Quran: a verse & a comment

[Nehustan]

This is very pertinent verse, and when I think of it the voice in my head always warns me of pride in that which Allah has revealed, and the grace and mercy he has shown us to know that truth. I in no way mean to criticise, rather post the ayat I often remind myself of along with this verse...

Bismillah Ar Rahman Ar Raheem

O THOU human being! Consider this Qur’an full of wisdom: verily, thou art indeed one of God’s message-bearers, pursuing a straight way, by [virtue of] what is being bestowed from on high by the Almighty, the Dispenser of Grace, [bestowed upon thee] so that thou mayest warn people whose forefathers had not been warned, and who therefore are unaware [of the meaning of right and wrong]. Indeed, the word [of God’s condemnation] is bound to come true against most of them: for they will not believe. Behold, around their necks We have put shackles, [FONT=Verdana,Arial]reaching up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana,Arial]
Sura Ya Sin, 36:1-8

Surely this refers to pride?
[/FONT]​

 

[Cordoba]

Week 3:

In the last two weeks, we started with the first five verses revealed from the Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in Makkah, from Chapter 9, followed by the first 9 verses from Chapter 73.

Today's post is an introduction to the first seven verses from Chapter 74, which is somehow related to Chapter 73, as they both start with a call from God to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to rise.

In Chapter 73, God’s command is for the Prophet, peace be upon him, to rise at night for prayers and for the remembrance of God, i.e. to start the Path towards Allah himself alone as an individual.

In this week’s Chapter, God tells the prophet, peace be upon him, to do the following:

1- O you who covers himself [with a garment],

2- Arise and warn.

3- And your Lord glorify.

4- And your clothing purify.

5- And uncleanliness avoid.

6- And do not confer favor to acquire more.

7- But for your Lord be patient.

As God had warned the Prophet in (73:5): (Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word), well as these verses were revealed, it was the time for the Prophet, peace be upon him, to start gradually conveying The Qur’an to others (Arise and warn).

The first person who shared with him the revelation was his wife Khadija, who became the first Muslim. Among men, the first to believe the Prophet was Abu Bakr, and among the youth, the first was Ali, the Prophet’s cousin.

(And your clothing purify). Ablution is a prerequisite for prayers, as well as clean clothes. But this also is a command to purify the heart and to be pure in all aspects, especially the intention, as deeds are only by their intention. It’s not enough to do a good deed, but from an Islamic perspective this deed has to be purely for the sake of God in order for it to be accepted.

(And do not confer favor to acquire more): An alternative meaning to this verse is “Do not consider any favor you have conferred to be great”, meaning be humble and don’t think that any effort you do or sacrifice you make, even if it’s a lot, as being a favor because God’s favor on you is much greater.

(But for your Lord be patient): As the Prophet was about to convey the Revelation to others, it was normal that some people would not believe him, and that some people would respond to his invitation with aggression and hostility. God commands the Prophet in this verse to be patient when faced with adversity, as the same happened to all previous prophets before from the time of Noah, peace be upon him. And also to be patient, as most people don’t change over night. It takes time.

Patience is indeed a virtue which God loves.

Have a nice weekend, and a good week ahead.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 4

This week will be an introduction to the most important chapter in the Qur'an: Chapter 1.

It's called (Al-Fatihah), which means the Opening of the Book, and consists of 7 verses.

It is one of the very earliest Revelations to the Prophet. As a matter of fact, it was the first complete Surah (Chapter) which was revealed to Muhammed peace be upon him, as previous chapters mentioned so far (chapters 96, 73 & 74) were only revealed in part (i.e. only the first verses of each chapter).

This is the translation of Al-Fatihah:

1- In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

2- [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -

3- The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

4- Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.

5- It is You we worship and You we ask for help.

6- Guide us to the straight path -

7- The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.

Q: Why is this chapter the most important chapter in The Qur'an?

A: For a number of reasons.

First: Muslims must say (Al-Fatihah) in each of the 5 daily prayers, i.e. at least 17 times each day.

Second: This chapter is mainly a prayer for guidance, and also a reminder of the Day of Judgement, as the straight path is the path Muslims believe all people will be asked to go over in the Hereafter.

Third: Thanking God for all His bounties and blessings.

Fourth: A reminder of God's endless Mery: He is (The Entirely Merciful) "Al-Rahman" whose Mercy covers all of His creations, and He is also (The Especially Merciful) "Al-Raheem" for believers. That's the way God introduces Himself to the reader at the start of the Book with His Mercy and Love.

Fifth: This chapter is also a reminder that Muslims worship God Alone. He has no partners, and that is the core of Monotheism, the belief that God is The One and Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

Finally, this following quote is from Islam On-Line:

This Surah is in fact a prayer which Allah has taught to all those who want to make a study of His book. It has been placed at the very beginning of the book to teach this lesson to the reader: if you sincerely want to benefit from the Quran, you should offer this prayer to the Lord of the Universe.

This preface is meant to create a strong desire in the heart of the reader to seek guidance from the Lord of the Universe, Who alone can grant it. Thus Al-Fatihah indirectly teaches that the best thing for a man is to pray for guidance to the straight path, to study the Quran with the mental attitude of a seeker- after-truth and to recognize the fact that the Lord of the Universe is the source of all knowledge.

He should, therefore, begin the study of the Quran with a prayer to him for guidance.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 5

Last Friday's post was the translation of Chapter 1, the most important chapter in The Qur'an, called (Al-Fatihah), which Muslims repeat each day at least 17 times in our daily prayers.

Today's post will introduce another early chapter from The Qur'an revealed in Makkah, Chapter 68, which has a total of 53 verses, called (Al-Qalam), which means The Pen.

This is the translation of the first 7 verses:

1- Nun (*). By the pen and what they inscribe,

2- You are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.

3- And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.

4- And indeed you are of a great moral character.

5- So you will see and they will see.

6- Which of you is the afflicted.

7- Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.

(The Qur'an, 68:1-7)

(*) Nun is an Arabic letter equivalent to the letter (N) in English. It is one of the 14 opening letters which occur in various combinations at the beginning of 29 chapters in The Qur'an. The meaning of these letters is unknown till today, though in one opinion it is a challenge for people from God that they produce a text which is even remotely similar to The Qur'an using the same alphabet of the Arabic language.

Explanation - Main Source: Tafsir Ibn Katheer

1- (By the pen and what they inscribe)
The apparent meaning is that this refers to the actual pen that is used to write, as in the verse posted in Week 1 from chapter 96:

(Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.) (96:3-5) Therefore, this statement is Allah's swearing and alerting His creatures to what He has favored them with by teaching them the skill of writing, through which knowledge is attained.

Which again confirms the importance of learning (reading and writing) in Islam.

2- (You are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.)
Meaning -- and all praise is due to Allah -- `you are not crazy as the ignorant among your people claim. They are those who deny the guidance and the clear truth that you have come with. Therefore, they attribute madness to you because of it.'

3- (And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted)
Meaning, `for you is the great reward, and abundant blessings which will never be cut off or perish, because you conveyed the Message of your Lord to creation, and you were patient with their abuse.'

4- (And indeed you are of a great moral character)
Allah gave Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, the exalted character, which included the qualities of modesty, kindness, bravery, pardoning, gentleness and every other good characteristic. This is like that which has been confirmed by Anas who said, "I served the Messenger of Allah for ten years, and he never said a word of displeasure to me (Uff), nor did he ever say to me concerning something I had done: `Why did you do that' And he never said to me concerning something I had not done: `Why didn't you do this'. He had the best character among people, and for this Allah praised him in The Qur'an with this verse.

5-6 (So you will see and they will see. Which of you is the afflicted)
Means, `you will know, O Muhammad -- and those who oppose you and reject you, will know -- who is insane and misguided among you.'

7- (Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided)
Meaning, `He knows which of the two groups are truly guided among you, and He knows the party that is astray from the truth.'

Have a nice weekend, and a good week ahead In-Shaa-Allah.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 6

Last Friday's post was on the translation of the first seven verses of Chapter 68, called (Al-Qalam), which means "The Pen".

Today's post will introduce another early chapter from The Qur'an revealed in Makkah, Chapter 93 called (Al-Duha), which means "The Morning Brightness". This is the translation:

1- By the morning brightness

2- And [by] the night when it covers with darkness.

3- Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you].

4- And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life].

5- And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied.

6- Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge?

7- And He found you lost and guided [you]

8- And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient

9- So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].

10- And as for the petitioner*, do not repel [him].

11- But as for the favour of your Lord, report** [it].

* (the petitioner): Anyone who seeks aid or knowledge

** (report – the favour of your Lord): Inform and remind people of God's endless favours and bounties, especially guidance and faith.

This early chapter from The Qur'an was revealed after an interruption of several months during which Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, did not see or meet Angel Gabriel, peace be upon him (around six months, according to one source).

During this time, the Prophet was very worried of why this absence took place, and that's why in verse 3 God tells the prophet (Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you]).

God then reminds the Prophet in verses 6 to 8 that he was an orphan (both his parents had died by the time he reached the age of 5 years) but that He gave him refuge (first his grandfather took care of him, then his uncle). He also reminds him of the Guidance of The Qur'an which God had revealed to him, knowledge and faith after many years searching for the Truth, and He reminds him that he used to be poor and He made him self-sufficient.

After that reminder, God commands the Prophet to be kind to the orphan and to the poor, and He also commands Him to inform people of God's favours and help guide them like he was guided.

The prophet, peace be upon him, was extremely kind throughout his life to the poor, and especially to orphans as he knew what it meant to be an orphan, and how happy they are when people care for them.

Caring for orphans who have nobody is an excellent deed which God loves, as it reflects mercy and kindness of the heart.

Have a nice weekend, and a good week ahead.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 7

This week's chapter will be a brief chapter towards the end of the Qur'an titled "Al-Asr", which means the time afternoon, or in this context time in general:

1- (I swear by) By time,

2- Indeed, mankind is in loss,

3- Except for those who have believed, and done righteous deeds, and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.

(The Qur'an, 103:1-3)

It's a very brief and concentrated chapter which summarizes many of the earlier long chapters in The Qur'an where God, The Creator, reminds us of the Hereafter and that man will be in loss, except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience.

Wishing you a nice weekend.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 8

This chapter from The Qur'an is titled Al-Qadr, which means decree or destiny, and consists of 5 verses.

The night of Al-Qadr mentioned here is a night during the month of Ramadan, and refers to the night when The Qur'an was revealed.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

1. Verily, We sent it down in the night of al-Qadr.

2. And what will make you know what the night of al-Qadr is?

3. The night of al-Qadr is better than a thousand months.

4. Therein descend the angels and the Spirit by their Lord's permission with
all Decrees.

5. Peace! Until the appearance of dawn.

Allah, Most High informs us that He sent down the Qur'an in the night of Al-Qadr, which occurs in the month of Ramadan, as Allah says in verse (2:185):

"The month of Ramadan in which the Qur'an was sent down."

Ibn `Abbaas, amongst others, explains that the complete Qur'an was sent down from the Preserved Tablet in the night of Al-Qadr to the House of Glory in the lowest heaven, from whence it was revealed piecemeal to the Prophet, peace be upon him, over a period of 23 years, according to events which took place during his life.

Then, Allah says, in order to make clear the greatness of the matter of the night of Al-Qadr, which He has chosen for sending down of the Noble Qur'an:

<< And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr is? The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months >>

Sufyaan ath-Thawree reports, on the authority of Mujaahid, that the night of Al-Qadr being better than a thousand months means that the good deeds performed on it, fasting on it and standing in prayer on it are better than a thousand months' good deeds, prayers and fasting. (Narrated by Ibn Jareer)

It is reported from Abu Hurairah that he said: "When the month of Ramadan came, the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said:

"The month of Ramadan has come, a blessed month in which Allah has made it obligatory for you to fast; in it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained. In it is a night better than a thousand months, whoever loses the benefit of it has lost something irreplaceable." (Hadith Narrated by Imaam Ahmad and Al-Nasaa'i).

<< Therein descend the angels and the Spirit >>

That is, innumerable angels descend with uncounted blessings and mercy, as they descend when the Qur'an is recited and they surround those sitting in circles in remembrance of Allah and they lower their wings in the presence of the sincere seeker of knowledge in honour of him. As for the Spirit, it has been said that what is meant by it is the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) and that he is mentioned thus to distinguish him from the other angels. It was also said that it means a group of angels, and Allah knows best.

<< With all decrees >>

Qataadah and others said it means that the Divine Decrees are issued at that night, the appointed time of everything is fixed and the blessings are apportioned, as in the words of Allah: << Therein [that night] is decreed every matter of ordainments >> (verse 44:4)

<< Peace! Until the appearance of dawn >>

Sa'eed ibn Mansoor narrates, on the authority of Ash-Sha'bi, that it means the angels send their salutations of peace upon those who are occupied in prayer in the mosques until the dawn.

(Source: Tafsir Ibn Katheer)

Best wishes for a nice weekend, and a good week ahead.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 9

Following last week's verses from Chapter 97, this week's chapter is also one of the earliest chapters revealed in Makkah, titled "The Elephant".

Historical Background

In the year 570, the year Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was born, a strong army from Yemen, which included a number of elephants, set off to Makkah, lead by a man called Abrahah, with the objective of destroying the Ka'bah (God's House built by Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him).

Abdul Muttalib, the chief of Makkah at the time, who was unable to oppose the invading army made this supplication:

"O my Lord, I do not cherish any hope from anyone against them except You.

O my Lord, protect Your House from them.

The enemy of this House is Your enemy.

Stop them from destroying Your settlement."

After making these supplications Abdul Muttalib and his companions left Makkah and went off to the mountains. Next morning Abrahah prepared to enter Makkah, but his special elephant, which was in the forefront, knelt down. It was beaten with iron bars, goaded, even scarified, but it would not get up. When they made it face south, north, or east, it would immediately start off, but as soon as they directed it towards Makkah, it knelt down.

In the meantime swarms of birds appeared carrying stones in their beaks and claws and showered these on the troops. Whoever was hit would start disintegrating. According to Muhammad bin Ishaq and Ikrimah, this was smallpox, which was seen in Arabia for the first time in that year. Ibn Abbas says that whoever was struck by a pebble, would start scratching his body resulting in breaking of the skin and falling off of the flesh.

Makkah was saved, and the invading army was defeated by a miracle from God.

This Chapter summarizes what happened:

1- Have you not considered [O Muhammad], how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?

2- Did He not make their plan into misguidance?

3- And He sent against them birds in flocks,

4- Striking them with stones of hard clay,

5- And He made them like eaten straw.

The Chief of Makkah, Abdul Muttalib, was the grandfather of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who later took care of him as an orphan after his mother passed away when he was 5 years old.

This chapter is a reminder of that historical event, which everyone in Makkah and Arabia was fully aware of.

Best wishes for a nice weekend and a good week ahead.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 10

Last week's quotation from The Qur'an was from Chapter 105 (The Elephant), on post #51

This week is an introduction to Chapter 112 called (Al-Ikhlas), which means sincerity or pure faith, and is a core chapter in understanding Monotheism.

It was one of the early chapters revealed in Makkah, and consists of 4 brief verses:

1- Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One.

2- Allah, the Eternal Refuge.

3- He neither begets nor is born,

4- Nor is there to Him any equivalent.

The Reason for the Revelation

Imam Ahmad recorded from Ubayy bin Ka`b that the people said to the Prophet , "O Muhammad! Tell us the lineage of your Lord.'' So Allah revealed these verses.

God does not give birth, nor was He born, because there is nothing that is born except that it will die, and there is nothing that dies except that it leaves behind inheritance, and indeed Allah does not die and He does not leave behind any inheritance.

He is Eternal.

Allah is Above having Children and procreating. There is none similar to Him, none equal to Him and there is nothing at all like Him.

In another verse of The Qur'an, God says:

(He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when He has no wife and He created all things? ) (6:101) meaning, He owns everything and He created everything. So how can He have a peer among His creatures who can be equal to Him, or a relative who can resemble Him? Glorified, Exalted and far removed is Allah from such a thing.

In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah the Mighty and Majestic says:

"The Son of Adam denies Me and he has no right to do so, and he abuses Me and he has no right to do so. In reference to his denial of Me, it is his saying: `He (Allah) will never re-create me like He created me before.' But the re-creation of him is easier than his original creation. As for his cursing Me, it is his saying: `Allah has taken a son.' But I am the One, the Self-Sufficient Master. I do not give birth, nor was I born, and there is none comparable to Me.''

Have a nice weekend, and a good week ahead.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 11

Greetings to all.

Last week was an introduction to Chapter 112 of The Qur'an, with the translation of the text of the 4 brief verses on Monotheism in Islam.

This week's post will deal with a longer chapter titled "Yusuf", i.e. Joseph.

The Chapter tells the story of Prophet Joseph, peace be upon him, the son of Prophet Jacob, peace be upon him, in what is a very unique chapter of the Qur'an, Why?

Because 101 verses from a total of 111 verses in this chapter only talks about the story of prophet Joseph from the start to the end, which is different from the stories of other prophets in The Qur'an that are spread over several chapters. God describes it as "the most beautiful of stories".

The subject matter of this Surah indicates that it was revealed during the last stage of the Holy Prophet's residence at Makkah, when the Quraish were considering the question of killing or exiling or imprisoning him. At that time some of the unbelievers put this question (probably at the instigation of the Jews) to test him :"Why did the Israelites go to Egypt?"

This question was asked because they knew that their story was not known to the Arabs for there was no mention of it whatever in their traditions and the Holy Prophet had never even referred to it before. Therefore they expected that he would not be able to give any satisfactory answer to this question or would first evade it, and afterwards try to enquire about it from some Jew, and thus he would be totally exposed.

But, contrary to their expectations, the tables were turned on them, for Allah revealed the whole story of Prophet Joseph then and there, and the Holy Prophet recited it on the spot. This put the Quraish in a very awkward position because it not only foiled their scheme but also administered a warning to them by aptly applying it to their case, as if to say, "As you are behaving towards this Prophet, exactly in the same way the brothers of Prophet Joseph behaved towards him; so you shall meet with the same end."

Main Issues in the Story of Prophet Joseph

The Quran does not relate this story as a mere narrative but uses it, as usual, for the propagation of the Message in the following ways:-

Throughout the narrative the Quran has made it clear that the Faith of Prophets Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph (Allah's peace be upon them all) was the same as that of Prophet Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) and they invited the people to the same Message to which Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) was inviting them.

The Quran has used this story to bring forth another truth: whatever Allah wills, He fulfills it anyhow, and man can never defeat His plan with his counterplans nor prevent it from happening nor change it in any way whatever.

The following is a translation of the first five verses of this chapter:

1- A.L.R. These are the symbols (or Verses) of the perspicuous Book

2- We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an, in order that ye may learn wisdom.

3- We do relate unto thee the most beautiful of stories, in that We reveal to thee this (portion of the) Qur'an: before this, thou too was among those who knew it not.

4- Behold! Joseph said to his father: "O my father! I did see eleven stars and the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrate themselves to me!"

5- Said (the father): "My (dear) little son! relate not thy vision to thy brothers, lest they concoct a plot against thee: for Satan is to man an avowed enemy!

Have a nice weekend and a good week ahead.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]After searching the Internet for at least two years, I have today finally found the English translation of the meanings of The Qur'an published in 1997 by Saheeh International (Al-Muntada Al-Islami).[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Having read 5 different translations of The Qur'an so far, I find it to be the best translations. This is the URL, if of interest:[/FONT]

http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=120

 

[Cordoba]

This is the audio recording of the recitation of The Qur'an, with each verse followed by the English translation taken from the above link of Saheeh International:

http://english.islamway.com/bindex.php?section=echapters&recitor_id=171

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 12

Still in the first part of chapters in The Qur'an revealed in Makkah, which was the first phase of Islam, before Prophet Muhammad's migration to Madinah, there are a number of other chapters with titles of names of prophets, in addition to Joseph (Yusuf), peace be upon him, which are the following:

- Chapter 10 : Yunus (Jonah)
- Chapter 11 : Hud
- Chapter 12 : Yusuf (Joseph)
- Chapter 14 : Ibrahim (Abraham)
- Chapter 47 : Muhammad - (This chapter was revealed in Madinah)
- Chapter 71 : Nuh (Noah)

Today's post will deal with Chapter 71, and the story of Prophet Noah, peace be upon him, who is considered to be one of the five most important of God's Prophets.

This chapter consists of 28 verses, and unlike chapter 12, where all the story of Prophet Joseph, peace be upon him was mentioned in one chapter, chapter 71 only describes a summary of the story of Prophet Noah, peace be upon him, till before the great flood. What happened in preparation for the flood (building the ark) and during the flood itself is mentioned in other verses in a number of other chapters (including chapter 7, 11, 29, ...)

Period of Revelation

This chapter is one of the earliest chapters to be revealed at Makkah, but the internal evidence of its subject matter shows that it was sent down in the period when opposition to the Prophet's message of Islam by the disbelievers of Makkah had grown very strong and active.

Theme and Subject

In this chapter the story of the Prophet Noah has not been related only for the sake of story telling, but its object is to warn the disbelievers of Makkah, so as to say:"You, O people of Makkah, are adopting towards Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) the same attitude as the people of the Prophet Noah had adopted towards him; if you do not change this attitude, you too would meet with the same end."

This is the translation of the first verses of the chapter:

1- Indeed, We have sent Noah to his people, [saying], "Warn your people before there comes to them a painful punishment.

2- He said, "O my people I am indeed to you a clear warner."

3- [Saying], "Worship Allah, fear Him and obey me.

4- He [i.e. Allah] will forgive you of your sins and delay you for a specified term. Indeed, the time [set by] Allah, when it comes, will not be delayed, if you only knew."

For a full background on the story of prophet Noah, peace be upon him, as described in The Qur'an, if of interest, please have a look at this page:

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/A...rophet/nuh.htm

Wishing you a nice weekend, and a good week ahead.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 13

To continue with the chapters of The Qur'an which have as title the name of one of God's prophets, today's post will be on Chapter 10 titled "Yunus", i.e. Prophet Jonah, peace be upon him.

This is a background on the story of Prophet Jonah, peace be upon him, who is known for having been swallowed by a whale, and having survived:
http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/A...phet/yunus.htm

The chapter consists of 109 verses, and takes its name from verse 98, in which there is a reference to Prophet Yunus (Jonah). The name, as usual, is symbolical and does not indicate that the chapter deals with the story of Prophet Jonah only.

After the introduction, the following topics have been dealt with in an appropriate order:-

1- Proofs of the doctrines of Monotheism, Providence and Life-after-death have been given by such arguments as may satisfy the minds and hearts of those who listen to the Message without prejudice.

2- Those misunderstandings which were (and always are) hindering people from accepting the doctrines of Monotheism and the Hereafter, have been removed and they have been warned to guard against those negligences that stand in their way.

3- Those doubts have been removed and answers to those objections given which were being raised about the Prophethood of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) and the Message brought by him.

4- Graphic descriptions of the life in the Hereafter have been presented in order to warn the people beforehand so that they should mend their ways here and be not sorry afterwards for their conduct in this world.

5- They have been admonished and warned that the life in this world is really a test and a trial, and that the time allowed for it is only up to the last moment of the earthly life, and that this is the only opportunity that shall be given to them for accepting the Message and achieving success in the test.

Here is a translation of the verses 98 & 99:

98- Then there has not been a [single] city that believed so its faith benefited it except the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in worldly life and gave them enjoyment [i.e provision] for a time.

99- And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, would you compel the people in order that they become believers?

Verse 98 mentions that God removed the punishment from the people of Jonah when they believed, which is the opposite story of the people of Noah.

And verse 99 is very important and very clear in the freedom people have to believe in God or disbelieve. We have the free choice, which is confirmed in this clear verse from chapter 18:

"And say, 'The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills, let him believe, and whoever wills, let him disbelieve." (18:29)

Best wishes for a good week ahead.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 14

This week will be an introduction to chapter 14 titled Ibrahim (Abraham).

As a start, here is the full story of Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, which is mentioned in The Qur'an in many chapters:

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/A...et/ibrahim.htm

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a descendent of Prophet Abraham, through the lineage of Prophet Ishmael, peace be upon him, who lived in Makkah.

It was Prophet Abraham and Prophet Ishmael, peace be upon them both, who rebuilt God's House in Makkah. They both preached God's religion of Monotheism, which is the same message from God to mankind since Adam, the first prophet, till Muhammad, peace be upon him, God's last prophet.
Name

This chapter takes its name from v. 35 in which mention has been made of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). But it does not mean that it contains the life story of Prophet Abraham. The name is merely a symbol.
Period of Revelation

It appears from the tone of the chapter that it belongs to that group of the chapters which were revealed during the last stage of the Makkan period. For instance, v. 13 ("The disbelievers warned their Messengers, 'you shall have to return to our community or we will assuredly expel you from our land'") clearly indicates that the persecution of the Muslims was at its worst at the time of the revelation of this chapter.

Central Theme and Purpose

This Surah is an admonition and a warning to those who were rejecting the Message of Prophet Muhammad, and devising cunning schemes to defeat his Mission.

The following is a translation of the first four verses of the chapter:

1- Alif, Lam, Ra. [This is] a Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that you might bring mankind out of darknesses into the light by permission of their Lord - to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.

2- Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And woe to the disbelievers from a severe punishment.

3- The ones who prefer the worldly life over the Hereafter and avert [people] from the way of Allah, seeking to make it [seem] deviant. Those are in extreme error.

4- And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

As for the verses where mention is made of Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, they start with verse 35:

35- And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham said, "My Lord, make this city [i.e. Makkah] secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.

36- My Lord, indeed they have led astray many among the people. So whoever follows me - then he is of me, and whoever disobeys me - indeed, You are [yet] Forgiving and Merciful.

37- Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendents in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.

38- Our Lord, indeed You know what we conceal, and what we declare, and nothing is hidden from Allah on the earth or in the heaven.

39- Praise to Allah, who has granted to me in old age Ishmael and Isaac. Indeed, my Lord is the Hearer of supplication.

40- My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication.

41- My Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day the account is established.

(The Qur'an, verses 14:35-41)

A very nice prayer. Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was known as (Khalil Al-Rahman) which means "The Close Friend of The Most Merciful".

Wishing you a nice weekend, and a good week ahead.

All the best.

 

[TashaN]

May Allah reward you brother Cordoba for your effort in this thread and make it in your rightous deeds in the day of judgment.

I learnt alot from all the lessons given in here.

I always enjoy reading the story of Prophet Joseph "peace be upon him" because it's so special as you mentioned before.

Thanks also for the link which provide the meaning of the Quran.

God bless you.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 15

This week will be an introduction to chapter 11, titled (Hud), which is another chapter revealed in Makkah with the title of the name of one of God's prophets.

Prophet Hud, peace be upon him, was God's prophet whom He sent to The People of 'Aad, who lived many centuries ago in the Arabian Peninsula (between Yemen and Oman), and were people who had a lot of power and wealth.

For a background on their story, which is spread over a number of chapters in The Qur'an, you may wish to have a look at this page:
http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/A...rophet/hud.htm

This chapter (Hud) was named after Prophet Hud, as part of his story is related in verses 50-60.

Period of Revelation

This chapter was revealed during the same period as Surah Yunus (Chapter 10 mentioned a couple of weeks ago) and most probably followed it immediately.

Subject

This chapter deals with the same subject as Surah Yunus (Jonah), that is, invitation to the Message, admonition and warning, with this difference that the warning is sterner. This is also supported by a Tradition:

It is related that after its revelation, once Abu Bakr said to Prophet Muhammad, "Of late I have been noticing that you are growing older and older. What is the cause of it?" The Prophet replied, "Surah Hud and the like Surahs have made me old." This shows that it was a very hard time for the Prophet and these stern warnings added greatly to his anxieties that were caused by the persecution from the Quraish, who were doing their worst to crush down the Message of Islam. For it was obvious to Prophet Muhammad that the last limit of the respite given by Allah was approaching nearer and nearer and he was afraid lest the term of the respite should expire and his people be seized by the torment.

The invitation is this: Obey the Messenger of Allah; discard polytheism (shirk), and worship Allah and Allah alone: establish the entire system of your life on the belief that you shall be called to account in the Hereafter.

The admonition is this: Remember that those people who put their faith in the outward appearance of this worldly life and rejected the Message of the Prophets met with dire consequences. Therefore you should consider it seriously whether you should follow the same way that history has proved to be the path to ruin.

The warning is this: You should not be deluded by the delay in the coming of the punishment: it is because of the respite that Allah has granted you by His grace so that you might mend your ways: if you do not make use of this opportunity, you shall be inflicted with an inevitable punishment that will destroy you all except the Believers.

Translation of Verses 50 - 58

50- And to 'Aad [We sent] their brother Hud. He said: "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. You are not but inventors [of falsehood].

51- "O my people, I do not ask you for it [i.e. my advice] any reward. My reward is only from the One who created me. Then will you not reason?

52- And O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in showers and increase you in strength [added] to your strength. And do not turn away, [being] criminals."

53- They said: "O Hud, you have not brought us clear evidence, and we are not ones to leave our gods on your say-so. Nor are we believers in you.

54- We only say that some of our gods have possessed you with evil [i.e. insanity]." He said, "Indeed, I call Allah to witness, and witness [yourselves] that I am free from whatever you associate with Allah.

55- Other than Him. So plot against me all together, then do not give me respite.

56- Indeed, I have relied upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds its forelock [i.e. controls it]. Indeed, my Lord is on a path that is] straight.

57- But if they turn away, [say], "I have already conveyed that with which I was sent to you. My Lord will give succession to a people other than you, and you will not harm Him at all. Indeed, my Lord is, over all things, Guardian."

58- And when Our Command came, We saved Hud and those who believed with him, by mercy from Us, and We saved them from a harsh punishment.

Instead of addressing the people directly, the Qur'an has used the stories of the people of Noah, Hud, Salih, Lot, Shu'aib and Moses to convey the same Divine message of Monotheism. These stories of God's prophets are meant to be a reminder to mankind, and "case studies" for learning and reflection.

Best wishes for a nice weekend and a good week ahead.

Peace and all the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 16

Chapter 19 in The Qur'an titled (Maryam), i.e. Mary, was one of the chapters revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in Makkah.

This is the only chapter from the 114 chapters in The Qur'an titled by the name of a woman, which is a sign of how special a believer Mary was.

Both her parents too were very special believers. Chapter 3 of The Qur'an is titled by the name of her family (Al-'Imran), as 'Imran, her father, was a leading Jewish scholar.

Before Mary was born, her mother made a vow to dedicate the child she was to give birth to God's service, and at that time it was mainly to serve in the Temple thinking she would give birth to a boy. This is what happened:

35- [Mention, O Muhammad], when the wife of 'Imran said, "My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing."

36- But when she delivered her, she said, "My Lord, I have delievered a female." And Allah was most knowing of what she delievered, and the male is not like the female. And I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge for her in You, and for her descendents from Satan, the expelled [from the Mercy of Allah]. (5:35-36)

... (to be continued)

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Week 17

Last week's quote was an introduction to Chapter 19 from Chapter 3.

The following verses complete the story of what happened. Chapter 19 starts with Prophet Zakariyah, peace be upon him, who was the husband of Mary's aunt, and who became responsible for her after her father passed away.

The first 15 verses of the chapter mention that Prophet Zakariyah, peace be upon him, had reached an elderly age and had no children. One day, he made a supplication and asked God for a son, and God responded to his supplication by giving him Yahya (John the Baptist) in what was a very unusual event, as his wife had been barren all her life and was also an elderly woman.

So Prophet John, peace be upon him, was the cousin of Jesus, peace be upon him, and was later to be God's prophet.

Verse 16 of Chapter 19 then continues with the story of Mary, as follows:

16- And mention, [O Muhammad], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east.

17- And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel [i.e. Gabriel], and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man.

18- She said, "Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing from Allah.

19- He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy [i.e. son]."

20- She said, "How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?"

21- He said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed.' "

22- So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place.

23- And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten."

24- But he called her from below her, "Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream.

25- And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.

26- So eat and drink and be contented. And if you see from among humanity anyone say, 'Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man.' "

27- Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said, "O Mary, you have certainly done a thing unprecedented.

28- O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste."

29- So she pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?"

30- [Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.

31- And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakah as long as I remain alive.

32- And [made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant.

33- And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive."

34- That is Jesus, the son of Mary - the word of truth about which they are in dispute.

35- It is not [befitting] for Allah to take a son; exalted is He. When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.

36- [Jesus said], "And indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path."

(The Qur'an, 19:16-36)

As mentioned in the above verses, at least two miracles from God took place in the birth of Jesus:

1- The first is that he was born from a mother without a father. God says "Be", and it is.

2- The second is that Jesus, peace be upon him, spoke in the cradle to deffend his mother from the accusations made against her. That was a sign for the people and a miracle for them to realize that Jesus was a prophet from God, and to later follow him once he started to preach God's Revelation.

Finally, it's interesting to note that before Jesus was born, there was an introduction for the people in the unusual birth of John (Prophet Yahya, peace be upon him), who was born from elderly parents and a barren mother.

Best wishes from a nice weekend and a good week ahead.

 

[Ezzedean]

Which sura is it when Allah reveals the importance of reading and gaining knowledge. I know the very first thing Allah said to Muhammed was "ikra" which is read. Where can I find this verse?

Peace and Blessings
Ezzedean