SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 148-149

[7:148]
And in the absence of Musa, his people made a calf from their ornaments, which was merely a sculpture with a moaning sound. Did they not see that it neither talked to them nor could it guide them to any way? They adopted it (as god), and were so unjust.
[7:149]
When they became remorseful and saw that they had gone astray, they said, "If Allah shows no mercy to us, and does not forgive us, we shall certainly be among the losers". 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 145-147

[7:145]
We wrote for him on the Tablets advice of every kind, and explanations of all (needful) things. "So hold it firm, and ask your people to hold on to the best things in it. I shall show you the house of the sinners.

[7:146]

I shall keep away from My verses those who show arrogance on the earth with no right to do so. Even if they were to see every sign, they would not believe in it; and if they see the Path of guidance, they do not take it as their way; and if they see the path of misguidance, they would take it as their way. That is because they have rejected Our signs, and have been neglectful of them.
[7:147]
Gone to waste are the deeds of those who have rejected Our signs and the meeting of the Hereafter. They will be recompensed only for what they have been doing. 

URAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 143-144

[7:143]
When Musa came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord, show (Yourself) to me that I may look at You". He said: "You shall never see Me. But look at the mount. If it stays at its place, you will see Me". So when his Lord appeared to the Mount, He made it smashed, and Musa fell down unconscious. When he recovered, he said: "Pure are You. I repent to You, and I am the first to believe (that no one can see You in this world)".
[7:144]
He said, "Musa, I have chosen you above all men for my messages and for My speaking (to you). So, take what I have given to you, and be among the grateful". 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 142

[7:142]
And We made an appointment with Musa for thirty nights, then We supplemented them with another ten. So, the total period fixed by his Lord was forty nights. Musa said to his brother Harun, "Take my place among my people and keep things right, and do not follow the way of mischief makers". 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 138-141

[7:138]
We made the children of Isra‘il cross the sea, then they came across a people sitting in devotion before their idols. They (the Israelites) said, "O Musa, make a god for us like they have gods". He said, "You are really an ignorant people. 
[7:139]
What these people are engaged in is sure to be destroyed; and false is what they are doing." 
[7:140]
He said, "Shall I seek any one other than Allah as God for you, while He has given you excellence over the (people of all the) worlds."
[7:141]
(Remember) when We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh who inflicted grievous torment upon you, slaughtered your sons and left your women alive. In all that there was a great trial from your Lord. 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 136-137

[7:136]

Then We subjected them to retribution, and drowned them in the sea, because they rejected Our signs, and were neglectful of them.
[7:137]
We caused those people who were deemed to be weak (the Israelites) to inherit the East and West of the land that We had blessed. And the sublime word of your Lord was fulfilled for the children of Isra‘il, because they stood patient; and We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people used to build and what they used to raise high. 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 133-135

[7:133]
So We sent upon them the storm and locusts and lice and frogs and blood, as signs distinct from each other. Yet they showed arrogance, and they were a guilty people.
[7:134]
Whenever a scourge befell them, they said, "O Musa, pray for us to your Lord by the covenant He has made with you. If you remove the scourge from us, we will truly believe in you, and will send the children of Isra‘il with you."
[7:135]
But when We removed the scourge from them for a term they had to reach, in no time they started to break their promise. 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 129-132

[7:129]
They said, "We were persecuted before you came to us and after you have come to us". He said, "Hopefully your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you successors in the land, then He will see how you act."
[7:130]
And We seized the people of Pharaoh with years of famine and poor production of fruits, so that they may learn a lesson.
[7:131]
When good times came to them, they said, "This is our right". And if an evil touched them, they took it as an ill omen of Musa and those with him. Listen, their ill omen lies with Allah only, but most of them do not know.
[7:132]
They said, "Whatever sign you bring to us to enchant us with, we are not going to believe in you". 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 127-128

[7:127]
The chiefs of the people of Pharaoh said, "Shall you leave Musa and his people free to spread disorder in the land and to abandon you and your gods?" He said, "We shall slaughter their sons and let their women remain alive. We have full power over them."
[7:128]
Musa said to his people, "Seek help from Allah and be patient. Surely, the land belongs to Allah. He lets whomsoever He wills inherit it from among His servants; and the end-result is in favor of the God-fearing." 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 121-126

[7:121]
They said, "We believe in the Lord of the worlds,
[7:122]
the Lord of Musa and Harun."
[7:123]
Pharaoh said, "You have believed in him before my permission. Undoubtedly, this is a plot you have designed in the city, so that you may expel its people from it. Now you shall know (its end).
[7:124]
I will cut off your hands and your legs from opposite sides. Then I will crucify you all together." [7:125]
They said, "We have surely to return to our Lord.

[7:126]

For what fault would you punish us except that we have believed in the signs of our Lord when they appeared to us? O our Lord, pour out patience upon us, and cause us to die as Muslims (those who submit to you.)"

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 113-120

[7:113]

The sorcerers came to Pharaoh. They said, "There must be a reward for us, if we are the victors".
[7:114]
He said, "Yes, and of course, you will be among the closer ones (to me)".
[7:115]
They said, "O Musa, would you throw (first) or are we to throw?"
[7:116]
He said, "You throw". So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and made them frightened, and produced great sorcery.
[7:117]
We revealed to Musa, "Throw your staff". Then of a sudden, it began to swallow all that they had concocted.
[7:118]
Thus the truth prevailed, and what they were doing became a nullity.
[7:119]
So, they were overcome then and there and turned humiliated.
[7:120]
The sorcerers could not but fall in prostration. 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 105-112

[7:105]
it befits me not to say anything about Allah except the truth. I have come to you with a clear sign from your Lord. So, let the children of Isra‘il go with me".
[7:106]
He said, "If you have come with a sign, then bring it forth, if you are really truthful".
[7:107]
So he threw down his staff, and in no time it was a vivid serpent;
[7:108]
and he drew out his hand, and it was luminous for the onlookers.
[7:109]
The chiefs of the people of Pharaoh said, "This man is certainly a sorcerer of great knowledge. [7:110]
He wants to expel you from your land. So, what do you suggest?"
[7:111]
They said, "leave him and his brother alone for a while, and send (your) men to the cities to collect [7:112]
and bring to you every expert sorcerer (who could defeat him)." 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 103-104

[7:103]
After them, We sent Musa with Our signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs. But they did injustice to them. So, consider the fate of the mischief-makers.
[7:104]
Musa said, "O Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the worlds; 

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 99-102

[7:99]
Do they feel secure from Allah‘s plan? None can feel secure from Allah‘s plan except the people who are losers. 
[7:100]

Have all these events still not taught a lesson to those who inherit the land after its (former) inhabitants, that if We so willed, We could afflict them for their sins? But We seal their hearts, so that they do not listen.

[7:101]
Those are the towns We narrate to you their important events. Surely their messengers came to them with clear signs, but they were not able to believe in what they had rejected earlier. This is how Allah seals the hearts of the disbelievers.
[7:102]
We did not find with most of them any covenant (unbroken), and surely We have found most of them sinners. 

TREAT YOUR RELATIVES WELL: 15

GIVING GIFTS BREEDS LOVE

In a Hadith the Holy Prophet ﷺ said,

"تھادو و اتحابو" (الموٴطا)

“Give gifts to each other and increase love amongst yourselves.” But this love will develop only if the gift is given only with the intentions of pleasing Allah Ta’alah and of making one’s relative happy. If we look at our own practices today we don’t give gifts for these reasons these days. The most common reason for giving gifts these days is to follow some sort of a ritual or custom, for example, it has become expected to give gifts on certain social occasions like marriages. We have almost stopped giving gifts to each other outside of these occasions. Even if we sometimes feel like giving a gift to a relative or a friend other than these occasions just because we feel it will make them happy, we stop ourselves thinking we will do it when there is some sort of occasion in their family. The best time to give a gift is when you feel that doing so will make your relative or friend happy, so do not wait for rituals and just do it then.

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 95-98

[7:95]
Thereafter, We substituted good in place of evil until they increased, and said, "Hardship and prosperity came to our fathers (too)". Then We seized them suddenly while they were not aware.
[7:96]
If the people of the towns believed and feared Allah, We would have opened for them blessings from the heavens and the earth, but they disbelieved. So, We seized them because of what they used to earn for themselves.
[7:97]
So, do the people of the towns feel themselves immune from Our punishment that may befall them at night while they are asleep?
[7:98]
Or do the people of the towns feel themselves immune from Our punishment that may befall them in broad daylight while they are at play? 

TREAT YOUR RELATIVES WELL: 14

HADIYAH (هدیه) IS THE PUREST FORM OF HALAL INCOME

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih used to say that a Muslim’s gift to another Muslim, when he has given it purely to make his brother happy and to please Allah Ta’alah, and without any intention of earning praise or fame, is the purest form of Halal income in this world. This is because when a person earns for himself it is possible that he may have made a mistake or may have been neglectful in some area, but there is no doubt about the purity of a gift a Muslim brother brings with sincerity for his brother

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 94

[7:94]
We did not send any prophet to a town, but We seized its people with hardship and suffering, so that they may turn humble. 

TREAT YOUR RELATIVES WELL: 13

HOW TO KNOW WHAT ONE’S TRUE INTENTION IS

How to know if one’s true intention in giving a gift was to please Allah Ta’alah, or whether the gift was given with an expectation of return? If after giving a gift, a person keeps waiting for the other person to thank him, expects him to give a gift when there is some wedding or ceremony in the giver’s family, gets upset and angry if the person doesn’t bring a gift on such an occasion, or if he begrudges that this person brought a gift of lesser value than I had given him, these are all signs that the gift was not given with the sole intention of pleasing Allah Ta’alah.

On the other hand, if after giving a gift, a person does not wait for or expects any thanks or return from the recipient of the gift, does not carry a grudge if his gift is not returned, and just thanks Allah Ta’alah that He gave him the means to give a gift to his relatives and make them happy, then these are signs that this gift was given purely to please Allah Ta’alah and will Insha'Allah (God willing) be a source of Barakah (برکت) for both the person giving it and receiving it.