TAG: Surah
Surah Al-Maidah Kay Fazail
Surah Ikhlas Kay Fazail
Nothing Escapes God’s Knowledge
The unbelievers say: “What! After we have become dust, we and our forefathers, shall we be brought back (to life)” We have been promised this before, we and our forefathers! This is nothing but fables of the ancients.” Say: “Go all over the earth and see what happened in the end to the guilty.”
Do not grieve over them, nor be distressed by what they scheme. They ask: “When will this promise be fulfilled, if what you say be true?” Say: “It may well be that something of that which you so hastily demand has already drawn close to you.” Your Lord is indeed most bountiful to people, but most of them are ungrateful. And indeed your Lord knows all that their hearts conceal and all that they bring into the open. There is nothing that is hidden in the heavens or the earth but is recorded in a clear book. (The Ants; Al-Naml: 27: 67-75).
Resurrection and the life to come make up the most difficult point to accept by the unbelievers. They reject this argument completely, claiming that since their forefathers were similarly warned and nothing happened to bring them back to life, then all claims about the hereafter are baseless. In order to emphasize their rejection of this concept, they hasten the coming of the punishment unbelievers are threatened with.
In a short verse, the surah gives an impression of the forthcoming horror, imparting a touch of ridicule of their attitude: “Say: It may well be that something of that which you so hastily demand has already drawn close to you.” Thus the surah strikes fear in their hearts and makes them worry about the impending punishment. It could easily be close coming from behind, like someone riding behind another. Yet they cannot perceive it. Thus, they are hastening it when it is closely overtaking them. What a frightening surprise to fit their ridicule.
But who can tell? What God has kept for Himself will remain hidden behind a curtain that reveals nothing whatsoever. Something very serious, extremely terrible could be moments away. It is wise, then, to be warned and to be ready at all times to what may lie behind the thick curtains.
“Your Lord is indeed most bountiful to people, but most of them are ungrateful.” Perhaps one of the most important aspects of God’s bounty is that He allows people respite when they do wrong or fail to do what is required of them. He does not hasten His punishment, giving them chance after chance to reflect on their position, repent of their mistakes, and turn back to the right path. Nevertheless, most of them are ungrateful for the grace God bestows on them. Rather, they ridicule the whole idea and hasten their own punishment, or continue in their erring ways, refusing to reflect and take heed. “And indeed your Lord knows all that their hearts conceal and all that they bring into the open.” He gives them this respite although He is fully aware of the feelings they harbor in their hearts as also what they declare by word and deed. This means that the respite is given them in the full knowledge of their actions and feelings. But they will inevitably have to face the reckoning of all this.
This round concludes with a statement emphasizing God’s perfect knowledge that overlooks nothing anywhere in the universe: “There is nothing that is hidden in the heavens or the earth but is recorded in a clear book.” Let imagination travel anywhere in the universe, thinking of any hidden thing: A secret, object, piece of news or information, force or power; it is all recorded and included in God’s knowledge. Nothing is lost or overlooked. God’s knowledge is emphasized throughout the surah, and this reference to it here is just one of many.
Having emphasized the point on God’s perfect knowledge, the surah moves on to speak about the differences among the Children of Israel on fundamental issues. What the Qur’an states concerning these differences is part of God’s knowledge, and it provides the final, indisputable word on these issues. It is an example of how God judges between people in dispute. This is stated so that it provides some comfort to the Prophet so that he would leave them to God to judge between them as He pleases.
“This Qur’an explains to the Children of Israel most of that over which they disagree.”
The Christians have long been in dispute concerning Jesus Christ and Mary, his mother. Some said that the Christ was purely human, while others maintained that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three different forms in which God reveals Himself to mankind. They allege that God is made of these three elements, making Jesus the Son. Thus, God the Father came down in the form of the Holy Spirit and took human form inside Mary and was born in the form of Jesus. Others still said that the Son is not eternal like the Father, but created in this world. As such, he is of a lower status than the Father and subject to Him. A different group denied that the Holy Spirit was one of the three elements. The Council of Nicaea held in 325 AD and the Council of Constantinople held in 381 decided that the Son and the Holy Spirit are equal to the Father in divinity. It further decided that the Son was born from the Father in eternity and that the Holy Spirit emanates from the Father. Likewise, the Council of Toledo, held in 589, also made the same decision concerning the Holy Spirit. The Eastern and Western Churches split over this point, and continued to differ. The Qur’an gives the final word to end all such disputes. It describes the Christ as God’s ‘Word that He gave to Mary and a soul from Him.’ (4: 171) He is certainly a human being, no more: ‘He was nothing but a servant of Ours whom We had graced and whom We had made an example for the Children of Israel.’ (43: 59)
Signs Are Everywhere
In the Name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever Merciful
Ha. Mim. This book is bestowed from on high by God, the Almighty, the Wise. Surely, in the heavens and the earth there are signs for those who believe. And in your own creation, and in the animals God scatters on earth there are signs for people of sure faith. And in the alternation of night and day, and in the means of subsistence God sends down from the skies, reviving with it the earth after it had been lifeless, and in the shifting of the winds there are signs for those who use their reason. (Kneeling Down; Al-Jathiyah: 45: 1-5)
The surah begins by mentioning the revelation of this book, the Qur’an, by God, the Almighty, the Wise after having introduced the two separate Arabic letters Ha, Mim, to point to this book’s source. In speaking about the separate letters introduced at the beginning of a number of surahs, we mentioned in the past that they highlight the fact that the Qur’an is composed of the letters forming the Arab’s own language, yet they cannot produce even a very small portion like it. This, then, constitutes permanent evidence that the Qur’an is bestowed from on high by God, the Almighty who can do whatever He wishes, the Wise who creates everything according to a certain measure and to serve a particular purpose. This is an apt comment that fits the ambience of the surah and its discussion of different types of people.
Before speaking about the unbelievers and their attitude toward the Qur’an, the surah refers to signs pointing to the Creator that are available everywhere in the world around them. Alone, these signs should have been enough to direct them to believe in God. Now, the surah turns their minds to such signs so that they may open their hearts to them and realize that it is God who has bestowed this book from on high and that it is He who has created this great universe: “Surely, in the heavens and the earth there are signs for those who believe.” The signs scattered everywhere in the heavens and the earth are not limited to any area or situation. Wherever we look around us we find signs. Is there anything in this wonderful universe that is not a sign pointing to its great Maker?
The Importance of Reciting Surah Ya-Sin
SURAH Ya-Sin, the 36th Surah of the Qur’an , is undoubtedly one of the most important Surahs. Often referred to as the heart of the Qur’an, it deals with important concepts and beliefs of Islam. It speaks of divine signs in the universe and nature, and the phenomena of death, resurrection, and final reckoning. Because of its vivid descriptions of these and other matters, its reading is highly recommended, even more than other Surahs of the Qur’an, at certain times and in certain circumstances.
As stated in a report by Abu Ya`la on the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said , “Whoever reads Ya-Sin at night (before retiring to bed) will be waking up while being forgiven of his or her sins.”
In another report by Imam Ahmad on the authority of Ma`qal Bin Yasar, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Read it (Ya-Sin) on those among you who are nearing death.”
In light of the above and similar reports, scholars have said that one of the salient characteristics of Surah Ya-Sin is that its reading helps ease hardships and difficulties; its recital by the bedside of those in the throes of death is hoped to be a source of descent of Allah’s mercy and blessings upon them, thus eventually aiding in the easy release of the soul from body.
Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “Great scholars and teachers used to say that reading Ya-Sin will help ease the difficulties that a dying person experiences.”
And finally, Al-Hafiz Al-Bazzar reports on the authority of Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “I wish that it (Ya-Sin) is fully retained in the heart of every member of my Ummah (community).”
In conclusion, Ya-Sin is undoubtedly one of the great Surahs of the Qur’an; its reading is considered to be highly beneficial and spiritually rewarding. It is important to memorize the entire Surah; it is also important to read it as often as one can, and more especially, while attending those who are nearing death.
May Allah, the most Exalted and Glorious, fill our hearts with the love of the Glorious Qur’an. May the Infinitely Merciful One make the Qur’an the spring of our hearts, a soothing balm and healer of all our spiritual ailments and worries, our guide and light in our earthly life, and a companion and source of comfort for us in our graves, and finally our escort to Paradise, the eternal realm of bliss that Allah has promised His righteous servants.
Allah’s Attribute Of Forgiveness
This is the first of seven surahs that all begin with the two separate letters, Ha. Mim. In one of these seven surahs three other separate letters, Ayn Sin Qaf, are added after the initial two. Some surahs start with these separate letters, thereby indicating that the Qur’an, which defies imitation, is composed of such letters which the Arabs used every day, orally and in writing, in their language.
This is followed by a statement of a fact that is frequently used in Makkan surahs given these seek to establish faith: the fact of revelation: “The revelation of this book is from God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.” A number of God’s attributes are then stated. These are directly relevant to the subject matter of the surah and the issues it discusses: “the Almighty, the All-Knowing, who forgives sins, accepts repentance, is severe in retribution and limitless in bounty. There is no deity other than Him. To Him is the ultimate return.” (Verses 2-3) In fact all the issues the surah raises relate to these attributes of God, powerfully stated at the outset to give an impression that they are well and firmly established.
Limitless in His glory, God outlines to His servants these of His attributes that have a profound effect on their lives. Thus, He raises their hopes and fears, making them feel that they are within His grasp and can never elude what He wills. The attributes highlighted here are:
The Almighty: He is overpowering. No one can get the better of Him, while He has power over all things. When He decides something, nothing can stop this from occurring.
The All-Knowing: He conducts all affairs on the basis of perfect knowledge. Nothing is hidden from Him.
He forgives sins: He grants His forgiveness on the basis of His knowledge about those servants who deserve to be forgiven.
He accepts repentance: When sinners repent, He accepts their repentance and bestows His grace on them, opening the door for them to address Him directly.
He is severe in retribution: He punishes the arrogant who are hardened in sin, unwilling to show regret or seek forgiveness.
Limitless in bounty: He bestows His limitless grace, multiplies the reward for good deeds and gives without reckoning.
There is no deity other than Him: He alone is the Godhead who has no partners or equals.
To Him is the ultimate return: None can evade meeting Him or escape accountability.
These attributes provide a clear outline of the interrelation between Him and His servants. They should be clear in their feelings, thoughts and understanding of how to deal with Him. Then, they will have no ambiguity about what pleases Him or incurs His anger.
In the past, those who held beliefs based on legends were at a loss in knowing how to deal with their deities, because they had no clear idea of what pleased or angered them. They pictured them as impulsive, having no clear aim or purpose, demonstrating violent reactions and causing people much worry and confusion. They resorted to charms and sacrifices in their attempts to please such deities, but could only guess about whether they were satisfied or not. By contrast, Islam provides a very clear concept, establishing a relationship between people and their true Lord, outlining His attributes, defining His will, and instructing them on how to draw closer to Him, fear His punishment and pray for His mercy, always following a straight and clear path.
Having established the truth of God’s oneness and His divine attributes, the surah makes clear that this truth is accepted by all creatures. It is, in fact, firmly rooted in their nature and directly related to the nature of the universe. All creation is entirely convinced by the signs testifying to God’s oneness. Only the unbelievers dispute these signs and argue about God’s revelations. Thus they are a class apart, choosing to be at odds with the universe and all other creatures within it.
“None but the unbelievers dispute God’s revelations.”
Throughout the entire expanse of the universe, only the unbelievers stand apart, deviating from the true path. In relation to the whole universe, they are weaker and less significant than an ant in relation to planet earth. When they stand on their own disputing God’s revelations and denying His signs, the rest of the universe declares its acceptance of Him and recognizes His oneness, deriving its strength from Him. With their odd attitude, the unbelievers’ fate is sealed, no matter how powerful, affluent and mighty they may appear to be: “Let it not deceive you that they seem to be able to do as they please on earth.” They may be able to move about, gather wealth, enjoy their power and revel in easy living. However, they are ultimately doomed. The battle, if there could ever be a battle between them and the Creator of the universe, will lead to its inevitable end.
-by Adil Salahi
Fighting Falsehood
In the name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever Merciful
Ha. Mim. The revelation of this book is from God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, who forgives sins, accepts repentance, is severe in retribution, and limitless in bounty. There is no deity other than Him. To Him is the ultimate return. (The Forgiving, Ghafir; 40: 1-3)
As we introduced this surah we said that it concentrates on the battle between truth and falsehood. We also mentioned that it may be divided into four parts. At the outset, the surah states that the whole universe submits to God and obeys Him. Only the unbelievers dispute God’s revelations, thus they separate themselves from the rest of the universe. Therefore, the Prophet should pay no attention to them, no matter how affluent and well-pleased they appear to be. They will inevitably face the same fate suffered by earlier communities of unbelievers. God smote them with stern punishment.
The second part begins with a reference to the fate suffered by some past communities. This serves as a prelude to the narration about certain events from Moses’ life history and specifically his encounter with Pharaoh, Haman and Korah or Qarun. These events, representing tyrants’ attitude to the message of truth, are only told in this surah. There is no reference to them anywhere else in the Qur’an.
They tell us of a believer from Pharaoh’s own household, who concealed the fact that he believed in Moses’ message. He tries first to protect Moses against Pharaoh’s attempt to kill him. He states the word of truth, putting it cautiously at first, then ultimately declaring it openly and clearly. In his argument with Pharaoh, this believer presents strong and clear evidence for the truth, warns Pharaoh and his people of the Day of Judgment, describes some images of the day in an inspirational way, and reminds them of their attitude and that of generations before them to Joseph and his message. The story is developed in such a way as to link it, eventually, to the life to come, and we see them all there, disputing among themselves as they suffer in hell. The dialogue occurs between the weak elements of society and their arrogant leaders, on the one side, and another takes place between them all and the angels in charge of hell, trying to find a way out when there is none. In the light of this last scene, the surah directs Prophet Muhammad to remain patient in adversity, to have full trust that God’s promise will come true, and to glorify and praise Him.
Five Things About The Holy Qur’an
1. The original usage of the word “Qur’an” itself, where it occurs about 70 times assuming various meanings. It is a verbal noun of the Arabic verb “Qara’a”, meaning “he heard” or “he recited”. Its liturgical context is seen in several passages, for example: “So that when Al Qur’an is recited, listen to it & keep silent“. The term also has closely related synonyms which are employed throughout the Qur’an. Each of the synonyms possesses its distinct meaning. Such terms include “kitab” (book); “ayah” (sign); & “surah” (chapter). Other related words are: “dhikr”, meaning “remembrance”, & “hikma” meaning “wisdom”.
2. The Qur’an consists of 114 chapters of varying lengths; each known as surah. Each chapter has a title: usually, a word is mentioned within the chapter itself. In general, the longer chapters appear earlier in the Qur’an, while the shorter ones appear later. As such, the arrangement is not connected to the sequence of revelation. Each chapter commences with “Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim”, an Arabic phrase meaning “In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful”, with the exception of the ninth chapter.
3. Scribes wrote down the Qur’an, according to the order of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), on pieces of cloth, leather, bones, & stones. Its verses were ordered & arranged according to Allah’s inspiration. In the beginning, it was not gathered in one book. Some of the Prophet’s companions wrote parts & Surahs especially for themselves after they had memorized it from the Prophet. Zaid Ibn Thabit gathered the Qur’an in one book. He was tasked to do this by Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, according to advice from Umar Ibn Khattab. Its resource was the parts written by the scribes; so he gathered all of it in one book, The Holy Qur’an.
4. Dots were put as syntactical marks by Abu Al-Aswad Al-Doaly, during the time of Mu’awiya Ibn Abi Sufyan (661-680 CE). The letters were marked with different dotting by Nasr Ibn Asem & Hayy Ibn Ya’amor, during the time of Abd Al- Malik Ibn Marwan (685-705 CE). A complete system of diacritical marks (damma, fataha, kasra) was invented by Al-Khaleel Ibn Ahmad Al-Faraheedy (d. 786 CE).
5. With the necessity to record the Holy Qur’an in the clear and readable text; the Arabic scripts developed into what is now considered the two most important classical styles of calligraphy: Kufic and Naskh. Kufic and Naskh are broad generic terms covering a plethora of magnificent styles in Arabic calligraphy, and are not, of course entirely inclusive of the numerous variations and nuances of the different styles of script, some of which were of key importance in the establishment of the classical trends and styles in the noble art of Arabic calligraphy.
The Virtues of Reciting Some Surahs of the Qur’an
Here are some benefits of reciting certain Surahs (chapters) in the Qur’an:
Surah Al-Fatihah (1)
Once the Prophet (peace be upon him) was traveling when he disembarked and began walking alongside a companion.
He asked him, “Shouldn’t I tell you the best part of the Qur’an?” Then he recited “Alhamdu lillahi rabbil alameen” (Praise be to Allah, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the Alamin (mankind, jinn, and all that exist). (The first verse in Surah Al-Fatihah; (1:1)
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Whoever masters the first seven (chapters or verses) from the Qur’an is a great scholar.”
Also, Prophet Muhammad said: “In the Fatiha of the Qur’an, there is a cure for all maladies (illnesses).”
Surah Al-Baqarah (2)
Prophet Muhammad said: “The Qur’an and those who committed themselves to it will be presented on the Day of Judgment, preceded by Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Al-Imran.”
Prophet Muhammad also said: “Learn how to recite Surah Al-Baqarah for there is a blessing in it, and there is sorrow for abandoning it, and it is unbearable for the idle and that Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran are like two flowers which will shade those who learned them by heart on the Day of Judgment as if there were two large clouds or two flocks of birds.”
Also, Prophet Muhammad said: “Recite Surah Al-Baqarah in your dwellings and do not turn them into graves.
He also said that whoever recited Surah Al-Baqarah at night would be crowned with a crown of Paradise.”
Prophet Muhammad said: “Do not make your house as graves, for Satan shuns a dwelling wherein Surah Al-Baqarah is recited”
Prophet Muhammad was asked, “Which part of the Qur’an is the best?” He replied, “The Surah in which the cow is mentioned.”
He was then asked, “Which part of that Surah?” He replied, “The verse of the Throne (Ayat Al-Kursi) and the last part of Surah Al-Baqarah came down from under the Throne.”
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Whoever recites four verses from the first part of Surah Al-Baqarah, the verse of the Throne, two verses after the verse of the Throne and three verses from the last part of Surah Al-Baqarah, Satan would never come near him or the members of his family on that day, and nothing he despises would come near him or the members of his family, and never are these verses recited over a madman without him regaining his sanity.”