Assalamualikum

I have been expecting someone who is more knowlegeable than me to start this topic, but no one did and i have decided to start it now.

I wish to take our attention away from just concentrating on arguements and trying to educate other religion, i think it is high time we start to educate the already existing muslims. because i realise that many of the muslim brothers and sister dont no how to recite the Holy Quran and also how to use it to get what they want.

It will be a very Big task teaching how to read the Quran online, but we can communicate the meaning of the quran to them not just by direct translation, but with details about each verses of the holy quran, how it was revealed,why and the usefulness.

I have decided to start with suratul fatia and i want other knpwlegeable people on this forum to support in raising this topic.

there will be  new tafsir every week.

SURATUL FATIHA (01)
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ
1.(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.

الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
2.All praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
All basis of Tawheed is in this aya and all other ayaat of Tawheed are an
explanation of this aya.

الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
3. The Beneficient; The Merciful.

مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
4. Master of the day of judgement.
All ayaat regarding 'Jaza' (reward); 'Saza' (Punishment); Hell Heaven
etc,  are explanations of this aya.

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

5. You alone do we worship and You alone do we ask for help.
All ayaat about Ibada, it's niyya, how to pray ,  etc. are elaborations of
this aya

اهدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ
6. Guide us on the straight path.
The ayaat explaining the right path, the laws of that way of life, including
morals & etiquettes are elaborations of this aya.
.
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ
7. The path of those whom You have favoured; not those who earn
Your anger nor of those who have gome astray.
The ayaat of the Qur'an describing stories of people who followed
guidance; and of the people who did'nt follow and the resulting
punishment ,  are elaborations of this aya.
This is why the sura is known as 'Ummul Kitab - The Mother of the Book '
just as a seed is known as a 'The Mother of a tree'.


THE OPENING
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَاكَ سَبْعًا مِّنَ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنَ الْعَظِيمَ
And certainly We have given you seven of the oft-repeated
(verses) and the grand Quran.
Suratul Hijr 15:87


Suratul Fatiha consists of 7 ayaat.
It was revealed in Makka.
It has about 15 names some of which are :
Ummul Kitab - Mother of the book;
Ash-Shifaa - The Healer;
As-Sab'a Mathani -The seven verses (repeated-revealed twice);
Al-Hamd - Sura of Praise;
Al-Fatiha - The Opening;
As-Salaa Sura of salaa……

Surat al Fatiha is the most important Sura in the Qur`an. If it is
completely absorbed, and if every word comes from a pure heart, you will
cease to talk about opening and you will recognize that the vastness of
Allah's mercy is never-ending, so you can only strive to increase, for after
the constriction of ignorance, there can only come the expansion of
knowledge.

Benefits
The Prophet (S.A.W.) has said :
"To recite Suratul Fatiha is like reciting the whole Qur'an "
In some ahadith we find that the thawab is equivalent to recite 2/3 of
the Qur’an.
"O Jabir ! This Sura is a healer of all diseases with the exception of
death "
He also said: "There can be no prayer which does not have Suratul Fatiha
as it's basis"
The thawab of reciting is the equivalent of giving a gift to every believing
person.
If written with saffron, washed with rain water and drunk it provides
healing for broken hearts.
Tafseer (exegesis), means explaining the meanings of the Qur'anic aya,
clarifying its and finding out its significance.
Ta'wil (interpretation) is that reality to which an aya refers; it is not a
sort of a meaning of the word; it is a real fact that is too sublime for
words; Allah has dressed them with words so as to bring them a bit
nearer to our minds; in this respect they are like proverbs that are used
to create a picture in the mind and thus help the hearer to clearly grasp
the intended idea.
"And verily, the exterior of the Qur'an is elegant and its meaning is deep.
Its wonders cannot be enumerated, and its marvels will not cease; and the
darkness cannot be removed except by itself." (Imam 'Ali A.S.)
Some Mufassireen have said that this Sura is the first to be revealed. It
is this which was revealed on the night of Qadr. It is composed of the all
the principals of the Qur'an in brief i.e.
i) Tawheed
ii) Promise of thawaab to those who obey Allah & warning to those who
disobey.
iii) Ibadah of Allah which ctrengthens the character.
iv) Explanation of the true path and how to obtain the blessings of Allah
here and in the hereafter.
v) Stories of the people of the past who have obeyed Allah and of those
who have disobeyed and those who went astray so as to gain lessons from
them.

Thus it can be said that the 'whole' Qur'an was revealed on 'Laylatul
Qadr' as the rest of the Qur'an is an elaboration of the five principals
summarised in Suratul Hamd.

BENEFITS OF RECITATION AND MEMORISATION
Rasulullah (S.A.W.) said: “ For everything there is an adornment and a
decoration. The adornment of the Quran is a beautiful voice and tone.”
It was asked from the Rasulullah (S.A.W.) that which of the peoples
voice in the recitation of the Quran is better. He said; “The voice of that
person is better who while reciting the Holy Quran and his recitation
reaches you, you feel that he is fearful of Allah.”
Rasulullah (S.A) said: “ The most honorable and noble from amongst my
Umma are the memorisers of the Quran and those who (stay) awake ( for
worshipping).”
Imam Sadiq (A.S) said: “ Recite the Quran and memorise it. Allah will not
punish the heart in which the Quran has been placed.( in it).”
And from amongst the Duas of Imam Sadiq (A.S): “ O Allah, select and
approve for us two works : to recite the Quran in a good manner and to
memorize their Ayaat.


ELABORATE EXPLANATION ON EACH AYA FROM SURATUL FATIA

AYA 1
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful
In all written copies of the Qur’an, fron the very commencement of it’s
been textually recorded, each sura with the exception of Suratu Tawba
(Bara’aa) opens with the words بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ
The aya is repeated 114x in the Qur’an. It is the part of every sura
except Suratut Tawba which is considered to be an ultimatum to the
Makkans who despite having had the presence of Rasulullah (S.A.W.)
amongst did not accept the Rahma of guidance. In Suratun Nahl the aya
appears at thebeginning and when Allah mentions the letter the Prophet
Sulayman wrote to Bilquis starting it with بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ
(16:30)
In naming things, the reasons may differ; people often take the name of
one of their great and powerful personalities at the time of doing or
beginning a work. By this association, it is believed, the work would
achieve success, greatness and blessings; or that it would be a memorial
to keep the named one's memory alive for ever. This is also observed in
naming a child, a project, a house or an association - they give it the name
of a deeply loved or highly respected person, so that his name would
continue in this form; for example, a man names his son after his father,
in order to perpetuate the father's memory.
This aya runs on the same line. Allah began His speech with His Own name
- Great is His name - so that the ideas taught in this chapter be stamped
by, and associated with it. Also, it teaches a lesson to humankind, showing
them the perfect manner of starting all their talks and actions; it guides
them to put the stamp of the divine name on all their activities; doing
every work for the sake of Allah, associating it with His good names and
attributes. In this way that action would neither be rendered null and
void, nor remain incomplete; it has been started in the name of Allah, and
negation and annihilation cannot reach that sacred name. Whatever is
done for the sake of Allah and performed in His name, shall continue and
will not perish. Everything, every work and every affair shall have its
share of eternity - as much as it is related to Allah.
The Prophet(S.A.W.) has said: "Every important affair, not begun with
the name of Allah, shall remain incomplete…." The word al-abtar
(translated here as "incomplete'’) means a thing whose end is cut off, an
animal whose tail is severed.
ISM (Name)………
So what is in a name? A name is a mark or a sign which serves as a symbol
for the recognition of a person or a thing. We recognise something or
someone by their name. A name evokes a wide possible range of opinions
and emotions. The more knowledge you have of a thing or a person, the
stronger the emotion when the name is called out. For instance, the
words, ma, mum, mother, mummy, evoke love and affection whilst the
word ghost evokes fear, mystery…,
The power of a recognisable name is becoming increasingly valued and
valuable. Consider the sponsorship at sporting events and the
advertisements you see everywhere. In this case the name calls to mind
goods of particular quality from a particular source.
When you remember someone’s or something’s name, you are paying it
them a subtle compliment. You are saying to it them that they have made
an impression on you and it gives them a sense of importance. Similarly
when you do not recall someone’s name it indicates their lack of
impression on you.
The word ‘name’ is therefore synonymous with the word ‘reputation’ or
‘character’ when it comes to human beings.
The acquiring of knowledge about the attributes of Allah is closely
related to our knowledge of recognition of Allah.
Just as we identify a writer from his/her style of writing and by
particular words and phrases which are peculiar to him/her; in the same
way every creation of Allah performs the following two main functions of
identifying it's Creator and projecting the attributes of it's Creator and
recognising the purpose of it's creation.
The actual attributes of Allah are three; Hayy (Ever living), 'Ãlim (All
Knowledgeable) and Qadir (Power over everything) All the other
attributes are branches of these three.
The attributes of Allah cannot be separated from Him. e.g. 'Ãlim - The
one who is knowledgeable. Whilst a human being acquires knowledge and is
still a human being even without knowledge, Allah is knowledge itself. We
try to understand Him through His Names but He is far superior to the
names.
Whatever one thinks of Allah, He is not that. We must therefore think of
Allah in terms of His attributes.
The word Allah in the Qur’an is the name of an essence of His 99
beautiful names and qualities like Merciful, Kind, Knowing…,
Whatever little information the human being can get about Allah can only
be acquired through His names. Otherwise, we have no access.
Our whole word in essence is a name of Allah because nothing which
exists can come into existence automatically.
These qualities and Names are therefore an infra-structure for human
akhlaq because in Islam, the human being is the representative of Allah.
The Prophet (S.A.W.) has said:
Éé}¼»A ø¶òÝæaòBøI AæÌå´û¼äbäM
“Adopt the akhlaq of Allah”
In the same way, in order to arrive at the ideal society of the Qur’an, we
must build our society with the Divine Qualities.
The human being in social life needs peace in his life and As-Salaam –
Peace is one of the Names of Allah. A person also needs kindness and
forgiveness for well being in individual life as well as in society and Ar-
Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem are two of His names.
Society likewise in order to attain solidarity, power and confidence needs
eiman –faith. Al-Mu’min –The believer is one of the Qualities of Allah.
In order to attain control over our affairs and independence we must
develop strength within ourselves. Al-Qawiyyu -The Powerful and Al-
Ganiyyu –The Independent (rich) are two more of His Qualities.
The human being and human society is distinguished by having creative
ability, and inventiveness. Al-Khaliqu –The Creator, Al-Baariu –The
Originator, Al-Musawwiru –The Fashioner are among Allah’s other Names
and Qualities.
If you were to play tennis, you would not go onto the court with bedroom
slippers. Similarly, we have to learn and apply the right name and thus the
right akhlaq in the appropriate situation.
All the Asmaaul Husna - qualities can be reflected in our souls individually
and our society be filled with peace, purity, kindness, faith, confidence,
honesty, trust, knowledge, awareness, dignity and might.
Each name of Allah is a Dua in itself . When reciting any one of His
beautiful Names, ponder over them and try to apply them to your life,
It is the application of these names that give us personalities that
energise us spirituallyIn the religious terminology of the world, we fond
that every human being in his/her own way and dialect, has given some
beautiful name for the Rabb of the heavens and the earth.
ALLAH
The English and other allied European languages call their Rabb of the
heavens and the earth. The word God comes from the Germanic word
Gott meaning the supreme or ultimate reality, the being perfect in power,
wisdom, and goodness who is creator and ruler of the universe. (Extract
from Merriam Webstr Collegiate Dictionary) In the Latin dominated
languages of Western Europe, the term used for God is Deus (Dieu in
French, Dios in Spanish, Dio in Italian…). In all these Deus means
heaven.The Hindu word for the Almighty God is ‘Pramatma’. In Sanskrit
(ancient Indian language) ‘Atma’ means soul and ‘Pram-atma’ means the
great and holy soul or the holy spirit. Despite the fact that Hindus
believe that God is everything and everything is God, the classical name
for this Supreme God is ‘Om’ which means Guardian or Protector. In
Jewish scriptures He is known as Yhwh/Elohim translated in English as
the Lord God. Yhwh , Yehova, Yahuwa all mean the same thing. ‘Ya’ both in
Hebrew and Arabic means Oh! ‘Huwa’ or ‘Hu’ means He in Hebrew and
Arabic. So Yehowa means ‘Oh HE!Now let’s look at the word Elohim which
is made up of Eloh + Im. In Hebrew, the suffix ‘Im’ is a plural of respect.
Eloh or Elah or Ilah means God.
The name ‘Allah’ solely belongs to the One and Only God. It combines all
His names – attributes and needs no introduction from others, whilst the
other names are recognised when added to the name Allah. ‘Allah’ is not
given to anyone other Him, nor should it be ever used for anyone besides
Him. It means ‘One Who deserves to be loved’ and ‘into whom everyone
seeks refuge’. Unlike the word God which can be made into Gods and
Goddess, there is no feminine of the word Allah and neither is there a
plural. Suratul Ikhlas sums up the concept of Allah in a nutshell.

(Ibegin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.
1. Say ! He Allah is One.
2. Allah is He on Whom all depend.
3. He does not give birth and neither was He given birth to.
4. And none is like Him.
This sura was revealed to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) in Makka when the
Jews were continuously asking him to describe the identity of Allah . As
an answer to their queries this sura was revealed. It is said that one third
of the Qur’an is an explanation of this very principle. Perhaps that is why
the Prophet (S.A.W.) has said that the recitation of this sura once
carries the thawaab of reciting one third of the Qur’an.
In this sura Allah uses the word ahad as opposed to wahid to depict his
oneness. Wahid is the numerical digit ‘one’ in Arabic which is divisible and
can also be preceded and followed by other numbers. Ahad depicts one in
the sense of the absolute one which can neither be divided, multiplied,
preceded or followed.
In the beginning of the sura Allah denies the view of the mushrikeen who
believe in more than one God or associate partners to God. He then denies
the views of the Kuffar who view that God is in need. Finally the view of
the Christians and the Jews is denied in their thinking that God has a son
or progeny.
The first sentence of the Kalima (Shahada) is the basis of the life of a
Muslim. “There is no God, ” depicts that nothing in the Universe is
superior to Allah and thus nothing in the world is to be worshipped,
however powerful they may seem to be. It is only when one rejects
(negates) every idea of nature worship, idol worship and human worship,
that one is able to believe in the positive truth of tawheed.
The sentence has both a negative and positive aspect. Both aspects are
instrumental in creating the belief that all human beings are equal. When
nobody is superior, no one is inferior. The superiority lies only with Allah
and the aim of life to get close to Him being accessible to one and all.
Imam Ali (A.S.) has said: Whenever an ‘abd’ of Allah says åÉé}¼»A úÜêA äÉ}»êA òà , it
ascends piercing every ceiling, erasing his/her sins as it passes by them
till it reaches it’s equivalent in good deeds.”
Imam Ja’fer As-Sadiq (A.S.) has said:
“The testimony of åÉé}¼»A úÜêA äÉ}»êA òà is the price of Janna”
He also said: “If one says åÉé}¼»A úÜêA äÉ}»êA òà a hundred times before going to bed,
Allah builds him/her a mansion in Janna, and whoever seeks Allah’s
forgiveness a hundred times before going to bed, his/her sins will fall
down as leaves fall down from the trees.”
In Suratush Shu’ara, Ayaat 78 to 82, Prophet Ibraheem (A.S.) introduces
Allah as:
øÅæÍêfæÈäÍ äÌåÈò¯ æÓêÄä´ò¼äa æÔêhú»òA
øÅæÎê´ænäÍ äË æÓêÄåÀê¨ôñåÍ äÌÇ æÔêhú»A äË
øÅæÎê°æräÍ äÌåÈò¯ åOæyøjä¿ AägêA äË
øÅæÎøÎæZåÍ ìÁåQ æÓêÄåNæÎêÀåÍ æÔêhú»A äË
øÅæÍðf»A äÂæÌäÍ æÓêNä×æÎêñäa æÓê»äjê°æ¬ìÍ æÆòA å©äÀôòA æÔêhú»A äË
“, Who created me, and it is He who guides me,
And Who feeds me and provides me with drink,
And when I am ill, He heals me,
And Who causes me to die and then gives me life (Again),
And Who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the day of judgement.”
AR-RAHMAAN & AR-RAHEEM
Ar-
Rahmaan
He wills mercy
(Rahma) for all His
creation. “, My Mercy
encompasses
everything…” 7:156
Recite 100x after every wajib salaa to
cure forgetfulness, increase awareness,
lighten a heavy heart and instil rahma in
a hard heart.
Ar-Raheem
This denotes
exclusive mercy to
those who voluntarily
believe in Him…“He is
kind & merciful to the
mu’mineen” 33:43

Recite 100x after Salatul Fajr to
receive compassion from all creatures.

When you see someone suffering from a deficiency which he cannot
remove. by himself, the reaction which you experience and which tells you
to provide him with what he needs in order to make up his deficiency, is
called mercy. Ultimately, mercy means giving and bestowing to fulfill
other's need. It is this latter meaning in which this attribute is used for
Allah.

The two attributes have two concepts –
i) Ar-Rahman relates to that all-encompassing mercy that is
bestowed upon all creation. Ar-Rahmaan denotes abundance.
Ar-Rahim is more appropriate for that mercy which shall remain for ever,
the perpetual inexhaustible mercy that shall be bestowed on those who
believe in Him. Ar-Rahim denotes the quality of firmness and
constancyWhen you see someone suffering from a deficiency which he
cannot remove. by himself, the reaction which you experience and which
tells you to provide him with what he needs in order to make up his
deficiency, is called mercy. Ultimately, mercy means giving and bestowing
to fulfill other's need. It is this latter meaning in which this attribute is
used for Allah.

The two attributes have two concepts –
ii) Ar-Rahman relates to that all-encompassing mercy that is
bestowed upon all creation. Ar-Rahmaan denotes abundance.
Ar-Rahim is more appropriate for that mercy which shall remain for ever,
the perpetual inexhaustible mercy that shall be bestowed on those who
believe in Him. Ar-Rahim denotes the quality of firmness and constancy.

AYA 2
الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
All praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
All basis of Tawheed is in this aya and all other ayaat of Tawheed are an
explanation of this aya.
الْحَمْد للّهِ
Al-Hamd means praise. It has been said that ‘Hamd’ is to praise someone
for a good acquired by his own intention. ‘Madh’ (also translated as praise)
is more general - it is used to praise even that good which someone is
given without his will and power. If you praise someone for his
benevolence, you may use either word - Hamd or Madh but if you want to
praise a pearl for its luster, you may use the verb Madh, but not Hamd
because the pearl has not acquired that luster by its own will and power.
Praise is an emotional condition particular to human beings. Real praise is
nothing to do with greed or desire. It is instinctive that when a person
comes across a work of beauty or splendour he/she automatically begins
to praise it as a natural expression of awe and humility This is the
meaning of praise in the aspect of madh.
Another instinctive pure emotion is that of gratitude. This manifests
itself in a human being whenever goodness comes to him/her from
another and it is an acknowledgement of the favour. Allah says in 55:60
هَلْ جَزَاء الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ
Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness?
To paraphrase it – “Is the reward for working beauty other than the
working of beauty?
HAMD is neither simply praise nor gratitude.
It is a combination of praise and thanks and since Hamd is only for Allah;
it incorporates a third concept of worship. Therefore the word ‘HAMD’
means worshipful anf thankful praise.
It is a pure internal emotion within the human being whose source lies in
the depths of the nafs.
رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
The root word for ‘Rabb’ comes from ‘rababa’ which may translate the
word Rabb as cultivator, refiner, teacher; If it is derived from ‘rabaya’
then it may give the meaning of owner, However, these two concepts do
not give the meaning fo Rabb in its’ totality. Rabb is not only the one who
is the owner of the whole of existence but also delivers perfection to all
creation. For the human being the Rabb is the Nourisher, Cherisher, and
Sustainer who leads to perfection step by step if he/she will choose that
path.
Rububiyya
Allah’s Rububiyya emanates from His love.
Allah was and there was no creation. He wanted to be known, out of love,
and therefore He created. The highest creature in His creation is the
human being, both in its form and in its spirit. We are, therefore, in
evolutionary terms, at the pinnacle of His visible creation. We are also at
the zenith in Allah’s unseen realms. The prophets and the messengers who
were sent as ideals of their respective times are in advance of us in this
respect. We know historical or biographical information about only a few
of the thousands that have been sent by Allah to various people at
different times as exemplars. Every age, every people had its messenger.
What completes the long line of prophethood, spanning the centuries
since the world was created, is the advent of Rasulullah (S.A.W.) some
fourteen centuries ago. It was during his time - that tarbiya, education in
the outer courtesies of living in society, combined with the enhancement
of the inner being, was perfected. Tarbiya derives from the Rabb and His
rububiyyya.
There are hundreds of ayat in the Qur`an that describe the different
aspects of the Rabb. These descriptions generally fall into four distinct
categories.
i) One set of ayaat describes those who are guided, consequently
giving us a ready made prescription for how to conduct
ourselves. One aya, for example, states: ‘Say that all your
worship, all your adoration, indeed your life and your death are
for the Rabb’ (Qur’an 6:162). This is the voice of those who are
guided. They are tuned to the higher principle, knowing that
even noble aspirations can only happen if they are part of the
decree, if all the elements are right. The final words of the
rightly-guided ones, the Qur`an says, can only be ‘Praise belongs
to the Rabb al-‘alamin, the Lord of the universe,’ (Qur`an 10:10)
because there is nothing else to say. They have complete faith
in what Allah has sent to them from His unlimited sources of
knowledge, both of the seen and the unseen worlds, and commit
themselves to following the example of the prophets and
messengers. People who are guided ask Allah to overlook their
mistakes. They know that the lower nafs will inevitably lead
them astray. Indeed, Allah says in the Qur’an that if He were to
hold everyone accountable for the mistakes they have made,
there would be nobody left on the face of the earth. In other
aayat, Allah refers to ‘those who are established in selfknowledge’.
Here the reference is to those who are always
vigilant and prepared for their inner light to guide them. As a
result of this commitment and discipline, they are honored by
Allah to witness the truth.
ii) The next group of references to do with rububiyya in the
Qur’an are concerned with those who deny. Allah advises us to
call people to the right way, by Allah’s permission, without force
or threats. If those who are being called to submit reject what
is said to them, we are not responsible for their situation. Some
of those who deny are only seeking dunya - the power, success,
and wealth of this world. Allah says that they will attain some of
their desires with no share in the akhira, the next world.
iii) The third category of verses relates to calling on the Rabb.
We call upon Allah, the Essence, but most often we need to call
upon our Rabb, because we need His Rububiyya to help us with
our existential needs. We need to ask for patience, ask our
Rabb to let our agitated heart be empty. We need to ask our
Rabb not to make us victims of those who are unjust, and to
remove afflictions from us.
iv) The last and predominating category of ayat is where the Rabb
instructs us towards the right course of action. It is the
Rabb, our Guide and Source in even the most mundane situations
in our lives, who gives us direction. If we obey His instructions
and give Him due respect, the Rabb will grant us ‘two gardens’ -
Qur’an 55:46; one garden, or state, will be experienced in this
world, and the other after we leave this zone of time and space.
The Rabb tells us to remember our pre-existential original fitra by means
of which we will come to know our Rabb. We are instructed, first of all,
to follow the rules laid out for us in this human zone that we inhabit. The
Qur’an counsels us to follow the Rabb’s guidance. We are also told to
apply the right courtesy in our approach to the Lord of the Universe
a) Calling upon Him with humility, as the Rabb ‘does not accept the
call of those who are arrogant’ (Qur’an 7:55).
b) One of the points of entry to the door that leads us to Allah is
gratitude. Allah says: ‘If you do not thank creation, you cannot
thank Me.’
c) We are to worship Him alone and abide by His natural laws created
for our benefit, witnessing His mercy and Rububiyya over all
creation.
d) True submission to the Rabb may be achieved consciously with birr.
Allah tells us that He has already shown Himself to us ‘within
ourselves’. Those who are birr are described in the Qur`an as
‘those who reconfirm their origin’. We begin by being faithful to
our biological, parental, communal and national origins to some
extent, since to deny them is useless. If, for instance, we deny our
parents, we deny our biological origin. Even if one’s parents were
the worst people, we need to forgive them and move on. We must
kindle our sense of acceptance and faithfulness in this world so
that we rekindle our total loyalty to the Creator of all worlds.
Allah defines birr in the Qur`an as: ‘Birr does not simply mean
that you face east or west or do your salât in a certain way. Birr
applies to he who has trust in, and knowledge of, Allah, His Day of
Resurrection, the angelic forces, the books of reckoning and
decree, all the prophets, and he who performs right actions’
(Qur`an 2 :177).
If we sincerely follow these guidelines, our fitra will spontaneously show
us what is wrong and right, as we are essentially of a righteous nature.
A great description of the Rabb and birr comes to us in a quotation from
the Prophet Ibrahim in the Qur’an. When asked ‘Who is your Lord?’ he
replies:
الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ
وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ
وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ
وَالَّذِي يُمِيتُنِي ثُمَّ يُحْيِينِ
وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَن يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ
‘It is He who created me and it is He who will guide me. When I am
hungry, He will give me provisions of food and drink. When I am out of
balance or sick, He will heal me. It is He who will give me the experience
of death and will also resurrect me. He is the One from whom I have the
expectation (undeserved) that He will forgive me on the Day of
Reckoning. I know that He is all-Forgiving’ (Qur’an 26:78-82). It is
knowledge of one’s Rabb and loyalty towards Him such as this that leads
to the evolvement of the fitra in man.
الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
3. The Beneficient; The Merciful.
Of these two attributes; one is related to the order of existence, the
other to the particular world of human beings.
Recognising Allah as Ar-Rahman is to recognise the world as totally the
expression of the divine wisdom. When we praise Alah with this attribute,
one must have the vision of the world as being one of goodness, mercy,
light for evil, calamities and darkness are all relative with no objective
existence. The Qur’an directs us to praise Allah by these attributes so
that we see the world in a positive way. These attributes are an implicit
invitation to reflect the issues of divinity, leading to the confirmation of
the possibility of such realisations.
As for the attribute of Ar-Raheem, it requires us to understand our
position and location amongst all that exists in creation. With the
freedom and choice he/she is granted one is able to choose one of two
paths – “Indeed We have guided Him to the path; you may be grateful or
ungrateful.” (QUr’an 76:3). One who has travelled the right path, the
more sincere his/her actions, the more he/she is embraced by this
particular mercy of Allah – that which traverses one to one’s full
potential.
The Attribute of Ar-Rahman, the Merciful, encompasses all of creation in
its mercy, while the Attribute Ar-Rahim denotes an aspect of the Rabb
that operates on personal and specific levels and relates to individuals or
situations. It also contains within itself an element of healing. When, for
example, we are ill, we call upon Ar-Rahim for relief from our sickness.
However, it is Ar-Rahman, in His infinite mercy, Who allowed us to be ill
in the first place; for our own good even though we may not grasp the full
purpose and meaning.
مَالِكِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ
4. Master of the day of judgement.
All ayaat regarding 'Jaza' (reward); 'Saza' (Punishment); Janna &
Jahannam are explanations of this aya.
This aya can be recited in salaa in two ways – Maaliki yawmid deen and
Maliki yawmid deen.
Malik in everyday language means king and is indicative of a political
relation meaning he accords to himself a role of supervision and decision
whilst malik means owner indicating an economic relationship meaning he
may profit from the benefit of that thing. However, neither of these has
an objective existence for both are simply arrangements and can lose
effect whenever defining conditions are changed. At this level both
words have entirely separate meanings.
In the case of Allah, the Creator of all existence and one in power over
this existence the unity of ownership and sovereignty is very clear for
the relation between possessor and possessed is real and objective.
To define Maalik we may say that it is one who is free by virtue of His
own merits and characteristics, from depending on anything in existence;
whilst everything is existence depends on Him.
Allah is the owner and sovereign both in the world and in the hereafter.
If we unveiled the blinkers from our hearts before they are unveiled for
us we would see that real ownership and sovereignty of everything in
existence is and always has been Allah.
لَقَدْ آُنتَ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ هَذَا فَكَشَفْنَا عَنكَ غِطَاءكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ
Certainly you were heedless of it, but now We have removed from you
your veil, so your sight today is sharp. (Qur’an 50:22)
Yawmud Deen refers to the day of accountability – Here are some
glimpses from the Qur’an of Yawmud Deen.
يَقُولُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ
Man shall say on that day: Where shall I fly to?
آَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ
By no means! there shall be no place of refuge!
إِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ
With your Lord alone shall on that day be the place of rest.
(Qur’an 75:10-12)
On that day each individual will be confronted with the truth of what he
had thought to be his own separate existence. He had thought that there
existed a me and a you, a him and Allah. But now, on this day, everything is
in togetherness; separation no longer exists. The bewilderment is so
engulfing that every self will only be concerned with its own reality.
The final resting place is with the Rabb, Who has brought this creation to
its fullness and now to its greater fullness in another guise. Mustaqarr,
resting place, is derived from qarra, to settle, and also, to decide, to
make a statement. There is no longer the possibility of confused
questioning as to "why?" or about the apparent duality of this existence.
يُنَبَّأُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ
The human being shall on that day be informed of what he sent before
and (what he) put off. (Qur’an 75:13)
To inform, naba'a, is the job of the nabiyy, the one who gives the news,
the Prophet. It is he who tells us now of what is going to happen when
each of us will know what he has put into his life and what he has
postponed, when he will truly come to know himself. That is why we say he
who knows himself now knows his Rabb. We are informed that the way
towards knowledge of the self is through recognition of the lower self.
That recognition itself will adjust one's turning more towards the higher
self, and one will then begin to experience higher consciousness. One will
have a clearer understanding of events that occur outside of oneself and
of happenings that occur inside of one, as well as the relationship
between the two. The human being will be closer to the knowledge of
tawhîd.
بَلِ الْإِنسَانُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ
وَلَوْ أَلْقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ
Nay! Man is evidence against himself, though he puts forth his excuses.
(Qur’an 75:14-15)
At all times man is a witness of himself. He has the capacity to witness
because he has within him the light of consciousness, even though he may
constantly give excuses. If he could see why he tries to justify his
choices and actions, that perception would actually sharpen the light of
his consciousness. If he could only admit that he is avoiding the truth
because of his selfish habits – if he could just say, "I have to have my
coffee, I'm used to it and I'm enslaved by the habit" – there is a chance
of him being cured. Otherwise, he will constantly defend himself and
continue with the excuses of the nafs.
فَإِذَا جَاءتِ الصَّاخَّةُ
But when the deafening cry comes, (Qur’an 80:33)
This âya describes one of the first conditions of the last day, of
reckoning. As-sâkhkhah is the final call. It is what closes off the hearing
so that nothing makes sense any more. The deafening cry heralds the end
to the systems of perception and comprehension as we understand them.
It is sound that drowns out all other sounds, like the blasts of a trumpet
blowing away the earth’s solidity.
يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ
وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ
وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ
The day on which a man shall flee from his brother, And his mother and
his father, and his wife and his children (Qur’an 80:34-36)
When that day comes, man's condition will be one of intense
disorientation, as if he has run away from the brother he loves, who is
like him and has helped him, who has given him a reason to exist by
serving and helping.
When the physical foundation for existential stability disintegrates, all
other forces, powers and links that maintained the harmony and
equilibrium of life on earth will collapse. All relationships will disintegrate.
A brother will not recognize a brother, and every self will be centered on
itself. The urgency and disruption of that time is beyond our normal
comprehension. In circumstances when mother nature is no longer
reliable, man will also flee from his biological mother. The security of any
past established relationship is rendered meaningless in the face of mass
upheaval,
لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ
Every man of them shall on that day have an affair which will occupy him.
(Qur’an 80:37)
The day of reckoning is a great shock because it is the beginning of a new
life, a new experience. All the dead will be resurrected, everything will
become clear and exposed, and all the little things that we considered
insignificant are clearly magnified and revealed to be important. The
consequences of all the things we have done in this existence, which we
thought could be forgotten about or were of no consequence, will be
exposed. We will clearly see in a subtle form all the people in this life who
reminded us of Allah and the next life but whom we dismissed. All the
accounts that we have not settled in this world, all our lack of awareness,
all our hypocrisies, all those years of only having concerned ourselves with
our material existence, all the different idols we worshipped and the
different excuses we gave – they will all instantly appear before us.
As a result of these events there will be major havoc. Everybody will be
concerned about himself. Nobody will be able to remember his offspring
or his mother, father, wife or wealth; everyone will be concerned about
his own state and situation. The end will be so sharp and decisive that
there will be no possibility of any crutches or aids – each will be on his
own.
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ
ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ
(Many) faces on that day shall be bright, laughing, joyous. (Qur’an 80:38-
39)
The face of the one who is in tawhîd, who has unified himself with destiny
– who has lived for Allah, and is returned to Allah – will on that day be
distinguished by its bright and unveiled light. Musfirah (shining bright)
means that their abandonment is clear on their faces. The verbal root of
musfirah means to unveil, reveal, expose, and travel. When one travels, he
is exposed and vulnerable; he reveals himself to the rest of the world.
The man of tawhîd will joyously reflect his reality.
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ
تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ
أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ
And (many) faces on that day, on them shall be dust, darkness shall cover
them: These are they who deny the truth, the wicked. (Qur’an 80:40-42)
Other faces on that day will be covered with dust. They will not yet have
shaken the dust of their nafs (lower self) off their souls. They will still
be tarnished with the dust of what they have inscribed on their hearts.
On this day they will be unable to sing the song of Truth or even to
reflect it.
The purpose of this existence is for us to stop singing our own songs so
that the one and only song bubbles up through our hearts. But as we know,
we constantly play our own compositions. Those on the dark side of denial
shall be covered with dust, exhausted. This occurrence implies that the
gold within them – their reality – has not been mined. They have not seen
their true reality because they have allowed dust to settle thickly over it.
Tired with the weight of the dust, they are the unbelievers who wreaked
havoc on this earth.
THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL TAWHEED
The principal of tawheed is Islam is of two types. Nazhari (theoretical)
and ‘amali (practical). Nazhari tawheed means to rknow that Allah is One.
‘Amali tawheed is related to the personal integrity of shaping within one’s
actions a unity and single focus – direction towards the limitless One.
In other words, theoretical tawheed is tor ecognise the oneness of Allah
whilst practical tawheed is for the human being to become a single unified
entity.
The last 4 ayaat are related to theoretical tawheed. The words and
phrases from the beginning of the sura until ‘Maliki yawmid deen’
condtitute an arrangement of topics in the knowledge of Allah. He is
Allah’, He is ‘Rahman’, He is ‘Raheem’, He is ‘Maliki yawmud deen’. He is the
only Essence worthy of Hamd.
Starting our salaa by calling Allah with these attributes is in reality a
form of displaying and reviewing our knowledge of Him, with each name or
attribute performing the role of a subject heading.
The knowledge that He is Allah, the Perfect Essence deserving of all
praise and to whom all creation is directed is to recognise and
acknowledge that there is One who is absolute perfection and all things
are from Him,, directed towards Him and headed towards Him.
Knowing that He is Rahman means realising that the whole of existence is
an expression of His mercy and that nothing comes from Him except
goodness and mercy. Anything that relates to the divine is nothing but
mercy and goodness. Evil and adversities are negative and relative within
things – not objectively a part of them.
When a human being calls on Him by the attribute Raheem , he/she is not
only aware of that all creation is a manifestation of divine mercy but also
that the order of the return of all towards Allah a a system of mercy and
kindness. And this is the meaning of Allah’s mercy preceding His anger
and punishment, for adversities and afflictions are realised as mercy…
Allah’s attribute A-Rahman signifies the coming from Him (the arriving
aspect) and on the other hand Ar-Raheem denotes the returning aspect
(the towards Him dimension).
Allah being Maaliki yawmid deen brings us a different understanding.
Here one understands that firstly that there will be a day of
accountability whose sovereign and owner is solely Allah,
These ayaat are related to the categories of knowledge. Knowledge is a
preparation for becoming. In order to become we must know and
understand.
The next aya now leads us to practical tawheed – to become a whole.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
5. You alone do we worship and You alone do we ask for help.
All ayaat about Ibada, it's niyya, how to pray ,  etc. are elaborations of
this aya.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ Ibada
In ‘Arabic when something is totally submissive with no opposition or
resistance it’s condition is said to be ta’abbud (worshipful). A mu’abbad (a
worshipful person) is therefore one who is at peave and obedient wioth no
trace of resistance or rebellion. This is a condition that a person should
have only in respect to Allah. With respect to other than Allah; tawheed
means to be in a condition of rebellion nad disobedience. Thus the human
being must at all times comprise two apparent contradictory conditions –
total submission to Allah and total resitance to other than Allah – this is
the meaning of You and You alone do we worship….
‘Ubudiyya is based on the development of the rational self through outer
action. Ultimately this is the recognition that we are of no significance
unless it is because of the divine program that began before our
involvement in it. We are already slaves to this reality. The use of the
word ‘slave’ however, implies oppression and exploitation, which is not true
of the Arabic word ‘abd, from which comes ‘ubudiyya, servitude or
obedience to Allah. There is true proximity between the Rabb and the
‘abd, but never a union as such. It is like coal and fire. When coal is close
to the fire, it takes on the qualities of the fire and exhibits these to the
onlooker. It is all light and brilliance. If the coal is removed from its
proximity to the fire, it becomes just that - a lump of coal.
Real submission and faith leads to real ‘ubudiyya by grooming and proper
upbringing, tarbiya, in the real sense of education. True education means
learning a few skills to earn one’s keep, and ultimately about knowing the
purpose of our existence, and preparing for death and beyond.
The Rabb comes into existence from the One Source, the Essence, only
as an intermediate step to bring about the orchestration of existence,
paving the way for the ‘abd to be brought up to his or her full potential.
‘Ubudiyya, for its part, makes us recognize that we have within us the
original blueprint that enables us to develop into true reflectors of the
Rabb, whilst also training us to exercise our faculties and senses to gain
the greatest benefit from them.
In a single phrase إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ practical tawheed is manifested in a profound
way – ibada with purity of intention. The exclusivity given by the word
‘Iyyaka’ points to the exclusiveness of Ibada to Allah and the plural
pronoun in ‘we worship’ is focused on the construction of the human being
which can only be within the realm of others – in a society.
Seeking Help إِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
This phrase is informative of tawheed in seeking help i.e. the seeking of
help only from Him and relying only on Him.
It must be pointed out that Allah has created us as creatures in need of
each other and the recommendations in Islam continually command us to
co-operate (in Arabic the word used in aya 5:2 is ta’aawanu from the
origin of ‘awn which means ‘help’. The meaning the phrase delivers is that
the human being’s final and ultimate reliance, upon which the human heart
depends must be Allah and those from whom one seeks help in the world
are to be recognised as His means. Even the human being himself and his
own abilities are all means Allah has created and put at his disposal but
which are at all times in the hands of Allah.
(S.A.W.) in one of his campaigns was resting upon a nearby hill when an
fully armed enemy soldier came across him and called out – “Is it you
Muhammad?” Rasulullah replied in the affirmative and the man asked
“Who can now save you from my hand?” Without hesitation Rasulullah
said: “Allah!” The man tooka step backwards to deliver a blow from his
sword when he stumbled and fell. Rasulullah (S.A.W.) got up and stood
over the man with his sword asking “Who will save you from me?” The man
replied “Your nobility!” and Rasulullah (S.A.W> let him go.
The phrase is therefore a recognition by the human being that all means
of help are ultimately from Allah.
اهدِنَا الصِّرَاطَالمُستَقِيمَ
6. Guide us on the straight path.
The ayaat explaining the right path, the laws of that way of life, including
morals & etiquettes are elaborations of this aya.
Show us the direct way. A straight line is the shortest distance between
two points. A straight line is also one point traveling in only one direction.
Therefore, you ask to be shown the most direct route towards this
knowledge of acquiring our perfection (full potential). Some aspects to be
considered are:
i) The path of perfection is one to be found – not one that needs
to be invented.
ii) All beings are progressing along a creational qahri (involuntary
path) which eventually leads to Allah. “Be aware That all affairs
return to Allah” Suratul Baqara 2:211
iii) There is only one path that the human being must choose
(freedom of no choice) “O human being! Indeed you are striving
towards your Rabb, striving so that you shall meet Him.” Suratul
Inshiqaaq 84:8
iv) Siratul Mustaqeem has a defined direction from the start. It is
not a path of twists and turns which passes from one
contradiction to another.
v) The parth exists within one’s own being. Within the essence of
the human being there exists the natural instinctive predispostion
(fitri) towards perfection just as within the acorn
lies the predisposition to become anb oak tree.
vi) The straight pasth is the path of least resistance.
vii) Despite this predisposition the human being needs a guide.
The human being is faced with hundreds of roads that are placed before
him but there is only one siratul mustaqeem. This is the meaning of the
hadith where one day Rasulullah (S.A.W.) was sitting with his companions
when he took a twig and began to scratch some lines on the earth. One of
the lines was straighr whilst the others were twisted and croked. He
them pointed to the straight line and said “This is my path, all the others
are not my path.”
This is also the reason why the Qur’an mentions darknesses (zhulumat) in
the plural as opposed to light (nur) which is alwys in the singular. The
paths of going astray are many and various. The path of truth is one.
It is here that the need for a guide (Prophets) becomes clear because
without ther guidance the human being is unable to discern the straight
road which will lead to his full potential.
The Qur’an has another word for path which is sabeel which has a similar
meaning to that of siraat or road. Yet in essence they are not quite the
same as sabeel is used in the plural form as subul whereas siraat is always
used in the singular. Thus the meaning of sabeel is the tributary path
that ends at the main fundamental road which is the siraat.
We as human beings are like a caravan on the road to perfection. In
order to arrive at ultimate perfection we must travel along the main road.
Yet in coming to it each one of us has his own particular starting point,
and so approaches the path on a minor subsidiary path. E.g. we may have
varied professions – doctor, labourer, trader and so on and each
constitutes a path upon which the person approaches the main road.
viii)
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ
7. The path of those whom You have favoured; not those who earn
Your anger nor of those who have gome astray.
The ayaat of the Qur'an describing stories of people who followed
guidance; and of the people who did'nt follow and the resulting
punishment ,  are elaborations of this aya.
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ is the way of those upon whom delight has
been bestowed, not those upon whom anger burns, Na'ma is delight,
happiness. There is no anger in this life. If you do not see mercy, then you
have brought darkness upon yourself. Your ignorance is not the fault of
someone else. If you do something inane and as a consequence harm comes
to you, then Reality is angry with you, angry in the sense that you are not
in unification with it. Anger implies a high degree of discontent on the
part of one entity with another, which leads to severing of the
relationship between the two.
There is only Allah. There is only Reality. Consequently, there is no place
for superstition. It is you who decide whether Allah is angry with you.
Rahma must encompass everything. Your loss is, in fact, within that
rahma. The condition you are in is appropriate because you have brought
it about by your heart. This is cosmos, not chaos. It is total ecology. As
human beings, we are all occasionally at a loss and often unsure. It is for
this reason that we have to keep healthy and correct companionship.
Existentially, we need guidance.
To paraphrase this aya, we are saying:
O Allah! Show us the straight road, the road of the blessed and pure, who
are continually receiving Your blessings; not the road of those who are
remote from their own humanity and have earned Your anger; and not the
path of those who are confused and who at every moment appear in a
different guise attaching themselves to a dofferent group.
SUMMARY
Suratul Fatiha can be divided into three sections.
i) The first section includes the opening line up to Maliki yowm ad
Deen. It is an exposition of reality. You find yourself awakened
suddenly and you say: I am in gratitude, praise to Allah, Who
has these attributes. You are inspired after having been in
wilderness and bewilderment, so you say, Al hamdu lillahi rabb al
'alamin, out of contentment and sanity.
ii) In the next section, (from Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nastain to
Ihdina as-Sirat al-Mustaqim), you are the adorer, the abd. This
now is transaction and demand. It is a request, it is action. In
this section the heart cries out.
iii) The third part is like the echo of reality in order to confirm
what you are saying and to answer your question.


Thanks for louging

Surat al-Mulk (The Kingdom)



This is a Makkan sura which was sent down after at-Tur (52) and before al-Haqqa ( 69). It has various names. As well being called al-Mulk, it is also called al-Waqiya (the Protector), al-Munjiyya (the Rescuer), and al-Mâni'a (the Defender) because it protects the one who knows it and rescues him from the punishment and defends him during the Rising. It is also called al-Mujadila (the Arguer) because it argues on behalf of the one who knows it when he is the grave. Numerous hadiths have mentioned its excellence.

It is related in a hadith from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to recite this sura every night when he went to bed and he said, "It rescues people from the punishment of the grave."

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There is a sura of the Book which only has thirty ayats which will intercede for a man on the Day of Rising and will bring him out of the Fire and make him enter the Garden. It is Surat Tabarak (meaning al-Mulk)."

Ibn 'Abbas said, "One of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah pitched his tent on a grave without knowing that it was a grave, and it contained a man who was reciting 'Blessed is He who has the Kingdom in His hand.' He went and told the Prophet who said, 'It is the defender. It is the protector which is protecting him from Allah's punishment.' The Messenger of Allah further said, "I wish that 'Tabarak' could be in the heart of every believer."

It is related that if someone recites it every night, he will not be harmed by the tempter (fattân). "Fattân" is used for various things. It means Shaytans who tempts people and makes disobeying Allah attractive. It is used for the dirham and the dinar, meaning money, which tempts people. It is used for the angels Munkar and Nakir who question the dead in the graves. It is also used for a highwayman who attacks travellers on the road.



1 Blessed be He who has the Kingdom in His Hand!
     He has power over all things.

"Blessed" (tabaraka) is a verbal form derived from a word meaning blessing (baraka). It is said that it means something which is exalted, holy or lasting. Allah is the Lasting (dâ'im) whose existence has no beginning and whose everlastingness has no end. This expression, "tabaraka" is particular to Allah Almighty and it is not used in the present tense, but only in the past. Allah is exalted above all the attributes of creatures who are located in time and exalted above all else in His Essence, Attributes and Actions. As He says, "There is nothing like Him." Some commentators say that this means that He is beyond annihilation or alteration. The form "tabaraka" indicates His perfection and immensity. Another example of this verb form which is only used for Allah is ta'ala, "Exalted is, "

We can look at the root of this verb and its meaning in two ways. There is the root burûk which means continuance or remaining. It is used to refer to birds remaining at water, to someone being firm and ready for fighting, and to someone who does not move where he is. This quality of being permanent reflects Allah's everlastingness. The other root is blessing or baraka. It is a blessing, either physical or spiritual, which continues, increases and abounds. So there is blessing which abides and ever increases. So Allah is abundant in good and exceeds everything in His continual goodness . As He says elsewhere: "All favour is in the Hand of Allah. He gives it to anyone He wills. Allah 's favour is indeed immense." (57:28)

"He who has the Kigndom in His hand" means the sovereignty or kingdom of the heavens and the earth, this world and the Next. It is said that it means the King of kings in this world, as you say, "the master of the kingdom." The first is more general and encompassing. He abases or exalts whomever He wills, He gives life and makes die, enriches and makes poor, gives and withholds. It is also said by some that He has the dominion of prophethood by which He exalts those who follow it and abases those who oppose it. He has the control of affairs. As He says elsewhere: "They do not measure Allah with His true measure. The whole earth will be a mere handful for Him on the Day of Rising, the heavens folded up in His right hand." (39:64)

In Arabic "hand" (yad) designates authority and power. Allah has the power to bless and take revenge. Commentators say that yad refers to Allah's power (qudra) which is His attribute without interpretation or qualification. His power is beyond description or limitation. In this context, Abu Hurayra reported in a sound hadith that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah's hand is full, undiminished by any expenditure since He created the heaven and the earth, for what His hand holds has not decreased. His Throne was upon the water, and in His hand the scale which He lowers and raises."

Mulk means sovereignty, kingship, dominion, and it is means ownership. It usually refers to this world, the physical world of bodies, whereas Malakut refers to the dominion of the unseen as He says, "Glory be to Him who has the Dominion (malakût) of all things in His Hand." (36:83)

"He has power over all things" defines His power - it extends to all things without limit. It reinforces the first sentence.

2 He who created death and life
      to test which of you is best in action.

  He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving.

Then Allah begins to go into the details of some aspects of His power and dominion over His subjects. "He who created death and life" can be taken to refer to the death and life of creatures. It is also said that it refers to the death of this world because its people will die while the life of the Next World will endure, as Allah says, "The Abode of the Next World is the Living." Death is lifelessness.

Allah begins by detailing some of the judgements of the kingdom and the consequences of power. Death and life are also part of His creation. There is an indication of the disparity between His everlastingness and creature's in-timeness. The use of "tabaraka" in the previous ayat indicates Allah's abiding and everlasting life whereas here He says, "He created life" which is the life of the creatures, which is temporal and dependent on Him. His life is not subject to end. The life and death of creatures is an event located in time.

Death is mentioned before life because death is older. In their beginnings things were under the jurisdiction of death, as sperm or the earth is initially lifeless. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah Almighty abased the sons of Adam by death and made this world an abode of life and then an abode of death. He made the Next World an abode of repayment and then an abode of abiding."

Abu'-d-Darda' said, "If it had not been for three things, the sons of Adam would not have bowed their heads: poverty, illness and death. But in spite of that, he leaps up." Or it can refer to death in this world and eternal life in the Next.

It is also said that death precedes life because the strongest of people in seeking action is the one who keeps death before his eyes. He concentrates on immediate action because he knows that the domain of action will soon end and the Reckoning will take place. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said, "Remember the cutter-off of delights, death." He also said, "In the evening do not expect to see the evening, and morning do not expect to se the evening, but take something when in health to serve you in time of illness and something in your life to serve you in your death."

Scholars state that the definition of death is not pure non-existence nor the obliteration of action. Death is the severance of the connection of the spirit to the body and a transference from one abode to another abode. So death is not the final end, but a transformation. The means of death is the Angel of Death. But in reality, it is Allah who makes die.

"To test which of you" means test you while you are alive. Allah's testing of His slaves is done in order to establish the proof against them by their own actions, although Allah knows beforehand what they will do. The meaning of the ayat is: "He will try you in order to repay you for what you do". A person is tested by the death of those who are dear to him to see whether he will be steadfast and by life to see whether he will be thankful for Allah's blessings. He says elsewhere: "We will test you with a certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and fruits. But give good news to the steadfast: the people who, when disaster strikes them, say, 'We belong to Allah and to Him we will return.' They are the people who will have blessings and mercy from their Lord. They are the ones who are the guided." (2:155-157)

He also tests your resolve, as He says elsewhere: "We will test you until We know the true fighters among you and those who are steadfast and test what is reported of you." (47:31)

It is said that He created death for resurrection and repayment, and life for testing. The noun from which "test" is derived is "balwa" which is a test or a trial with either something good or evil or ascertain what the quality of the thing tested. Allah knows what is inside His slaves, but this testing brings it out into the open so that there can be no argument about it.

"Which of you is best in action." It is related that the Messenger of Allah recited it and said, "It refers to which of you is the best in action, strongest in fear of Allah, most scrupulous about the forbidden things of Allah and swiftest in obeying Allah."

The use of the Divine Names, the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving reflects the two results - might used against those who reject and forgiveness towards those who believe.

3 He who created the seven heavens in layers.
     You will not find any flaw

         in the creation of the All-Merciful.

  Look again – do you see any gaps?

Allah continues to mention aspects of His power and the creation in which life and death are found. He mentions "the seven heavens in layers" or in strata, meaning on top of one another. The word "tibaq" is a verbal noun which describes the heavens, or it is related to something elided, implying: "with levers." It is said to be the plural of tabaqa. The Throne lies beyond them. Traditionally this is said to refer to the seven heavens of the Greeks, but could equally apply to the layers of the atmosphere. The verb reflects covering, and can be used for clouds covering the sky and rain covering the earth, It also has to do with things being adjacent and touching.

"You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful" means any lack of proportion or any weakness. The meaning is that He created the heavens in the limit of perfection. It is said that He means the creation of all created things. There is no doubt that all creatures are perfect, but the ayat is particular to the creation of the heavens which is more evident since it comes after His words, "He created the seven heavens in layers." So it is clear that His words, "You will not find any flaw in the creation of the Merciful" clarifies and completes what is before it. It means that nothing is neglected or beyond His reach. It is said that this means something about which a person could say, "If it were thus, it would have been better." You cannot improve upon creation. Nothing in it is discordant. "Do you see?" and "Look again" is addressed to the Prophet, or to everyone who is addressed to take note.

"Look again - do you see any gaps?" Discordance is gaps, and it is the plural of fatr, which is a split. "Look again" is literally "return the look". The meaning of the ayat is to look at that heaven. No gaps or rifts will be seen in it. "Gaps" is futûr, the plural of fatr. It is level and connected. Now that you have this information, then look again. It also infers to reflect after you have looked and investigated.

4     Then look again and again.
   Your sight will return to you

       dazzled and exhausted!

"Then look again and again" means investigate after looking so as to confirm and realise the consequences of what you see. Az-Zamakhshari said that the doubling means to do it a lot, not just twice, as they say, "Labbayk" which is answering a lot. The words used is basar which means both the eye and the faculty of seeing and understanding what is seen.

"Your sight will return to you dazzled and exhausted." "Dazzled" means to be far from the thing which is sought. It is used of a dog which is driven off in contempt. It is also used of the Jews who violated the Sabbath and were transformed into apes: "When they were insolent concerning what they had been forbidden to do, We said to them, 'Be apes, despised, cast out!'" (7:166)

"Exhausted" refers to a weary person who is overcome by exhaustion. The meaning of the ayat is that if you look at the heaven time after time to seek out gaps in it or imperfection, your glance will return not having seen any of that, and so it will be worn out because it has not obtained what you sought of locating gaps and imperfections. In addition, it will be tired from looking often and reflecting often. It carries a sense of grief because of having missed something. An animal is in this state when it becomes so tired that it cannot go on and so it must be left behind. But the Prophet said, "Supplicate to Allah and do not become weary." It implies smallness and abasement and regret as hasra means grief or regret for the loss of something.

5 We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps
       and made some of them stones for the shaytans

  for whom We have prepared the punishment of the Blaze.

Allah goes on to describe the heaven which we see, which is the lowest heaven. "We have beautified the lowest heaven with lamps." The lowest heaven is the nearest one to us. The lamps which adorn it are the stars. If all the stars are in the lowest heaven, there is no confusion. If there are in other heavens, then the lowest heaven is adorned because they are manifest to us in it. no matter how far they are away. It is possible that it means adorning the lowest heaven with the stars which are above it in other heavens according to the statement based on the position of the stars, and in whichever heaven which is not refuted in the Shari'a. The stars are called "lamps" because they give off light and are beautiful,

"We made some of them stones for the shaytans" means: We made some of the stars stones because the fixed stars are not used to stone the Shaytans. It is like your words, "I honoured the Banu so-and-so" when you honoured some of them.

Rujûm is the plural of rajm, which is a verbal noun naming that which is used for stoning. Az-Zamakhshari said that it means the stars which are used to stone of shaytans, and the meteors fall from the stars to stone the shaytans who try to eavesdrop to the heaven, as mentioned in 37:10. Stoning meteors are separate from the fire of the stars because the stones are the stars themselves because they are fixed in the heavens. Qatada said that Allah created the stars for three reasons: to adorn the heaven, to stone the shaytans and to guide people in the darkness of the land and sea.

"For whom We have prepared the punishment of the Blaze" meaning for the shaytans. This is when the unbelievers are thrown into it. "Blaze" (Sa'ir) is a blazing fire which burns. It is used for fire itself and for a fire which is made to burn by other fire. The root of this word is which means madness, demonical possession, affliction, and punishment. We see this elsewhere in the Qur'an: "The evildoers are indeed misguided and insane (su'r ) on the Day that they are dragged face-first into the Fire: 'Taste the scorching touch of Saqar!'" (54:47-48) Some commentators say that this can be mean: "misguided and in punishment." Another word from the same root, su'âr, means heat and evil or mischief. The Fire that will burn them is thus a result of their own evil, which is a kind of madness.

6 Those who reject their Lord will have
      the punishment of Hell.

        What an evil destination!

Jahannam is the Fire of Hell. Some people say that this comes from Jahinnâm which is a deep well; anyone who falls into it perishes. This indicates that the People of the Fire are far from the beauty of Allah Almighty and the bliss of the Garden, burning in the fire of separation and distance from Allah. It is also ascribed to the root jahuma, which signifies frowning and grinning sternly.

Here Allah refers to those "who reject their Lord". It is a deeper existential rejection than simply rejecting the idea of a deity. Everyone has a Lord to whom he owes his allegiance and whom he obeys.

"What an evil destinatiion!" It is an evil masîr. The root means to reach a state or condition, or to attain to a place, as Allah says, "The final destination is to Allah." (3:37) This is the final state where people find themselves. So it could also be read as "What an evil final state of being!" They will remain in this condition forever.

7 When they are flung into it
       they will hear it gasping harshly as it seethes.

They are flung into it as wood is thrown into a fire either because it is so hot that they do not want to get near it or because Jahannam is so deep. "They will hear it gasping." Shahîq is the ugliest possible noise which a donkey makes. Here it means what is heard of the sound of Jahannam due to the intensity of its boiling and terror, or the sighing of its people. Shahîq is used of the people in the Fire, who "sigh and moan" (11:106). Shahîq is the sound made in the breast and zafir is made in the throat.

"When it seethes" means its boils with its people as the cauldron boils fiercely with its contents when there is a little grain in a lot of water.

8 It all but bursts with rage.
     Each time a group is flung into it

         its custodians will question them:

     'Did no warner come to you?'

"It all but bursts apart out of its rage" meaning Jahannam nearly splits part due to the intensity of its rage against the unbelievers. It is possible that it is rage itself. It is possible that it means the rage of the Zabaniyya, the custodians of the Fire (as mentioned as the Guards of Hell in 96:18). The first is more evident because the state of the Zabaniyya is mentioned after this. The rage of the fire can be real since Allah will create that rage for it, or it metaphorically designates its intensity. "Rage" (ghayth) means either a more intensive form of anger (ghadab) or it is latent because the person feeling the anger does not have the power to exercise it. It conveys a sense of heat.

"Each time a group is flung into it" meaning whenever a group of unbelievers is flung into Jahannam, the Zabaniyya will ask, "Did no warner come to you?" meaning any Messenger. This question is a form of rebuke and establishing the proof against them. They will admit that and said, "Indeed a warner did come to us." His word, "Whenever" demands that it be said to each group when it is cast into the Fire. The custodians are Malik and his helpers, the Zabaniyya.

9 They will say, 'Yes indeed,
     a warner did come to us

          but we denied him and said,

     "Allah has sent nothing down.

        You are just greatly misguided"'

The use of qad in "he did come" stresses their confession, particularly when it follows bala (Yes indeed). The Prophet said, "I am the Warner and the death is that which undoes."They rejected the idea of a message and thought that it was nonsense. They said that there was no revelation, no Book, no Messenger. They use the plural "you" (antum) meaning that they reject all the Messengers, not just the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

It is also possible that "You are just greatly misguided" are part of the words of the angels to the rejectors, or part of the words of the rejectors to the Messengers in this world.

10 They will say, "If only we had really listened and used our intellect,
        we would not have been Companions of the Blaze."

"They will say, " The pronoun refers to the unbelievers, i.e. if we have listened to the words of the Messengers when we were alive and understood the evidence of Allah's oneness, we would not have been among the people of the Blaze. He uses the unlikely "if" (law). This is not going to happen. They admit to their ignorance only when they are in the Fire, saying, "If only we had listened to the Messengers or understood their message."

11 Then they will acknowledge their wrong actions.
      Away with the Companions of the Blaze!

"They will acknowledge their wrong actions." This confession of theirs comes at a time when acknowledgement not help them. This is an admission based on knowledge (ma'rifa). Now they understand. Here "their wrong actions" means their denial of the Messengers.

"Away with the Companions of the Blaze!" "Away" (suhqan) is a noun in the accusative case based a hidden verb which carries the meaning of a curse on them: "May they be far from the mercy of Allah!" It means to be put far from prosperity, for a person to not be pitied for what has happened to him. The root, sahaqa, has other connotations as well: to bruise or pound; to pulverise by pounding. It is said that this is what the fierce wind does to the earth when it wears it down, and hence it also means to wear something out and destroy it. Something which is termed "sahiq" can be either remote or bruised by pounding. It is even said by some commentators to be a valley in Jahannam called as-Sahq.

12 Those who fear their Lord in the Unseen
     will have forgiveness and an immense reward.

They fear Allah and fear His punishment which they do not see. They fear their Lord, His punishment on the Day of Rising, on the day when one dies, and when they are questioned in the grave. As Allah says in Surat Qaf (50):

33 Those who fears the All-Merciful in the Unseen

      and come with a contrite heart.

34          Enter it in peace.

     This is the Day of Timeless Eternity.

35  They will have everything they want

      and with Us there is still more.

Fear has certain causes. The first of them is sound intellect which makes a person abandon acts of disobedience to Allah. It is only a weak intellect which has no fear of Allah.

Al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi speaks of fear as follows:

"Fear arises from knowledge of Allah. When the heart knows Him, it fears Him. Knowledge is obtained by opening. When Allah gives him an opening, he witnesses things with the eye of his heart and knows Him and so fears Him. When the heart clings to fear, Allah fills it with love. So by fear the heart is protected from what Allah detests, however great or small, and by love, it is cheerful and courageous in matters. If Allah were to leave the slave with fear alone, he would be constricted and unable to act in many matters. If He were to leave him with love alone, he would become presumptive and transgress because the self is aroused by the energy of love. But He - may His name be blessed! - was kind to him and made fear his inner part and love his outward so that his heart would go straight. So smiles and cheerfulness is seen in his face and business and that is due to the manifestation of love in the heart. Nevertheless, inwardly he has mountains of fear!"

Two things are said about what is meant by "in the Unseen". One is that it means they are not seen by people and thus describes their sincerity because they obey Allah where people do not see them. The second statement is that the Unseen is what is not seen by them in the affairs of the Next World It is reflected in His words, "they believe in the Unseen." They are not like the hypocrites who are described by Allah as: "When they meet those who believe, they say, 'We believe.' But then when they go aparts with their shaytans, they say, 'We are really with you. We were only mocking.'" (2:13)

Forgiveness is for their wrong actions. The "immense reward" is the Garden.

13 Whether you keep your words secret
       or say them out loud

   He knows what the heart contains.

Then Allah addresses all people. "Whether you keep your words secret or voice them out loud." The meaning is that Allah knows all. Nothing can be concealed from Him. He knows whatever good and evil is in the hearts. Jibril told the Prophet that the idolaters were saying to one another, "Conceal what you say so that the Lord of Muhammad does not hear." Then this ayat was revealed.

14 Does He who created not then know?
     He is the All-Pervading, the All-Aware.

"Does He who created not then know?" This is a proof that Allah Almighty knows everything because the Creator must necessarily know His creatures.

Various names are used to describe Allah's knowledge: He is the All-Knowing, al-'Alîm, who knows things in the most complete and perfect manner; the Aware, al-Khabîr, who has perfect knowledge of even the most hidden things; the Wise, al-Hakîm, who knows and acts well; the Witness, ash-Shahîd, who possesses knowledge of outward things; the Preserver, al-Hafîz, who remembers all; and the Enumerator, al-Muhsi, who knows the quantities of things and comprehends all. The All-Pervading, al-Latif, knows the fine points of things so that He can see the small black ant on the black stone in the deepest darkness.

15 It is He who made the earth submissive to you,
       so walk its broad trails and eat what it provides.

          The Resurrection is to Him.

In "the earth subservient (dhalul)". here the form of the adjective means the passive tense, meaning made abased or subservient. This form is usually used for an animal which is manageable or tame, as He describes the cow in Surat al-Baqara (2:71) It means that the earth is easy for you to walk on and and cultivate. Its surface remains steady. So when there is an earthquake, we realise how merciful Allah is by generally keeping the earth firm and steady for us. It is neither too hot nor too cold to walk on it nor made of stone so that we slip on it and cannot cultivate nor made of quicksand so that we cannot stand on it. It is such that we can dig wells in it. The root, dhalla, also means to become subservient after having been difficult, which indicates that were it not for Allah's mercy, the earth could easily have been difficult for habitation.

Ibn 'Abbas said that "walk its trails" refers the mountains, and it is said that it refers to the slopes and it is said that it is paths. The word "trails" (manakib) is used to continue the metaphor of an animal. It literally means "shoulders" as if the earth were the back of an animal. It is related that Bashir ibn Ka'b had a slavegirl and he said to her, "If you can tell me what is meant by 'the shoulders of the earth' you are free." She replied, "Its shoulders are its mountains," and so she was free. It further shows the blessing in making it easy to walk on the earth. "Walk" is a command which indicates the permission to do so. "Eat what it provides" which was created for your sake and made lawful for you.

"The Resurrection is to Him" refers the resurrection and the return to Allah on the Day of Rising. "Nushûr" refers to the rising from the graves and the return to life of the dead . It is said that it means that the One who has the power to make the earth subservient and provide provision is able to bring you back from the graves. The verb nashara also means "land becoming green with rain after having dried up, spreading out, charming away the effects of enchantment, possession or insanity, scattering a flock after they were confined in their night shelter, all reflectin the arising to a new state of existence." This quickening from death is then waking after spent a night. Allah provides another metaphor of this in 35:9:

It is Allah who sends the winds which raise the clouds

    which We then drive to a dead land

and by them bring back the earth to life after it was dead.

That is how the Rusurrection will be.

The sojourn in the graves is clearly short in relation to eternity. We also recall this in the supplication we make when we wake up from sleep, "Praise be to Allah who brought us to life after death and to Him is the Resurrection."

16 Do you feel secure against Him Who is in heaven
       causing the earth to swallow you up

    when suddenly it rocks from side to side?

After enumerating His blessings to you in a stable and frutiful earth, Allah calls attention to its fragility. "Do you feel secure?" If you rebel against Allah, are you safe? The aim of the ayat is to threaten and alarm the unbelievers, as is the case with the ayat after it. It is important to note that the word belief or iman and security (aman) come from the same root. It is only belief that gives security.

"Him who is in heaven" is the One who has power and authority in heaven. He made the earth stable for you, but He can equally make it shake and split apart and so engulf you. The power to do both is in His hands. You have no security apart from Him.It is also possible that "Him" (man) refers to the angels who are entrusted with managing this world, and so it would be translated as, "those who are in heaven". This indicates the actual fragility of the stability of the earth. Al-Qurtubi says that it could mean: "Are you secure that the Creator of those in heaven, " It is important not to think of "who is in heaven" spatially, but rather it refers to His authority and power. Spatiality cannot be attributed to Allah. He is described by height and immensity which has no relation to defined quantities of physical beings. People stretch their hands towards heaven because the Revelation descended from it, the actions of human beings ascend to it and beyond it is the Throne of Allah and His Garden. It is taken as a direction as the Ka'ba is used for the qibla. Allah created places and has no need of them. Before them, He was before time and space when there was neither time nor space, "And He is now as He was."

Elsewhere the Qur'an gives us the example of Qarun (28:76-82) who was a man of the tribe of Israel who had vast wealth which he thought he had obtained because of his superior knowledge. In spite of this, he and his house were swallowed up by the earth to provide an example. This should certainly be a warning to people today who think that their wealth and position is based on their superior technological knowledge. It is an illusion.

"When it rocks" mentioned in Surat at-Tur. Mawr means to shake from side to side.

17 Or do you feel secure against Him Who is in heaven
        releasing against you a sudden squall of stones,

    so that you will know how true My warning was?

There is a second avenue by which punishment can come - from the heaven because His Sovereignty embraces all and He can send destruction from which direction He wills. "A sudden squall of stones" (hasib) can mean pebbles or a strong wind which contains small stones, and hence destruction. This is what happened to the people of Lut when Allah rained down stones on them, and to Abraha and when he invaded Makka and birds came bearing stones in their beaks. It also refers to destruction of crops by a such a wind.

"Warning (nadhîr)" means warning (indhar) as nakîr (denial) in the next ayat means inkar. It means warning about the punishment. If Allah were to send this to you, you would immediately know the truth of the punishment. It is also said that nadhîr also means "mundhir" (warner), in which case it refers to Muhammad. Then it means: you will know the truth of what he says. Warsh has "nadhîrî " (My warning) rather than "nadhîr " in Hafs, as in the next ayat it also has "nakîrî" (My denial) rather than the "nakîr" in Hafs.

18 Those before them also denied
     but then how great was My denial!

Nations before them, meaning before the Quraysh, denied the message as Allah says elsewhere in the Qur'an:

   If they deny you, the people of Nuh before them denied him

       and those of 'Ad and of Thamud

41  and the people of Ibrahim and the people of Lut

42     and the companions of Madyan;

            and Musa was denied as well.

     I allowed time to the rejectors

            but then I seized them.

     How terrible was My denial!" (22:40-42)

This is to console the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, by the fact that the same denial was experienced by Prophets before him. "Denial" (nakîr ) can mean the manifestation of disapproval of their behaviour, by changing life into destruction, favour into trial, and prosperity into ruin. The verb nakkara has to do with changing a state, in this case by destruction being visited upon them.

19 Have they not looked at the birds above them,
       with wings outspread and folded back?

    Nothing holds them up but the All-Merciful.

      He sees all things.

Then Allah gives a metaphor of something very beautiful, but at the same time very fragile, the the flight of birds in the air without anything to hold them up. "Have they not looked at the birds above them with wings outspread?" The way the question is asked implies that they are heedless of this sign. As the earth is subject to man, so the air is subject to the birds. But we can see how fragile it is while we forget how fragile we are on the surface of the earth.

"Outspread" (sâffât) is the plural of sâffa. They are the birds who spread their wings out and hold them open. Qabd refers to folding the wings to the sides. "Folded back" is in a verbal form and is joined to "outspread" because the verb has the meaning of the noun, and it implies the noun, qâbidât. It can also refer to birds in formation as "sâffât" also refers to ranks.

It is only the power of the All-Merciful which holds them up. "He sees all things," even each individual bird so that He keeps them suspended in the air.

20 Who is there who could be a force for you,
      to come to your support,

         apart from the All-Merciful?

   The kafirun are only living in delusion.

Having recounted all these aspects of Allah's power, He then says: "Who is there whoocould to be a force for you?" This is addressed to the unbelievers to rebuke and threaten them and to establish the proof against them. The form of the question implies a negative answer. Ibn 'Abbas says that "force" (jund) means a party and a defence or helpers. This is negating their false assumption of power. Only Allah possesses power.

The shaytans delude them that there will be neither punishment nor reckoning nor afterlife. "Delusion" (ghurûr) is a verbal noun. The root, gharra, means to be deceived or beguiled into desiring what is false and made to be bold against something, to follow a course without being rightly guided. The verb, gharra, also means to expose a person to destruction by deceit. Another noun from this root, gharar, means peril or jeopardy or risk, which is a type of sale which is forbidden.

21 Who is there who could provide for you
       if He withholds His provision?

    Yet still they obstinately persist in insolence and evasion.

"Provision" can refer to the rain or the crops. Who will make it rain if He withholds it? Furthermore, if He makes it impossible for you to eat, who will enable you to eat? provision is not just material goods, but it is everything a person makes use of. Provision includes the air we breathe, the water, the food we eat, the gifts and talents and character Allah has given us. All of this is provision - speech, sight, touch, taste, blood cells, internal organs, osmosis, photosynthesis, etc. Allah gives us an excellent parable of his absolute control over provision in Surat al-Kahf:

32  Make an example for them of two men.

      To one of them We gave two gardens of grape-vines

        and surrounded them with date-palms,

      putting between them some cultivated land.

33  Both gardens yielded their crops and did not suffer any loss,

      and We made a river flow right through the middle of them.

34  He was a man of wealth and property

      and he said to his companion, debating with him,

   'I have more wealth than you and more people under me.'

35    He entered his garden and wronged himself by saying,

    'I do not think that this will ever end.

      I do not think the Hour will ever come.

   But if I should be sent back to my Lord,

     I will definitely get something better in return.'

36  His companion, with whom he was debating, said to him,

     'Do you then disbelieve in Him who created you from dust,

   then from a drop of sperm, and then formed you as a man?

37      He is, however, Allah, my Lord,

      and I will not associate anyone with my Lord.

38  Why, when you entered your garden, did you not say,

      "It is as Allah wills, there is no strength but in AllahÓ?

  Though you see me with less wealth and children

      than you possess,

39  it may well be that my Lord will give me

     something better than your garden

   and send down on it a fireball from the sky

     so that morning finds it a shifting heap of dust,

40  or morning finds its water drained into the earth

     so that you cannot get at it.'

41 The fruits of his labour were completely destroyed

    and he woke up wringing his hands in grief,

       rueing everything that he had spent on it.

  It was a ruin with all its trellises fallen in.

     He said, 'Oh, if only I had not associated

        anyone with my Lord!'

42  There was no group to come to his aid, besides Allah,

    and he was not given any help.

43  In that situation the only protection is from Allah, the Real.

    He gives the best reward and the best outcome.

"To be obstinate" means to be stubborn and continue and persist in "disdain and insolence" and "evasion" to belief and the Truth. "Insolence" ('atw) means to be proud and excessive and immoderate in disbelief, to recoil and revolt from obedience. It also means to become dried up and rigid, which reflects the state of the unbelievers who persist in their disbelief. They are rigid and cannot move from their entrenched position. It also implies a threat because it is a term which is used elsewhere to refer to the insolence of the unbelievers before divine punishment befalls them. It is used of Thamud when they hamstrung the camel (7:77; 51:44), and when those who broke the Sabbath were transformed into apes. (7:166) They are much like Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost, "that fixed mind and high disdain, from sense of injured merit." (1.94) and "Vaunting aloud, but racked with despair." (1.16)

"Evasion (nufûr)" means shying away. This is the refractoriness of an unbroken horse or camel which shies and breaks away from something, refusing to be compliant and obedient. This is something that animals do. We might deduce that the first refers to their leaders and the second to their followers. Allah also describes this elsewhere in the Qur'an (35:40-43):

40 Say: 'Have you thought about your partner gods,

       those you call upon besides Allah?

Show me what they have created of the earth;

      or do they have a partnership in the heavens?'

Have We given them a Book whose Clear Signs they follow?

     No indeed! The wrongdoers promise each other

        nothing but delusion.

41 Allah keeps a firm hold on the heavens and earth,

      preventing them from vanishing away.

  And if they vanished no one could then keep hold of them.

     Certainly He is Most Forbearing, Ever-Forgiving.

42 They swore by Allah with their most earnest oaths

     that if a warner came to them

         they would be better guided

           than any other community.

But then when a warner did come to them,

      it only increased their aversion,

43 shown by their arrogance in the land and evil plotting.

     But evil plotting envelops only those who do it.

  Do they expect anything

      but the pattern of previous peoples?

  You will not find any changing in the pattern of Allah.

     You will not find any alteration in the pattern of Allah.

22 Who is better guided:
       he who goes grovelling on his face

    or he who walks upright on a straight path?

"Who is better guided?" What is meant by this is to rebuke the unbelievers. Two things are said about what it means. One is that walking is a metaphor about travelling the path of guidance and misguidance in this world. The other is that it is real and refers to the form of walking in the Next World because the unbeliever will be made to crawl to Jahannam on his face.

In the case of the first statement, it is said that the one who walks grovelling was Abu Jahl and the one who walked upright was Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and it is said that it is Hamza, and it is said that it is general to every believer and unbeliever.

"Grovelling (mukibb) is to walk with head bowed without looking forward or to the right or the left, not being safe from stumbling or falling on his face. The one who walks upright can look to the right and left. Someone who is blind is like this. He will be gathered in the Next World on his face. The Straight Path is Islam. Qatada said that the unbeliever is bent (akabb) on acts of disobedience in this world and so Allah will gather him on his face in the Fire in the end. As Allah says, "Those who perform bad actions will be thrown head first into the Fire." (27:90)

The believer was straight in following Allah's command in this world, and so Allah gathers him on his feet to the Garden. The Prophet was asked, "How can they walk on their faces?" He said, "The One who enabled them to walk on their feet is able to make them walk on their faces." Al-Qashani said that walking with face down is to incline to what is low, to sensual pleasures and to walk on the Straight Path is to follow the Path of tawhid.

23 Say: 'It is He who brought you into being
       and gave you hearing, sight and hearts.

   What little thanks you show!'

"Brought you into being" (nasha') refers to originating something from nothing. He has given you all these blessings and yet you do not show your gratitude to Him! You have hearing so that you can hear the signs of Allah and eyes so that you can see His signs and the things He has created and hearts so that you can reflect on them. This and the following ayat are also found in 23:78-79, and so it is a command to be grateful.

Various definitions have been given for thankfulness or shukr. They can be summarised as the heart being joyful at receiving the blessing and inclining to love the one who bestowed it, the limbs being disposed to obey the Giver, and the tongue to praise and mention Him. And, as Allah says, "He has given you everything you have asked Him for. If you tried to number Allah's blessings, you could never count them. Man is indeed wrongdoing, ungrateful." (14:34) Allah's blessings are infinite and start with existence itself, as He says: "Allah brought you out of your mothers' wombs knowing nothing at all, and gave you hearing, sight and hearts so that perhaps you would show thanks." (16:77) It is impossible to be adequately grateful to the Creator. It is reported that Prophet Da'ud said, "O Lord, how can I be grateful to You when my gratefulness to You is a blessing to me for which I must be grateful?" Allah said, "Now you have been grateful to me, Da'ud."

Thankfulness involves the use of the tongue, to praise the Giver; the use of the limbs to act to serve Him; and that the heart should acknowledge the Giver. Thankfulness itself gives increase, as Allah says, "If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe." (14: Thankfulness is nothing but benefit for you.

24 Say: 'It is He who scattered you about the earth
       and you will be gathered to Him.'

All you see comes from Him and you will be returned to Him for the reckoning. The verb dhara'a (scatter) also means to create and to multiply. Dhurriya () means created beings or children, offspring. The verb also refers to the winnowing of wheat, and the casting of grain for planting. So the previous ayat refers to the initial creation of man from nothing and this ayat refers to the increase in the numbers. It also means to sow. So this is the propagation of mankind. Allah further describes this scattering in 42:11: "The Bringer-into-being of the heavens and earth. He has given you mates from among yourselves, and given mates to the livestock, in that way multiplying you."

25 They say, 'When will this promise come about
      if you are telling the truth?'

"They say, 'When will this promise come about?'" The pronoun refers to the unbelievers. The promise means the resurrection and the gathering, or their punishment in this world. They say this in mockery and denial. "If you are telling the truth" means the believers. The unbelievers do not believe that this will come about.

26 Say: 'The knowledge is with Allah alone
       and I am only a clear warner.'

This is what the Prophet is to say in answer to them. Only Allah knows when the Last Hour will come. He tells them that he has only come to warn them and alarm them about what their behaviour. Allah describes this interrchange further in Surat al-A'raf: "They will ask you about the Hour: when is it due? Say: 'Knowledge of it is rests with my Lord alone. He alone will reveal it at its proper time. It hangs heavy in the heavens and the earth. It will not come upon you except for suddenly.' They will ask you as if you had full knowledge of it. Say: 'Knowledge of it is with Allah alone. But most people do not know that.'" (7:187)

27 When they see it right up close,
       the faces of those who are kafir

           will be appalled

        and they will be told,

   'This is what you were calling for.'

Then it will inevitably come. "When they see it" is when the unbelievers see the promised punishment. They will see it with their own eyes. Al-Hasan said that it is eye-witnessing. It is said that it is the punishment of the Next World or the punishment inflicted on the unbelievers in the Battle of Badr. Or it could be when they see the Gathering. "Close" (zulfa) is a verbal noun meaning physically near or immediate.

"The faces of those who reject will be appalled" or "blackened" or "clouded over", meaning that the evil of what befalls them will be seen in them. Their faces will show their evil because they will become black. It will be physically seen in them. Allah says, "On the day when faces are whitened and faces are blackened." (3:106) The effects of what is being felt is seen in the faces.

"They will be told, 'This is what that you were calling for." This is what they were seeking and trying to hasten. Those who say that will be the angels, or it is a metaphor for the situation becoming evident to them. It is their words, "Our Lord, advance our share to us before the Day of Reckoning." (38:16)

28 Say: 'What do you think?
       If Allah destroys me and those with me,

            or if He has mercy on us,

     who can shelter the kafirun

       from a painful punishment?'

The reason for the revelation of this ayat is that the unbelievers used to wish for the destruction of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Muslims. Allah commanded him to say to them, "If Allah destroys me and those with me, or he has mercy on us, you still will not be saved from the painful punishment." Destruction here can refer to death or some disaster. "Those with me" are the believers.

The meaning of "who can shelter the rejectors from a painful punishment?" is: who will prevent their punishment. "Shelter" (yajîru) means to protect, help and deliver from evil. It is said of Allah, "He protects, but none is protected against Him." The verb involves giving shelter from something, in this case, the punishment.

29 Say: 'He is the All-Merciful.
     We have iman in Him

          and trust in Him.

       You will soon know

          who is clearly misguided.'

It is the All-Merciful to whom he calls them to worship. Here we have belief and trust (tawakkul). As He says elsewhere: "The believers are those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, whose belief is increased when His Signs are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord." (8:2)

Trust or tawakkul, means that the heart relies on Allah and not on creatures. This trust is one of the fruits of belief and knowledge. The greater the belief and knowledge of Allah, the greater the trust, hence Allah says: "Put your trust in Allah if you are believers." (5:23)

Trust also entails being content with Allah's decree. Hence Bishr al-Hafi said, "One of you says, 'I trust on Allah,' and he lies. If he had truly trusted in Allah, he would have been content with what Allalh Almighty does to him."

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recommended trust in Allah in every instance. He said, "If, when he leaves the hourse, a person says, 'In the name of Allah. I have put my trust in Allah and there is no power nor strength except by Allah,' he will be told, 'You are guided, sufficed, protected, and saved from Shaytan.' Then one shaytan will say to another, 'How can you have any power over a man who has been guided, sufficed and protected?'" (Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i & at-Tirmidhi)

Trusting in Allah produces calmness and tranquillity in the hearts, exspecially in trials and tribulations. As Allah says elsewhere:

     Those to whom people said,

          "The people have gathered together against you, so fear them."

     But it increased them in belief and they said,

          "Allah is enough for us and the Best of Guardians."

174 So they returned with blessing and bounty from Allah

          and no evil touched them.

     They pursued the pleasure of Allah.

   Allah's favour is indeed immense." (3:173-174)

30 Say: 'What do you think?
      If, one morning, your water disappears into the earth

          who will bring you running water?'

"Say: 'What do you think? If, one morning, your water disappears into the earth, '" This ayat is an argument against the idolaters. "Disappears" (ghawr) is a verbal noun which is used as an adjective, meaning vanishing into the earth. "Running"(ma'în) is abundant. The meaning is: if your water which you drink vanishes, will other than Allah bring you running water? This hearkens back to the example from Surat al-Kahf given under ayat 21, when one of the two men with a garden has his water disappear.

This is a further question addressed to Quraysh to show their lack of power. Their water was well water and wells can go dry. A spring which is ma'ana has ample water. Ibn 'Abbas says that it means: who will bring you sweet water? In reference to the people of Makka, whose water came from two wells, Zamzam and Maymun al-Hadrami, this is a telling point. What happens if Allah were to make the wells go dry? Zamzam itself was a miracle which appeared the middle of the desert.

Tafseer Ayatul Kursiy

Rasool Allah peace be upon him said, "Whoever recites Aayatul Kursi after every Fard (Fard Salat). Only death is keeping him/her from entering Jannah. (As soon as he/she dies, will enter Jannah)
(Nisa'i, Ibne Habban, Ibnelsani A'n Abi Amatah Albahili Radiallah Anhu)

It's in another Hadis that Reciting Ayatul Kursi after one Fard (Fard Salat) will stay in Allah's protection until the next Salat.
(Tibrani Fil Kabeer, A'n Alhasan Bin Ali Radiallah Anhu)

Imam Bihaqi States that the one who recites Ayatul Kursi before falling asleep, Allah Tala gives protection to his/her home and his/her Family.
(Marqat Sharah Mishkaat, Mulla Ali Qaderi, vol. 2 pp. 583)

It's in another Hadis Jinns and Shaitans do not come close to the house in which Ayatul Kursi is recited. (Tirmizi Altargheeb Wal Tarheeb Lilmanzari vol.2 pp.631)

Hadrat A'isha Radiallah Anha states that a person arrived in the court of Nabi kareem Sallal Laaho Alaihi Wasallam and complained that there is no Barkat (Blessings) in anything in his home. Rasool Allah peace be upon him said, "You do not recite Ayatul Kursi, whichever Food and Curry you will recite Ayatul Kursi on, Allah Tala will give Blessings on that Food and Curry. (Tafseer Dar Manshoor vol. 1 pp. 323

link of ayatul kursiy saves a girl, http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46914

ayatul Kursi saves Girl from Attack

brothers and sisters, this story that i'm about to post is not a story that i witness it's an article that i read from a newspaper wich i found very intresting so i thought i should share with u guys

Ayatul kursi saves gril from attack

it was reported in a local paper in rochdale (a town, northeast of manchester), of a young woman who was raped in a small dark alley (a narrow pasage between buildings) one evening.On a separate evening around the same time, a young Muslim gril was walking home from colege. Aware that it was getting dark fast, she wanted to get home as soon as possible, so her mother would not be worring about her being outside alone at night.

The young Muslim gril faced a dilemma. To take the short-cut down the same alleyway to avoid getting home after dark, or to take the longer route and have her mother worring sick about her daughters safety. Conscious of the time, she takes the alleyway. While the gril is walking she sees a rather sinister and dark figure of a man walking towards her from the other end. As her pace quickens, she begins to read Ayat-ul-kursi for her safety. The man, he makes eye contact but carries on walking. When the young Muslim gril reaches home she tells her family about this sinister looking man, they advise her to contact the police, after having read the newspaper article some time before.When she contacts the police they ask her to give a physical description of the man, It matches the description the rape victim had given.

Some days leter the young Muslim gril receives a phone call from the police, asking her if she would come down to the police station to identify the man in a line up. Both the rape victim and the muslim gril pick out the same man.The police are confused; they ask the rapist why he attacked one gril and not the other. In reference to the muslim gril, he replies "why would i attack her? when she was walking with two huge men on either side of her?" Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Aalameen.


FIVE IMPORTANT QUALITIES OF AYAT-UL-QURSIY

NUMBER ONE :
RECITE AAYATUL QURSI AT THE TIME OF LEAVING
HOUSE BECAUSE 70000 ANGELS PROTECT PERSON FROM
LEFT, RIGHT, FRONT AND BACK AND IF A PERSON
DIES BEFORE RETURNING HE WILL GET 70 MARTYRS
REWARD.

NUMBER TWO :
RECITE AAYATUL QURSI 40 TIMES EVERY DAY AT
THE TIME OF SUNSET, PERSON WILL GET REWARD OF
40 HAJJ.

NUMBER THREE :
RECITE AAYATUL QURSI EVERY NIGHT AT BED, THIS
CREATES ONE ANGEL WHO WILL GUARD THE PERSON
TILL MORNING.

NUMBER FOUR :
RECITE AAYATULQURSI EVERY TIME AFTER DOING
ABLUTION (WUZU) THIS WILL RAISE PERSON 40 TIMES
IN RANK FROM EACH WORD.

NUMBER FIVE :
RECITE AAYATUL QURSI EVERY TIME AFTER RETURNING
HOME BECAUSE IT KEEPS AWAY POVERTY.

This is the tafseer in details. it will be in the tafseer section too

MUST HEAR FOR ALL:

Tafseer of Ayatul Kursi.



Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter . And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursee extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. (This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursee.)

Masha’allah, we all must of heard of Ayatul Kursi! Subhaan’Allah, but how many of us know the benefits of this 1 Ayaat (Verse)? The meaning of it? How many of us actually know it off by heart and recite it in our daily life?

Visit: Mount Hira Blog to help you learn this beautiful Ayaat, line by line.

Introduction

Ayatul Kursi is verse 255 of the second Surah (Chapter) of the Noble Qur’aan - Surah Al Baqarah (The Chapter of the Cow).

Imaam Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer of Aayat al-Kursiy from Soorat al-Baqarah:

This is Aayat al-Kursiy, which has a high status. It was reported in a saheeh hadeeth from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that it is the greatest aayah in the Book of Allaah… It was narrated from Ubayy, i.e., Ubayy ibn Ka’b that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him which aayah in the Book of Allaah was the greatest. He said, “Allaah and His Messenger know best.” He repeated it several times, then he said, “Aayat al-Kursiy.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Congratulations upon your knowledge O Abu’l-Mundhir. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it has a tongue and two lips, and it glorifies the Sovereign (i.e., Allaah) at the foot of the Throne.” This was also narrated by Muslim, without the phrase “By the One in Whose hand is my soul…”.

Virtues

Concerning the virtue of reciting this aayah after the prescribed prayers, it was narrated that Abu Umaamah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Whoever recites Aayat al-Kursiy immediately after each prescribed prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and his entering Paradise except death.”

This is how it was narrated by al-Nasaa’i in al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah, from al-Hasan ibn Bishr. It was also narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh from Muhammad ibn Humayr, who is al-Homsi, and is also one of the men of al-Bukhaari. The isnaad meets the conditions of al-Bukhaari.

The following hadith by Al-Bukhaari explains how reciting Ayatul Kursi can protect you from Shaytaan (The Devil) and this was said by Shaytaan himself! Read to learn how this came about…. Narrated that Abu Hurayrah, who said:

“The Messenger of Allaah (sa) appointed me to guard the Ramadaan zakaah. Someone came and started taking some of the food. I grabbed hold of him and said, ‘I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allaah (sa)!’ He said, ‘Let me be, for I am in need and I have children and am in great need.’ So I let him go.

The following morning, the Prophet (sa) said, ‘O Abu Hurayrah, what did your prisoner do last night?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, he complained of being in great need and having children to look after, so I took pity on him and let him go.’ He said, ‘But he was lying, and he will be back.’

So I knew that he would come back, because of what the Messenger of Allaah (sa) had said. I lay in wait for him, and he came and started taking some of the food. I grabbed hold of him and said, ‘I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allaah (sa)!’ He said, ‘Let me be, for I am in need and I have children. I will not come back again.’ So I took pity on him and let him go.

The following morning, the Prophet (sa) asked again, ‘O Abu Hurayrah, what did your prisoner do last night?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, he complained of being in great need and having children to look after, so I took pity on him and let him go.’ He said, ‘But he was lying, and he will be back.’

So I lay in wait for him on the third night, and he came and started taking some of the food. I grabbed hold of him again and said, ‘I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allaah (sa)! This is the third and last time. You said that you would not come back, then you did come back.’ He said, ‘Let me go, and I will teach you some words by which Allaah will benefit you.’ I said, ‘What are they?” He said, ‘When you lie down in your bed, recite Aayat al-Kursiy, “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…” [al-Baraqah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning] until the end of the aayah, then you will have a protector from Allaah and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning comes.’ Then I let him go.

The following morning, the Prophet (sa) said, ‘What did your prisoner do last night?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, he claimed that he would teach me some words by which he said Allaah would benefit me, then I let him go.’ He asked, ‘What are they?’ I said, ‘He told me, when you lie down in your bed, recite Aayat al-Kursiy, from the beginning to the end of the aayah, “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…” [al-Baraqah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning]. And he told me, you will have a protector from Allaah and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning comes.’ And they [the Sahaabah] were always keen to do good.’

The Prophet (sa) said: ‘He indeed told you the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know who you have been speaking with for the past three nights, O Abu Hurayrah?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘That was a shaytaan (a devil)!!’”

So let’s get busy learning this beautiful Ayaat, implement it in your life - read it after every obligatory salaah, before going to sleep, etc.



further tafseer from another uztaz


Aayat al-Kursiy
what is the significance of surah II and ayat 255? is there any proof of the greatness of this surah?


Praise be to Allaah.

Imaam Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer of Aayat al-Kursiy from Soorat al-Baqarah:

This is Aayat al-Kursiy, which has a high status. It was reported in a saheeh hadeeth from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that it is the greatest aayah in the Book of Allaah… It was narrated from Ubayy, i.e., Ubayy ibn Ka’b that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him which aayah in the Book of Allaah was the greatest. He said, “Allaah and His Messenger know best.” He repeated it several times, then he said, “Aayat al-Kursiy.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Congratulations upon your knowledge O Abu’l-Mundhir. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it has a tongue and two lips, and it glorifies the Sovereign (i.e., Allaah) at the foot of the Throne.” This was also narrated by Muslim, without the phrase “By the One in Whose hand is my soul…”.

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ubayy ibn Ka’b that his father told him that he had a vessel in which he kept dates. He used to check on it and found that the number was decreasing. So he kept guard on it one night and saw a beast that looked like an adolescent boy. He said: “I greeted him with salaams and he returned my greeting, then I asked him, ‘What are you, a jinn or a human?’ He said, ‘A jinn.’ I said to him, ‘Show me your hand.’ So he showed me his hand, and it looked like a dog’s paw with dog’s fur. I said, ‘Do all the jinn look like this?’ He said, ‘I know no one among the jinn who is stronger than I.’ I said, ‘What made you do what you did [i.e., taking the dates]?’ He said, ‘We heard that you are a man who loves charity, and we wanted to have some of your food.’” Ubayy asked him, “What will protect us from you?” He said, “This aayah, Aayat al-Kursiy.” Then the next day he [Ubayy] went to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and told him (about what had happened) and he said, “The evil one spoke the truth.”…

Imaam Ahmad narrated: Muhammad ibn Ja’far told us, ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Itaab told us, he said: I heard Abu’l-Sulayl saying: a man from among the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) addressed the people until a large number had gathered around him, then he climbed onto the roof of a house and addressed the people, saying: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Which aayah of the Qur’aan is the greatest?’ A man said, ‘ “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…” [al-Baqarah 2:255 – Aayat al-Kursi – interpretation of the meaning].’ He said: he put his hand between my shoulders and I felt coolness in the centre of my chest, or he put his hand on the centre of my chest and I felt coolness between my shoulders, and he said, ‘Congratulations on your knowledge, O Abu’l-Mundhir.”

It was narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) whilst he was in the mosque and sat down. He said, ‘O Abu Dharr, did you pray?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘ Get up and pray.’ So I got up and prayed, then I came and sat down. He said, ‘O Abu Dharr, seek refuge with Allaah from the devils of men and jinn.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, are there devils among men?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what about salaah?’ He said, ‘It is the best, so let whoever wants to, do a little of it and let whoever wants to, do more of it.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what about fasting?’ He said, ‘It is obligatory and it is good, and the reward with Allaah is greater.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what about sadaqah (charity)?’ He said, ‘Allaah multiplies it many times over.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what (charity) is best?’ He said, ‘What a person gives at times of hardship, or what he gives in secret to a poor person.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, which of the Prophets was first?’ He said, ‘Adam.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, was he a Prophet?’ He said, ‘Yes, a Prophet to whom Allaah spoke.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, how many Messengers are there?’ He said. ‘Three hundred and umpteen, a great crowd.’ And once he said, ‘(Three hundred and) fifteen.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is the greatest thing that has been revealed to you?’ He said, ‘Aayat al-Kursiy, “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…” [al-Baraqah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning].’” (Narrated by al-Nasaa’i).

Al-Bukhaari narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed me to guard the Ramadaan zakaah. Someone came and started taking some of the food. I grabbed hold of him and said, ‘I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)!’ He said, ‘Let me be, for I am in need and I have children and am in great need.’ So I let him go. The following morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘O Abu Hurayrah, what did your prisoner do last night?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, he complained of being in great need and having children to look after, so I took pity on him and let him go.’ He said, ‘But he was lying, and he will be back.’ So I knew that he would come back, because of what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had said. I lay in wait for him, and he came and started taking some of the food. I grabbed hold of him and said, ‘I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)!’ He said, ‘Let me be, for I am in need and I have children. I will not come back again.’ So I took pity on him and let him go. The following morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘O Abu Hurayrah, what did your prisoner do last night?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, he complained of being in great need and having children to look after, so I took pity on him and let him go.’ He said, ‘But he was lying, and he will be back.’ So I lay in wait for him on the third night, and he came and started taking some of the food. I grabbed hold of him and said, ‘I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)! This is the third and last time. You said that you would not come back, then you did come back.’ He said, ‘Let me go, and I will teach you some words by which Allaah will benefit you.’ I said, ‘What are they?” He said, ‘When you lie down in your bed, recite Aayat al-Kursiy, “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…” [al-Baraqah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning] until the end of the aayah, then you will have a protector from Allaah and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning comes.’ Then I let him go. The following morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘What did your prisoner do last night?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, he claimed that he would teach me some words by which he said Allaah would benefit me, then I let him go.’ He asked, ‘What are they?’ I said, ‘He told me, when you lie down in your bed, recite Aayat al-Kursiy, from the beginning to the end of the aayah, “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…” [al-Baraqah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning]. And he told me, you will have a protector from Allaah and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning comes.’ And they [the Sahaabah] were always keen to do good.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘He indeed told you the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know who you have been speaking with for the past three nights, O Abu Hurayrah?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘That was a shaytaan (a devil).’”

According to another report, “… ‘I was taking food to a very poor family among the jinn.’ So he let him go, and he came back on the second night and then the third night. I said, ‘Did you not promise me that you would not come back? I will not leave you today until I bring you to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’ He said, ‘Do not do that. If you let me go, I will teach you some words which, if you say them, no one among the jinn, great or small, male or female, will come near you.’ He said, ‘Will you do that?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘What are they?’ He said, ‘“Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…” [al-Baraqah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning], and recited Aayat al-Kursiy until the end. So he let him go and he went away and did not come back. Abu Hurayrah told the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about that, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him: “Did you not know that before?” This was narrated by al-Nasaa’i from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ubayd-Allaah from Shu’ayb ibn Harb from Ismaa’eel ibn Muslim from Abu’l-Mutawakkil from Abu Hurayrah. We have noted above that something similar happened to Ubayy ibn Ka’b, so these are three separate incidents. Abu ‘Ubayd said in Kitaab al-Ghareeb: Abu Mu’aawiyah told us, from Abu ‘Aasim al-Qaffi, from al-Shu’bi from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood, who said: “A man from among the humans went out and was met by a man from among the jinn, who said, ‘Will you wrestle with me? If you throw me to the ground I will teach you an aayah which, if you recite it when you enter your house, no shaytaan will enter.’ So he wrestled with him and threw him to the ground. He said, ‘I see that you are very small and your forearms are like the front paws of a dog. Are all the jinn like this, or only you?’ He said, ‘I am strong among them. Let us wrestle again.’ So they wrestled again and the human threw him to the ground. So he (the jinn) said, ‘Recite Aayat al-Kursiy, for no one recites it when he enters his house, but the Shaytaan leaves, farting like a donkey.’” It was said to Ibn Mas’ood, “Was that man ‘Umar?” He said, “Who else could it have been, other than ‘Umar?” …

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “In Soorat al-Baqaraah there is an aayah which is the best of all the aayahs of the Qur’aan. It is never recited in a house but the Shaytaan leaves: Aayat al-Kursiy.” This was also narrated via another isnaad, from Zaa’idah from Hakeem ibn Jubayr. Then he said, its isnaad is saheeh although they [al-Bukhaari and Muslim] did not narrate it. It was also narrated by al-Tirmidhi from the hadeeth of Zaa’idah, with the wording, “Everything has its pinnacle and the pinnacle of the Qur’aan is Soorat al-Baqarah. In it there is an aayah which is the greatest in the Qur’aan: Aayat al-Kursiy.” Then he said: (it is) ghareeb, we do not know it except from the hadeeth of Hakeem ibn Jubayr. Shu’bah discussed it and classed it as da’eef (weak). It was also classed as da’eef by Ahmad, Yahyaa ibn Mu’een and other imaams. Ibn Mahdi classed it is matrook and al-Sa’di classed it as false.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab went out one day to some people who had prepared a meal. He said, “Who among you can tell me which is the greatest aayah in the Qur’aan?” Ibn Mas’ood said, “You are asking one who knows. I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘The greatest aayah in the Qur’aan is ‘Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…’ [al-Baraqah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning].”

Concerning the fact that it includes the greatest name of Allaah, Imaam Ahmad said: “It was narrated that Asmaa’ bint Yazeed ibn al-Sakan said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say about these two aayahs (interpretation of the meanings) -- “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…” [al-Baraqah 2:255] and “Alif-Laam-Meem. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’aan, and none but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings.] Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:1-2] – that they contain the greatest name of Allaah.’” This was also narrated by Abu Dawood from Musaddid and by al-Tirmidhi from ‘Ali ibn Khashram, and by Ibn Maajah from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, all three of them narrating from ‘Eesa ibn Yoonus from ‘Ubayd-Allaah ibn Abi Ziyaad . Al-Tirmidhi said: it is saheeh hasan.

It was narrated in a marfoo’ report that Abu Umaamah said: “The greatest name of Allaah, which if He is called by it, He responds, is in three (soorahs): Soorat al-Baqarah, Aal ‘Imraan and Ta-Ha.” Hishaam, i.e., Ibn ‘Ammaar, the khateeb of Damascus, said: “In al-Baqarah, it is ‘Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exist’ [al-Baraqah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning]. In Aal ‘Imraan it is ‘Alif-Laam-Meem. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’aan, and none but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings.] Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists)’ [Aal ‘Imraan3:1-2 – interpretation of the meaning]. And in Ta-Ha it is ‘And (all) faces shall be humbled before (Allaah), Al-Hayyul-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists)’ [Ta-Ha 20:111].”

Concerning the virtue of reciting this aayah after the prescribed prayers, it was narrated that Abu Umaamah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites Aayat al-Kursiy immediately after each prescribed prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and his entering Paradise except death.” This is how it was narrated by al-Nasaa’i in al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah, from al-Hasan ibn Bishr. It was also narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh from Muhammad ibn Humayr, who is al-Homsi, and is also one of the men of al-Bukhaari. The isnaad meets the conditions of al-Bukhaari.

And Allaah knows best.

****edited[b][/b]****My apology bilms.  I have deleted my comment


1 love

the thread is not meant for auguement but knowledge.

please no arguement. and if anyone says anything just ignor it.

Thanks

who is deleting comments here huh?

Thanks m&b. Bilms, could you please write down in arabic and arabic transliteration, what Imam Ali(A.S.) said, when recited, ascends, piercing every ceiling,erasing sins as it passes by, . . I cant understand what was written there in the post. Also write what was said by Imam Ja'fer As-Sadiq as being the price of jannah. I Couldnt understand what was written in its place either.

sorry for the delay, my system got a little prob.

Imam Ali (A.S.) has said: Whenever an ‘abd’ of Allah says åÉé}¼»A úÜêA äÉ}»êA òà Lailaha illalah Meaning There is no God except Allah (, it
ascends piercing every ceiling, erasing his/her sins as it passes by them
till it reaches it’s equivalent in good deeds.”

Imam Ja’fer As-Sadiq (A.S.) has said:
“The testimony of (åÉé}¼»A úÜêA äÉ}»êA òà) Lailaha illaha Meaning there is No God Except Allah is the price of Janna”

Ok. Thanks again.

u re welcome

am back with more tafseer

Since the Begining of Ramadan kareem, i have hadly come online and i think its best to have something like this here,


i will be posting the tafseer of suratul bakora little by little,next insha Allah,

Suratul Suratul-Jinn

The Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand a Muslim is safe, "
(Sahih Bukhari & Muslim )

"The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another, "
(Qur'aan 9:71)

Facts about Suratul-Jinn
Suratul-Jinn was revealed in Makkah,
before the Hijrah* to Madinah.
Suratul-Jinn tells us more about the Jinn (unseen
creatures made of smokeless fire) than any other
Surah in the Qur’aan.
Suratul-Jinn tells us things about the “Ghaib”
(unseen world) that we could never know if Allah did
not tell us.
Suratul-Jinn tells us about a group of Jinns that heard
Rasulullah recite the Qur’aan, and then
became Muslims.
What is Suratul-Jin about?
Suratul-Jinn is all about a group of Jinns
who heard the Qur’aan and decided to
become Muslims.
*Hijrah is the journey Rasulullah (and all those who followed him) made to Madinah after teaching Islam in
Makkah for many years and being rejected by his people. After the Hijrah Rasuullah established the Islamic State in
Madinah and eventually returned to peacefully conquer Makkah.


Now let’s learn what
Suratul-Jinn says…

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
 
We start Suratul-Jinn by
remembering Allah.

First let’s learn a little about
the Jinn…
The Jinn are creatures that are very much like us, they
have families and friends, they travel and meet each other, they
have homes and children, and they choose to be good or be
bad…just like us. The only differences between the Jinn and
humans are:
1. The Jinn are “unseen” (we cannot see them,
but they can see us).
2. The Jinn do not have any prophets or books
(like the Qur’aan) of their own. The Jinn learn
about the books of Allah by listening to the
human messengers (like Rasulullah ).
3. The Jinn like to sit in the heavens so that
they can overhear what is going on (i.e. the
angels carrying out the orders of Allah).
The Jinn are not scary, or bad, or able to hurt us like many
people think. The Jinn are really just like us. Some of them are
very good and some are bad.
The easiest way to understand is to compare them to
what we see in humans. Some humans are good and some are
bad. The bad ones, like thieves and magicians, may want to do
bad things, but they cannot hurt anyone unless it is Allah’s will.
The same is true for the Jinn.


Now let’s learn the amazing story that
Allah tells us about in Suratul-Jinn!
Here is how the story goes…
The Jinn at the time of Rasulullah used to go sit in certain
places in the heavens and listen to what the angels where doing.
They wanted to know what was happening, and what would be
happening soon.
One day a group of the Jinn went to the heavens to listen,
like they normally did, but this time they were chased away by
burning fires that were thrown at them.
They wondered what was going on, so they went back to
the other Jinn on Earth and asked about it. The leaders of the Jinn
said that those burning flames were only put in the heavens when
something very important was about to happen (because Allah
did not want the Jinn to know what it was).
So the leaders of the Jinn sent groups of Jinn all over the
Earth. They wanted to find out what was happening that was so
important that the heavens were now being closed off to them.
The group traveled through the Earth until they came to a
valley between Makkah and At-Taif (a city near Makkah). This
valley was called “Nakh-lah”. It just so happened that Rasulullah
and some of the Sahaba were at Nakhlah as well. They were on
their way to a market call “Oo-kaz”, and had stopped in the
valley to make their Fajr Prayer. When the Jinn heard Rasulullah
reciting the Qur’an, they told each other to be quiet and listen to
what he said.
When Rasulullah was finished the Jinn went back to their
people to tell them about what had happened.
Rasulullah did not know that the Jinn were listening, and
he did not know what they said to their people about what they
heard, but Allah knew, and He told Rasulullah all about it in
Suratul-Jinn…


Say: It has been revealed to me that a company of Jinns listened (to the Qur'an).
They said, 'We have really heard a wonderful Recital!




'It gives guidance to the Right, and we have believed therein: we shall not join (in
worship) any (gods) with our Lord.


'And Exalted is the Majesty of our Lord: He has taken neither a wife nor a son.

'There were some foolish ones among us, who used to utter extravagant lies
against Allah.

The Jinn had learned a lot on their
trip and when they got back home
they told the other Jinn all about it…
1. They said that they had found out the reason why
the Jinn could no longer go to the heavens and
listen to what was going on there. They said it was
because a new prophet (Rasulullah ) had come to
Makkah to teach people the Qur’aan.
2. They said that they had heard the most wonderful
words recited by Rasulullah (the Qur’aan).
3. They said that what they heard taught them to
worship only Allah and nothing else.
4. They said now they know the truth about Allah, they
have become Muslims!
5. They said they will not worship anything with Allah
anymore.
6. They said now that they know that Allah does not
have a wife or a son, like Iblees (Shaytaan) used to
say.
7. They said that was just a HUGE lie, that is not true!
The Jinns realized that all the things they had been
doing before were just misguidance.

Tafseer suratul alaq

Which was revealed in Makkah

This was the First of the Qur'an revealed

[بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ]

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

[اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ - خَلَقَ الإِنسَـنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ - اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الاٌّكْرَمُ - الَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ - عَلَّمَ الإِنسَـنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ]

(1. Read! In the Name of your Lord Who created.) (2. He has created man from a clot.) (3. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.) (4. Who has taught by the pen.) (5. He has taught man that which he knew not.)

The Beginning of the Prophethood of Muhammad and the First of the Qur'an revealed

Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said: The first thing that began happening with the Messenger of Allah from the revelation was dreams that he would see in his sleep that would come true. He would not see any dream except that it would come true just like the (clearness of) the daybreak in the morning. Then seclusion became beloved to him. So, he used to go to the cave of Hira' and devote himself to worship there for a number of nights, and he would bring provisions for that. Then he would return to Khadijah and replenish his provisions for a similar number of nights. This continued until the revelation suddenly came to him while he was in the cave of Hira'. The angel came to him while he was in the cave and said, "Read!'' The Messen- ger of Allah said,

«فَقُلْتُ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِىء»

(I replied: "I am not one who reads.) Then he said, "So he (the angel) seized me and pressed me until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said: `Read!' So I replied: `I am not one who reads.' So, he pressed me a second time until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said:

[اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ ]

(Read in the Name of your Lord who has created.) until he reached the Ayah,

[مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ]

(That which he knew not. )'' So he returned with them (those Ayat) and with his heart trembling until he came (home) to Khadijah, and he said,

«زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي»

(Wrap me up, wrap me up!) So they wrapped him up until his fear went away. After that he told Khadijah everything that had happened (and said),

«قَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي»

(I fear that something may happen to me.) Khadijah replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your relatives, you speak the truth, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously, and you help the deserving, calamity afflicted people.'' Khadijah then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqah bin Nawfal bin Asad bin `Abdul-`Uzza bin Qusay, who, during the period of ignorance became a Christian and used to scribe the Scriptures in Arabic. He would write from the Injil in Hebrew as much as Allah willed for him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadijah said to him, "O my cousin! Listen to the story of your nephew.'' Waraqah asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen'' Allah's Messenger described what he saw. Waraqah said, "This is An-Namus whom Allah had sent to Musa. I wish I was young and could live until the time when your people would drive you out.'' Allah's Messenger asked,

«أَوَ مُخْرِجِيَّ هُمْ؟»

(Will they drive me out) Waraqah replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone who came with something similar to what you have brought, was treated with hostility and enmity; and if I should remain alive till that day then I would firmly support you.'' But Waraqah did not remain. He died and the revelation paused until Allah's Messenger became sad according to what we were told. Due to this grief he set out a number of times with the intent of throwing himself from the mountain tops. However, every time he would reach the peak of a mountain to throw himself from it, Jibril would appear to him and say, "O Muhammad! You are truly the Messenger of Allah!'' Therefore, his worry would be eased, his soul would be settled and he would return (down from the mountain). Then, when the revelation did not come again for a long time, he set out as he had done before. So when he reached the peak of the mountain, Jibril appeared to him again and said to him the same as he had said before.'' This Hadith has been recorded in the Two Sahihs by way of Az-Zuhri. We have already discussed this Hadith's chain of narration, its text and its meanings at length in the beginning of our explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhari. Therefore, whoever would like to read it, it is researched there, and all praise and blessings are due to Allah. So the first thing that was revealed of the Qur'an were these noble and blessed Ayat. They are the first mercy that Allah bestowed upon His servants and the first bounty that Allah favored them with.

The Honor and Nobility of Man is in His Knowledge

These Ayat inform of the beginning of man's creation from a dangling clot, and that out of Allah's generosity He taught man that which he did not know. Thus, Allah exalted him and honored him by giving him knowledge, and it is the dignity that the Father of Humanity, Adam, was distinguished with over the angels. Knowledge sometimes is in the mind, sometimes on the tongue, and sometimes in writing with the fingers. Thus, it may be intellectual, spoken and written. And while the last (written) necessitates the first two (intellectual and spoken), the reverse is not true. For this reason Allah says,

[اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الاٌّكْرَمُ - الَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ - عَلَّمَ الإِنسَـنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ]

(Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.) There is a narration that states, "Record knowledge by writing.'' There is also a saying which states, "Whoever acts according to what he knows, Allah will make him inherit knowledge that he did not know.''

[كَلاَّ إِنَّ الإِنسَـنَ لَيَطْغَى - أَن رَّءَاهُ اسْتَغْنَى - إِنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَى - أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِى يَنْهَى - عَبْداً إِذَا صَلَّى - أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَى - أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَى - أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى - أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَى - كَلاَّ لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعاً بِالنَّاصِيَةِ - نَاصِيَةٍ كَـذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ - فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ - سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ - كَلاَّ لاَ تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب ]

(6. Nay! Verily, man does transgress.) (7. Because he considers himself self-sufficient.) (8. Surely, unto your Lord is the return.) (9. Have you seen him who prevents) (10. A servant when he prays) (11. Have you seen if he is on the guidance) (12. Or enjoins Taqwa) (13. Have you seen if he denies and turns away) (14. Knows he not that Allah sees) (15. Nay! If he ceases not, We will scorch his forehead --) (16. A lying, sinful forehead!) (17. Then let him call upon his council.) (18. We will call out the guards of Hell!) (19. Nay! Do not obey him. Fall prostrate and draw near (to Allah)!)

The Threat against Man's Transgression for the sake of Wealth

Allah informs that man is very pleased, most evil, scornful and transgressive when he considers himself self-sufficient and having an abundance of wealth. Then Allah threatens, warns and admonishes him in His saying,

[إِنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَى ]

(Surely, unto your Lord is the return.) meaning, `unto Allah is the final destination and return, and He will hold you accountable for your wealth, as to where you obtained it from and how did you spend it.'

Scolding of Abu Jahl and the Threat of seizing Him

Then Allah says,

[أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِى يَنْهَى - عَبْداً إِذَا صَلَّى ]

(Have you seen him who prevents. A servant when he prays) This was revealed about Abu Jahl, may Allah curse him. He threatened the Prophet for performing Salah at the Ka`bah. Thus, Allah firstly admonished him with that which was better by saying,

[أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَى ]

(Have you seen if he is on the guidance.) meaning, `do you think this man whom you are preventing is upon the straight path in his action, or

[أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَى ]

(Or enjoins Taqwa) in his statements Yet, you rebuke him and threaten him due to his prayer.' Thus, Allah says,

[أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَى ]

(Knows he not that Allah sees) meaning, doesn't this person who is preventing this man who is following correct guidance know that Allah sees him and hears his words, and He will compensate him in full for what he has done Then Allah says by way of warning and threatening,

[كَلاَّ لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ]

(Nay! If he ceases not,) meaning, if he does not recant from his discord and obstinacy,

[لَنَسْفَعاً بِالنَّاصِيَةِ]

(We will scorch his forehead.) meaning, `indeed We will make it extremely black on the Day of Judgement.' Then He says,

[نَاصِيَةٍ كَـذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ ]

(A lying, sinful forehead!) meaning, the forehead of Abu Jahl is lying in its statements and sinful in its actions.

[فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ ]

(Then let him call upon his council.) meaning, his people and his tribe. In other words, let him call them in order to seek help from them.

[سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ ]

(We will call out the guards of Hell!) `And they are the angels of torment. This is so that he may know who will win -- Our group or his group' Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Abu Jahl said, `If I see Muhammad praying at the Ka`bah, I will stomp on his neck.' So this reached the Prophet , who said,

«لَئِنْ فَعَلَ لَأَخَذَتْهُ الْمَلَائِكَة»

(If he does, he will be seized by the angels.)'' This Hadith was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i in their Books of Tafsir. Likewise, it has been recorded by Ibn Jarir. Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Jarir, all recorded it from Ibn `Abbas with the following wording: "The Messenger of Allah was praying at the Maqam (prayer station of Ibrahim) when Abu Jahl bin Hisham passed by him and said, `O Muhammad! Haven't I prevented you from this' He threatened the Prophet and thus, the Messenger of Allah became angry with him and reprimanded him. Then he said, `O Muhammad! What can you threaten me with By Allah, I have the most kinsmen of this valley with me in the large.' Then Allah revealed,

[فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ - سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ ]

(Then let him call upon his council. We will call out the guards of Hell!)'' Ibn `Abbas then said, "If he had called his people, the angels of torment would have seized him at that very instant.'' At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih.'' Ibn Jarir recorded from Abu Hurayrah that Abu Jahl said, "Does Muhammad cover his face with dust (i.e., from prostration) while he is among you all'' They (the people) replied, "Yes.'' Then he said, "By Al-Lat and Al-`Uzza, if I see him praying like this, I will stomp on his neck, and I will certainly put his face in the dust.'' So the Messenger of Allah came and he began praying, which made it possible for Abu Jahl to stomp on his neck. Then the people became surprised at him (Abu Jahl) because he began retreating on his heels and covering himself with his hands. Then it was said to him, "What's the matter with you'' He replied, "Verily, between me and him is a ditch of fire, monsters and wings.'' Then the Messenger of Allah said,

«لَوْ دَنَا مِنِّي لَاخْتَطَفَتْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ عُضْوًا عُضْوًا»

(If he had come near me, the angels would have snatched him limb by limb.) The narrator added; "Allah revealed an Ayah, but I do not know whether it is concerning the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah or not:

[كَلاَّ إِنَّ الإِنسَـنَ لَيَطْغَى ]

(Nay! Verily, man does transgress.) to the end of the Surah.'' Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Muslim, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Abi Hatim all recorded this Hadith.

Amusement for the Prophet

Then Allah says,

[كَلاَّ لاَ تُطِعْهُ]

(Nay! Do not obey him.) meaning, `O Muhammad! Do not obey him in what he is forbidding from such as steadfastness in worship and performing worship in abundance. Pray wherever you wish and do not worry about him. For indeed Allah will protect you and help you, and He will defend you against the people.'

[وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب]

(Fall prostrate and draw near (to Allah)!) This is just like what has been confirmed in the Sahih of Muslim on the authority of Abu Salih who reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,

«أَقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَهُوَ سَاجِدٌ، فَأَكْثِرُوا الدُّعَاء»

(The closest that a servant can be to his Lord is when he is in prostration. Therefore, make abundant supplications (i.e., while prostrating).)'' It has also been mentioned previously that the Messenger of Allah used to prostrate when he recited

[إِذَا السَّمَآءُ انشَقَّتْ ]

(When the heaven is split asunder.) (84:1) and

[اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ ]

(Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created.) (96:1) This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Iqra' (Surat Al-`Alaq). Unto Allah is due all praise and thanks, and He is the Giver of success and protection against error.

The Meaning of Al-Fatihah and its Various Names

This Surah is called Al-Fatihah, that is, the Opener of the Book, the Surah with which prayers are begun. It is also called, Umm Al-Kitab (the Mother of the Book), according to the majority of the scholars. In an authentic Hadith recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih, Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«الْحَمْدُ للهِ رَبَ الْعَالَمِينَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَأُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَالسَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ»

(Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin is the Mother of the Qur'an, the Mother of the Book, and the seven repeated Ayat of the Glorious Qur'an.)

It is also called Al-Hamd and As-Salah, because the Prophet said that his Lord said,

«قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ، فَإِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ:الْحَمْدُدِلله رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، قَالَ اللهُ: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي»

(`The prayer (i.e., Al-Fatihah) is divided into two halves between Me and My servants.' When the servant says, `All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of existence,' Allah says, 'My servant has praised Me.')

Al-Fatihah was called the Salah, because reciting it is a condition for the correctness of Salah - the prayer. Al-Fatihah was also called Ash-Shifa' (the Cure).

The Meaning of Al-Fatihah and its Various Names

This Surah is called Al-Fatihah, that is, the Opener of the Book, the Surah with which prayers are begun. It is also called, Umm Al-Kitab (the Mother of the Book), according to the majority of the scholars. In an authentic Hadith recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih, Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«الْحَمْدُ للهِ رَبَ الْعَالَمِينَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَأُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَالسَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ»

(Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin is the Mother of the Qur'an, the Mother of the Book, and the seven repeated Ayat of the Glorious Qur'an.)

It is also called Al-Hamd and As-Salah, because the Prophet said that his Lord said,

«قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ، فَإِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ:الْحَمْدُدِلله رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، قَالَ اللهُ: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي»

(`The prayer (i.e., Al-Fatihah) is divided into two halves between Me and My servants.' When the servant says, `All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of existence,' Allah says, 'My servant has praised Me.')

Al-Fatihah was called the Salah, because reciting it is a condition for the correctness of Salah - the prayer. Al-Fatihah was also called Ash-Shifa' (the Cure).

It is also called Ar-Ruqyah (remedy), since in the Sahih, there is the narration of Abu Sa`id telling the the story of the Companion who used Al-Fatihah as a remedy for the tribal chief who was poisoned. Later, the Messenger of Allah said to a Companion,

«وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ أَنَّهَا رُقْيَةٌ»

(How did you know that it is a Ruqyah)

Al-Fatihah was revealed in Makkah as Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Abu Al-`Aliyah stated. Allah said,

[وَلَقَدْ ءاتَيْنَـكَ سَبْعًا مِّنَ الْمَثَانِي]

(And indeed, We have bestowed upon you the seven Mathani) (seven repeatedly recited verses), (i.e. Surat Al-Fatihah) (15:87). Allah knows best.

How many Ayat does Al-Fatihah contain

There is no disagreement over the view that Al-Fatihah contains seven Ayat. According to the majority of the reciters of Al-Kufah, a group of the Companions, the Tabi`in, and a number of scholars from the successive generations, the Bismillah is a separate Ayah in its beginning. We will mention this subject again soon, if Allah wills, and in Him we trust.

The Number of Words and Letters in Al-Fatihah

The scholars say that Al-Fatihah consists of twenty-five words, and that it contains one hundred and thirteen letters.

assalamu alikum

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem
Qul Huw-Allahu Ahad
Allah-us-Samad
Lam yalid wl lam yulad
Wa lam yakul lahu kufuwan ahad

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
Say: He is Allah, the One!
Allah, the eternally Besought of all!
He begetteth not nor was begotten.
And there is none comparable unto Him



Suratul al-Ikhlâs - The Purity




In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only!
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him.

- translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali



Al-Ikhlâs is sûrah (chapter) 112 of the Qur'ân, and is said to be one of the earliest revelations that the Prophet Muhammad received from archangel Gabriel.

The Arabic root of the word ikhlâs is kh-l-s which means to be purified or refined. The very concept of refining and purifying signifies the burning away of all impurities, leaving nothing but the very essence of that which was sought, which, in this case, is Allah.

Such a purification is the burning away of all of the worldly misunderstandings, concerns and desires that separate us from the One; the One and Only upon whom we depend, the One and Only who is our foundation rock, the Eternal One and Only.

As a further testimony to the unity of the One who has created all of mankind, note the striking similarity in the Bhagavad-Gita written in India a thousand years earlier:

You are the One Creator of all the worlds,
and of that which moves and that which does not move,
You alone are fit for worship, You are the highest Teacher,
In all the worlds there is none equal to You.

- Bhagavad-Gita 11:43


A deeper look into al-Ikhlâs:


The following is al-Ikhlâs, line-by-line in Arabic, followed by a simple transliteration, and four well-known English translations.

(Pronunciation guide: i as in sit, a as in bat, u as in put, â as the a in father, î as the ee in reel, û as the oo in moot.)



bismillâh ir-rahmân ir-rahîm

Yusuf Ali: In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Pickthall: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Shakir: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Muhammed Ali: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.



Qul huwa Allâhu ahad

Yusuf Ali: Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
Pickthal: Say: He is Allah, the One!
Shakir: Say: He, Allah, is One.
Muhammed Ali: Say: He, Allah, is One.



Allâh s-samad

Yusuf Ali: Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
Pickthal: Allah, the eternally Besought of all!
Shakir: Allah is He on Whom all depend.
Muhammed Ali: Allah is He on whom all depend.



Lam yalid wa lam yûlad

Yusuf Ali: He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
Pickthal: He begetteth not nor was begotten.
Shakir: He begets not, nor is He begotten.
Muhammed Ali: He begets not, nor is He begotten;



wa lam yakul-la-hû kufu-wan ahad

Yusuf Ali: And there is none like unto Him.
Pickthal: And there is none comparable unto Him.
Shakir: And none is like Him.
Muhammed Ali: And none is like Him.



Going even deeper into al-Ikhlâs:


No simple literal translation can capture the magnificence or the delicate nuances of these Arabic verses. Every word has multiple levels of meaning, and each line brings new insights and inspirations with every reading. To begin to discover the deeper meanings of these verses, let's look at the deeper meanings of the words, line by line:

(Pronunciation guide: i as in sit, a as in bat, u as in put, â as the a in father, î as the ee in reel, û as the oo in moot. )



Qul huwa Allâhu ahad

qul = say, teach, tell
root q-w-l , to speak, say, inspire, point out, tell, relate, teach, assert

huwa = he
pronoun, 3rd person, masc, nominative

Allahu = Allah
the u at the end indicates that Allah is the subject

ahad = the one, the only one, one without any partner, one without a second



Allâh s-samad

Allah = Allah

s-samad = eternal, absolute, one whom all need, one who is the foundation of all, solid, independent



Lam yalid wa lam yûlad

lam = (particle) did not, was not

yalid = give birth to, generate, produce, sire, beget
ya is an imperfect prefix, the root is w-l-d

wa = and, and also

lam = (particle) not, did not, was not

yulad = birthed, born, generated, produced, sired, begotten
yu is imperfect prefix, the root is w-l-d



wa lam yaku llahû kufuwan ahad

wa = and, and also

lam = (particle) was not, did not

yaku(n) = is, was
ya is an imperfect prefix, root k-w-n, ( note: the n is not pronounced in this phrase)

llahu = unto Him, with Him

kufuwan = equal, like, comparable, matching, corresponding
root k-f- ' meaning to be comparable, like, similar to

ahad = the One, the only One, the One without any partner, the One without a second



Interpretation:

Armed with these definitions and your own inner guidance, you can create your own poetic rendering of al-Ikhlâs, just go through al-Ikhlâs word-by-word, inserting the definition of each word that seems to speak to you. For example, here is a poetic rendering that I enjoy:

For the glory of Allah, the Merciful One Who is endlessly Beneficent, and Who Graciously rewards those who live in Divine harmony,

1) (Muhammad,) teach them: He, Allah, is the Only One;
2) Allah is the Eternal One upon Whom all depend
3) He Who creates without a partner, and Who was not created
4) and there is none comparable to the One.


Hadith relating to the importance of al-Ikhlâs:

According to al-Bukhari, Abu Sa`id narrated that the Messenger of Allah said to his Companions:

Is one of you not able to recite a third of the Qur'an in a single night?

This was something that was difficult for them and they said, "Which of us is able to do that, O Messenger of Allah?''

To which he replied,



Allah al-Wahid as-Samad is a third of the Qur'an.

@blims,

Ya mu'allim jazakal-lah for your good work.

thanks