by this they truly declare that they are in error.

Those who do not know people's covenant (?) with Allah Almighty, people who pass judgements on people by their own minds, decide in place of Allah Almighty, and without knowing it they fall into shirk.

There are such people within Islam too.

What is shirk? Worshipping something other than Allah, or deciding in place of Allah. Deifying one's own nafs. These are shirk. Yes. To newborn children — new- born children: dyeing them with a water and saying 'now you have become a Christian, you are cleansed' — they remove the covenant between Allah Almighty and people, they remove it, and by judging according to their own minds they associate partners with Allah. Yes. In the same way, as we said earlier, on the decision Allah Almighty has made, no created being can lay a finger. The moment he lays a finger on it, he is struck by a great voltage — he goes into shirk, into kufr.

Accordingly, the most beautiful dye is Allah's dye. What is Allah's dye? His commands and prohibitions. His commands and prohibitions He made known to people. People dyed with this — with this dye — are on the path of guidance. What is guidance? Guidance is reaching well-being. That is, being (?) by someone and rewarding him. Guidance. That is, reaching something. Reaching well-being. And Allah Almighty says: whoever does not oppose My command and does what I say, I have promised them My Paradise. And to confirm to people that He is sure of this, Allah Almighty says: who is more true to his word than Allah?

In that case, if a person lays a finger on Allah's destiny over people and tries to pass judgement, he wrongs his own nafs.

People dyed with this dye are on the path of guidance. That is, those dyed with the dye of Islam. Because the world is transient, while the hereafter is everlasting. Those governed by Allah's commands and prohibitions, those who do what Allah says, they attain His light, which is Allah's dye. What is Allah's dye? Allah's light. Hodja, about this dye, is there anything? I mean, is there a verse? Allah's dye exists. Of course. What does it say? In Surah An-Nur: Allahu nûru's-semâvâti ve'l-ard. Allah is the illuminator of the heavens and the earth. We place Our light in the hearts of those We love, it says.

Look how beautiful. That light is from olive oil, it says, like a lit lamp, it says, it is almost about to burn, it says. Neither the shadow of the east nor of the west falls on it, it says. Isn't this a dye? It is so dyed with this light that no dye has any effect on it. What is this, then? If you rub oil on a wall — oil — however much water you sprinkle on it, the water runs off that oil. So on one dyed with Allah's light, no ulterior thought has any effect. He attains the guidance Allah promised him.

Because the world is transient, while the hereafter is everlasting. Those governed by Allah's commands and prohibitions, those who do what Allah says, they attain Allah's light, which is His dye. On that day of reckoning, many faces will shine like the sun. Those dyed with that light are the ones who attain Allah's guidance. Allah Almighty — neither fear nor grief touches them. Nor will they grieve, He says. Who are they? Those dyed with Allah's light. Those honoured with the light of Islam. Those dyed with the dye of Islam. Yes.