1. Understanding, applying and realizing the meanings of verse 90 in Surah al-Naḥl
2. Positive contribution, as per The Creator of All’s command
إنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنِ وَإِیتَاۤىِٕ ذِی ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَیَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَاۤءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡیِۚ یَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ
[النحل:٩٠]
Which means: Indeed, Allah commands (you) to do justice, excelling in doing good to the relative, and He forbids obscenity, evil acts, and transgression (against the rights of others). He admonishes you, that you may take heed.
[Al-Nahl: 90]
هُوَ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱسۡتَعۡمَرَكُمۡ فِیهَا فَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُوهُ ثُمَّ تُوبُوۤا۟ إِلَیۡهِۚ إِنَّ رَبِّی قَرِیبࣱ مُّجِیبࣱ
[هود: ٦١]
Which means: He has created you from earth and asked you to positively contribute to it. [Hud: 61]
This is a continuous process accompanying the smallest things in the shortest unit of time to big life achievements and contributions.
Start the perpetual journey of searching for, finding and getting to know The All-Loving Creator of all. This is accomplished by the mind, the heart, the body and the soul altogether through the daily prayers, acts of worship, and must be consciously integrated in the process of thoughts, words, and actions.
أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاء مَاء فَأَنبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَائِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ مَّا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُنبِتُوا شَجَرَهَا أَإِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ
أَمَّن جَعَلَ الأَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَجَعَلَ خِلالَهَا أَنْهَارًا وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَاسِيَ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ حَاجِزًا أَإِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لا يَعْلَمُونَ
أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاء الأَرْضِ أَإِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ قَلِيلا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
أَمَّن يَهْدِيكُمْ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَن يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ أَإِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
أَمَّن يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَمَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاء وَالأَرْضِ أَإِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
قُل لّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ
[النمل: ٦٠]
Which means: Or who (else then) is The One who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down to you from the sky water with which We grew gardens full of beauty, whose trees you could not have grown? Is there any other god with Allah? Rather, they are a people who perceive equals (with Him).
Or who (else then) is The One who made the earth habitable and made rivers flow through it and placed therein firm mountains, and set a barrier between the two seas? Is there any other god with Allah? Rather, most of them do not know.
Or who (else then) is The One who responds to the call of he who is in need, when he calls upon Him and relieves evil and makes you successors on earth? Is there any other God with Allah? Little do you take heed.
Or who (else then) is The One who guides you through the darkness(es) of the land and the sea, and who sends the winds bearing glad tidings before His mercy? Is there any other God with Allah? High Exalted is Allah above what they associate (attribute) Him with.
Or who (else then) is The One who originates creation and then reproduces it, and Who provides for you from the sky and the land? Is there any other God with Allah? Say , “Bring your proof, if you are truthful.”
Say, “No one in the heavens or the earth knows the unseen except Allah.” and they know not when they will be raised (again). [Al-Naml: 60-65]
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَن یَرۡتَدَّ مِنكُمۡ عَن دِینِهِۦ فَسَوۡفَ یَأۡتِی ٱللَّهُ بِقَوۡمࣲ یُحِبُّهُمۡ وَیُحِبُّونَهُۥۤ
[المائدة: ٥٤]
Which means: O you who believe! Whoso of you becomes a renegade from his religion, know that in his stead Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him. [Al-Ma’ida: 54]
Love is faith and faith is love, and where there is no love, there is no faith. Hence the Qur’an substituted faith for love in the above verse. Loving Him with all one’s heart, loving His Messengers, Prophets, and Awliya (the righteous), loving good, and loving to do good, is the beginning and the end. The journey of selflessness ends here with no longer witnessing yourself and your “loving”, rather your love, and then, just.. love.
The objective of all worship to be close to Him:
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱعۡبُدُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِی خَلَقَكُمۡ وَٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ
[البقرة: ٢١]
Which means: O mankind, worship your Lord Who created you and those before you, that you may become mindful (of Him). [Al-Baqara: 21]
In fact, all four foundations can be summarized in one word: Love. However, love cannot be demanded, but must grow out of free choice and selflessness to be fruitful.
From love, if genuine (selfless), stems foundation number 1 (doing justice, excelling in doing good to the relative, and He forbids obscenity, evil acts, and transgression), foundation number 2 (positive contribution), and foundation number 3 (searching, then finding, and then getting to know Him).
The All-Loving Creator of all demanded that we establish justice on ourselves and seek to deal with others justly, avoiding evil thought, words, and actions, positive contribution, and search for Him to find Him and know Him, in the absence of love. If love is present, all three foundations will be a natural fruits thereof.
