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رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

“Our Lord! You have not created all of this in vain. Glory be to You! So protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”
(Surah Āl-‘Imrān 3:191)

In an age where cosmic science unveils wonders of the universe—black holes, galaxies billions of light-years away, and precision in cosmic orbits—one truth echoes louder than ever: this vast universe is not a product of chance. As telescopes explore deep space and astronauts return from the edges of human reach, believers are reminded through this verse that every particle and planet moves with purpose, under Divine decree.

The believers—أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ—gaze into the skies and reflect deeply, proclaiming:
“رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا” – Our Lord! You have not created this in vain.
Their reflection is not mere observation, but a path to reverence, awe, and supplication for salvation.

Let us reflect—not just on discoveries, but on the Creator behind them.

The verse  رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ  (Āl-‘Imrān 3:191) emerges from one of the most profound passages in the Qur’an, highlighting the spiritual stature of أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ—those of sound intellect and sincere hearts. They are described as those “who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth.” This reflection does not end in awe alone, but leads to a heartfelt prayer: “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly! Glory be to You! So protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”

A Night of Tears: The Prophet’s ﷺ Awe of Divine Creation

This powerful supplication comes at the conclusion of a deep spiritual reflection upon the cosmos, the alternation of night and day, and the grandeur of creation. These believers, through their continuous remembrance and contemplation, reach a profound truth: Nothing in this universe is without purpose.

This verse was so powerful that when the Prophet ﷺ received it, it left a lasting impact.

Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما once asked our mother Aisha رضي الله عنها:
“Tell us the most amazing thing you saw from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
She paused and said:

“One night, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me:
‘O Aisha, allow me to worship my Lord tonight.’
I replied: ‘By Allah, I love your nearness and what pleases you.’

He got up, purified himself, and began praying. He wept in his prayer until his lap was soaked with tears, then his beard, then the ground beneath him.

When Bilal رضي الله عنه came to call him for Fajr, he saw the Prophet ﷺ weeping and asked,
‘O Messenger of Allah! Why do you cry when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins?’
He ﷺ replied:
‘Shall I not be a grateful servant? Tonight, a verse was revealed to me—woe to the one who recites it and does not reflect upon it!’

Then he recited:
 إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ 
‘Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and day are signs for those of understanding.’
 الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ 
‘Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; protect us from the punishment of the Fire.’ [Surah Al-Imran 3:191]

This hadith is a powerful lesson of humility and awe before the majesty of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ—despite being the most honoured of creation, forgiven of all sins—wept all night, deeply affected by the reality of Allah’s perfect creation. This was no idle existence, and this universe was not created in vain.

Contemplation on Allah’s Creation

Ibn Kathīr in his tafsīr, explains that true believers are those who constantly remember Allah in every state—standing, sitting, and lying down—and they reflect deeply on the creation of the heavens and the earth. Their hearts are alive with dhikr, and their minds are illuminated by tafakkur. This reflection is not a passive thought, but an active search for signs of divine wisdom, power, and mercy in the natural world.

He connects this to the ḥadīth of ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn, where the Prophet ﷺ instructed:

“Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; and if you cannot, then on your side.” (Bukhārī)
Just as prayer continues in every posture, so too must dhikr and tafakkur never cease.

The result of this reflection? A heartfelt declaration:
“رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا”
“Our Lord, You did not create this in vain!”They realise that this universe, in all its vastness and detail, is not purposeless. It is a deliberate act of divine wisdom, aiming to remind humanity of its Creator and ultimate accountability.

Ibn Kathīr then brings beautiful sayings from early scholars and righteous individuals:

• Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said: “Reflecting for an hour is better than standing in prayer for a night.”
• Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah said: “Reflection is a light that enters the heart.”
• ʿĪsā (Jesus), peace be upon him, said: “Glad tidings to one whose speech is remembrance, whose silence is reflection, and whose gaze is a lesson.”
• Wahb ibn Munabbih: “Whoever reflects long, understands; and whoever understands, acts.”
• ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz: “Remembering Allah is good, but reflecting on His blessings is the best act of worship.”

Such reflection isn’t aimless. It produces fear of Allah, yearning for the hereafter, and detachment from worldly distractions. Bishr al-Ḥāfī said:

“If people truly reflected on Allah’s greatness, they would never disobey Him.”

This is why Prophet ﷺ  said: “Woe to the one who reads it and does not reflect upon it.”

Allah remind us that
 وَكَأَيِّن مِّنْ آيَةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ 
"And how many a sign in the heavens and the earth do they pass by, while they turn away from them."
(Surah Yūsuf 12:105)

Despite the countless signs (āyāt) of Allah’s existence and power present in the vastness of the universe and the wonders of the earth, many people remain heedless—seeing without reflection, living without awareness, turning away from the truth these signs point to. This verse is a reminder to open both the eyes and the heart to the Divine wisdom embedded in creation.

The Divine System: Everything by His Command

The universe is not chaos. The stars, the earth’s rotation, the human body, the flight to space—all obey one flawless command:

 إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ ﴾ ﴿ وَمَا أَمْرُنَا إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ 
"Indeed, We have created everything according to a measure (decree). And Our command is but one, like the twinkling of an eye."  (Surah Al-Qamar 54:49-50)All of existence is governed by Allah’s divine planning and precision. The Prophet ﷺ stood in awe of it.

In contemplating the divine command, “وَمَا أَمْرُنَا إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ”, we are invited to witness the instantaneous power of Allah ﷻ. This verse teaches that Allah’s will is executed with a swiftness and certainty beyond human comprehension—like the blink of an eye—a moment so brief yet so potent.

In the observable universe, we find reflections of this divine speed and control. Take, for instance, black holes—cosmic entities formed in an instant when massive stars collapse under their own gravity. This momentous event, where time and space are distorted, parallels the awe and gravity of Allah’s command.

In Surah Al-Wāqi‘ah, Allah swears by the positions of the stars:

 فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَوَاقِعِ النُّجُومِ * وَإِنَّهُ لَقَسَمٌ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ 

“So I swear by the positions of the stars – and indeed, it is a mighty oath if you but knew.”

—a mighty oath, as described, reflecting the grandeur of cosmic events that Allah controls with a mere word.

Likewise, lightning, another split-second phenomenon, is mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah:
 يَكَادُ ٱلۡبَرۡقُ يَخۡطَفُ أَبۡصَٰرَهُمۡ 
“The lightning almost snatches away their sight…” [2:20].

This verse vividly illustrates the power unleashed in moments, mirroring the sudden execution of Allah’s command upon the universe.

All these cosmic marvels—the blazing of a star, the collapse of a supernova, the forming of galaxies—are but manifestations of the decree: “كُنْ فَيَكُونُ”—Be, and it is.

Indeed, every split-second event in creation, whether visible to us or beyond our perception, unfolds by Allah’s command, measure, and wisdom. His will is not bound by time, space, or process; rather, the universe itself is a witness to His instantaneous power and infinite precision.

This divine command also alludes specifically to the suddenness of the Hour — Yawm al-Qiyāmah. Allah says:
 لَا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةً 
“It will not come upon you except suddenly.” [Al-A‘rāf 7:187]

The Prophet ﷺ described the startling speed of the Final Hour:

“The Hour will commence while a man is milking his she-camel, and the milk will not reach his mouth before it befalls; two men will be bargaining over a garment, and they will not complete the deal before the Hour strikes...” [Sahih Muslim]

In modern cosmology, Some models propose that in a fraction of a second, cosmic forces could unravel the fabric of reality, imploding galaxies, stars, and matter itself. Whether science agrees it or not, the Qur’ān prefigures this sudden, overwhelming collapse:

 إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انفَطَرَتْ 
“When the sky is torn apart...” [Al-Infitar 82:1]
 وَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انتَثَرَتْ 
“When the stars scatter...” [Al-Infitar 82:2]

In another verse:
 يَوْمَ نَطْوِي السَّمَاءَ كَطَيِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ 
“On the Day when We will fold the heavens like the folding of a scroll…” [Al-Anbiyā’ 21:104]
— a striking imagery of cosmic retraction, comparable to scientific notions of space-time compression.

In a world that marvels at technological precision and cosmic exploration, the believer stands in awe of the One who created it all. From the orbits of planets to the collapse of stars, from the formation of galaxies to the end of the universe, every process unfolds by Allah’s command — swift and absolute — “like the blink of an eye.”

Let us not be deceived by the complexity of creation into forgetting its Creator, for behind every law of physics is the Lawgiver, and behind every discovery is a divine decree. Let us be among those who, reflecting on creation, proclaim:

 رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ 

“Our Lord, You have not created all of this without purpose. Glory be to You, so protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” [Āl-‘Imrān 3:191]