guide those whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills﴾ [al-Qasas: 56]. When we consider this noble verse, ﴿Indeed, upon Us rests guidance,﴾ we find that Allah Most High has made everything clear. He has explained what people are required to uphold in matters of creed, worship, character, and dealings, as well as what they must avoid in all these areas. Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, even said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, passed away without there being a bird flapping its wings in the sky concerning which he had not imparted some knowledge to us.” (1)

One of the polytheists said to Salmān al-Fārisī, “Your Prophet has taught you even how to defecate!” (2) He replied, “Indeed, he taught us even how to defecate.” That is, the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, taught his nation even the proper etiquette for relieving oneself. This is further supported by the words of Allah Most High: ﴿Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion.﴾ [al-Mā'idah: 3].

﴿And indeed, to Us belong the Hereafter and this worldly life.﴾ That is, the Hereafter and this worldly life belong to Us. Although this worldly life precedes the Hereafter chronologically, it is mentioned second in this verse for two reasons:

The first is semantic.

The second is verbal.

As for the semantic reason, the Hereafter is more important than this world, and Allah Most High’s absolute sovereignty will be fully manifest there. In this world there are leaders, kings, and rulers who possess whatever authority Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has granted them. In the Hereafter, however, no one else will possess any sovereignty: ﴿To whom does all sovereignty belong today? To Allah, the One, the All-Subduing.﴾ [Ghāfir: 16]. The Hereafter is therefore mentioned first because of this semantic benefit.