In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Reflection on Surah Al-Faatir

Allaah [The Exalted] said:

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ يَمْكُرُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ ۖ وَمَكْرُ أُولَٰئِكَ هُوَ يَبُورُ

Whosoever desires honour, then to Allah belong all honour. To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it (the goodly words i.e. the goodly words are not accepted by Allah unless and until they are followed by good deeds), but those who plot evils, theirs will be severe torment. And the plotting of such will perish. [Surah Al-Faatir. Aayah 10]

[مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا – Whosoever desires honour then to Allah belong all honour, power and glory]- Meaning, let him seek it through sincere obedience to Allaah, because indeed he will not find it except through obedience to Allaah. Some of the pious predecessors used to supplicate:[اللهم اعزني بطاعتك ولا تذلني بمعصيتك – O Allaah! Grant me honour through obedience to you and do not humiliate me through disobedience to you].

Therefore, whoever seeks honour, then let him seek it through sincere obedience to Allaah by way of uttering good speech and righteous deeds.  [Ref 1]

O you the one who wants honour! Seek it from the one in whose hand it, because indeed honour is in Allaah’s Hand and cannot be attained except through obedience to Allaah. And Allaah has mentioned this in His statement: [إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ-To Him ascend (all) the goodly words]- Meaning, such as recitation of the Qur’an, utterance of Subhaanallaah, Alhamdulil laah and Laa Ilaaha illal laah. All good speech ascend to Allaah and is presented to Him, and Allaah praises the one who uttered it. The righteous deeds also ascend to Him – the deeds of the heart and the limbs. Allaah raises the status of a person and honours him by  these righteous deeds that ascend to Him.

As for evil deeds, they are the opposite. The perpetrator wants to be raised by way of them, plots and plans, but this will haunt him and he is not increased except in ignominy and degradation. This is why Allaah said: [وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ يَمْكُرُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ ۖ وَمَكْرُ أُولَٰئِكَ هُوَ يَبُورُ – And the righteous deeds exalt it (the goodly words i.e. the goodly words are not accepted by Allah unless and until they are followed by good deeds), but those who plot evils, theirs will be severe torment. [وَمَكْرُ أُولَٰئِكَ هُوَ يَبُورُ-And the plotting of such will perish] – Meaning, destroyed and annihilated. It will not benefit them in anything because they plotted by way of falsehood and for the sake of falsehood. [Ref 2]

[Ref 1: An Excerpt from Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnul Qayyim Vol 2. pages 346-347]

[Ref 2: An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi. Slightly paraphrased]