I still remember a time when I would read the Qur’an simply to complete my recitation. The rhythm was beautiful, the Arabic soothing, but my heart often stood outside the meaning. I did not pause. I did not question. I did not seek to understand. I thought reading was enough. But growth has a quiet way of changing us.
Lately, I have built a habit of reading the tafseer alongside the Qur’an. And I have come to realize that knowing what we read is not an optional luxury—it is nourishment. The Qur’an is not merely sound; it is guidance. It is not just reward in recitation; it is clarity in confusion, structure in chaos, and truth in a world of illusions.
As I was reading Surah Ash-Shura, I paused at the verses that speak about harvest. Allah says that whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter, He increases for them in that harvest. But whoever desires only the harvest of this world may be given something of it—yet they will have no share in the Hereafter.
That verse felt like an answer to a question many people carry silently in their hearts.
We measure blessing through visible metrics: money, property, status, influence. We assume provision equals approval. But the Qur’an reframes everything. Wealth is not always a sign of honour. And lack is not always a sign of rejection. Sometimes what we call “blessing” is simply allowance.
The one who desires only this world may receive it. But what is the weight of a temporary gain against an eternal loss? What is comfort for a few decades compared to accountability that does not end?
When someone does good purely for this world—seeking praise, recognition, or material return—Allah may grant them what they seek. But the one who does good seeking the pleasure of Allah is investing in a harvest that multiplies beyond imagination. Their reward is not limited to what is seen. It is preserved.
This shifts the entire mindset. Kindness is not a transaction. Charity is not a business deal. Righteousness is not a strategy for worldly profit.
When we are good, we are not negotiating with Allah for wealth. We are building our Hereafter. And sometimes, the very thing we think we are deprived of is a mercy. Wealth can distract. Ease can distance the heart. Hardship can purify intention.
The Qur’an constantly reminds us that scales are different in the sight of Allah. The world runs on comparison; the Hereafter runs on justice.
Reading tafseer has taught me something deeply humbling: I was once satisfied with sound, but now I seek substance. I once measured blessing through what I saw; now I try to measure through what is promised. Understanding changes faith from ritual to relationship.
When you know what you read, verses begin to answer questions you never verbalized. They address insecurities, doubts, silent frustrations. They correct the lens through which you view life.
The greatest shift is this: instead of asking, “Why don’t I have what they have?” you begin to ask, “What harvest am I planting for?” The world is temporary provision. The Hereafter is permanent return. May we be among those who desire the harvest that lasts.
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