Ar-Rahman is one of ninety nines names of Allah and refers to his attribute of being the most merciful, the most gracious or kind.

Surah Rahman is the 55th chapter of the Qur’an, 78 ayat in length, and it expands on the topic of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala rahma.

The composition of Surah Rahman is entirely in saj’, a form of early Arabic poetry which is characterized by rhythm as well as rhyme.

The most popular verse which is repeated 31 times throughout the 78 verses is the saying, fabi ayyi ala i rabbikuma tukazziban.

We will expound on the meaning of this verse in detail.

fabi ayyi ala i rabbikuma tukazziban in Arabic:

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Transliteration: fabia ala i rabbikuma tukadziban

English translation of this ayah:

The meaning of fabi ala i rabbikuma tukazziban is,

“Which, then, of your Lord’s blessings do you both deny?”
When it says both, it is referring to both men and Jinn.

Surah Rahman can be categorized into three distinct subject matters:

  • Ayat 1 through 30 expound on the miracles displays of Allah’s creative power.
  • Ayat 31 through 45 give a description of the day judgment and the consequences.
  • Ayat 46 through 78 gives an account on the benefits and rewards that await the righteous in Jannah.


Virtues of Verse 13 of Surah Rahman:

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is enumerating the various bounties which have been bestowed to mankind and Jinn.

As the saying goes, “you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone” we come to realize this too late… only once when we lose an item we treasure do we realize how privileged we were to have it in the first place.

Unfortunately for us once we leave this earth, we are gone and will never return… that’s it. We don’t get to ask Allah for a second chance to make up for the time that’s lost.

So in a way this Surah is teaching us to become aware, to open our eyes and our hearts and see all the bounties that Allah has bestowed for us. This is a warning, to not take life for granted see it’s beauty, be appreciative and grateful.

Once we see these things Allah then asks, “then which of your Lord’s blessings will either of you belie?” and it becomes clear as day we can not deny the favors of Allah (swt) if we look around we’ll notice we have many things to be grateful for.

55:13 An Ayat For Gratitude:

 

Ibn Umar radhiyallahuan says, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited Surah Rahman to his companions and they were silent. So the Messenger (ﷺ) said, why is it that I have heard the Jin give a better reply than you? Whenever I would come to the verse “Then which of your Lord’s blessings will either of you belie?” they would reply,

لا بشيءْ من نعمك ربنا نكذب فلك الحمد

“There are none of your blessings that we deny so praise be to you.”

This should be our instantaneous response whenever we hear fabi ala i rabbikuma tukazziban. Whatever gifts we receive, it is because of the will and mercy of Allah and we should not take them for granted.

It seems almost too simple, the guide to living a happy life, but if it’s trite it’s right.

Be thankful.
Be grateful.
Be mindful.

Humans by nature have a tendency to see the lack in things, maybe this was necessary in our ancient nomad days where we needed to make sure we had stuff for survival. But now we have everything and have a better standard of living than kings thousands of years ago.

Yet how can we still complain, be greedy, and feel like we are lacking?

I think the answer comes down to our perspective, if we lived in a poverty stricken village for a week we would come back with a whole new level of appreciation. But over-time as we grow accustomed to our lifestyle we would easily forget this experience and need to re-balance.

Routinely we should practice giving away our things to those who actually need which can help us re-center. Or to constantly visit and be of service to those those are less fortunate to see the beauty that Allah has bestowed for us.