snubish: 5 men went to mooooow.....
wow, i call this "the great confrontation". the pharoah harassed Musa, on whom be peace, with heavy questions. how does one reply to those questions as there was no falsehood in the accusations. my heart bleeds for Musa always at this place; you know what parents say to rebellious children; how they are rebels, disloyal, impulsive, will come to no good, and their siblings are better than them. may God have mercy on Musa.

Hehe... The great confrontation....

Edzy: I love this thread,i go through it over and over without getting bored as it provide spectacle upon spectacle on this historic events. May Allah(SWT)increase you in knowledge OP.

Jazakallahu Khair....

Stories in the Quran

Musa gets to meet pharaoh Part 2

Alhamdulilah... We will continue from where we stopped in Surah Al-Shuara... May Allah help me deliver it in the best of ways.

Pharaoh is now testing Musa's resolve, He challenges the character of Musa, implying that Musa is disloyal, Ungrateful... That musa is denying the goodness that has been shown to him.

Then He tries to intimidate Musa by referring to the crime committed by Musa, The Accusations are as follows:

i. We raised you as a boy
ii. You lived with us for many years
iii. You committed a crime...

The most serious of these accusations is that Musa had committed a crime so Musa addresses that first... Musa response is as follows

Ayat 20 and 21

قَالَ فَعَلۡتُهَآ إِذً۬ا وَأَنَا۟ مِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ (٢٠
فَفَرَرۡتُ مِنكُمۡ لَمَّا خِفۡتُكُمۡ فَوَهَبَ لِى رَبِّى حُكۡمً۬ا وَجَعَلَنِى مِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ (٢١

20. Qala faAAaltuha ithan waana mina alddalleena
21. Fafarartu minkum lamma khiftukum fawahaba lee rabbee hukman wajaAAalanee mina almursaleena

20. Moses replied, ‘I was misguided when I did it
21. and I fled from you, when i used to be scared of you; later my Lord gave me wisdom and made me one of His messengers. (Surah 26:20-21)

So Musa addresses the most serious allegation first, He admits that he had committed a crime... He gets the biggest hurdle out of the way first. So He is not a denier of that anymore.

Then he says : and i fled from you, when i used to be scared of you...

Such a beautiful ayah, Musa said: when i used to be scared of you... past tense, He is telling pharaoh that his intimidation technique can't work because he is no longer scared of him... He is telling pharaoh that his intimidation is not working... SubhanaAllah

The Musa says: later my Lord gave me wisdom and made me one of His messengers.

Now, Remember the message given to Musa : Tell pharaoh that

1. We are both like one messenger from the Lord of the worlds (Coming with the same message)

2. Free the children of Israel...

Musa is not letting Himself get distracted by the Pharaoh, So He comes back to point 1 after dismissing the attempt at intimidation... Pharaoh is trying to change the focus of the discussion (like a typical politician). Musa gets right back on track by reminding him that he has been sent by the lord of the worlds...... Subhanallah

Then Musa continues:

Ayah 22

وَتِلۡكَ نِعۡمَةٌ۬ تَمُنُّہَا عَلَىَّ أَنۡ عَبَّدتَّ بَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ (٢٢

22. Watilka niAAmatun tamunnuha AAalayya an AAabbadta banee isra-eela

22. And is this– that you have enslaved the Children of Israel– the favour with which you reproach me?

After addressing Pharaoh biggest accusation, He addresses the other two accusation (He grew up in the household of Pharaoh)... He does so with a focus on the original topic of discussion. He addresses the second part of his message to pharaoh...

Basically He said: So you did a favour to me, does that give you the right to enslave the children of Israel?

He is now questioning the rationale of pharaoh.... What does that have to do with the enslavement of the children of Israel?

He does not move from the point.... He has brought the focus back to the original message he came with...

Now, he has also raised a question on the thinking of the pharaoh by questioning his rationale in front of the audience.... The audience is composed of the chief ministers of Pharaoh..

Now Pharaoh has no other choice but to address the message;

Ayah 23

قَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَمَا رَبُّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٢٣

23. Qala firAAawnu wama rabbu alAAalameena

23. Pharaoh asked, ‘What is this “Lord of the Worlds”?’

Now pharaoh asks: What is this lord of the worlds?

Notice that pharaoh did not say 'who', He said 'what'...

When you say 'what', you are implying that this lord does not exist... So Pharoah is trying to make fun of Musa by saying ' What is this lord of the worlds?'.

In Ancient Egypt, the pharaohs (past and present) were considered 'gods' and they worshipped the sun...

Now Musa is going to go in hard on all their beliefs....

Musa responds...

Ayah 24

قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَآ‌ۖ إِن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ (٢٤

24. Qala rabbu alssamawati waal-ardi wama baynahuma in kuntum mooqineena

24. Moses replied, ‘He is the Lord of the heavens and earth and everything between them. If all of you are seeking to be convinced!’

The pharaohs used to worship the Sun in the heavens and the pharaoh on the earth,

Now Musa is telling them that this lord is the lord of the earth which includes pharaoh and the heavens which includes the sun that they worship. and everything in between. Subhanallah.

Then he addressses the crowd and says: If all of you are seeking to be convinced

He has shifted his focus from just pharaoh to the rest of the audience because they all worship the sun and consider the pharaoh a god. Another insult to pharaoh....

Now musa has addressed the audience...

Pharaoh responds:

Ayah 25

قَالَ لِمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُ ۥۤ أَلَا تَسۡتَمِعُونَ (٢٥

25. Qala liman hawlahu ala tastamiAAoona

25. Pharaoh said to those present, ‘Do you hear what he says?’

The tables have switched; the balance of power in this conversation has changed... Musa has just challenged all of their beliefs and it seems pharaoh's people are listening... Pharaoh is getting nervous:

He asks the question to the audience:

‘Do you hear what he says?’

Do you realise what he is saying? Are you listening carefully to what he is saying?

He is trying to alert his people to stay loyal...

Moses continues, challenging more of their beliefs:

Ayah 26

قَالَ رَبُّكُمۡ وَرَبُّ ءَابَآٮِٕكُمُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ (٢٦

26. Qala rabbukum warabbu aba-ikumu al-awwaleena

26. Moses said, ‘He is your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.’

The former pharaohs were regarded as gods, Moses tells them that not only is Allah, the lord of the heavens, He is the lord of the Pharaoh and the lord of pharaoh's forefathers who they considered gods... wow!!

Not only is he your lord, He is the lord of your forefathers that you consider gods..

He is doing all of these in front of the pharaoh and his audience..... Musa has taken full control of this conversation... the balance of power has shifted.

The audience is listening to Musa, Now Pharaoh says:

Ayah 27

قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُرۡسِلَ إِلَيۡكُمۡ لَمَجۡنُونٌ۬ (٢٧

27. Qala inna rasoolakumu allathee orsila ilaykum lamajnoonun

27. (Pharaoh) said: "Truly your messenger who has been sent to you is a veritable madman!"

The audience seems to be listening to Musa so much so that Pharaoh refers to Musa as the messenger of the audience... 'your messenger' ... You are listening to him like he is your messenger. lol... The messenger was sent to pharaoh not the audience but he is unwilling to accept that.

Pharaoh is getting nervous: So he throws another accusation at Musa: He is a Madman...

Now examine this:

The first attack on Musa was

1. Loyalty

The second attack is

2. The crime

The Third attack

3. His sanity

Musa ignores this accusation and continues:

Ayah 28

قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ وَمَا بَيۡنَہُمَآ‌ۖ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ (٢٨

28. Qala rabbu almashriqi waalmaghribi wama baynahuma in kuntum taAAqiloona

28. Moses continued, ‘Lord of the East and West and everything between them. If you would only use your reason!’

So Musa says, If you guys apply your intellect and use your reason, what i am saying is very convincing......

Pharaoh gets very upset now and responds:

Ayah 29

قَالَ لَٮِٕنِ ٱتَّخَذۡتَ إِلَـٰهًا غَيۡرِى لَأَجۡعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمَسۡجُونِينَ (٢٩

29. Qala la-ini ittakhathta ilahan ghayree laajAAalannaka mina almasjooneena

29. But Pharaoh said [to him], ‘If you take any god other than me, I will throw you into prison,’

Pharaoh is angry now, his audience is listening to Musa, he is losing the debate and Musa has spoken against all of their beliefs. So He threatens him: If you take any other god other than me i will put you in prison. The literal translation would be "you will be among those that are imprisoned'. This means that there have been people in the past that have been imprisoned in the past for challenging the Pharaoh.

When do you threaten someone? When you can not challenge them intellectually... Pharaoh is losing this debate so he results to threats... The threat at this stage indicates that pharaoh was losing the debate... he had no more arguments...

Then Musa responds:

Ayah 30

قَالَ أَوَلَوۡ جِئۡتُكَ بِشَىۡءٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬ (٣٠

30. Qala awa law ji/tuka bishay-in mubeenin

30. and Moses asked, ‘Even if I show you something convincing?’

Would you imprison me even if i can show you clear proof? Musa is clever here; He brings a challenge before pharaoh telling him that he has clear proof for him... Pharaoh is too proud to back down from a challenge in front of an audience... If he backs down, it means he admits defeat in front of his people... Pharaoh has been cornered, he has no choice but to accept the challenge...

So He accepts the challenge:

Ayah 31

قَالَ فَأۡتِ بِهِۦۤ إِن ڪُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ (٣١

31. Qala fa/ti bihi in kunta mina alssadiqeena

31. ‘Show it then,’ said Pharaoh, ‘if you are telling the truth.’

Pharaoh accepts Musa's challenge...

Ayah 32 & 33

فَأَلۡقَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ ثُعۡبَانٌ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬ (٣٢

وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ ۥ فَإِذَا هِىَ بَيۡضَآءُ لِلنَّـٰظِرِينَ (٣٣

32. Faalqa AAasahu fa-itha hiya thuAAbanun mubeenun

33. WanazaAAa yadahu fa-itha hiya baydao lilnnathireena

32. So Moses threw down his staff and– lo and behold!– it became a snake for everyone to see.

33 Then he drew out his hand and– lo and behold!– it was white for the onlookers to see.

Musa shows pharaoh the clear signs given to him by Allah...


Ayah 34 & 35

قَالَ لِلۡمَلَإِ حَوۡلَهُ ۥۤ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسَـٰحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ۬ (٣٤
يُرِيدُ أَن يُخۡرِجَكُم مِّنۡ أَرۡضِڪُم بِسِحۡرِهِۦ فَمَاذَا تَأۡمُرُونَ (٣٥) قَالُوٓاْ أَرۡجِهۡ وَأَخَاهُ وَٱبۡعَثۡ فِى ٱلۡمَدَآٮِٕنِ حَـٰشِرِينَ (٣٦

34. Qala lilmala-i hawlahu inna hatha lasahirun AAaleemun
35. Yureedu an yukhrijakum min ardikum bisihrihi famatha ta/muroona

34. Pharaoh said to the counsellors around him, ‘This man is a learned sorcerer!
35 He means to use his sorcery to drive you out of your land! What do you suggest?’

In ancient times, if there is a loss of loyalty from amongst your chiefs there could be a coup, Pharaoh sees that his chiefs are amazed by Musa so pharaoh turns to his chiefs and minsters, and seeks their counsel... It is important that your chiefs are kept close.

He makes another accusation 'He is a learned sorcerer' haha

How can he be a madman and at the same time a learned sorcerer at the same time In the same dialogue, Pharaoh has called Musa a learned sorcerer and a mad man.

He is desperate to find an explanation for something he can not explain.... Does that remind you of people today?

Sometimes you bring irrefutable proof of Islam and someone who sees these irrefutable evidence but is determined to reject faith says... ' the prophet must have gotten this knowledge from somewhere' or 'Maybe He was actually learned' and many other ridiculous explanations that have no basis.

These people are following the sunnah of pharaoh..... To reject even when clear evidence is placed in front of you is following pharaoh.

Pharaoh continues: He means to use his sorcery to drive you out of your land!

Now Pharaoh is trying to make his people scared of Musa, scare tactics have been employed for a long time by leaders... Pharaoh has attempted a few things so far

i. First, he tries to insult Musa (disloyalty)
ii. Then he tries to intimidate Him (crime musa committed)
iii. Then he accuses of being a mad man
iv. Threaten him with prison

Now all the scare tactics against Musa have failed so He tries to make the people scared of Musa... If i can not scare Musa then let me scare the people away from following him because if they do, they will be driven out of their land.

Leaders today still use scare tactics to make the people stay loyal. Fear against an enemy brings people together, once you can make the population afraid of a common enemy then you can build unity against that enemy.

The Quran is amazing, stunning literature. You will never read anything in your life that will have the psychological impact on you like the Quran. It is a tragedy that we have reduced this amazing book to shallow translation and quotations.The scholars of the arabs do not have this problem but most of the Ummah does

If people can see the real power in this book , we will be a different ummah and there will be a change in attitudes...

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Please comment:: We have a few days left ... What do you want to see...

4 men went to moooow....

classic sir! TBABA! and what pray tell is "the sunnah of pharoah"?
really cracked me up man.

that pharoah chap, historians speculate he was Ramses II, the guy was supremely arrogant. Remember when he turned to his people and said "I am your lord, the highest". he was the prototypical narcissist, with his ambitious building projects using the Jews as slaves doing backbreaking work. he raised gigantic monuments of himself, the Arrow!
Yul Brenner got famous playing pharoah in "the 10 commandments". i still laugh when i watch that movie, with his arrogant expression and beautiful clothes.

jazakAllahu bro, there's just no answer to the quran, in spite of their own selves. God bless you

snubish: 4 men went to moooow....
classic sir! TBABA! and what pray tell is "the sunnah of pharoah"?
really cracked me up man.

that pharoah chap, historians speculate he was Ramses II, the guy was supremely arrogant. Remember when he turned to his people and said "I am your lord, the highest". he was the prototypical narcissist, with his ambitious building projects using the Jews as slaves doing backbreaking work. he raised gigantic monuments of himself, the Arrow!
Yul Brenner got famous playing pharoah in "the 10 commandments". i still laugh when i watch that movie, with his arrogant expression and beautiful clothes.

jazakAllahu bro, there's just no answer to the quran, in spite of their own selves. God bless you

Wa iyyakum

The sunnah of pharaoh is the way of pharaoh;

Ramses II is most likely the pharaoh even from just using the Quran alone....

Why recite Surah Kahf every friday?

This surah illustrates the importance of stories in the Quran and how they tie to the central idea..... So why did the prophet ask us to recite Surah Kahf every friday?

Surah kahf imbibes everything you need to deal with the tests of life if you reflect on it, that is one of the reasons we read it so often.

The hadiths surrounding surah kahf are as follows:

Hazrat Abu Darda radiyallahu anhu reported Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alaihe wasallam saying, “If anyone memorises ten verses from the beginning of Surah Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal (Anti-Christ).” (Muslim)

The hadith related by Hakim and Bayhaqi, from Abu Sa`id (Allah be pleased with him), “Whoever recites Surat al-Kahf on Friday, light shall shine forth for him between the two Fridays”. [Ibn Hajar, Talkhis al-Habir]

Surah Kahf is made up of four main stories, that emphasizes 4 human trials:

i. Trial of Faith - The youth of the cave were persecuted for their faith in their town so much that they had to seek refuge in a cave. Allah shows them his mercy by causing them to sleep for years. By the time they wake up, the whole of their town is muslim

ii. Trial of Wealth - The story of a man who Allah blessed with gardens but he refuses to show gratitude to the one who has given him everything. So Allah destroys his gardens... Then he regrets at a time when it was of no benefit

iii. Trial of Knowledge - This story shows how divine wisdom is hidden in some of the things we think are bad... Musa thought he was the most knowledgable on the earth so Allah showed him one that had been given some more knowledge.

iv. Trial of Power- Story of a great man (Dhul qarnayn) with great knowledge and power going around the world helping people.. He helped a people, he coul not even understand build a wall against the Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj who were causing problems in the land...

In the middle of these four stories.. Allah mentions Iblees as the one who stirs these trials... The stories teach you how to deal with your tests.

We said to the angels, ‘Bow down before Adam,’ and they all bowed down, but not Iblis: he was one of the jinn and he disobeyed his Lord’s command. Are you [people] going to take him and his offspring as your masters instead of Me, even though they are your enemies? What a bad bargain for the evildoers! (Surah Kahf:50)

The relationship between surah Kahf and Dajjal

The dajjal comes with different trials but they can be divided into four major ones:

i. He will ask people to worship him - Trial of faith

ii. He will be given the power to start/stop rain and he will tempt people with his wealth - Trial of Wealth

iii. He will test people with his 'knowledge' and news, he will give them - Trial of Knowledge

iv. He will have control of many parts of the earth - Trial of power

You see why it is important to reflect on these stories and imbibe the lessons. It will help us deal with the trials in our lives

So how do we deal with these trials in or lives... The lessons are taught in Surah kahf

i. Good companionship:

Content yourself with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening, seeking His approval, and do not let your eyes turn away from them out of desire for the attractions of this worldly life:b do not yield to those whose hearts We have made heedless of Our Qur
an, those who follow their own low desires, those whose ways are unbridled. (surah kahf :28)

ii. Understanding the truth of this world

Tell them, too, what the life of this world is like: We send water down from the skies and the earth’s vegetation absorbs it, but soon the plants turn to dry stubble scattered about by the wind: God has power over everything. (surah kahf :45)

iii. Humility

Moses said, ‘God willing, you will find me patient. I will not disobey you in any way.’ (surah kahf :69)

iv. Sincerity

Say, ‘I am only a human being, like you, to whom it has been revealed that your God is One. Anyone who fearsb to meet his Lord should do good deeds and give no one a share in the worship due to his Lord. (surah kahf :110)

v. Following the book

[Prophet], follow what has been revealed to you of your Lord’s Scripture: there is no changing His words, nor can you find any refuge except with Him. (surah kahf :27)

vi. Remembering the hereafter

One day We shall make the mountains move, and you will see the earth as an open plain. We shall gather all people together, leaving no one. They will be lined up before your Lord: ‘Now you have come to Us as We first created you, although you claimed We had not made any such appointment for you.’ The record of their deeds will be laid open and you will see the guilty, dismayed at what they contain, saying, ‘Woe to us! What a record this is! It does not leave any deed, small or large, unaccounted for!’ They will find everything they ever did laid in front of them: your Lord will not be unjust to anyone. (Surah kahf : 47-49)

When next, you read surah kahf, reflect on the stories and the tests in them. relate them to your tests in life and remember all of the other lessons embedded in the surah. Let it remind you that Allah has power over all things...

For more on surah kahf. check
http://www.slideshare.net/ProductiveMuslim/secrets-of-surat-alkahf
http://ia700405.us.archive.org/30/items/SurahAlKahf4-GrammaticalTafseerStudentNotes-NoumanAliKhan/kahf4.pdf

JazakAllahu Khair

very heavy, the lessons in surah kahf mashAllah. may God help all Muslims to recognize and overcome these tests as they occur in our lives. the shaitan can be very subtle.

We have a few days left so I am going share more than usual... More golden moments with the Quran insha Allah...

Another Oath in the Quran

Surah adiyat starts with:

وَالْعَادِيَاتِ ضَبْحًا
فَالْمُورِيَاتِ قَدْحًا
فَالْمُغِيرَاتِ صُبْحًا
فَأَثَرْنَ بِهِ نَقْعًا
فَوَسَطْنَ بِهِ جَمْعًا

1. By the charging steeds that pant
2 and strike sparks with their hooves,
3 who make dawn raids,
4 raising a cloud of dust,
5 and plunging into the midst of the enemy, (Surah 100:1-5)


The response to this oath is

إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لِرَبِّهِ لَكَنُودٌ
وَإِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٌ

6. Indeed man is not loyal to his Rabb! (100:6)
7. And to that fact he bears witness (100:7)

The Oath

1. By the charging steeds that pant
2 and strike sparks with their hooves,
3 who make dawn raids,
4 raising a cloud of dust,
5 and plunging into the midst of the enemy,

We have already seen how the Quran uses amazing imagery, how scenes are drawn in the head of the reciter and the listener... Here, the qurans draws the image of a horses in battle..... The horses described in the ayah are female horses الْعَادِيَاتِ because the arabs preferred female horses for battle .they were faster.

Now imagine horses at the break of dawn, when there is still moisture in the air... the dust at this time of the day is settled because of the moisture in the air. These horses are moving at a very fast pace such that they raise a cloud of dust, sparks are flying when they hit the rocks. They do not necessarily see infront because of the dust raised, they plunge straight into the midst of the enemy without necessarily seeing what is in front of them.

An ancient arab can relate to a morning raid on a perceived enemy, they were made up of warrior tribes.... They are processing this as it is recited...

Then Allah says:

إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لِرَبِّهِ لَكَنُودٌ

Indeed man is not loyal to his Rabb! (Surah 100:6)

A horse submits to its master by going into the enemy territory without even knowing what is there, completely loyal to the Master… Allah ta’ala reminds them: man is not loyal to his Rabb.

SubhanAllah... Allah compares a horse loyalty to its master in the time of battle to humans disloyalty to Allah. The master feeds the horse and takes care of the Horse, the horse submits to its master in battle.... Allah has given us everything and has subjected the horse for our use, yet we are disloyal to our rabb...

Then Allah says

وَإِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٌ

And to that fact he bears witness (surah 100:7)

Man bears witness to the fact that he is not loyal! He knows! How? Allah azza wa jal just reminded them of the loyalty of the steeds to their owner in the previous verses; if your horse submits to you, then why do you not submit to your Owner?

SubhanAllah!

Mercy and Forgiveness

Allah says in Surah Saba ayah 2:

Allah says:

مَا يَلِجُ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا يَخۡرُجُ مِنۡہَا وَمَا يَنزِلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا يَعۡرُجُ فِيہَاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٱلۡغَفُورُ (٢

He knows all that goes into the earth and all that comes out of it; He knows all that comes down from the heavens and all that goes up to them. He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.

Throughout the Quran in over 70 instances, Allah say al ghafour, al raheem - The forgiving, the merciful
In this one ayah, Allah calls himself 'al raheem, alghafour - the Merciful, the Forgiving.

Why??

Ibn Qayyim states that whenever allah mention his knowledge ('ilm), He mentions his mercy (rahmah) with it.. example

رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَّحْمَةً وَعِلْمًا

“Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge“ (40:7)


In this Ayah, Allah starts it with يَعْلَمُ, He knows, we will see how this has a direct connection to why raheem is mentioned first...

Whenever Allah use ghafoor or maghfirah (forgiveness) in the Quran, It is paired with humans... example:

Nuh alayhi salaam to his disbelieving nation said:

فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا

“I said (to them): Ask forgiveness from your Lord; Verily, He is Oft-Forgiving” (71:10)

In this ayah from surah Saba, do we see a direct address to humans? There is mention of the earth, what comes from the sky, what ascends… Humans are mentioned indirectly, and by examining this indirect address, we can see why Raheem is mentioned before Ghafoor.

How so?

Examine the ayah: He knows all that goes into the earth and all that comes out of it; He knows all that comes down from the heavens and all that goes up to them. He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.


يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الْأَرْضِ He knows that which goes into the earth: We place seeds into the earth, but furthermore, we will also go into the earth one day. We will need the rahmah (Mercy) of Ar Raheem when we go into the earth.

وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا And that which comes from it: The plant grows from the earth, but furthermore, we will one day be resurrected from the earth. We ask for and need the maghfirah (forgiveness) of Al Ghafoor when we come out of the earth.

وَمَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ and that which descends from the heavens: Rain is a rahmah (mercy) upon us, wahy (revelation) comes from the sky and is also a rahmah upon us, our rizq (provision) comes from the sky which is also a rahmah upon us.

وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا and that which ascends to it (the sky): What ascends to the sky? Our duaa, our souls, and deeds. What do we need in all three of these instances from Allah ta’ala? Maghfirah (forgiveness), for our duaas and deeds to be accepted, and our souls to be forgiven.

Then Allah ta’ala ends the ayah with the subject on this gem: وَهُوَ الرَّحِيمُ الْغَفُورُ And He is the The Especially Merciful, the Most Forgiving.

Each part of this ayah connects with these two Names of Allah, in the order that they appear.

Examine the ayah:
He knows all that goes into the earth - the Merciful
and all that comes out of it; - the Forgiving
He knows all that comes down from the heavens - the Merciful
and all that goes up to them. - the Forgiving

He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.

SubhanAllah.

More to come today Insha Allah!!

^see above for the first post of today

Cohesion and Consistency in the Qur’an

Subhanallah, this is a beautiful one ... Just follow it, It is so beautiful SubhanAllah

The story of Adam (alayhi salaam) occurs twice consecutively back-to-back is suratul Israa (17) and suratul Kahf (18). Those are the only two surahs that the story occurs side by side... It occurs in the middle of the two surahs...

The story in both surahs begins similarly:

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ

“And when We said to the angels prostrate to Aadam, then they all did so with the exception of Iblees” (17:61, 18:50)

What follows next differs significantly but is coherent

Surah Israa talks about Iblees promise:

قَالَ أَرَءَيۡتَكَ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى ڪَرَّمۡتَ عَلَىَّ لَٮِٕنۡ أَخَّرۡتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ لَأَحۡتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬ (٦٢

and [then] said, ‘You see this being You have honoured above me? If You reprieve me until the Day of Resurrection, I will lead all but a few of his descendants by the nose.’ (Surah Israa:62)

Surah Kahf describes Iblees

..... but not Iblis: he was one of the jinn and he disobeyed his Lord’s command. (Surah Kahf:50)

Surahtul Isra starts with the mention of the children of Israel

وَقَضَيْنَا إِلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي الْكِتَابِ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا

“And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Scripture, that indeed you would do mischief on the earth twice and you will become tyrants and extremely arrogant!” (17:4)

Suratul Kahf begins with the mention of the Christians:

وَيُنْذِرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا

“And warn those who say Allah has taken a son” (18:4)

The story of Adam is known to both Jews and Christians;

The Jews refused to believe in the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) because of arrogance; They denied him because he was an arab not a jew..... The part of the story that is mentioned in surah isra (17) is when Iblees says: why should I make sajdah to him?, the part of the lesson they are forgetting. Iblees became Iblees because of his arrogance. Allah teaches them a lesson on arrogance....

The christians believe that iblees was an angel; Allah describes what iblees truly is in surah kahf... When the christians of Najran visted the prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be Upon Him), they were not arrogant, they sat and spoke to the prophet.

.......but not Iblis: he was one of the jinn and he disobeyed his Lord’s command. (Surah Kahf:50)

The christians also rejected the law of Allah given to Musa (Peace and blessings of Allah be Upon Him). Eesa(Peace and blessings of Allah be Upon Him) did not abandon the law of Musa (Peace and blessings of Allah be Upon Him). Just like iblees disobeyed his Lord’s command.. The Christians disobeyed their lord's command by abandoning the law of Musa (alayhi salaam).

The ayaat begin the exact same way but the endings are different to correspond to the people who are being addressed (Jews in surah Israa, Christians in surah kahf) in each surah.

These two surahs are connected in other ways:

They both start with the dhikr (remembrance of Allah)

Surah Israa starts with SubhanAllah (Free from imperfection is Allah)

Surah Kahf starts with Alhamdulilah (All thanks and praise belong to Allah)

One talks of the perfection of Allah (Surah Israa)

The other talks about Allah's hamd (Surah kahf)

Now examine the two ayat

Surah israa ayah 1

Glory to Him who made His servant travel by night from the sacred place of worship to the furthest place of worship, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him some of Our signs: He alone is the All Hearing, the All Seeing.

Surah Kahf ayah 1

Praise be to God, who sent down the Scripture to His servant and made it unerringly straight,

In surah 17, the slave has been taken in the middle of the night up to receive revelation from Allah, and in surah 18, the book has been sent down upon His slave. In one the slave goes up, and in the other, the book comes down.

There is more:

The Story of Musa (alayhi salam)is mentioned in both surah, One surah mentions his public life, the other his private life

Surah Isra talks about his public life; this is appreciated by the jews :

Surah Kahf talks about his private journey of knowledge, discovery and wisdom, The christians are a private people and they emphasize spirituality... This is appropriate for them.

There's more:

How do we get to know Allah ta’ala? Through three ways: by His Names, by His creation and by His revelation.

The second last ayah of suratul Israa gives us the first means to know Allah:

قُلِ ادْعُوا اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُوا الرَّحْمَـٰنَ ۖ أَيًّا مَا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ

Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful–whichever Name you call, to Him belongs the Most Beautiful Names. (17:110) Knowing Allah ta’ala by His Names and Attributes.

The second last ayah of suratul Kahf gives us the second and third means to know Allah:

قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْفَدَ كَلِمَاتُ رَبِّي وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِ مَدَدًا

Say: “If the sea were ink for the Words of my Lord, surely, the sea would be exhausted before the Words of my Rabb would be finished, even if we brought (another sea) like it for its aid.” (18:109) (Revelation and creation)

In the first surah, the Names of Allah are mentioned, and in the next surah, the other means to know Allah ta’ala (His revelation and creation) are mentioned.

There's more

Shirk:

The two surahs denounce shirk in the last ayah

Surah Israa

and say, ‘Praise belongs to God, who has no child nor partner in His rule. He is not so weak as to need a protector. Proclaim His limitless greatness!’ (Surah Israa :111)

Surah Kahf

Say, ‘I am only a human being, like you, to whom it has been revealed that your God is One. Anyone who fears to meet his Lord should do good deeds and give no one a share in the worship due to his Lord. (Surah kahf: 110)

There's more:

Surah Israa ends with (last ayah):

Say: Alhamdulilah

Surah kahf begins with

Alhamdulilah


SubhanAllah, Amazing, isn't it?

The Quran is amazing... Allahuakbar...

I had two posts today:

There will be two posts as well tomorrow Insha Allah...

Our Journey through this incredible book ends tomorrow......

AllahuAkbar!

Leave a comment about your experience...

We might have a season two next year if Allah wills....

I haven't actually gone through all of the thread, that's because am saving it for the best time Ramadan. But the thot of being up here makes me happy so that even if u are away for a while I can still click and read. Jazak- Allahu-khair.

Mai-suya:
I haven't actually gone through all of the thread, that's because am saving it for the best time Ramadan. But the thot of being up here makes me happy so that even if u are away for a while I can still click and read. Jazak- Allahu-khair.

Wa iyyakum!! Make dua akhi

jazakAllahu khair bro, it has been an enlightening, engaging, and entertaining experience mashAllah.

surah Adiyat is one of my personal favourites. there's this aura of action and ambition about it, then it ends on a warning note. glad u touched it.

snubish: jazakAllahu khair bro, it has been an enlightening, engaging, and entertaining experience mashAllah.

surah Adiyat is one of my personal favourites. there's this aura of action and ambition about it, then it ends on a warning note. glad u touched it.

Wa iyyakum

Gates of Hell and Gates of Paradise

This example illustrates the images painted by the Quran, the beauty of the arabic language and how it is lost in the translation.

Allah describes the inhabitants of Hell in Surah Zumar being led to hell:

وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ ڪَفَرُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا‌ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا فُتِحَتۡ أَبۡوَٲبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُہَآ أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ رُسُلٌ۬ مِّنكُمۡ يَتۡلُونَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّكُمۡ وَيُنذِرُونَكُمۡ لِقَآءَ يَوۡمِكُمۡ هَـٰذَا‌ۚ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنۡ حَقَّتۡ كَلِمَةُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ عَلَى ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ (٧١

Waseeqa allatheena kafaroo ila jahannama zumaran hatta itha jaooha futihat abwabuha waqala lahum khazanatuha alam ya/tikum rusulun minkum yatloona AAalaykum ayati rabbikum wayunthiroonakum liqaa yawmikum hatha qaloo bala walakin haqqat kalimatu alAAathabi AAala alkafireena


Those who rejected the Truth will be led to Hell in their throngs. When they arrive, its gates will open and its keepers will say to them, ‘Were you not sent your own messengers to recite the revelations of your Lord to you and warn you that you would meet this Day?’ and they will say, ‘Yes indeed we were.’ But the sentence of punishment will have been passed against those who rejected the truth. (Surah 39:71)

It speaks of the people of paradise in the same surah.....

وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوۡاْ رَبَّہُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا‌ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتۡ أَبۡوَٲبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُہَا سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ طِبۡتُمۡ فَٱدۡخُلُوهَا خَـٰلِدِينَ (٧٣

Waseeqa allatheena ittaqaw rabbahum ila aljannati zumaran hatta itha jaooha [size=17pt]wa[/size]futihat abwabuha waqala lahum khazanatuha salamun AAalaykum tibtum faodkhulooha khalideena

Those who were mindful of their Lord will be led in throngs to the Garden. When they arrive, they will find its gates open, and its keepers will say to them, ‘Peace be upon you. You have been good. Come in: you are here to stay,’ (Surah 39:73)

The two ayahs talk about those gates,

1. the people of hell being led to the gates of hell

2. the people of jannah being led to the gates of jannah

But it is all the same, right well not quite

When talking of the gate of people of hell, Allah says:

jaooha futihat abwabuha waqala lahum khazanatuha

When talking of the gate of people of paradise, Allah says:

jaooha wa[/b]futihat abwabuha waqala lahum khazanatuha

The 'wow' letter changes the implication for the people of hell and people of Jannah..

The translations do not do justice to this amazing difference between these two which can only be made beautiful in the subtlety of Arabic. The addition of this one letter changes the images drawn for both people.

I copied a detailed explanation from:
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/gems-of-the-quran-the-gates-of-hell-vs-the-gates-of-paradise/

see below

Explanation:

In the first group, the people who rejected belief in Allah and His Prophets, are being driven to hell in large groups. When they reach Hellfire…فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا! [b]Suddenly and with no warning, the massive gates of Hellfire ambush them and open before them. They were being driven somewhere by the angels, prodded like cattle, and brought before this structure, and these massive gates SUDDENLY OPEN. Imagine their sound as Surah Mulk says, that Hellfire will be shrieking and yelling. It will be calling out for fuel. And its fuel is men and stones. “Indeed, Hell is a place of ambush” as is written in Sura Naba. The gates slam open as their FIRST ambush and the people are shown the eternal fate that awaits them.

In the second group however, Allah says: وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا. The people are being driven to the gates of Paradise. They are being taken there and they come upon Paradise….and وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا – They find the gates ALREADY OPEN. They saw it while coming upon it, they saw it as they came upon it, they are able to gaze into the open doors. This SINGLE LETTER و causes the image of these gates to change by showing the state of the gates as the people come upon them. There is no surprise. There is no questioning. There is no wonder if this place is meant for them….it is meant for them. They are welcome. The gates are open already and it is why they have been taken there. Paradise is theirs and they are being called into it from these gates.

A single letter tells us that the gates of hellfire will ambush the people of Hell, but that the gates of paradise will be wide open waiting for its inhabitants to enter. May Allah make us of those people who will be taken to the gates of Paradise.

إِنَّآ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

Indeed, we have sent it down as an Arabic Quran in order that you might understand.

And Allah knows best.


SubhanAllah.....

^ See first post of the day

Second Post

I am sharing this one for all muslims to remember Allah as our wali and Mawla this ramadan...

Precision in word choice

Wali vs Mawla

Wali

Allah Says in Surah baqarah ayah 257:

اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ

‘Allah is the Wali of those who believe, He brings take them from the darknesses into the light.’

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُمْ مِنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ

‘and those who disblieve their Awliyaa’ are taghoot, they bring them out of the light to darknesses.’

Wali is a friend who is willing to help and support you. A wali is a friend you turn to for help, protection and support. A wali is the dominant person in a relationship. (A father is a wali to his son). For those who believe they turn to Allah for help, protection and support. Those who disbelieve turn to taghoot(anything and everything that is worshipped besides Allah)for help, protection and support.

There are two comparisons taking place:
1. the believers and those who disbelieve,
2. Allah azza wa jal and taghoot.

There is a different arrangement for each comparison:

1. when Allah says He is the Wali of the believers, He comes first.

2. But for those who disbelieve, their wali is mentioned last.

Why is the arrangment different?

Allah is being ‘compared’ to taghoot, yet: laysa kamithlihi shayy, there is NOTHING like Him, NOTHING can be compared to Him. These taghoot do not deserve to be mentioned in the same place as Allah azza wa jal was mentioned. They do not deserve to be mentioned in even the same sentence. SubhanAllah

Mawla:

Allah says in Surat Muhammad,

ذَ‌ٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ مَوْلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ لَا مَوْلَىٰ لَهُمْ

‘That is because certainly Allah is the Mawlaa [/b]of those who believe, and indeed the disbelievers have [b]no Mawlaa.’ (Surah Muhammad:11)

Mawlaa is more than a Wali; a Mawlaa is someone who can protect you and actually does so–they are protecting you, while a Wali is someone who is willing to protect you.

When it came to Wali, both the believers and disbelievers had one, but when it comes to Mawlaa–someone who CAN protect you–they have no Mawlaa.

SubhanAllah.

All thanks and Praise be to Allah, We have come to the end of this series...

I would like to thank my teacher Nouman Ali Khan and every one who has read or commented here. It was time-consuming to type and they were more than a few errors, please forgive the errors.

I hope this has inspired people to learn more about this incredible, incredible book.... For the muslims, i hope it strengthens your iman, ... For the non-muslims,, i hope this makes you intrigued enough to want to learn about this religion.

Anyone with questions on Islam can email me: tbaba1234@yahoo.com; I will be off Nairaland , this ramadan....

Any good that has come out of this is from Allah, any mistake is from myself.

One last gem, i got this from someone (may Allah bless the person):

Allah says in Surah Qamar

وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ۬[size=16pt][/size] (١٧

16) And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?

Allah says: فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ

There is a miracle in the actual word “muddakir”, a daal is used and not the usual thaal.

Allah uses a form of the word that’s much easier to pronounce in a verse where He is saying the Qur’an is easy to remember.

Subhanallah

This Quran is easy to understand and remember but is there any that is willing to take admonition...

Check out my suggestions here:
https://www.nairaland.com/956496/building-relationship-quran-this-ramadan#11484043


You can also check out more gems here:

http://www.linguisticmiracle.com/

Jazakallahu khair Tbaba1234.I will say I've gained a lot right from the begining of these exercise,Alhamdulilah...May Allah reward you abundantly.Amin.!

God bless u bro, looking forward to season 2 inshAllahu. Ramadan kareem in advance.

So I am thinking of starting a Journey through the whole of the Quran in simple english after Ramadan..... I am excited

Who's with me??

Follow the journey through the Quran here:

https://www.nairaland.com/1007823/journey-through-quran-amazing-quran

Suratul Fatiha done; Now Suratul baqara!

https://www.nairaland.com/1007823/journey-through-quran-amazing-quran

New Series...

Divine Speech

https://www.nairaland.com/1029189/divine-speech-season-1

Blog: http://perfectedayat./

Reminder

A gem from ayatul kursi

Ayatul kursi is made up of 9 sentences.

Sentence 1: Allahu la ilaha illa huwa alhayyu alqayyoomu


Sentence 2: la ta/khuthuhu sinatun wala nawmun


Sentence 3: lahu ma fee alssamawati wama fee al-ardi


Sentence 4: man tha allathee yashfaAAu AAindahu illa bi-ithnihi


Sentence 5: yaAAlamu ma bayna aydeehim wama khalfahu


Sentence 6: wala yuheetoona bishay-in min AAilmihi illa bima shaa


Sentence 7: wasiAAa kursiyyuhu alssamawati waal-arda


Sentence 8: wala yaooduhu hifthuhuma


Sentence 9: wahuwa alAAaliyyu alAAatheemu

The fascinating thing about this ayah, is that the 1st sentence is linked to 9, the 2 to the 8, 3 to the 7. Etc..
Let's examine:

Sentence 1 and 9

1 & 9 both contain Two names of Allah.

1: alhayyu alqayyoomu
9: alAAaliyyu alAAatheemu

Sentence 2 and 8

Sentence 2: Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him

Drowsiness and sleep are as a result of exhausion.

Sentence 8: And their protection does not exhaust Him,

Sentence 3 & 7

Sentence 3: He exclusively owns whatever and whoever is in the skies and whatever is on the earth.

Two names of Allah: maalik and malik..

Maalik means owner

Malik means king

Owner is for small things, I own a pen but I am not the king of my pen

The king is more concerned with large territories.So you can own a lot of individual land in a territory but the king looks after the whole territory.

An owner might not be the king and a king might not be the owner.

Sentence 3: He exclusively owns whatever and whoever is in the skies and whatever is on the earth.

This ayah demonstrates his ownership of every single minute thing.

Sentence 7: His throne extends over the heavens and the earth.

This ayah demonstrates his kingship.

Authority on the micro and macro scale covered...

Sentence 4 & 6

Sentence 4: Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His leave?

Sentence 6: but they do not comprehend any of His knowledge except what He wills.

Two general statements about Allah and the exception to the rule.

Sentence 5

Sentence 5 is what blows me away..

Sentence 5 : He knows what is before them and what is behind them.

In the middle, Allah says He knows what is coming infront and what is coming behind.

SubhanAllah..

The fascinating thing is this is revealed once in speech not written or edited. The precision and micro accuracy in the quran are mind blowing and they are literally hundreds of thousands of these kinds of examples.