Ar-Ra'd 25: Those who gave a bad covenant (by denying Allah) despite knowing Allah, those who abandon that which Allah has ordered to be held together (relation to relatives) and who make mischief on earth, for them is damnation. And the bad dwelling (in the hell) is for them.

To Allah — the wrong one I'm reading; the verse is not wrong, Allah forbid, the verse they explained wrongly when rendering it: "Those who break the pledge they made to Allah after firmly confirming it."

Is there any brave man who could make a pledge to Allah and then break it? (?) whom does this passage describe? "Those who break the pledge they made to Allah after firmly confirming it."

That is not in any person's power. Changing his covenant, his destiny. They are touching on destiny here.

Even Allah Almighty does not change it. If He set out to change it, taking people's will off them, since our Lord would exercise His own will over that person, He would be discriminating among people. Yet Allah does not discriminate among His servants. Yes, and it says: those who break the pledge they made to Allah after firmly confirming it. Firmly confirming — Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, it says.

What does it say? We made a covenant with those who would come forth from the descendants of the children of Adam, made an agreement — that is how we confirmed it. This is the firm confirming. We made them witnesses against themselves and said, "We are your Lord," it says. So no one can change that pledge. "Those who abandon what Allah has commanded to be joined, the bonds of kinship, and spread corruption on earth — upon them is the curse, and the evil abode, Hell, is theirs." Correct, the end is correct. Here is how we rendered it: those who, despite knowing Allah, deny Him and give an evil pledge.

Despite knowing Allah, you see. What are we saying? Let's open this up a bit. How will they know Allah? Every nafs knows that it was created. Every spirit in the realm of Lahut. Every spirit knows that it was created. How does it know? Suddenly it has an existence. And Allah Almighty stands before it, saying: I created you. So it cannot believe in a Lord who is like itself. It waits for the Lord of its own imagination. And Allah Almighty says to them: had We (?), We would hang down from the clouds with the angels and make you prostrate, He says. In a second verse He says: they will not be able to see their Lord.

Because there is no Lord such as they imagine. There is no other god besides Allah. And this symbolises tawhid anyway. They will not see their Lord. That verse also symbolises tawhid. So, despite knowing Allah, that is, despite knowing that they were created, those who deny and give an evil pledge, who abandon what Allah has commanded to be joined, the bonds of kinship, and spread corruption on earth — upon them is the curse, and the evil abode, Hell, is theirs, it says. Otherwise, a person as a Muslim — a Muslim also stirs up mischief as a sinner, also gossips, backbites, does it, and then he is a Muslim, he regrets, repents, and so on.

This is directly a text that evokes the unbelievers, addressed to the unbelievers. A verse that commands us not to be like them. A verse. Yes, we're coming to it. Those who, despite knowing Allah, deny Him and give an evil pledge, who abandon what Allah has commanded to be joined, the (?) things, the bonds of kinship, who abandon ties of kinship, turn their backs on their relatives, and spread corruption on earth — upon them is the curse, and the evil abode, Hell, is theirs.

People know that they were created. How does one know? Just as I said a moment ago, this passage is direct. Allah Almighty is emphasising the realm of Lahut. People know that they were created. They are aware of Allah's existence. But because of the evil pledge these people gave to Allah — by evil pledge we mean not acknowledging Allah, acknowledging the Lord of their own imagination — those who fall into the state of denying unbelievers or into the state He calls lying unbelievers. Yes.

They have rebelled against Allah. Therefore they oppose Allah's (?) religious law. With their own minds, by laws that suit them, they want to be governed. Because reason is deficient, with deficient laws, producing evils and multiplying them, they lead people into dead ends. The oppressed suffer oppression. And everything is drowned in strife and corruption. At the same time, cutting the bonds of kinship, breaking away from one another, they fall apart; those not attached to their relatives abandon their customs and traditions. Therefore, if a person abandons the environment he grew up in and takes his place in an environment his nafs enjoys, such people become the pioneers of strife and evil on earth.

So people who go about with these traits, for a little pleasure and benefit of fleeting worldly life, give up the abode of eternal bliss in the life of the hereafter. So Allah, addressing such people, says: the curse is upon them.

Why the curse upon them? Allah Almighty gave you something of His spirit, made you His addressee, created you as the noblest of creatures, honoured you above the worlds, prepared the world for you, adorned the world with all kinds of foods and substances, prepared all your needs for you in the world, and as the vicegerent of the earth He created you. With all the value He gave man, in the face of all the blessings He gave, if man abandons his Owner, his Creator, the Giver of these blessings, if he does not see the Giver, if he associates partners with the One who created them, commits shirk and drowns the earth in corruption, if he deifies his nafs and turns his back on Allah, even — a person's hair stands on end. The hair.

There is a matter. He mentions Allah, but says Allah made a mistake here. "House of ignorance," he says, (?) here. This place is a house of ignorance. He made a mistake, he says. He accuses Allah of error. He goes this far. If Allah erred — He created as the Creator — then you too (?) create, and after that speak. If you can create. If you eat and drink what He gives, if you live dependent on Him, though on this world spinning in suspension you have nothing in your hand to hold on to life, despite that, you — against the One who created you, who keeps these worlds alive with His (?) knowledge — how can you speak like this against Allah?

How can you betray your Owner like this?

Yes. "The evil abode, Hell, is theirs," He decrees. O man! The fleeting pleasures of this life are not worth suffering the eternal torment of the abode of the hereafter. Open your eyes, think and reflect. Look around you. See that everything has an end. One day we too will have an end. As every mind accepts, since this universe was created with knowledge, there is an Allah who created it. So turn to Allah who created these worlds, listen to His verses, do not be fooled by the (?) Satan gives man, do not be deceived by the (?) pleasure, delight and amusement of the worldly realm. It is not worth strutting about in the pomp of worldly life; in the end it will all come to an end; if you are rebellious, your end will be bankruptcy with all you have earned; alone, stark naked, a wretched life will be an eternal torment for you.

This

part shall I read once more?

A beautiful passage. What am I saying? O man! The fleeting pleasures of this life are not worth suffering the eternal torment of the abode of the hereafter. Open your eyes, think and reflect. Look around you. See that everything has an end. One day we too will have an end. As every mind accepts, since this universe was created with knowledge, there is an Allah who created it. So turn to Allah who created these worlds. Listen to His verses. Do not be fooled by the (?) and amusement of the worldly realm. It is not worth strutting about in pomp while in worldly life. In the end it will all come to an end.

If you are rebellious, your end will be bankruptcy with all you have earned. Alone, stark naked, a wretched life will be an eternal torment for you.

Yes.