Cosize Tafsir of The Qur'an in Summarized Form by Abdullah Rahim Roman

By Abdullah Rahim Roman
Cosize Tafsir of the Qur‘an

in Summarized Form
Understanding the Noble Qur‘an in
Thematic Form
By Abdullah Rahim Roman
© July 2019
i
Copyright Page
Copyright © 2019 Abdullah Rahim Roman.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be
reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the
express written permission of the publisher except for the use of
brief quotations in a book review.
All Rights Reserved: a.r.roman@hotmail.com
Source: Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an

and other congruent sources available on the Net
ii
Dedicated to My beloved Teacher,
Sheikh Imran Nazar Hosein, upon

whose inspiratin I have jolted our this
work from scratch to now what it is,
AlHamdulillah
iii
Table of Content
TABLE OF CONTENT --------------------------------------------------------------------------- IV
PREFACE AND DEFINITION OF THEMATIC TAFSIR---------------------- XI
INTRODUCTION --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- XII
1. SURAH AL FATIHAH (THE OPENING) ------------------------------------------ 1
2. SURAH AL-BAQARAH (THE COW; THE HEIFER; THE
MAVERICK) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
3. SURAH ALI „IMRAN (THE FAMILY OF IMRAN) ------------------------- 19
4. SURAH AN-NISA‟ (THE WOMEN; THE FEMALE ADULTS; THE
ADULT FEMALES) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29
5. SURAH AL-MA'IDAH (THE TABLE SPREAD; THE DINNER
TABLE; THE FEAST) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40
6. SURAH AL-AN'AM (THE CATTLE) ------------------------------------------------ 51
7. SURAH AL-A‟RAF (A HILL BETWEEN HELL AND PARADISE;
THE ELEVATED PLACES; THE HEIGHTS) -------------------------------------- 58
8. SURAH AL-ANFAL (THE SPOILS OF WAR) --------------------------------- 72
9. SURAH AT TAUBAH (THE REPENTANCE) ---------------------------------- 78
10. SURAH YUNUS (JONAH) ------------------------------------------------------------- 87
11. SURAH HUD [HUD (A)] ---------------------------------------------------------------- 96
12. SURAH YUSUF [JOSEPH (YUSUF „ALAIHIS SALAM )] ---------- 104
13. SURAH AR-RA„D (THE THUNDER) ------------------------------------------ 115
14. SURAH IBRAHIM (PROPHET ABRAHAM) ------------------------------ 126
15. SURAH AL-HIJR (THE VALLEY OF STONE; THE STONELAND;
THE ROCK; THE ROCKY TRACT) --------------------------------------------------- 132
16. AN-NAHL (THE HONEY BEE)---------------------------------------------------- 140
17. SURAH ISRA (THE NIGHT JOURNEY)/ BANI ISRAEL
(CHILDREN OF ISRAEL)------------------------------------------------------------------ 154
18. SURAH AL-KAHF (THE CAVE) -------------------------------------------------- 168
19. SURAH MARYAM (MARY) --------------------------------------------------------- 178
20. SURAH TA HA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 186
21. SURAH AL-ANBIYA‟ (THE PROPHETS) ----------------------------------- 196
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22. SURAH AL-HAJJ (THE HAJJ; THE PILGRIMAGE; PILLAR OF
ISLAM; PILGRIM'S JOURNEY) ------------------------------------------------------- 205
23. SURAH AL-MU'MINUN (THE BELIEVERS; FAITHFUL AND
SUBMISSIVE ONES WHO UNDERSTOOD THE ESSENCE OF
FAITH) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 215
24. SURAH AN-NUR (THE LIGHT; THE CLARITY OF
ILLUMINATION; APPARENT TO THE SENSES; THE ONE WHO
ENLIGHTENS) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 222
25. SURAH AL FURQAN (THE CRITERION; THE EVIDENCE; THE
RIGHT AND WRONG DISCRIMINATORS; THE PROOF OF AL-
QUR‟AN) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 233
26. SURAH ASH-SHU'ARA (THE POETS) --------------------------------------- 241
27. SURAH AN-NAML (THE ANTS) ------------------------------------------------- 250
28. SURAH AL QASAS (THE STORY; THE NARRATION; THE
NARRATIVE) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 260
29. SURAH AL „ANKABUT (THE SPIDER)-------------------------------------- 269
30. SURAH AR RUM (THE ROMANS; THE CONSTANTINOPLE;
THE BYZANTINE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 278
31. SURAH LUQMAN (LOKMAAN; THE WISE; WISE ONE) --------- 286
32. SURAH AS-SAJDAH (THE PROSTRATION; BOWING
FOREHEAD IN THE GROUND TO LORD ALMIGHTY; A STATE
THAT RECEIVES VITAL ENERGIES) ---------------------------------------------- 301
33. SURAH AL-AHZAB (THE ALLIES; THE CLANS; THE
COALITION; THE COMBINED FORCES; THE CONFERATES) ----- 308
34. SURAH SABA‟ (THE SABAEANS) ---------------------------------------------- 317
35. SURAH FATIR (THE ORIGINATOR; THE CREATOR; THE
ORIGANTOR OF CREATION) ----------------------------------------------------------- 327
36. SURAH YA SIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 334
37. SURAH AS-SAFFAT (THOSE WHO SET THE RANKS; THOSE
LINED UP; THOSE RANGED IN ROWS; THE RANGERS) ------------ 344
38. SURAH SAD --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 351
39. SURAH AZ-ZUMAR (THE TROOPS; THE GROUPS; THE
THRONGS) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 359
40. SURAH AL MU'MIN (THE BELIEVER), ALSO KNOWN AS
SURAH AL GHAFIR (THE FORGIVER) ------------------------------------------- 366
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41. SURAH HA MIM AS-SAJDAH, ALSO KNOWN AS SURAH
FUSSILAT (EXPLAINED IN DETAIL) --------------------------------------------- 375
42. SURAH ASH-SHURA (THE CONSULTATION; DIALOGUE;
DISCUSSION; TALK IN THE MEETING) ---------------------------------------- 385
43. SURAH AZ-ZUKHRUF (GOLDEN ORNAMENTS; THE
ORNAMENTS OF GOLD; THE LUXURY) ---------------------------------------- 393
44. SURAH AD-DUKHAN (THE SMOKE; THE FUME; THE REEK;
THE BURNING SMOLDER; THE SMOULDER) ------------------------------ 401
45. SURAH AL-JATHIYAH (THE KNEELING DOWN; THE
CROUCHING) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 408
46. SURAH AL-AHQAF (THE WIND CURVED SAND DUNES; THE
SANDHILLS; THE SAND DUNES; THE WINDING SAND TRACTS)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 413
47. SURAH MUHAMMAD (THE PRAISED ONE) ALSO SURAH AL-
QITAL (FIGHTING) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 418
48. SURAH AL-FATH (THE VICTORY; THE TRIUMPH; THE
ACHIEVEMENT OF SUCCESS) -------------------------------------------------------- 424
49. SURAH AL-HUJURAAT (THE PRIVATE APARTMENTS; THE
CHAMBERS) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 430
50. SURAH QAF (THE LETTER QĀF) ---------------------------------------------- 436
51. SURAH AZ-ZARIYAT (THE WINDS THAT SCATTER; THE
SCATTERING WINDS; THE WINNOWING WINDS) --------------------- 441
52. SURAH AT-TUR (MOUNTAIN OF TUR; THE MOUNT; MOUNT
SINAI; MOUNT OF OLIVES) ------------------------------------------------------------ 447
53. SURAH AN-NAJM (THE STAR; LUMINARY OBJECT THAT
DIRECTS ATTENTION) -------------------------------------------------------------------- 451
54. SURAH AL-QAMAR (THE MOON) -------------------------------------------- 462
55. SURAH AR-RAHMAN (THE MOST GRACIOUS; THE MOST
MERCIFUL; THE MOST BENEFICENT; THE ALL MERCIFUL; THE
LORD OF MERCY) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 468
56. SURAH AL-WAQIÀH (THE INEVITABLE EVENT; THE
OCCURRENCE; THE COMING EVENT) ------------------------------------------ 474
57. SURAH AL-HADID (THE FERRUM; THE IRON; RIGID AND
MAGNETIC METAL WITH SILVERY-GREY HUE)------------------------- 479
58. SURAH AL-MUJADILAH (THE WOMAN WHO DISPUTES;
PLEADING WOMAN; SHE THAT DISPUTETH) ----------------------------- 486
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59. SURAH AL-HASHR (THE BANISHMENT; THE EXILE; THE
GATHERING) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 494
60. CONCISE TAFSEER OF SURAH AL-MUMTAHINAH IN
SUMMARIZED FORM ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 506
61. SURAH AS-SAFF (THE RANKS; THE ARRAY; THE BATTLE
ARRAY) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 512
62. SURAH AL-JAMU'AH (THE ASEMBLY; THE DAY IN THE
ASSEMBLY; THE DAY OF GATHERING; THE CONGREGATION) 517
63. SURAH AL-MUNAFIQUN (THE HYPOCRITES; WOLF IN
SHEEP‟S CLOTHING; THE MASQUERADER) -------------------------------- 523
64. SURAH AT-TAGHABUN (MUTUAL LOSS AND GAIN; THE
DEPRIVATION; MUTUAL DISPOSSESSION IN GAINING
PERSONAL BENEFITS) -------------------------------------------------------------------- 530
65. SURAH AT-TALAQ (THE DIVORCE) ----------------------------------------- 533
66. SURAH AT-TAHRIM (THE PROHIBITION; HOLDING
SOMETHING TO BE FORBIDDEN; THE BANNING) --------------------- 538
67. SURAH AL-MULK (THE DOMINION; THE KINGDOM; THE
SOVEREIGNTY OF SUPREME POWER) ----------------------------------------- 544
68. SURAH AL-QALAM (THE PEN) ------------------------------------------------- 549
69. SURAH AL-HAQQAH (THE MANIFEST REALITY; THE
INEVITABLE REALITY; THE EVENT OF TRUTH; THE SURE
TRUTH) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 555
70. SURAH AL MA‟ARIJ (THE ASCENDING STAIRWAYS; THE
ASCENDING STEPS; THE WAYS OF ASCENT) ------------------------------ 558
71. SURAH NUH (NOAH) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 561
72. SURAH AL JINN (THE JINN) ----------------------------------------------------- 568
73. SURAH AL-MUZZAMMIL (THE FOLDED GARMENTS; THE
ONE WHO IS COVERED UP; THE ENSHROUDED ONE; THE ONE
WRAPPED UP) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 578
74. SURAH AL-MUDDATHTHIR (THE CLOAKED ONE; THE
ENVELOPED ONE; THE MAN WEARING A CLOAK; THE ONE
WRAPPING HIMSELF UP) --------------------------------------------------------------- 584
75. SURAH AL-QIYAMAH (THE RESURRECTION; THE RISING OF
THE DEAD) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 589
76. SURAH AD-DAHR (AGE; ERA; ENDLESS TIME; THE EPOCH),
ALSO KNOWN AS AL-INSAN (MAN; HUMAN; THE ONE) ----------- 594
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77. SURAH AL-MURSALAT (THOSE SENT FORTH; THE WINDS
WHICH ARE SENT FORTH; THE EMISSARIES) --------------------------- 597
78. SURAH AN-NABA' (THE GREAT NEWS; THE TIDINGS; THE
ANNOUNCEMENT) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 601
79. SURAH AN-NAZI‟AT (THE SOUL SNATCHERS; THOSE WHO
DRAG; THOSE WHO TEAR OUT; THE EXTRACTORS; THOSE
WHO PULL OUT) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 604
80. SURAH „ABASA (HE FROWNED) --------------------------------------------- 609
81. SURAH AT-TAKWIR (THE FOLDING UP; THE
OVERTHROWING; THE ROLLING; THE WRAPPING; SHROUDED
IN DARKNESS) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 613
82. SURAH AL-INFITAR (THE CLEAVING; BURSTING APART;
THE CLEAVING ASUNDER; THE SPLITTING) ------------------------------ 616
83. SURAH AL-MUTAFFIFEEN (THE CHEATS; THE
DEFRAUDERS; THOSE WHO GIVE LESS; THOSE WHO DEAL IN
FRAUD; THOSE WHO WEIGH LESS) --------------------------------------------- 619
84. SURAH AL-INSHIQAQ (THE SPLITTING APART; THE
SUNDERING; THE RENDING ASUNDER) ------------------------------------- 623
85. SURAH AL-BUROOJ (THE CONSTELLATIONS; THE GREAT
STARS; THE ZODIACAL SIGNS) ----------------------------------------------------- 628
86. SURAH AT-TARIQ (THE MORNING STAR; THE NIGHT
VISITANT; THE PIERCING STAR) -------------------------------------------------- 635
87. SURAH AL-A‟LA (THE MOST HIGH; THE SUPREME) ----------- 639
88. SURAH AL-GHASHIYAH (THE OVERWHELMING EVENT;
THE PALL; THE VEIL; THE SCREEN IN COVER) ------------------------- 642
89. SURAH AL-FAJR (THE DAWN; THE DAYBREAK) ----------------- 645
90. SURAH AL-BALAD (THE CITY; THE LAND) --------------------------- 650
91. SURAH ASH-SHAMS (THE SUN) ---------------------------------------------- 654
92. SURAH AL-LAIL (THE NIGHT) ------------------------------------------------- 658
93. SURAH AD-DHUHA (THE MORNING LIGHT; THE
FORENOON; THE MORNING HOURS; MORNING BRIGHT) ------ 661
94. SURAH AL-INSHIRAH (THE OPENING UP; THE
CONSOLATION)/ALAM NASHRAH (DID WE NOT EXPAND)/
SURAH ASH-SHARH (THE EXPANSION) -------------------------------------- 665
95. SURAH AT-TIN (THE FIG; THE FIG TREE) ----------------------------- 668
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96. SURAH AL-„ALAQ (THE CLINGING SUBSTANCE; THE EARLY
STAGE OF THE EMBRYO; COAGULATED BLOOD; BLOOD CLOT; A
LUMP OF MUD) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 673
97. SURAH AL-QADR (THE DECREE; THE DESTINY; THE FATE;
THE POWER) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 679
98. SURAH AL-BAYYINAH (THE CLEAR EVIDENCE; THE CLEAR
PROOF)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 684
99. SURAH AZ-ZALZALAH (THE CONVULSION; THE
EARTHQUAKE; THE QUAKE; THE SHAKING; THE VIOLENT
TREMBLING) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 687
100. SURAH AL-'ADIYAT (THOSE THAT RUN; THE CHARGERS;
THE COURSERS; THE RACERS; THE WAR-HORSES; THE
ASSAULTERS) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 692
101. SURAH AL-QARI‟AH (THE CALAMITY; THE CLAMOUR; THE
GREAT DISASTER; THE STRIKING HOUR; THE SHOCKER) ------ 696
102. SURAH AT-TAKATHUR (THE MUTUAL RIVALRY; THE
PILING UP; THE INCESSANT COMPETITION; STRIVING FOR
MORE; THE SHOW OFF) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 700
103. SURAH AL-„ASR (THE DECLINING DAY, TIME THROUGH
THE AGES; EVENTIDE; THE EPOCH) -------------------------------------------- 705
104. SURAH AL-HUMAZAH (THE ONE WHO SLANDERS; THE
BACKBITER; THE TRADUCER; THE GOSSIPMONGER; THE
SLANDERER; THE SCORNER) -------------------------------------------------------- 709
105. SURAH AL-FIL (THE ELEPHANT) ------------------------------------------ 713
106. SURAH QURAISH (QURAISH) ------------------------------------------------ 719
107. SURAH AL-MA'UN (THE SMALL KINDNESSES; ASSISTANCE;
ALMSGIVING; HAVE YOU SEEN; NEIGBOURLY NEEDS) ----------- 724
108. SURAH AL-KAUTHAR (ABUNDANCE OF A LOT; A LOT;
ABUNDANCE OF GOOD; PLENTY; THE ABUNDANCE) --------------- 729
109. SURAH AL-KAFIRUN (THE DISBELIEVERS; THE
UNBELIEVERS) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 735
110. SURAH AN-NASR (THE HELP; DIVINE SUPPORT) -------------- 741
111. SURAH AL-LAHAB (THE FLAME)/ AL-MASAD (THE PALM
FIBER) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 746
112. SURAH AL-IKHLAS (THE FIDELITY; THE PURITY; THE
SINCERITY; ONE THIRD OF THE QUR‟AN)/ SURAH AT-TAUHID
(MONOTHEISM) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 754
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113. SURAH AL-FALAQ (EARLY BRIGHT; THE DAYBREAK; THE
DAWN; SUNRISE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 760
114. SURAH AN-NAS (MANKIND; PEOPLE; HUMANS, MEN AND
WOMEN) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 768
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Preface and Definition of Thematic Tafsir
The authore of the Qur‘an is the Lord Almighty which has been
revealed to Prophet Muhammad (s) heart from his age of 40 to
his last year of return from this earth at the age of 63 for 23
years.
From the Abstact of, “Al-Munasabah and Thematic

Tafsir of the Quran: A Methodological and Comparative
Study”
There are certain rules and approaches in the interpretative

tradition of the Holy Quran, starting from etymology to
addressing and framing the various pertinent issues. As the main
keys of the Quranic unit are investigated, it has been found that
each surah constitutes an independent unit with respect to the
correlation, meanings and contents of its verses. Al-Munasabah
and Al-Tafsir Al-Maudui‘i (thematic interpretation) seek to
reveal this connectivity in order to demonstrate the subject
matter of the Quran and to stand against all the smear
campaigns which aim at criticizing its I‘jaz (inimitability) and
structure. This study highlights the theoretical angle of the
etymology of Al-Munasabah and al-Tafsir Al-Mawdui which are
used to investigate the special organization of each surah. It also
deals with the differences and similarities between the two
terms. It lays down the methodological and scientific principles
to investigate the Quranic issues. It is expected that this study
may help in understanding the Quranic linguistics and
inimitability in comprehensive and innovative manner. However,
this study discusses the following issues: origin and classification
of al-Munasabah; Muslim interpreters‘ contributions in
Munasabah; origin and definition of the thematic tafsir; the
similarities and dissimilarities between Mushabah and al-Tafsir
al-Mawdui; and their methodological principles. [Zahra'
Khalid Saadullah Al-Abidi]
xi
Introduction
This English rendition of tafsir (explanation) pf the individual
Surahs of the Qur‘an is compile work by me which I accumulated
over period of last 2 years and so. AlHamdulillah, I drafted this
book‘s content in three note-books before writing it in online
with the help of online resources and editing it with proper sub-
headings to each and every Surah to form a snyc-hole of
understanding between me and the Qur‘an. The Qur‘an says,
―………And We have sent down The Book (Quràn) upon you

(Muhammad) as a clarifier of all things…...” [Suratul
Nahl (16), ayah 89]
In the copyright page, I included the reference of Tafhimul

Qur‘an. Basically that was the first tafsir book I have taken to
draft the initial wordings of this book into note-form of writings
in note-books (Khatas). Then, when I started typing it on
electronic platform – I used other resources. They are: some
explanatory lectures notes of Nouman Ali Khan, Farhat Hashmi‘s
Al-Qur‘an Tadabbur wa Amal from alhudapk, Wikipedia &
Qur‘an-wiki, islamreligion.com and al-mawrid.org.
I have also used snippets from Tafsir Ibn Kathir which I found in
various online sites, slideshare contents from different
presentations, and gathered anyalitical data of Tadubbur-e-
Qur‘an of Amin Islahi in my comipation in work, along with
some few others which are all blended into this work-flow.
SubHanallah!
xii
1. Surah Al Fatihah (The Opening)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Surah Al Fatihah In
Summarized Form
‫ بسى هللا انزحًٍ انزحيى‬: In the name of Allah, the Most

Gracious, the Most Merciful
This is the first Surah of the Qur‘an, although not in the order of
revelation and the 5th Surah to be revealed in Chronology. Al-
Fatihah is a sort of preface which is the subject-matter of it. In
Arabic, the word ―Fataha‖ means, ―to open something closed‖.
The Surah has seven ayats.
The scholars say that Al-Fatihah consists of twenty-five words,

and that it contains one hundred and thirteen letters.
Period of Revelation
It is one of the very earliest Revelations to Prophet Muhammad

(s). As a matter of fact, we learn from authentic Traditions that it
was the first complete Surah which was revealed to prophet (s).
Before this, only a few miscellaneous ayats were revealed which
form parts of Àlaq, Muzzammil, Muddaththir, etc.
The Subject Matter of the Surah
The name al-Fatihah ("the Opener or the opening") is due to the

subject-matter of the Surah. Fatiḥah is that which opens a
subject or a book or any other thing. In other words, this Surah is
a sort of preface. The word ‫ اٌ فات حة‬came from the root word ‫ف تح‬
which means to open, explain, disclose keys of treasure etc. That
means Surah Al-Fatihah is the summary of the whole Qur‘an.
This preface is meant to create a strong desire in the heart of the

reader to seek guidance from the Lord of the samawat, Who
alone can grant it. Thus Al-Fatihah indirectly teaches that the
best thing for a man is to pray for guidance to the straight path,
1
to study the Qur‘an with the mental attitude of a seeker- after-
truth and to recognize the fact that the Lord of the samawat is
the source of all knowledge.
Surah Al-Fatiha is paired with rest of the whole Qur‘an. It is also

called Umm Al-Kitab ("the Mother of the Book") and Umm Al-
Qur‘an ("the Mother of the Qur‘an"); Sab'a al Mathani ("Seven
repeated [ayats]", an appellation taken from ayat 15:87 of the
Qur‘an); Al-Hamd ("praise"), because a hadith narrates from
Muhammad (s) as having said that Allah says: "The prayer [al-
Fātiḥah] is divided into two halves between Me and My servants.
When the servant says, 'All praise is due to Allah', the Lord of
existence, God says, 'My servant has praised Me'."; Al-Shifa' ("the
Cure"), because a hadith narrates Muhammad as having said:
"The Opening of the Book is a cure for every poison."; Al-Ruqyah
("remedy" or "spiritual cure")., and al-Asas, "The Foundation",
referring to its serving as a foundation for the entire Qur‘an.
So, as it all stands – Surah Al-Fatihah is the prayer from the

servant to his/her Master. The Master places the whole of the
Qur‘an before him/her in answer to his prayer, as if to say, "This
is the Guidance you begged from Me."
The Virtue of Surah Al-Fatihah
In his hadith collection Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ahmad ibn

Hanbal recorded that Abu Saìd bin Al-Muàlla had said:
"I was praying when the Prophet called me, so I did not answer
him until I finished the prayer. I then went to him and he said,
What prevented you from coming?
I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! I was praying.'
He said, Didn't Allah say,
O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His)
Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life.
He then said,
"I will teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an before you
leave the Masjid."
He held my hand and when he was about to leave the Masjid, I
2
said, Ò Messenger of Allah! You said: I will teach you the
greatest Surah in the Qur'an.'
He said, Yes.
Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-Àlamin,
It is the seven repeated (ayats) and the Glorious Qur'an that I
was given. [Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad Ahmad ibn
Hanbal; Muhammad al-Bukhari, Abu Dawood, Al-
Nasa'i and Ibn Majah also recorded this hadith]
One hadith narrates a story of a companion of Muhammad (s)

who recited al-Fātiḥah as a remedy for a tribal chief who was
poisoned. According to the hadith, Muhammad (s) later asked
the companion, "How did you know that it is a Ruqqayah
[remedy]?" Muhammad al-Bukhari recorded in his collection:
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
While we were on one of our journeys, we dismounted at a place
where a slave girl came and said, "The chief of this tribe has been
stung by a scorpion and our men are not present; is there
anybody among you who can treat him (by reciting something)?"
Then one of our men went along with her though we did not
think that he knew any such treatment. But he treated the chief
by reciting something, and the sick man recovered whereupon he
gave him thirty sheep and gave us milk to drink (as a reward).
When he returned, we asked our friend, "Did you know how to
treat with the recitation of something?" He said, "No, but I
treated him only with the recitation of the Mother of the Book
[al-Fatiḥah]." We said,
"Do not say anything (about it) till we reach or ask the Prophet.
So when we reached Medina, we mentioned that to the Prophet
(in order to know whether the sheep which we had taken were
lawful to take or not). The Prophet said, "How did he come to
know that it [al-Fatiḥah] could be used for treatment? Distribute
your reward and assign for me one share thereof as well."
[Muhammad al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari]
Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj recorded:

Ibn 'Abbas reported that while Gabriel was sitting with the
Prophet (s) he heard a creaking sound above him. He lifted his
head and said: This As a gate opened in heaven today which had
3
never been opened before. Then when an angel descended
through it, he said: This is an angel who came down to the earth
who had-never come down before. He greeted and said: Rejoice
in two lights given to you which have not been given to any
prophet before you: Fatiha al-Kitab and the concluding ayats of
Surah al-Baqara. You will never recite a letter from them for
which you will not be given (a reward). [Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj,
Sahih Muslim]
Lessons and Reflections
1. Allah (swt) gives an introduction about Himself as Rabb

(Lord, Sustainer, Cherisher, Master, Nourisher).
2. Asking Allah (swt) for the Straight Path.
3. One pleads Allah (swt) to help him follow the path of the
righteous people.
4. Al-Fatihah is a great Du‘a (supplication) that Allah has

taught the Muslims to say in every Rak‘ah (unit) of Salah
(prayer). Regarding this aspect of Al-Fatihah, Prophet
Muhammad (s) said:
5. ―Allah said, ‗I divided the prayer (i.e. Al-Fatihah) into two

halves between Myself and My servant, one half is for Me
and one half for My servant.
6. My servant shall have what he asks for.‘ When the servant

says, ―All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of
the ‗Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists)‖, Allah
says, ‗My servant has praised Me.‘
7. When the servant says, ‗The Most Beneficent, the Most

Merciful‘, Allah says, ‗My servant has praised Me.‘
8. When the servant says, ‗The Only Owner (and the Only
Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of
4
Resurrection)‘, Allah says, ‗My servant has glorified Me.‘
9. If the servant says, ‗You (Alone) we worship, and You

(Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)‘, Allah
says, ‗This is between Me and My servant, and My servant
shall have what he asked.‘
10. If the servant says, ‗Guide us to the Straight Way The Way
of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, Not
(the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those
who went astray.‘ Allah says, ‗This is for My servant, and
My servant shall have what he asked.‘‖ [Narrated by
Muslim]
11. Surah al-Fatihah is a cure, treatment for illness – be they

spiritual, physical or otherwise.
12. No Salah (prayer) is valid without reciting Surah al-

Fatihah. The Prophet (s) is reported to have said, "(There)
is no Salah for the one that does not recite with the
Fatihah of the Book" (Bukhari and Muslim)
5
2. Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow; The Heifer; The
Maverick)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Baqarah In Summarized
Form

The name, ―Al-Baqarah (the Cow)‖ in the Surah references the

story (ayats 67-73) of a heifer sacrificed by the Israelites. It has
not, however, been used as a title to indicate the subject of the
Surah. The Cow, comes from the story of the cow discussed in the
ayats 67 to 73. Prophet Muhammad (s) said that everything has
its peak and the peak of the Qur‘an is Al-Baqarah (The Cow). It
flows easily from one subject to another and its primary audience
includes the believers, the Jews of Madinah and the hypocrites.
The Surah includes the single longest ayah in the Qur'an (2:282)
– the ayah which talks about legal procedures regarding financial
transactions. The Surah starts with this, ―This is the Book (that)
….. is guidance …..‖. The Madani Surahs focus on building a
strong Muslim society and this chapter deals with many social,
cultural, economic, political and legal issues.
The Surah has 286 ayats which are divided into 40 Ruku‘
(Section).
Al-Baqarah is the longest Surah of the Qur‘an. According to the

commentators, this Madani Surah was not revealed at once to
Muhammad (s), but in various social circumstances and
conditions. The most part of the Surah was revealed during first
and second year of Hijrah in the period before the Battle of Badr
except some ayats such as 275 to 281 which belong to the last
months of Prophet Muhammad(s)‘s life.
At the time of the revelation of Al-Baqarah, all sorts of hypocrites
6
had begun to appear. Allah (swt) has, therefore, briefly pointed
out their characteristics here. Afterwards, when their evil
characteristics and mischievous deeds became manifest, Allah
(swt) sent detailed instructions about them. The last ayats of the
Surah (284-286) were revealed at Makkah before the migration
of the Prophet (s) to AI-Madinah has also been included in it.
Topics discussed in Ruku‘ (Section)
1. The Book of Guidance for those who want to be

righteous. The difference between the believers and
the non-believers.
2. The hypocrites: their sickness, mischief and self-
deception.
3. Mankind, worship Allah (swt) alone. Make no partners
in Allah's divinity. The challenge of the Qur‘an. This
Book will guide many but many will remain in error.
The character of those who shall remain in error.
4. The story of the creation of Adam (a). Almighty Allah‘s
plan and promise to send His guidance from time to
time through His prophets.
5. Address to Bani Israel to accept this message. Allah‘s
(swt) covenant must be fulfilled.
6. Warnings to those who stray from the covenant of
Allah (swt). How some from among the Children of
Israel turned away from Lord Almighty‘s teachings.
7. Allah‘s (swt) blessings on the Children of Israel and
their transgressions.
8. The real inheritors of Divine salvation. The hesitation
of Bani Israel in sacrificing the cow.
9. Some perversions of those who were supposed to
follow the law of Allah (swt).
10. Basic principles of Almighty Allah‘s Covenant with the
Children of Israel.
11. Some of the Bani Israel were arrogant to follow the
teachings of their prophets, some rejected the prophets
or tried to kill them, and some revered the calf,
7
disobeyed Allah‘s commands and became too greedy
for the life of this world.
12. Opposition and enmity towards the Prophets,
following devils and magic.
13. Believers are reminded to follow the stated examples
by staying firm on the principles ordained by Allah
(swt) and His final Rasul (s). Some among the People
of the Book will always have false claims and
assertions.
14. The true guidance of Allah (swt) is here. Read the Book
of Lord Almighty and follow it.
15. The great example of Prophet Ibrahim (a). He and his
son Ismail (a) built the Ka‘bah and prayed for a
Prophet to come.
16. Prophet Ibrahim (a) submitted to Allah (swt) and this
is the message that he and his sons gave to their
progeny.
17. The change of Kiblah and the response of the
hypocrites and fools. Those who have knowledge
know that this is the true Kiblah of all the Prophets.
18. The Kiblah is now collectively for all. Believers are told
to follow the direction wherever they are.
19. Believers will be tried but they should be firm and
steadfast and must face the trials with patience and
prayers.
20. Almighty Allah‘s signs and His bounties are
everywhere. The polytheists and idolaters are
misplacing their loyalties.
21. Believers should eat good and permissible food and
should never follow the steps of the devil.
22. The true piety and righteousness. Some rules related to
the punishment of murderers. The rules of bequests.
23. Fasting and Ramadan: the objective of fasting and
some rules.
24. Rules of Hajj, fighting those who expelled Muslims
from their homes.
8
25. There is no fighting during Hajj, Allah‘s bounty should
be sought after returning from Hajj.
26. One should appreciate Allah‘s (swt) bounties. All
human beings were originally one community.
Divisions came later. One should be generous and
defend his/her faith.
27. Some important questions answered: War in the
sacred months, wine and gambling, charity, orphans‘
money, divorced women and their situation.
28. The laws of divorce.
29. Continuation of the laws of divorce.
30. Rules on the remarriage of the divorced women or the
widowers.
31. Further rules of divorce
32. Fighting in the cause of Allah (swt): two examples
from history- Israelites under the leadership of
Prophet Musa (a).
33. Under the leadership of Prophet Daud (a) – the victory
came over the forces of Goliath.
34. Emphasis on charity. Everything belongs to Allah
(swt). His Throne extends to heaven and earth. No
compulsion in religion. Allah (swt) brings out people
from darkness unto light.
35. Almighty Allah‘s power over life and death, some
examples: Prophet Ibrahim‘s (a) dialogue with
Namrood, a man in the valley of dead (probably
Prophet Ezekiel‘s vision of Jerusalem), Prophet
Ibrahim (a) asks Allah how will He raise the dead to
life. Allah‘s answer to Ibrahim (a).
36. Allah (swt) blesses charity: some examples of how
Lord Almighty blesses charity.
37. Emphasis on charity: spend good things, give openly
and secretly to the poor and needy.
38. Prohibition of usury (riba) and its bad effects on
individuals and society
39. Some rules on loan transactions
9
40. Conclusion and prayer: Everything in the heaven and
earth belong to Almighty Allah, the prayer of the
believers.
Subject Matter of the Surah
The Surah deals with a number of issues related to beliefs,

history, law and morality. The Surah begins with the statement
that it is Allah (swt) who revealed this book (the Qur'an) for the
guidance of those who are conscious of Allah (swt). Only those
who seek guidance can benefit from the guidance of this Book.
There are three types of human beings:
1. Those who believe in the unseen realities, perform
prayers, give part of their wealth in charity, and believe
in what is revealed in this scripture and what was
revealed before to other prophets and messengers of
Allah (swt). These are the true believers. They shall
benefit from this book and they shall be eternally
successful.
2. Second group consists of those who have decided to
reject Allah's message. They are the Kafirs. Since they
have made up their minds to reject Islam, no
preaching will help them. Allah (swt) will punish them
on the Day of Judgment because of their rejection.
3. Third one is the group of people who say that they
have believed, but actually they have not believed.
They try to be on both sides: sometimes at the side of
faith and sometimes at the side of unfaith. They are
the hypocrites. They may think that in this way they
will gain both sides, but in reality they are the losers.
Allah (swt) narrated the story of the creation of human beings.
He created Adam (a) and gave him knowledge, asked the angels
to bow to him and gave him and his wife the garden of bliss to
reside and enjoy its fruits. Allah (swt) told them to eat whatever
they wished, but not to approach one tree. But Shaitan caused
Adam (a) to lose paradise. Adam (a) and his wife, along with the
Shaitan, was sent to the earth and were told to remember the
10
lesson that they learnt from the Paradise.
The Surah contains various stories, incidents etc. revolving

around the central theme, ―The Cow‖. The Surah addresses a
wide variety of topics, including substantial amounts of law, and
retells stories of Adam (a), Ibrahim (a) and Musa (a).
Condemnation of alcoholic beverages and gambling is also first
found in the Surah.
A critical review of the Bani Israel‘s history has been made

pointing out their religious perversions, moral degradation and
their disobedience to the Prophets particularly their rebellious
behaviour with Prophet Musa (a). Their reluctance to slaughter
the cow, even after Allah‘s (swt) command, has been highlighted.
Their sin of worshipping a calf and violation of religious laws like
Sabbath has been brought into focus.
When the immorality of material imperialism set in among the

midst of some Bani Israels, they started to believe in the mighty
kingdom and astonishing power of Sulaiman (a) as merely due to
occult sciences and magical formulae, not by the divine wisdom
of Allah (swt). People were so engrossed in such practices that
they ignored both the Book of God Almighty and anyone who
summoned them to truth and righteousness. They were
overwhelmed with slavery and ignorance, with misery and
poverty, and with humiliation and decadence.
They were thus drained of all high ambitions and increasingly

turned to magic, sorcery, witchcraft, charms and amulets.
Incidents from their history have been quoted not only to
admonish them, but also to throw light on the essentials of true
faith.
The Israelites were advised to believe in Muhammad (s) and

follow the guidance - Al-Qur‘an – which was given to him as he
was the messenger sent by the Almighty Allah to all mankind,
and he had been given the same message which had been given
to the earlier Prophets like Ibrahim (a), Ishaq (a), Yaqub (a),
Musa (a) and Isa (a).
11
This advice seems to be especially relevant in view of the
background that the Jews of Madinah who used to say that a
Prophet was about to come and that with his help they (Jews)
would destroy the pagans of Arabia were now opposing the
Prophet Muhammad (s) by tooth and nail.
The Surah includes a few rules related to varying subjects, such

as: prayers, fasting, striving on the way of Allah, the pilgrimage
to Makkah, the change of the direction of prayer (Kiblah) from
Jerusalem to Makkah, marriage and divorce, commerce, debt,
and a great many of the ordinances concerning usury.
All people are invited to worship Allah (swt) and to become His
true servants. Allah (swt) created all people and He made the
earth and heaven for their benefit and produced sustenance for
them. The problem comes when people deny their Creator, break
the relations that Allah (swt) told them to keep, follow the wrong
ways in life and make mischief in the land.
Virtue of the Surah
The Messenger of Allah (s) sent an expedition force comprising

of many men and asked each about what they memorized of the
Qur‘an. The Prophet (s) came to one of the
youngest men among them and asked him, ‗what have you
memorized young man?' He said, Ì memorized such and such
Surahs and also Al-Baqarah.' The Prophet (s) said, `You
memorized Surat Al-Baqarah?' He said, `Yes.' The Prophet (s)
said, `Then you are their commander.' [Tirmidhi, Nasai &
Ibn Majah]
Abu Huraira (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu

alayhi wasalam) said, ―Do not turn your houses into graves.
Shaitan is barred from any house in which Surat al-Baqarah (2)
is recited.‖ [Muslim 780, 4: 1707]
Narrated Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari (ra): The Prophet (s) said, "If
one recites the last two ayats of Surat-al-Baqarah at night, it is
sufficient for him (for that night)." [SAHIH BUKHARI,
12
Volume 6, Book 61: Virtues of the Qur'an, Number 560]
Abu Umama (ra) said he heard Allah's Messenger (s) say: Recite
the Qur'an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an
intercessor for those who recite It. Recite the two bright ones, al-
Baqarah and Surah Al 'Imran, for on the Day of Resurrection
they will come as two clouds or two shades, or two flocks of birds
in ranks, pleading for those who recite them. Recite Surah al-
Baqarah, for to take recourse to it is a blessing and to give it up is
a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot confront it. (Mu'awiya
said: It has been conveyed to me that here Batala means
magicians.) [Sahih Muslim 804]
Sahl ibn Sa‘d (ra) narrated that the Prophet (s) said, ―Everything
has a hump (or, high peak), and al-Baqarah is the high peak of
the Qur‘an. Whoever recites al-Baqarah at night in his house,
then Shaytan will not enter that house for three nights. Whoever
recites it during a day in his house, then Shaytan will not enter
that house for three days.‖ [Ibn Hibban, at-Tabarani]
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu‘anhu) reports that

Rasulullah (sallallahu‘alaihi wasallam) said: ―Everything has a
peak and the peak of the Qur‘an is Surah al-Baqarah, it contains
an ayah which is the leader of all the ayats in the Qur‘an.‖
[Sunan-Tirmidhi]
On the authority of ahadith received from both Ibn Abbas (ra)

and from Umar (ra), we know that the last Revelation received by
the blessed Prophet (s) shortly before his death, was the passage
in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:278-281) which dealt with riba: Umar
Ibn Khattab (ra) said: ―The last ayah to be revealed was on riba,
but Allah‘s Messenger (s) was taken without having expounded it
to us; so give up not only riba but also reebah (whatever raise
doubts in the mind about its rightfulness). [Ibn Majah,
Darimi]
―O you who believe, fear Allah and give up what remains (due to
you) from riba (from now onwards) if you are indeed believers …
And none shall be dealt with unjustly. (Al-Baqarah 2:278-281).
Ibn Abbas (ra) said: ―These were the last ayats revealed to the
13
Prophet (s).‖ [Bukhari]
Interconnection of the Topics
Ayats (1 - 20): The matter concerning the attitude and

characteristics of believers, disbelievers, and hypocrites are
discussed.
Ayats (21 – 29): Mankind has been asked by the creator Allah
(swt) to voluntarily accept and submit to Him. They are also been
told to believe in Al-Qur‘an, His Guidance, and in the life after
death.
Ayats (30 – 39): The story of Adam (a) has been narrated. Allah
(swt) appointed Adam (a) as vicegerent to Earth. As a matter of
consequence Shaitan tempted him, and Adam (a) fell prey to
that. Allah (swt) related the incidents of repentance and its
acceptance from Adam (a) to show mankind (Adam‘s (a)
offspring) the original notion of guidance towards truth.
Ayats (40 – 120): Bani Israel‘s past and present attitude towards
guidance has been critically assessed in these ayats. Allah (swt)
has shown the course of their degradation was their deviation
from guidance.
Ayats (121 – 141): Allah (swt) exhorted (strongly urged) to accept

the guidance sent to Prophet Muhammad (s), who is from the
descendant and follower of Ibrahim (a) – whom Jews honour.
The story of building the Ka‘bah has also been narrated in
precedence to the event of making it as kiblah to Muslim
Community.
Ayats (142 – 152): The declaration of the change in Kiblah has

been made – From Masjid-al-Aqsa (Jerusalem) to Ka‘bah
(Makkah).
Ayats (153 – 251): Allah (swt) entrusted Muslims with necessary

responsibilities to walk in the road of guidance. He prescribed
Salat, Fast, Zakat, Hajj and Jihad as a moral training to the
14
Ummah. The believers have been commanded to obey authority,
to be just, to fulfil pledges, to observe treaties, to spend wealth,
etc. in the way of Allah (swt). Drinking, gambling, lending money
on Interest etc. have been prohibited to keep the Ummah safe
from disintegration.
Ayats (252 – 260): Allah (swt) mentioned some introductory

points on lending money on interest. This part described the
issue of life-after-death, true conception of Lord Almighty (Allah)
and revelation to emphasis the essence of accountability. The two
stories of Ibrahim (a) and the man [Uzair (a)] who woke up after
100 years has also been mentioned.
Ayats 261 to 283: Allah (swt) resumed the theme of - ayats 153 to
251. He exhorted the believers to spend in the way of Him. And
He warned them about the evil of lending money on the interest.
At the later ayats Allah (swt) declared war on those who would
touch Riba accompanying with the last Rasul Muhammad (s). He
instructed us to be honest in our conduct
of day-to-day business transactions.
Ayats 284 to 286: The basic article of Faith (Imaan) has been
reviewed here at the end of the Surah, as it was discussed at the
beginning. The ayats contains du‘a (private prayers for
individuals) for the Muslim Community. These are for the early
Muslims of Makkah who faced untold hardships in the
propagation of the Guidance.
1. Believe in the divine guidance of al-Qur‘an.
2. It is the truth, so don‘t mix truth with falsehood.
3. Believers should take action in order to establish Salat and

pay Zakat.
4. The Judgment Day is certain.
15
5. Eat of lawful things and don‘t make any food haram on
yourself.
6. A pious person is the one who believes in Allah (swt) and

the Last Day and the Angels and in all the revealed Book
and the Prophets.
7. Six qualities of people who will be benefited from this

Book - Piety, Faith on Ghaib, Salat,Charity, Faith on
Books,and Faith on Hereafter.
8. One should bequeath his/her property equitably to his
parents and relatives before dying.
9. Fasts are prescribed for Muslims in the month of

Ramadan.
10. Do not usurp another‘s property.
11. Don‘t believe in superstitions.
12. Spend your wealth in the way of Allah (swt).
13. Perform hajj-the pilgrimage to house of Allah (swt).
14. Don‘t follow a part of Islam and neglect the other.
15. Don‘t get deceived by the charm of disbelievers.
16. No one should curse trials, it paves the way for the
believer to achieve strong belief in the unseen.
17. Spend your money, but don‘t be a miser.
18. Don‘t dislike going to war for the cause of Islam.
16
19. No drinking and gambling as it is prohibited.
20. Marry believing men and women.
21. Don‘t enter into women during their monthly course.
22. Take care to have offspring as a continuation of charity.
23. Do not use Allah‘s name for such oaths to be away from
virtue, piety and the welfare of mankind.
24. Divorced women should reveal their pregnancy before

marrying again.
25. Don‘t prevent your divorced wife to remarry another

person.
26. The waiting period (Iddah) of a widow is four months and

ten days.
27. Fight and struggle in the way of Allah (swt).
28. Allah (swt) alone can increase and decrease wealth.
29. Spend the wealth in the cause of Allah (swt).
30. There is no compulsion in religion. But one should act in

accordance to his/her belief after the distinction has been
made between right and wrong.
31. Don‘t keep reminding a person of your charity. Kind

words are better than charity which is followed up by
insult or injury.
17
32. One should not spoil his/her charity by big talks and show
offs.
33. Those who devour interest become like the one whom
Satan has bewitched and maddened by his touch.
34. In a monetary transaction, debtors should be provided
grace to eliminate debt from the shoulders of the beholder

by the mercy of Allah (swt).
35. Last three ayats of Surah Baqarah is a Gift of Miraj

(Ascension) of Muhammad (s)- one of thebest du‘as which
Allah has taught us to believers in the Qur‘an.
18
3. Surah Ali „Imran (The Family of Imran)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ali „Imran In Summarized
Form

This Surah was revealed at Madinah, and the title is derived from
the ayah 33, referring to the family of Imran. This is the 3rd
Surah of the Qur'an according to its arrangement, but it is 89th
Surah according to the order of revelation. This Surah consists of
200 ayats divided in 20 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah points out to man‘s craving for the goodness of this
world. The believer prays for goodness in the life of the
Hereafter, and to safeguard him from the torment of the Fire.
The Surah asserts that the Day will definitely come, when each
soul will be accounted for his actions on earth. From those who
die as unbelievers, no ransom shall be accepted, even if it were as
much gold as would fill the entire earth.
Patience and piety are held up as virtues that will safeguard one
against evil conspiracies. Referring to the inattention of the
Muslims in the battle of Uhud, the Surah says that such
misfortunes befall the believers, so that Allah (swt) might test the
strength of their faith.
Each soul shall eventually be brought back to its Creator, and the
believer, who has lived righteously on earth, would enter
Paradise, and that would be the great Triumph.
Most part of the Surah was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (s)

in the years 3 A.H. and 4 A.H. However, its ayats 33 to 63,
according to a tradition, were revealed in the year 9 A.H. on the
occasion of the deputation of the Christians from Najran. The
stages of discourse can be divided into four:
19
 1st discourse – ayats 1 to 32 – likely to be revealed soon
after the Battle of Badr.
 2nd discourse – ayats 33 to 63 – revealed on 9 A.H on the
occasion of the visit of the deputation from the Christians
of Najran.
 3rd discourse – ayats 64 to 120 – appears to have been
revealed immediately after the first deputation.
 4th discourse – ayats 121 to 200 – revealed after the
Battle of Uhud.
1. Allah (swt) is the Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting. He sent Al-

Qur'an as He sent before the Tawrat and Injil for the
guidance of people. True believers are those who accept
everything of the Book of Allah (swt) and try to
understand it. Believers are those who always pray to
Lord Almighty for guidance.
2. Those who reject the truth, their wealth and their progeny
will not avail them anything against the reckoning of God
Almighty.
3. Allah (swt) bears witness for His own Tawhid as well as
the angels and the people of knowledge. Islam is the
religion acceptable in the sight of Lord Almighty.
4. One must follow the Prophet Muhammad (s) in order to
love Allah (swt). Faith requires obedience to Allah (swt)
and His final Messenger (s). Allah (swt) chose Adam (a),
Nuh (a), Family of Ibrahim (a) and the Family of Imran to
guide humanity through them. Many prophets and
messengers of Almighty Allah came for this purpose.
5. Birth of Isa (a) and his true message.
6. Isa (a) [Jesus] preached the message of Tawhid. His true
followers are those who recognize Tawhid. The birth of Isa
(a) was miraculous, just as Adam‘s (a) was one
miraculous. Some Christians argued with the Prophet
20
Muhammad (s). He asked them to come for an open
Mubahalah.
7. Invitation to the People of the Book to come to a common
word of Tawhid and obedience to Allah (swt).
8. Some People of the Book try to discredit Islam. Muslims
are warned to be conscious of this challenge.
9. Previous prophets and their scriptures confirm the truth
of Islam.
10. Charity and sacrifice are necessary to attain faith and
piety. Muslims should pay attention to the Ka‘bah and
stand firm to give the message of Islam to the world.
11. Muslims must remain conscious of Allah (swt) and must
hold fast together the rope of Allah (swt), i.e His Book and
His guidance.
12. The role of the Muslim Ummah in the world.
13. The critical review of the Battle of Uhud
14. Prohibition of Riba and emphasis on charity. Believers
must hasten to seek the forgiveness from their Lord. Some
beautiful characters and qualities of the believers are
mentioned.
15. Prophet Muhammad (s) is only a Messenger of Lord
Almighty like other messengers. His death should not
mean giving up the faith. Believers must persevere and be
patient in difficulties.
16. Criticism of those who showed weakness during the Battle
of Uhud. Muslims should be strong in their commitment
to faith.
17. True believers and the hypocrites. Hypocrites' negligence
at the time of Uhud.
18. Steadfast attitude of the Believers. Shaitan tries to
frighten the Believers, but the true Believers become even
stronger after trials and tests.
19. Some propaganda of the People of the Book against Islam
and how to respond to such challenges.
20. Allah‘s (swt) promise of success for the Believers. How the
believers should pray to Allah and seek His blessings.
21
This Surah is a sequel to the previous Surah Al-Baqarah. The

previous one was addressed primarily to the Children of Israel
(the Jews), and this one is for the Family of Imran (Surah Al
‗Imran) the invitation is extended to the Christians. Thus the
Surah begins by inviting the People of the Book (Jews and
Christians) to the truth of Islam and goes on to warn the
Muslims to take heed of the religious degeneration that plagued
the two earlier communities.
This Surah has a critical review of the Battle of Uhud fought

between 700 strong Muslim army led by the Prophet
Muhammad (s) against the 3000 strong Quraysh army led by
Abu Sufyan in 3 A.H. The causes and consequences of the
setback of the Muslim army have been discussed. The moral
weaknesses of the Muslims, the material greed of some of them,
and the disobedience of the persons not to abide by the orders of
the Prophet Muhammad (s) regarding the protection of the pass
were the main reasons for the setback. The Muslims have been
admonished to overcome their weaknesses, practice restraint, be
patient, fear Allah (swt), and trust in Him in order to get victory.
Here in this Surah, Allah (swt) introduces us about two types of

ayats present in Al-Qur‘an: The Mutashabihat and Muhkamat
Ayat. Muhkamat Ayats are entirely clear and plain, and these are
the foundations of the Book which are plain for everyone. And
the Mutashabihat Ayats are those in the Qur'an which are not
entirely clear, but allegorical, which could be understood
according to the context of the reader‘s perception while reciting
and making tadabbur (to ponder, reflect and think).
The Muhkamat are the Ayats that explain the abrogating rulings,
the allowed, prohibited laws, limits, obligations and rulings that
should be believed in and implemented. As for the Mutashabihat
Ayats, they include the abrogated Ayat, parables, oaths, and what
should be believed in, but not implemented. [Tafseer Ibn
Kathir]
22
This Surah mentions the event of Mubahala (i.e. deciding a
dispute by invoking curse of Allah on the liar), in the ayah 61, the
Christians of the Deputation from Najran were challenged by
Prophet Muhammad (s) to ―Mubahallah‖ which they declined.
Allah (swt) told us that He chose Prophet Adam (a), Prophet Nuh
(a), the family of Ibrahim (a) and the family of Imran from
amongst those who were living during their times for Prophet-
hood among the mankind. The Surah narrates the story of
Maryam and Isa (a) [Mary and Jesus] as well as of Zakariah (a),
the father of Yahya (a) [John the Baptist], all of whom belonged
to the family of Imran who was father of Prophet Musa (a) and
Haroon (a).
These family connections have been cited to illustrate the

miraculous birth of Isa (a) as well as that of his mother Maryam
and of Yahya (a). Maryam (Mary) was an example given by Allah
(swt) to Zakaria (a) who prayed to Allah (swt) asking to give him
a righteous son even though he and his wife were old and barren.
The angels confirmed him about a son. Allah (swt) named him as
Yahya – who was destined to be a chaste leader and Prophet.
So, the instances of Yahya (a) (John the Baptist) to a barren

woman and an extremely aged man and that of Adam (a) without
father and mother have been cited to show that there is nothing
in the birth of Isa (a) (Jesus) without a father to entitle him to
Divinity.
As it all stands - the main topics of this Surah Al ‗Imran are

Tawhid, Prophet-hood and the truth of the Qur' an. Along with
those, the Surah illustrates the beliefs of the People of Scripture
(the Jews and the Christians) - pointing out the errors in their
faith, and invited them to believe in Islam and follow the last
Prophet Muhammad (s). It has been declared (in ayah 110) that
the followers of Islam now form the best community which has
been raised for the guidance of mankind. This clearly means that
the earlier communities have been deposed and the religious
leadership of mankind has been vested in the Muslims. The
Surah also discusses the subjects of Hajj, Jihad, Zakat and Riba.
23
The Surah ends, like Surah al-Baqarah, with a du'a. The believers
are reminded to be mindful of Allah (swt), be patient and
steadfast. They are told not to be disconcerted by the freedom
and ease of the unbelievers, their enjoyment will be brief and
their final destination is Hell. The believers will gain Paradise.
Among the People of the Book are those who believe
submissively in one God and His revelations.
Ayats 1 to 32: Allah (swt) repeated the fundamental truths about

Him with ayats concerning the Revelation and the Life-after-
death as a prefaces to the main topics of the Surah.
Ayats 33 to 65: Alllah (swt) addressed the Christians in order to

invite them to accept Islam. The miraculous birth of Isa (a)
[Jesus] has been narrated with the birth of Yahya (a) to a barren
woman and an extremely aged man Zakaria (a) and that of Adam
(a), who didn‘t have any father.
Ayats 66 to 101: Allah (swt) invited the Jews to give up their evil
way of life and to accept the Divine Guidance. At the same time
the Muslims have been warned to be on their guard against their
foul intents, erroneous ways and absurd complaints.
Ayats 102 to 120: Allah (swt) instructed the Muslims to take heed
from the history of the people of the Book. They were told to
guard themselves from their corrupt deceitful works. Muslims
were also advised to prepare and train themselves to have virtue
within their heart and put an end to all evil.
Ayats 121 to 175: This portion of ayats contains a critical analysis

of the Battle of Uhud. Muslim were taught and reassured that the
plotting of their enemies could do them no harm, if they would
practice restraint and fortitude and have taqwa of Allah (swt). It
24
has been pointed out that the set-back they had suffered was due
to the lack of some moral qualities and the existence of some
evils within their own ranks. Since the main cause of the defeat
was the greed of the archers, and guarding the pass - the taking
of interest has been prohibited to eradicate this evil.
Ayats 175 to 189: The main theme of the ayats 109 to 120 has
been resumed to reassure and encourage the Muslims against the
dangerous plots of their enemies.
Ayats 190 to 200: These ayats are the conclusion of the theme of
the Surah as a whole.
Virtue of the Surah
Saaiduna Abdullah Ibn Masuud (raḍyAllāhu 'anhu) said: ―What

an excellent treasure Surah Ali Imran is to the pauper when he
recites it in prayer during the last part of the night.‖ [Sunan
Darimi]
Makhul (raḍyAllāhu 'anhu) reports that The Prophet of Allah

(ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said; ―If anyone recites Surah Ali
Imran on yaum-al-Jumu‘ah , the angels will invoke blessings on
him till night comes.‖ [Mishkaatul Masaabeeh]
Saaiduna Abu Umamah (raḍyAllāhu 'anhu) reports that The

Prophet of Allah (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said; ―Read the
two radiant ones, Al Baqarah and Ali Imran for they will come on
the day of Resurrection like two clouds, or two shades, or two
flocks of birds, pleading for their companions.‖ [Sahih
Muslim]
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said to Muadh

(radiAllahu ‗anhu), ‗Should I not teach you a supplication which,
when used to implore Allah, Allah shall pay your debt, even it be
as huge as Mount Uhud? He then mentioned them (i.e. Surah ali
Imran ayat 26 & 27)‟ [Tabarani in Al Saghir 1/330]
Prophet Muhammad (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: ―Allah's

most magnificent name, which when used to implore Him, He
25
responds, is found in three Surrahs. Al Baqara, Ali Imran and
Taha‖ [Hakim & Ibn Majah 3856]
1. In this Surah, Allah (swt) encouraged us to look at the

bigger picture of this ephemeral life. Material things are
temporary and are bound to perish, while what lies with
Allah (swt) is everlasting.
2. Some of the people who possess the book will try their
best to deviate us from the Deen of Allah (swt). So one
should be wary of this, and remain attendant by not taking
―protectors‖ outside of their ranks. However, not all are
wicked, so one should avoid generalizations.
3. Unity is encouraged throughout the Surah, while division

is discouraged. Unity is key to success.
4. Fight those who fight you, and don‘t seek to appease your
enemies who only seek your downfall. What happened on
the day of the battle (Uhud) was a test from Allah (swt) to
see who the true believers were and who the hypocrites
were. On that day, the hypocrites were closer to disbelief
when they spoke with their mouths what was not in their
hearts. Surely, Allah (swt) knows what was concealed.
5. Some amongst the People of the Book are trustworthy;

others are not, because they do not think it is a sin to
cheat someone not of their faith. Some people seek to
distort the book, claiming what they say is from it, while
most certainly it is not. So, one must not invent
ordinances in the name of Allah (swt).
6. This is the only Surah that categorized ayats as Muhkamat

(Ordinances) and Mutashabihat (Historical accounts &
Allegories). Muhkamat ayats are the ―mother of the book‖,
26
meaning these clear-cut ayats should give birth/guide our
way to understanding the Mutashabihat. Only Allah (swt)
knows the ―true‖ meanings of Mutashabihat, therefore
there is no ―correct‖ interpretation of these ayats. Key to
understanding these ayats is to be humble, and be sincere.
7. Resolve differences between each other and come to a

common word: Not to serve anyone except Allah (swt),
and not to set authorities with Him.
8. Like in Surah Baqarah, Allah (swt) has reminded us here

also not to consume usury.
9. This Surah encourage us to race for Jannah‘s

unfathomable expanse. In the past many Prophets have
fought steadfastly for the cause of Lord Almighty, some
with many followers, and they did not give in to
adversaries or disbelief. They only asked for forgiveness
and victory over the disbelievers. They were rewarded in
this life and reward awaits them in the Hereafter.
10. One should behave soft heartedly: restrain anger and

overlook the mistakes of others. And make Islah
(correction) in everything he/she does. So, one must not
dispute on things which he/she has no knowledge of.
11. Allah (swt) tells the believer in ayah 97: …..And Hajj
(pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka`bah) is a duty
that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the
expenses (for one‘s conveyance, provision and residence).
Those who do not perform Haj even when they have
ability to manage it, at the end of the ayah Allah tells He
would put those into accountability who would become
irresponsible.
12. Hajj gives us a focus, center and orientation. We have one
27
Qiblah and that is our direction for worship. But we
should not have only one Qiblah for worship; we should
also have unity of purpose and mission in our life.
Muslims should be the people of a focus and direction, not
a confused people or a people without any orientation and
direction. Our focus of life is Allah and House of Allah, the
Ka'bah on this earth. We have with us Allah's book that we
must hold fast together. "And hold fast all together Allah's
rope and be not divided... (Ali 'Imran 3:103).
13. The Surah ends beautifully by asking the believers to

exhort patience and support each other so that they may
become successful. Certainly, victory is in the possession
of almighty Allah (swt).
28
4. Surah An-Nisa‟ (The Women; The Female Adults; The
Adult Females)
Concise Tafseer of Surah An-Nisa‟ In Summarized Form

This is a Madani Surah. It was revealed after Surah Al-

Mumtahinah and the fourth Surah in the sequence of the Qur‘an,
exactly after Surah Al-‗Imran (the family of ‗Imran). Surah An-
Nisa‘ is the Surah that calls for justice and mercy, especially for
those helpless in society. The Surah begins with the stressing on
the unity of mankind, with special mention of the rights of
orphans.
A major portion of the Surah An-Nisa‘ deals with the rights of

women and their position with regard to family life and
marriage. Men are advised to treat their wives kindly. Guidelines
are given as to the law of inheritance and prohibition of marriage
to close relations. This Surah has 176 ayats divided in 24 Ruku‘
(Section).
In the opinion of some very careful commentators of the Qur‘an,

this Surah was mainly revealed in 4 AH while some passages of it
were revealed in the end of 3 AH and in the beginning of 5 AH.
Ayah 176 was sent down long after the revelation of this Surah;
according to most authentic traditions, it was revealed in 9 AH
when An-Nisa' was already being recited as a complete Surah.
Although it is difficult to determine the exact dates of their

revelations, yet it is possible to assign to them a fairly correct
period with the help of the Commandments and the events
mentioned therein and the Traditions concerning them. A few
instances include:
 We know that the instructions about the division of
inheritance of the martyrs and for the safeguard of the
29
rights of the orphans were sent down after the Battle of
Uhud in which 70 Muslims were killed. Then naturally
the question of the division of the inheritance of the
martyrs and the safeguard of the rights of their
orphans arose in many families at Al-Madinah. From
this we conclude that ayats 1 to 28 were revealed on
that occasion.
 We learn from the Traditions that the Commandment
about Salat during war time was given on the occasion
of Zat-ur-Riqa'a, an expedition which took place in 4
AH. From this we conclude that the discourse
containing ayah 102 was revealed on that occasion.
 The last warning (ayah 47) to the Jews was given
before the Banu Nadir were exiled from Al-Madinah in
Rabi'-ulAwwal, 4 AH. From this it may safely be
concluded that the discourse containing ayah 47 must
have been revealed some time before that date.
 The permission about tayammum (the performance of
ablutions with pure dust, in case of no water is
available: ayah 43) was given during the Bani-al-
Mustaliq expedition, which took place in 5 AH.
Therefore, the probable period of that discourse was in
5 AH.
1. Responsibility to take care of the family. Special care of

orphans.
2. Laws of inheritance. It is an obligation from Allah (swt).
3. Relations between men and women should be based on
the principle of equity and goodness.
4. Rules of marriage especially concerning the women who
cannot be taken in marriage.
5. Men and women's rights over their properties.
6. Disagreement and reconciliation between husband and
wife.
7. Internal and external purity: rules of wudu, ghusl and
30
prayers.
8. Fulfill the trusts and refer all disputes to Allah (swt) and
His Last Messenger.
9. Those who decline to accept the decisions of Allah's (swt)
Messenger are the hypocrites.
10. It is the duty of the Believers to establish justice and
protect the poor and the oppressed.
11. Hypocrites' attitude to the Prophet Muhammad (s) and to
the Believers.
12. How to deal with the hypocrites who are prone to fighting.
13. Believers must respect the life of other Believers. Murder
and its punishment.
14. Believers must join and live with other Believers unless
they are unable to do so.
15. Prayers for the travelers and those who are in the
battlefield.
16. Always be just and do not take the side of the unjust.
17. The secret councils of the hypocrites.
18. Allah (swt) will not forgive Shirk. Shaitan is misleading
the humans through deceptions and false promises.
19. Some more directions about dealing with orphans and
family disputes.
20. Believers must stand for justice for all. They must pay
attention to their faith.
21. Hypocrites try to deceive Allah (swt). They are lazy in
their prayers. Their end will be the lowest part of hell.
22. Allah's (swt) punishment for those who broke their
covenant with Him. Some People of the Book tried to
crucify Isa (a) [Jesus], but Allah (swt) saved him.
23. The message of Islam is the same as the message of
previous Prophets.
24. Invitation to the People of the Book to accept Islam and
recognize the true teachings of Isa (a). Some more
elaboration on the law of Inheritance.
31
The main theme of Surah An-Nisa‘ is the building of a strong
Muslim society, particularly in reference to granting women,
their God-given rights to fulfill their true roles in a society. This
Surah teaches the Muslims to adhere to the ways which would
make their faith firm and strong. The core facet of that society is
none other than a stable family.
The setback at Uhud in 3 AH and the martyrdom of seventy

companions of the Prophet Muhammad (s) left a large number of
orphans and widows who had to be looked after. One of the
major causes of the reverse at Uhud was desertion of the
hypocrites under Abdullah Bin Ubayy and the presence of some
of them in the Muslim army who were not fully committed to the
cause of Islam.
The Jews, on the other hand, had inspired the hypocrites to be

courageous and conspire openly with the Quraysh and their
tribes to be hostile to the Muslims. So this Surah, mainly deals
with these three subjects, i.e. the social problems faced by the
Muslims regarding the widows and orphans, the attitude of the
hypocrites and how to beware of them, and the hostility of the
Jews and how to deal with them.
The Surah deals with the case of Bani Nadir. In spite of the peace
treaties they had with Muslims, they openly siding with the
enemies of Islam. They were exiled from Al-Madinah for plotting
against Muhammad (s) and the Muslim Community. In order to
consolidate and strengthen the community of Islam detail
instructions have been given in continuation to those of Surah
Al-Baqarah.
The moral and religious condition of the People of the Book is

reviewed to teach lessons to the Muslims, and a warning is given
to refrain from following their footsteps. The distinctive features
of hypocrisy and true faith are clearly marked for easy
identification between the two.
After the Battle of Uhud Allah (swt) revealed inspiring discourses

to encourage the believers to stay patient and persevere to do the
32
instructed orders against hypocrites and Arab mushriks.
Believers were asked to make a thorough inquiry about their
conspiracy and then inform it to the leaders for appropriate
measures.
Muslims were experiencing difficulties in offering their Salah

during the expeditions when water was not available to perform
ablution. In such circumstances Allah (swt) granted a permission
to make Tayammum (purification with clean earth), and to
shorten the Salah or to offer the "Salat-ul-Khauf," when they
were faced with danger. Instructions were also given to those
Muslims who were living in the enemy camps that they should
migrate to Al-Madinah, the newly formed state of Islam.
Clear instruction was sent to Muslims about how they would

behave with the clans not allied. Greater importance was made to
that of character building. The superiority of cultural ethics set
by Islam is established over that of the Jews, Christians and
Mushrikin.
The Revelation of the Qur‘an was sent to Muhammad (s) and just
like all the prophets before him. Daud (a) [David] received the
Psalms, and Musa (s) [Moses] spoke directly to God Almighty
and he was given Taurat. And Isa (a) [Jesus] was also a
messenger people of the Scripture have been told to abandon the
Trinitarian doctrine because God Almighty as He is Only One.
He does not need a son.
In the last ayah an additional ruling of inheritance has been

divinely prescribed. The ruling for a on the inheritance of a
person (Allah mentions them as ―Kalalah‖ in Arabic) with neither
descendants nor ascendants. In such cases, a sister inherits half
her brother‘s estate; a brother inherits all his sisters‘ estate. If
there are two sisters or more, they inherit two-thirds of the
estate. And if there are both brothers and sisters, the male
inherits twice the share of the female.
33
 The opening ayah stresses the unity of human race by
pointing out they were created from a single soul.
 In ayats 2 to 10, rights of orphans have been laid down in
general. Permission given regarding polygamy (ayah
no.3). This permission encourages Muslims to marry
widows and other helpless women such as orphaned adult
female and divorcees in order to provide them protection
as well as protection to the orphans who are with the
widows.
 Ayats 11 and 12 along with ayats 7, 8, 33 and 176 lay down
the law of inheritance in Islam.
 Rights to women have been granted in ayats 3 and 127 (in
case of polygamy), in ayats 7, 11, 12 and 176 (regarding
inheritance), in ayats 4, 19, 20 and 21 (regarding dower),
in ayats 19, 22, 23, 24, 25 (regarding marriage), in ayats
34, 35, 128 (regarding disputes with the husband), in ayah
127 (regarding marriage of orphan female adults), etc.
 Law of dower has been legislated in ayats 4, 19 to 21.
 Ayats 22 to 24 establishes rule of prohibition of marriages
within certain degrees of close relationships.
 Before legislating the punishment for fornication finally in
Surah An-Nur [24], the way to deal with the women and
men guilty of this offence has been announced in ayats 15
and 16 of this Surah.
 Rules regarding repentance and forgiveness have been
laid down in ayats 17 and 18.
 Law of arbitration has been laid down in ayah 35.
 Ayah 36 enjoins kind treatment to parents, near kindred,
orphans, the neighbours, friends, slaves and wayfarers. It
bids us to worship Allah (swt) only and not to associate
any partner with Him. Ayats 48 and 116 make ascribing
partners to Allah (Shirk or polytheism) unpardonable sin.
 Ayah 43 legislates initial prohibition of drinking,
forbidding the Muslims to approach prayer while drunk. It
also makes rules regarding bath and dry ablution.
34
 Rules regarding deposits, doing justice, obeying Allah
(swt) and the messenger, obedience to Amir are laid down
in ayats 58 and 59.
 Instructions regarding Jihad (fighting for the cause of
Allah) have been given in ayats 71, 74, 75 to 78, 84 and 95.
 In ayah 86, manners of greeting have been laid down.
 Ayats 92 and 93 enacts the law regarding punishment for
murder.
 In ayats 97 to 100 - migration has been enjoined on
believers in case of danger to lives and beliefs.
 Rules regarding prayer in case of journey, fear and war
have been laid down in ayats 101 to 103.
 Ayats 37 to 42, 62 to 68, 72 to 73, 77 to 83, 88 to 91, 113,
138 to 143 and 145 deal with the behaviour of hypocrites
and warn the Muslims to be careful about them.
 Case of the Jews has been discussed in ayats 44 to 54 and
ayats 150 to 162.
 Charges against the Jews have been framed such as the
breaking of the covenant with Allah (swt), disobedience to
Musa (a), worship of the calf, breach of the Sabbath,
disbelief in ayats of Allah (swt), assassination of previous
Prophets, and slander against Maryam (mother of Isa (a)),
taking of usury and devouring of the wealth of people
through unlawful means. Although, the Qur‘an rejects
their claim regarding Crucifixion and the killing of Isa (a),
their behaviour with Isa (a) is condemned.
 The Christians have been addressed in ayah 171. The
divinity of Isa (a) and doctrine of Trinity has been rejected
outright and they have been plainly told that Isa (a)
[Jesus] was the only messenger of Allah.
Virtue of the Surah
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood radiyallahu ‗anhu has said, " There
are five Ayats in Surat An-Nisa' that I would prefer to the life of
this world and all that is in it."
35
I. If you avoid great sins which you are forbidden to do,
We shall remit from you your (small) sins, and admit
you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise). (4:31),
II. Surely, Allah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom
(or a small ant), but if there is any good (done), He
doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward. (4:40),
III. Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set
up with him in worship, but He forgives except that
(anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets
up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed
invented a tremendous sin. (4:48),
IV. If they (the hypocrites), when they had been unjust to
themselves, had come to you (Muhammad sallallahu
alaihe wasallam) and begged Allah‘s forgiveness, and
the Messenger had begged forgiveness for them, they
would have found Allah indeed the All-Forgiving (One
who accepts repentance), Most Merciful. (4:64),
V. And whoever earns a sin, he earns it only against
himself. And Allah is every All-Knowing, All-Wise.
(4:110).
This statement of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood radiyallahu anhu
has been recorded by Ibn Jareer.
Narrated Yusuf bin Mahk, While I was with Aisha, the mother of
the Believers, a person from Iraq came and asked, "What type of
shroud is the best?" Àisha said, "May Allah be merciful to you!
What does it matter?" He said, "O mother of the Believers! Show
me (the copy of) your Qur'an," She said, "Why?" He said, "In
order to compile and arrange the Qur'an according to it, for
people recite it with its Surahs not in proper order." Àisha said,
"What does it matter which part of it you read first? (Be
informed) that the first thing that was revealed thereof was a
Surah from Al-Mufassal, and in it was mentioned Paradise and
the Fire. When the people embraced Islam, the ayats regarding
legal and illegal things were revealed. If the first thing to be
revealed was: 'Do not drink alcoholic drinks.' people would have
said, 'We will never leave alcoholic drinks,' and if there had been
36
revealed, 'Do not commit illegal sexual intercourse, 'they would
have said, 'We will never give up illegal sexual intercourse.' While
I was a young girl of playing age, the following ayah was revealed
in Makkah to Muhammad (s): 'Nay! But the Hour is their
appointed time (for their full recompense), and the Hour will be
more grievous and more bitter.' (54.46) Surah Al-Baqarah (The
Cow) and Surat An-Nisa (The Women) were revealed while I was
with him." Then Àisha took out the copy of the Qur'an for the
man and dictated to him the ayats of the Suras (in their proper
order). [Sahih al-Bukhari Vol. 6, Book 61, Hadith 515]
1. The Rules regarding Inheritance is discussed. Laws of

inheritance, women are awarded the rights to inherit.
People are asked to deal justly with the orphans.
2. Men are asked to deal justly with the women and give
them their mahr (‫ )ِهر‬while marrying.
3. Guidelines are laid down about the woman one can

marry and the woman one cannot.
4. Divorce and the right to remarry are discussed.

Mahram relations are explained - relatives that are
prohibited for marriage. Commandment about
'arbitration' in family disputes.
5. Second commandment relating to the prohibition of

drinking, (first commandment was in Surah Al-Baqarah
2:219).
6. Surah An-Nisa‘ warns against hoarding wealth or

spending wealth in order to be seen by men. But it asks
the believers to spend the wealth (one who possess) in
charity, to orphans and to the needy.
7. The meaning of doing jihad in the cause of Allah (swt).

37
Warnings are laid to the believers to be firm in justice and
not to covet each other‘s wealth.
8. It talks about the hypocrites and also about the people

of the book who have laid themselves strayed.
9. Acceptable and unacceptable repentance.
10. The one who disputes the decision of the Prophet (s) is
not a believer.
11. Divine Law that obedience of the Rasool is in fact the

obedience of Allah.
12. Allah commands to respond greetings with better

greetings.
13. Laws about manslaughter, murder and bloodwit.
14. Salat-ul-Qasr: permission of short prayer in travelling.
15. Salat-ul-Khauf: performing prayer in a state of

emergency (war).
16. Salat: (prayers) are obligatory on prescribed timings.
17. Prohibition of 'secret counsels' and its exceptions.

18. Isa (a) – Jesus, was neither killed nor crucified. Isa
was a Prophet of Allah (Almighty God) and His
worshipper. Stop saying "Trinity" - Allah is the One and
Only God.
19. The Qur'an carries the same Message that was sent to
Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa
(Jesus).
38
20. Allah's commandments relating to family life and
community life. The Surah illustrates the Qur‘an‘s role as
an authoritative legal source and its ability to shape the
community.
39
5. Surah Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread; The Dinner
Table; The Feast)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Ma'idah In Summarized
Form

This is a Madani Surah. This is the 5th Surah according to the

arrangement of the Qur'an and 112th according to the order of
revelation. This Surah takes its name from ayah 112 wherein the
word ―Ma‘idah‖ has occurred in connection with the demand of
the Disciples of Isa (a) [Jeses] who asked him for a table spread
with food be sent from heaven; and the prayer of Prophet Isa (a)
was accepted by Allah (swt).
The story of the Feast (Maidah) is a real life anecdote that sums
up the central theme of the Surah, which is - the covenants. It
also shows that when a person accepts to enter into a covenant
with Allah (swt), they are expected to fulfil their obligation or
else endure severe consequences. The Surah consists of 120 ayats
in 16 Ruku‘ (Section).
The exact period of its revelation is not known. This Surah was
revealed to suit the requirement of the changed conditions that
prevailed earlier at the time of the revelation of ―Ali ‗lmran‖ and
―An-Nisa‖. It was revealed, as the theme of the Surah indicates,
after the treaty of Hudaibiyah at the end of 6 AH or beginning of
7 AH. Muslim land had now extended to Najd on the east, to the
Red Sea on the west, to Syria on the north and to Makkah on the
south.
Al-Mai‘dah was revealed in a time when Muslim civilization

started to take shape in its proper form. The social behaviour, the
conversation, the dress, the very mode of living, the culture etc.
had taken definite shape of its own.
40
The laws of marriage and divorce, segregation of sexes,
punishment of adultery and abuse, new and reformed ways of
trade and commerce gave Muslims a special mold.
After the treaty of Hudaibiyah Muslims enjoyed peace in their

own territory and got chance to spread the Islam‘s Messages to
the surrounding territories. Accordingly, Prophet Muhammad (s)
addressed letters to the rulers of Iran, Egypt and the Roman
Empire and chiefs of Arabia, inviting them to Islam. At the same
time missionaries of Islam spread among the clans and tribes,
and invited them to accept the Divine Way of Allah (swt).
1. General Rules of Discipline

2. Cleanliness for prayers, Command to abide by justice.
3. Allah's (swt) covenant with the Children of Israel.
4. Children of Israel broke the covenant of Allah (swt).
5. Musa (a) warned the Children of Israel.
6. Story of the two children of Adam (a), Punishment for the
offenders.
7. Lord Almighty's rules must be established.
8. The relations of Muslims with their opponents.
9. Those who make the mockery of the truth.
10. How Christians deviated from the truth.
11. Some Christians came closer to Islam and recognized the
truth.
12. Prohibition against intoxicants, gambling and shirk.
13. Respect of the Ka'bah.
14. Rules against idolatry and about testimony.
15. Some miracles of Isa (a) [Jesus].
16. How the teachings of Isa (a) were corrupted after his
departure.
Surah al-Mai‘dah complements the discussion in the previous

Surah on social obligations. This Surah starts with the command
41
to ‗fulfil the covenants‘ (ayah 1) which not only includes
covenants between people, but also covenants between Allah
(swt) and His servants. The Surah, then draws many analogies
from the history of the People of the Book who did not honour
their covenants with Allah (swt). As they abandoned and
corrupted the truths conveyed to them by their Prophets, and so
they no longer adhere to the original teachings of the Gospel and
At-Taurah. Believers are requested to study the consequences of
their deviations and avoid falling into the same mistakes like the
previous nations.
There are six main points discussed in this Surah:
1. All obligations whether they are divine or human
should be fulfilled. When we have a pledge or promise
or sign a treaty we must abide by it. Also Allah (swt)
gave some rules for life to keep us clean and sober.
Cleanliness of the body, living with justice, being
upright and moral, avoiding sin, corruption and
superstition, and doing the deeds of piety and
righteousness are important rules and principles and
must be observed.
2. Message to the People of the Book i.e. Christians and
Jews to recognize the truth. Allah's punishment comes
on those who reject Allah's rules and knowingly violate
them.
3. The story of the two children of Adam (a) is told. This
story has many lessons. Sometime even your brothers
become envious of you and they harm you. When one
person kills another, he is the killer of not only one
person but of all human beings because he contravenes
the law of respect for human life upon which the lives
of all human beings depend.
4. Muslims must deal with justice with all people. Justice
should be impartial, even to their enemies they must
be just. However, relations among Muslims themselves
should be deeper. There should not be only justice but
also love, brotherhood, care and concern for each
other.
42
5. Enjoy the good things that Allah (swt) has given, but
guard against excesses. Do not indulge in swearing,
gambling, intoxicants, superstitions, violation of the
sanctities of the Sanctuary of Allah (swt) (the Ka'bah).
6. Isa (a) was a great prophet of Allah (swt). He
performed many miracles, but his teachings were not
followed and they were corrupted after his departure
from this earth.
At the end what matters is that how true we are in our
commitment with Allah (swt) and how truly we follow His
commands. In this world we might pose in front of people and
deceive even our own self; but in the hereafter the only thing of
any value will be the truth.
Ayats 1 to 10: Here the Divine laws about food, sex, salat, and
justice have been prescribed. Believers are ordained to observe
and fulfill these scrupulously.
Ayats 11 to 26: These ayats contain admonition regarding the

ways of Jews and Christians. Believers are requested to study the
consequences of such deviations and avoid falling into the same
mistakes as previous nations. It is for the central theme of this
chapter that it is also given the name Surah Al-‗Uqud
(Covenants).
Ayats 27 to 32: It has the story of the two sons of Adam (a) in
harmony with Jews – those who plotted to kill Rasul Muhammad
(s) and his Companions.
Ayats 33 to 40: These have the prescribed punishment for those

who create chaos in a Muslim State of Khilafah. Believers are
admonished to follow and establish the prescribed ―Right Way‖.
Ayats 41 to 50: As Jews and Christians had forsaken their Torah

and Gospel respectively, Muhammad (s) and through him all
Muslims were calmed not to mind their hostility of faith. The
43
believers were told to continue their struggle to establish the
Right Way with the teachings of the Qur‘an.
Ayats 51 to 69: These ayats contain the elements concerning

standard grade of faith in Islam and about the relationship
between Jews and Christians. Muslims are told to guard
themselves against the evil designs of hypocrites. They are also
admonished to be careful about holding relationship with Jews
and Christians. There will be a time when some Jews and
Christians will be friends with themselves only, if Muslims
become friends with them, they will no longer be in the fold of
Islam.
Ayats 70 to 86: It resumed the theme of corruptions of Jews and

Christians. Christians were especially reproved for swaying
themselves from Tauhid. There were also hard hearted person
among Jews themselves; but there were some of the believer of
Torah who follows the Truth.
Ayats 87 to 108: In addition of ayats 1 to 10, further regulations
concerning what is lawful and unlawful have been given.
Ayats 109 to 119: it includes the conversation of Allah (swt) and

His prophets which will take place in the Day of Judgment. The
conversation with Prophet Isa (a) has been mentioned as an
example to warn particularly the Christians, who profess to
believe in him, and generally all those people who put false hopes
in their Prophets, etc.
Ayah 120: it is the conclusion of the Surah Al-Mai‘dah where

Allah (swt) tells His servants about the true holder of sovereignty
and its notion of importance.
Virtue of the Surah
"This day have those who disbelieve despaired of your religion,

so fear them not, and fear Me. This day have I perfected for you
your religion and completed My favour on you and chosen for
you Islam as a religion.."[Quran 5:3] This ayah was revealed at
Arafat as reported in the authentic hadith:
44
Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab: Once a Jew said to me, "O the
chief of believers! There is a ayah in your Holy Book Which is
read by all of you (Muslims), and had it been revealed to us, we
would have taken that day (on which it was revealed) as a day of
celebration." 'Umar bin Al-Khattab asked, "Which is that ayah?"
The Jew replied, "This day I have perfected your religion For you,
completed My favor upon you, And have chosen for you Islam as
your religion." (5:3) 'Umar replied, ―No doubt, we know when
and where this ayah was revealed to the Prophet. It was Jumu‘ah
and the Prophet was standing at 'Arafat (i.e. the Day of Hajj).
[Bukhari]
At-Tirmidhi recorded that Àbdullah bin Àmr said, "The last

Surahs to be revealed were Surat Al-Ma'idah and Surat Al-Fath
(chapter 48).'' At-Tirmidhi commented, "This Hadith is Hasan,
Gharib.'' and it was also reported that Ibn Àbbas said that the
last Surah to be revealed was,
(When there comes the help of Allah and the Conquest,) Al-
Hakim collected a narration similar to that of At-Tirmidhi in his
Mustadrak, and he said, "It is Sahih according to the criteria of
the Two Shaykhs and they did not record it.'' Al-Hakim narrated
that Jubayr bin Nufayr said, "I performed Hajj once and visited
À'ishah and she said to me, Ò Jubayr! Do you read (or
memorize) Al-Ma'idah ' I answered `Yes.' She said, Ìt was the
last Surah to be revealed. Therefore, whatever permissible
matters you find in it, then consider (treat) them permissible.
And whatever impermissible matters you find in it, then consider
(treat) them impermissible.''' Al-Hakim said, "It is Sahih
according to the criteria of the Two Shaykhs and they did not
record it. ''
Imam Ahmad recorded that Àbdur-Rahman bin Mahdi related
that Muàwiyah bin Salih added this statement in the last
Hadith, "I (Jubayr) also asked À'ishah about the Messenger of
Allah's conduct and she answered by saying, `The Qur'an.''' An-
Nasa'i also recorded it. [Tafseer Ibn Kathir]
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "There were

three stages to prohibiting Khamr (intoxicants). When the
45
Messenger of Allah migrated to Al-Madinah, the people were
consuming alcohol and gambling, so they asked the Messenger of
Allah about these things, Allah revealed,
(They ask you about alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In them
is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men.'')﴿2:219﴾, until the end
of the Ayah. The people said, `They (intoxicants and gambling)
were not prohibited for us. Allah only said,
(In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men.)' So they
went on drinking Khamr until one day, one of the emigrants lead
his companions in the Maghrib prayer and mixed up the Ayat in
his recitation. Thereafter, Allah sent down a tougher statement,
(O you who believe! Approach not the Salah (the prayer) when
you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning of) what
you utter.)﴿4:43 ﴾Then, the people would drink before the time of
the prayer so that they would attend the prayer while sober. A
firmer Ayah was later revealed,
(O you who believe! Khamr, Maysir, Ansab, and Azlam are an

abomination of Shaytan's handiwork. So avoid that in order that
you may be successful.)﴿5:90-91 ﴾So they said, `We abstained, O
Lord!' Later, some people said, Ò Allah's Messenger! Some
people died in the cause of Allah, while some others died in their
beds, but they used to drink alcohol and indulge in gambling,
which Allah has made a Rijs of the work of Shaytan.' So Allah
sent down,
(Those who believe and do righteous good deeds, there is no sin

on them for what they ate...) ﴿5:93﴾, until the end of the Ayah.
The Prophet said,
(Had they been made impermissible for them, they would have
abandoned them as you have abandoned them.) Ahmad recorded
this Hadith. Imam Ahmad recorded that Ùmar bin Al-Khattab
said, "O Allah! Explain the verdict about Khamr to us clearly.''
The Ayah in Surat Al-Baqarah was revealed,
(They ask you about alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In them
is a great sin.'')﴿2:219 ﴾Ùmar was summoned and this Ayah was
recited to him, but he still said, "O Allah! Make the verdict of
46
Khamr clear to us.'' Then the Ayah in Surat An-Nisa' was
revealed,
(O you who believe! Do not approach the Salah when you are in a
drunken state.)﴿4:43 ﴾Thereafter, the Prophet had someone
herald when it was time to pray, "Those in a drunken state are
not to approach the prayer.'' Ùmar was again summoned and
the Ayah was recited to him, but he still said, "O Allah! Make the
verdict concerning Khamr clear to us.'' Then, the Ayah in Surat
Al-Ma'idah ﴿5:91 ﴾was revealed, and Ùmar was summoned and
it was recited to him. When he reached the part of the Ayah that
reads,
(So, will you not then abstain)﴿5:91﴾, Ùmar said, "We abstained,
we abstained.'' Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, and An-Nasa'i recorded
this Hadith. Àli bin Al-Madini and At-Tirmidhi graded it Sahih.
It is recorded in the Two Sahihs, that Ùmar bin Al-Khattab said
in a speech; while standing on the Minbar of the Messenger of
Allah (in the Prophet's Masjid in Al-Madinah) "O people! The
prohibition of Khamr was revealed; and Khamr was extracted
from five things: From grapes, dates, honey, wheat and barley.
Khamr is what intoxicates the mind.'' Al-Bukhari recorded that
Ibn Ùmar said, "The prohibition of Khamr was revealed when
there were five kinds of intoxicants in Al-Madinah, besides what
was produced from grapes.'' [Tafseer Ibn Kathir]
1. It is duty bound to us to fulfill our obligations. One must

stand up for justice, and be not partial.
2. Allah (swt) made a covenant with ―Bani Israel‖ and the

―Nasara‖ but they breached it. This caused them to be
arrogant, and misrepresent the Message.
3. There has come to you an illuminating book that guides to

*paths* of peace (Islam).
47
4. Muhammad (s) has come to clarify matters, lest one say
―no warner‖ has come to us. Narration about Musa (a) and
his people, his people signifying the lack of devotion to
fight in the cause of Allah (swt).
5. Two sons of Adam (a) have been narrated. The

commandment of murdering an innocent soul is like
murdering the entire mankind, and saving a soul is like
saving the whole mankind. This is so that people do not
forget the pivotal commandment of only killing in self-
defense.
6. The natural consequence of those who wage a war against
―Allah and His Messenger‖ is that they are humiliated in
one way or the other.
7. Attain Taqwa (consciousness of Allah (swt)), and if one

seeks to be successful - one must make a journey towards
Him, which is desirable in the long run. This is better than
acquiring all the material possessions in the world.
8. Those who steal, cut off their capacities. However, if they

sincerely repent, Allah (swt) will forgive them.
9. Beware of the hypocrites. Those who have hearts with

sickness, always say and behave, which is not in their
hearts.
10. Allah (swt) could have made us all one Ummah, but he
provided us with different understandings of the same
truth collectively. Instead of fighting over this, we should
all hasten ourselves to do well.
11. Do not take those who take your Deen as mockery and
play as protectors. This, because these folks have no
intentions of connecting with Allah (swt). So no one
should turn their back, as this means turning away from
48
Laws of Allah (swt) which is act of ignorance.
12. Do not set up authorities with Allah (swt). Some Yahood

say that ―God‘s hands are tied down‖ while they
themselves are extremely stingy. Allah (swt) doesn‘t need
us, rather we need him for blessing. Or else, we would
follow the footsteps of Shaitan.
13. Both Isa (a) and his mother consumed food, and were like
every other mortal. This is termed as a sign for those who
will give thought.
14. The people who possess the book are told not to commit
excess in their Deen, and not follow erroneous views.
Certainly Allah (swt) will guard Al-Qur‘an revealed to
Muhammad (s) from all discrepancies.
15. None should forbid the things what Allah (swt) has made
lawful for oneself.
16. Oaths without deliberate intentions are not accountable.

Oaths with deliberate intentions are accountable.
Expiation of these oaths outlined.
17. Intoxication, games of chance are forbidden. Shaitan

causes enmity and hatred between humans through these
things.
18. Ordinances on hunting during the forbidden months.
19. Don‘t ask about things you have no knowledge of.

However, if one asks about things while the Qur‘an is
being revealed, one will get the answers eventually. The
negation of this commandment has led many towards
disbelief.
49
20. When it is said to people to believe what Allah (swt) has
revealed, they respond by saying that we will, on the
contrary, follow what their forefathers followed.
21. Obey Allah (swt) and the messenger. The messenger‘s

duty is to deliver the message to us. Everyone is hold
accountable to their deeds individually.
50
6. Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-An'am In Summarized
Form

Surah al-An'am is the first 'Makki' Surah after Surah Al-Fatihah

after a series of long Madani Surahs. This Surah is the 6th Surah
according to the arrangement of the Qur'an and 55th Surah
according to the order of revelation. The Surah derives its name
from a word ―َ‫ أٔ عا‬: An‘am‖ in ayah 136, repeated in ayats 138
and 139, where cattle have been mentioned in connection
with certain superstitious practices of the pagans of Arab.
The whole Surah was revealed in Makkah at one sitting

according to the tradition of Ibn ‗Abbass, unlike all the previous
long Surahs which were revealed in small stages. Its revelation
was accompanied by 70 angels which demonstrates the Surah's
importance.
It is reported on the authority of ‗Asma-u- bint Yazid‘, a first

cousin of the great companion of the Prophet (s), Muaz bin
Jabal, who said:‖ During the revelation of this Surah, the Prophet
(s) was riding on a she-camel, and I was holding her nose string.
The she-camel began to feel the weight bearing heavily on her,
and it seemed her bones would break under it‖.
The Surah has 165 ayats in 20 Ruku‘ (Section).
The subject-matter of the Surah clearly illustrates the revelation

period, it must have been revealed during the last year of Prophet
Muhammad‘s (s) life at Makkah. The antagonism and
persecution by the Quraysh had become most savage and brutal
and the majority of the Muslims had to migrate to Habash
(Abyssinia).
51
Additionally, the two great supporters of the Prophet, Abu Talib
and his wife Khadijah (rh) were no longer there to help him, so
he was deprived of all worldly support.
It was in these dark circumstances that a ray of hope gleamed

from Yathrib (Madinah), where Islam began to spread freely by
the efforts of some influential people of the tribes of Aws and
Khazraj, who had embraced Islam at Makkah. At that time, none
but Allah (swt) knew the great hidden potential in this.
1. Allah (swt) created the heaven and earth but the non-
believers call others equal to Allah (swt).
2. Allah‘s (swt) punishment came upon those who denied the
truth.
3. On the Day of Judgment the Mushrikin will admit their
guilt.
4. Those who deny the Hereafter they are the real losers.
Non-believers ridiculed Allah's (swt) Prophets, but in the
end the truth prevailed.
5. Nations were warned before. Allah (swt) did try them in
various ways.
6. Believers should be respected.
7. Allah (swt) is the Final judge and He will decide the
destiny of the individuals or nations.
8. Allah‘s (swt) majesty, power and might.
9. Prophet Ibrahim‘s (a) arguments against Shirk.
10. Other Prophets also gave the message of Tawhid.
11. Allah's (swt) revelation to His Prophets.
12. Allah's (swt) signs in the creation.
13. Allah (swt) has no partner, no son.
14. Arrogance of the non-believers and their opposition to the
15. Prophets. Do not eat the animals slaughtered in the name
of anyone other than Allah (swt).
16. Those who plot against Allah (swt), they suffer
themselves.
52
17. Superstitions of the Mushrikin.
18. Allah's (swt) gifts for humanity and people's self-imposed
prohibitions.
19. What are the things that Allah (swt) has forbidden?
20. Collective principles of Islam.
21. The true religion: prayer, sacrifice, life, death, everything
must be for Allah (swt).
A good part of the Surah is devoted to God (Allah - the Lord

Almighty) and how He mechanizes the world of creation,
showing a divergence from earlier Surahs which focused on
ordinances. Whereas the previous Surahs dealt with the Ahl al-
Kitab (Jews & Christians), this Surah makes reference to the
Mushrikeen (Idolaters). This is the first Surah to mention as
many as 18 different messengers/prophets.
The central themes of the Surah are Tauhid (monotheism),

demonstration of Allah's Omnipotence and the rejection of
polytheism. All these themes have been blended together in an
excellent manner with no separate headings. Other topics
include - life after death, Prophet-hood and their practical
relevance to human life.
Surah Al-An‘am refutes the erroneous beliefs of those opposing

the truth and answers their objections, warning and
admonishing them. Furthermore, it comforts the Prophet (s) and
his followers who were suffering from persecution.
So, this Surah mainly discusses the different aspects of the major
articles of the faith in Islam. It gives beautiful description of
Allah's creative power. It criticizes Shirk and its manifestations.
To summarize it all, the basic topics discussed are:-
1. Unity of Allah (swt) is the reality of this existential world.
2. Polytheism has no foundation.
3. Prophet Ibrahim (s) preached Tauhid. Other Prophets
also gave the same message.
53
4. Allah's (swt) judgment will come and the truth will
prevail.
5. Allah (swt) gives right guidance about food and other
matters of life.
Ayats 1 to 12: Polytheism or ascribing partners to Allah (swt) are

rejected. Idolatrous practices and superstitions of the
disbelievers are condemned. If they don‘t follow the Creed of
Islam, they will face the same consequence of the former
disbelievers.
Ayats 13 to 24: These ayats give us instructions on Tauhid, and

refute Shirk - which is the greatest obstacle in the way of its
approval from a disbeliever. The Doctrine of Divine unity in all
its purity is established with the Oneness of Allah (swt).
Ayats 25 to 32: Here, these ayats have description of the life of
Hereafter, which has been depicted to warn the disbelievers of
the consequences of rejecting the Articles of Faith.
Ayats 33 to 73: The main theme of these ayats is the Prophet-

hood of Muhammed (s). It has been discussed from the point of
view of his Mission, the limitations of his powers, the attitude
towards his followers and also from the point of view of the
disbelievers.
Ayats 74 to 90: In continuation to the theme of Prophet-hood,

the story of Prophet Ibrahim (a) has been narrated to the pagan
Arabs of the Quraysh, which they were proud of as descendants.
Muhammad (s) was given soothing inspiration and told about
the ultimate triumph of Truth when he had lost all hope about
the success of his mission.
Ayats 91 to 108: These ayats discusses the proof of Prophet-hood

of Muhammad (s), which is the Qur‘an itself. The prophet is
mortal like other human beings are and he does not possess any
supernatural powers. He only follows that which is revealed to
him.
54
Ayats 109 to 154: Divine limit of restrictions have been
contrasted with the limited pagan Arabs‘ superstitious
restrictions in order to show the striking differences between the
two. Thus Allah (swt) proved the Qur‘an to be a Revealed Book.
Ayats 155 to 160: The Jews here have been urged to compare the
teachings of the Qur‘an with those of At-Taurat (the Torah) so
that they might recognize their similarity. They were criticized in
ayats 144 – 147 along with the pagan Arabs. They were warned to
give up their lame excuses and adopt the Guidance of the Qur‘an
to escape the retribution on the Day of Resurrection.
Ayats 161 to 165: This part is the conclusion of the Surah. The
Prophet Muhammad (s) has been instructed in a beautiful and
forceful manner to proclaim the true Articles of Islam along with
its implications without any fear. The ultimate purpose of the life
of a Prophet and an ordinary believer is to declare: My prayer,
my sacrifice, my living and my dying are all for Allah, the Lord of
the worlds (ayah 162). Man has been made Caliph (vicegerent)
on earth - ayah 165.
Virtue of the Surah
Al-Àwfi, Ìkrimah and Àta' said that Ibn Àbbas said, ―Surat
Al-Anàm was revealed in Makkah‖' At-Tabarani recorded that
Ibn Àbbas said, ―All of Surat Al-Anàm was revealed in Makkah
at night, accompanied by seventy thousand angels, raising their
voices in glorification of Allah‖ As-Suddi said that Murrah said
that Àbdullah said, ―Surat Al-Anàm was revealed in the
company of seventy thousand angels.‖ [Tafseer Ibn Kathir]
Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiAllahu ‗anhu) reported that The

Prophet (salAllahu ‗alayhi wasalam) said, ―Surah An‘aam is from
the core of the Qur‘an‖. [Tafsir of al-Qurtubi]
Jabir (radiAllahu ‗anhu) reported that The Prophet (salAllahu

‗alayhi wasalam) said, ‗So many Angels accompanied its
revelation that the horizon was covered with them‘.
55
[Hakim, Dhahabi & Baihaqi]
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, 'The Qur'an was

revealed in one fifth part, whoever memorised it in one fifth
parts would not forget it. Except for Surah al An'am, which was
revelaed in it's entirity, seen off by seventy angels from each
heaven until they delivered it to the Prophet. Never has it been
recited over a sick person, without Allah granting him a cure'
[Baihaqi & Khatib]
1. Refutation of Shirk and guidance towards Tauhid

(Oneness of God). Reality of the life after death and the
Day of Judgment. One should come back to the source
[Lord – Allah (swt)], and not set up authorities against
Him. All spiritual practices should be for Allah (swt), not
earthly entities.
2. The commandments of Allah (swt) are not irrational

taboos; these are the fundamental moral principles of a
society based on belief (Islam – submission to Allah).
3. The self-imposed prohibitions which have been falsely

attributed to Allah (swt) are mentioned and clarified. One
must not set up idols besides Him.
4. Answers to objections raised against the person and the

mission of the Prophet Muhammad (s).
5. Comfort and encouragement is provided to the Prophet

(s) and his followers who were at that time in a state of
anxiety and hopelessness.
6. Allah (swt) is the All-Subtle, the All-Aware. His vision is

surrounded above all comprehension.
56
7. Do not use foul language to insult those are ignorant, one
should have patience to constraint his/her misgivings of
the self.
8. Admonition, warnings and threats are given to the

disbelievers to give up their apathy and haughtiness.
9. Prohibition of dividing the religion into sects. Different

understandings of the same truth given so that he could
test us individually with different capacities.
10. Allah (swt) requires the Believers to declare: "My Salah,

my devotion, my life and my death are all for Allah."
57
7. Surah Al-A‟raf (A Hill Between Hell and Paradise;
The Elevated Places; The Heights)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-A‟raf In Summarized Form

Suratul A‗araf takes its name from the ayats 46 and 48. This
Surah is closely connected with the previous Surah, both
chronologically and with regard to the subject. It consists of 24
ruku‘ (section) having 206 ayats.
The Surah expounds the doctrine of revelation and the religious

history of people, right from Prophet Adam (a), and other
messengers, in particular, the struggles of Prophet Musa (a), to
the time of Prophet Muhammad (s), with whom the revelation
was completed. Its final ayah, ayah 206, requires a sajdah, or
prostration.
This is a Makki Surah. A study of its contents clearly shows that

the period of its revelation is about the same as that of Al-An'am,
i.e., the last year of the Prophet Muhammad‘s (s) life at Makkah,
but it cannot be asserted with certainty which of these two was
sent down earlier. Anyhow the manner of its admonition clearly
indicates that it belongs to the same period. So, background of
the Surah is similar to that of Surah Al-An‘am.
1. The Qur‘an is revealed to remind the believers and to

warn humankind about the consequences of their actions.
The judgment will indeed take place.
2. The story of Man's creation and Shaitan's opposition to
Man.
3. Warning to the Children of Adam (a) to be aware of
Shaitan‘s plots.
58
4. Allah's (swt) messengers came to guide people.
5. The end of those who denied the message and those who
accepted the message.
6. Cries of the wicked in the hellfire.
7. The righteous will prosper.
8. Some lessons from the story of Prophet Nuh (a).
9. Some lessons from the story of Prophet Hud (a).
10. Some lessons from the story of Prophets Salih (a) and Lut
(a).
11. Some lessons from the story of Prophet Shu'ayb (a).
12. Warnings against those who deny the Prophets and
Messengers of Allah (swt).
13. Prophet Musa (a) and his encounter with Pharaoh of
Egypt.
14. Pharaoh and his magicians were defeated.
15. Pharaoh continued in his persecution of the Israelites.
16. Some more signs were shown to Pharaoh and his people.
17. The Taurah was given to Prophet Musa (a).
18. Some Israelites started Calf worship.
19. The Taurah and Injeel speak about the coming of Prophet
Muhammad (s). Allah's promise for those who will follow
the last Prophet.
20. Prophet Muhammad (s) is the Universal Prophet. Some
among the people of Prophet Musa (a) were guided by the
truth and lived with justice.
21. Some Israelites transgressed Allah's (swt) laws and they
suffered the consequences.
22. The eternal covenant of Allah (swt) was taken from all
human beings.
23. The coming of the Last Hour.
24. Shirk has no logic. Ignore the wrongdoers, but invite to
Allah (swt) with kindness. Listen to the Qur'an and
always remember Allah (swt).
This Surah is closely connected with the previous Surah both

59
chronologically and in respect of the subject matter. The central
theme of both Surah al-An‘am and al-A‘raf deal with the core
issues of Faith but from different perspectives. Surah al-An‘am
presents the topic of Aqeedah and its realities by primarily
focusing on the Jahiliyyah (ignorance) of the Arabs whilst Surah
al-A‘raf deals with the Jahiliyyah from a wider historical
perspective. The most of the Surah is devoted to the history of
former prophets and their nations.
Muhammad‘s (s) preaching in Makkah was coming to an end and

he was about to migrate to Madinah. Messenger (s) had spent a
long time in admonishing the people of Makkah without much of
a tangible effect on them. The stories of earlier prophets have
been related in order to warn the pagans of Makkah, and for that
purpose the disbelievers of all the times. The former people met
their ill-fated end as they rejected their Messengers.
The story of Adam (a) and Iblis (the Shaitan) has again been
repeated in this Surah to point out that man is weak by nature
and he is easily misguided by the Shaitan who is an eternal and
open enemy of man. Therefore, human needs constant prophetic
guidance to guard against the tactics of Shaitan and to keep them
on the right path.
The warning of Nuh (a) was rejected by his generation, and they
were destroyed in the Flood. Hud (a) was resisted and refused by
his own people 'Ad, but they were swept away by a terrible blast.
Their successors, the Thamud, were puffed up with pride and
injustice, but behold! An earthquake buried them for their sins
after Salih (a) had warned them from Allah (swt).
With a rain of brimstone and fire were overwhelmed the Cities of
the Plain for their unexampled lusts, against which Lut (a) did
warn them.
The people of Madyan were given to mischief and fraud: Shu'ayb

(a) did warn them, but they heeded not, and perished in an
earthquake. It also details a lengthy account of Musa (a).
Consequences of the rebellious behaviour of the disbelieving
peoples with their messengers have been described to warn those
60
who were now rejecting the teachings of Allah‘s last messenger,
the Prophet Muhammad (s).
As Allah (swt) was going to command Prophet Muhammad (s) to

migrate from Makkah to Madinah, where the Prophet had to
come in contact with the people of the Book i.e. the Jews - the
history of the hypocritical conduct of Israelites towards the
Prophet-hood has been traced and their disobediences are
discussed. They professed to believe in Musa (a) but opposed his
teachings in practice – disobeyed him, worshipped falsehood; so
they were consequently afflicted with ignominy and disgrace.
The previous Surah ―Al-An‘am‖ contains the new Mithaq

(covenant) between Allah (swt) and the Muslim Ummah. This
Surah archives just how the previous nation, Bani Israel behaved
with this Mithaq and how a person from amongst them [7:175]
detached himself from the Revelation and illustrates the
consequences of such actions.
Mankind‘s testimony about Allah (swt) before their birth has

been described (in ayats 172 & 173) to establish that belief in the
Oneness of Allah (swt) is but natural and inborn in man. The
believers have been advised to eat pure and good food and to
wear decent and proper dress.
Some instructions are given to Muhammad (s) and his followers

at the end of the Surah. It has been announced that Muhammad
(s) is Allah‘s messenger for the whole of mankind with a
universal mission. His advent was foretold in the Taurah and
Injil and so the people of the Book are obliged to accept his
message.
Muslims should preach the message of Islam with wisdom and
also to exercise restraint against all provocations. They are
admonished to be patient and declare His glory, and rejoice in
His service.
Ayats 1 to 10: These ayats contain passages of warning to the

61
people; if they reject the invitation to the Message send down to
Muhammad (s) there would surely be consequences to follow.
Ayats 11 to 25: Here the story of Adam (a) is mentioned. Like the
case of Adam (a) and Hawa (a) [Adam and Eve], Shaitan is ready
to mislead us too. The opposition of Evil to Good is illustrated by
the story of Iblis with our father and mother of all. The story
teaches men of their spiritual past. Iblis fell from jealousy and
arrogance, and Adam (a) fell because he listened to his deceit.
Ayats 26 to 53: These passages have the Divine instructions with

graphic illustrations contrasting with Shaitan‘s crafty
instructions, and both their consequences. Allah (swt) has
forbidden the things that are evil, not those that are good, for
these were created for man's enjoyment. The transgressors are
those who reject His Signs.
Ayats 54 to 58: These ayats explain by illustrating the reasons

why Allah (swt) should be worshipped alone. The Message has
been sent down by Allah (Who is the Creator of the heavens and
the earth and everything in them). Al-Qur‘an is like the rain
which gives life to the dead earth.
Ayats 59 to 171: This section has life events of some Prophets –

Nuh (a), Hud (a), Salih (a), Lut (a), Shu'ayb (a) and Musa (a).
The events of the prophets depict the consequences that followed
– those who had rejected the Message of Allah (swt).
Ayah 172: It mentions the Covenant of Israelites that Allah (swt)

made with them in the time of Musa (a). The people of Musa (a)
frequently failed to follow Allah‘s (swt) Law as promulgated to
them, and transgressed His Covenant. So, they were scattered
through the earth in sections as a punishment.
Ayats 173 to 174: It contains the mention of the Covenant that

Allah (swt) took with Adam (a) and along with his loins which
explains Muhammad‘s (s) Message is the same and true. The
children of Adam (a) have multiplied, but many of them have
rejected truth and go by degrees to destruction in ways that they
62
do not realize.
Ayats 175 to 179: These ayats give an example of a person who

had the knowledge of the Message but discarded it as false. In
these ayats the message has the meaning of, ―Hell is the abode of
rejecting the truth.‖
Ayats 180 to 198: Here admonition, reprobation and warning

have been made to those who would deviate from the Message,
they would be held accountable for not using their faculty of
knowledge properly. So, there would be serious consequences for
showing antagonistic attitude towards the Message send down to
Muhammad (s).
Ayats 199 to 206: Prophet Muhammad (s) and his followers are
instructed here on how they should adopt attitude against those
who reject the Message and deviate from it.
Virtue of the Surah
THE PEOPLE OF AL-A‟RAF - Author: Mehmet Paksu

Who are the companions of Araf, which is mentioned
in the Surah Al-Araf?
Let us first give the interpretations of the ayats about Araf and
people entitled to Araf, which reads in the Surah Al-Araf before
explaining Araf itself. There are some ayats about Araf in the
Holy Book Qur‘an after the ayats, which are made
mention of the conversations between the companions of Hell
and the companions of Paradise.
[And when their eyes are turned towards the companions of Hell,
they say (in dread of that state): "Our Lord! Do not include us
among the people of the wrongdoing!"
The people of the Heights call out to some men (who were the
leaders of unbelief in the world, and) whom they recognize by
their marks (on their countenances), saying: "(Now you see that)
neither your numbers and the wealth you amassed nor your
growing arrogance and vanity have availed you!"
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(Pointing to the companions of Paradise, they continue): "Are
those not the ones of whom you swore that God would not favor
them with mercy?" (For now it is they who have been told)
"Enter Paradise; you will have no fear, nor will you grieve."] (Al-
Araf Surah, 7:47-49)
Araf is the plural form of the word Arf. There are so many
explanations about Araf in the interpretations. However, the
common conception mostly accepted by the annotators is Arafs
being a curtain, a high wall, and a hill between Hell and Paradise.
According to Ibni Abbas, it is a balcony (surrounding minaret)
up on the Sirat Bridge (bridge, which is thin, straight, and sharp
will be laid across Hell with Gods command).
Hazrath Hasan Basri says;
These are the people who were assigned by the command of
Allah (swt) to allocate the companions of Hell and the
companions of Paradise. I swear it is true; they might be among
us today.
The reason why the people in the Araf are called as Araf is their
recognizing humans for their actions. And again as it is explained
in the interpretations, when Allah (swt) balances good and evil
deeds in the scale (Mizan) and distinguishes companions of
paradise from companions of Hell, He will make those wait for
quite some time whose good and evil deeds are equal. Those who
are going to be next to the Sirat Bridge will know the
companions of Hell and the companions of Paradise. When they
will see the companions of Paradise, they will say, Allah‘s peace
and blessings be upon you. When they‘ll turn to the left side
they‘ll see the companions of Hell and by seeking refuge in Allah
(swt) - will supplicate as, O Allah do not let us be among those
atrocious. After done with companions of Hell and companions
of Paradise, Allah (swt) will forgive them with His Mercy and will
put them into the Paradise. (3)
As a matter of fact when Prophet Muhammad (s) once asked as

who are the companions of Araf?:
The Prophet said, ―When the people of Paradise will enter
Paradise and the people of Hell will go to Hell, rest will be told
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as, you are saved from Hell for your good deeds but did not
deserve Paradise. But you are saved from Hell by Allah‘s (swt)
mercy, you may enter Paradise.‖
Besides, there are some accounts, which reports that the

companions of Araf are not humans but they are angels. All these
explanations are in conformity with the conception and the
interpretation of the ayats.
However, Ibrahim Hakki in his work Marifetname claims that

insane and children of unbelievers who are not held responsible
of religious duties are entitled to Araf. When they see people of
Paradise just because they cannot reach those blessings, they are
in sadness, but when they see people of Hell, they are thankful to
the Allah (swt) for where they are and they stay there forever.
Nevertheless, every explanation about Araf and People of Araf is
only at the level of interpretation of the ayah. Only Allah (swt)
knows the truth.
Sources:
 Surah Al-A`raf , 47-49.
2. et-Tefsirul-Kebir, 14:87.
3- (Taberi Tefsiri) 8:136-139.
4. A. g. e.
Balaam in the Qur‟an: The Story of Bulàm bin Baùra
Regarding the Islamic view of Balaam, there is no clear

reference to Balaam in the Qur'an. However, the commentators
argue that he is the one that the following text is referring to:
Relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent Our signs,
but he passed them by: so Satan followed him up, and he went
astray.
If it had been Our will, We should have elevated him with Our
signs; but he inclined to the earth, and followed his own vain
desires. His similitude is that of a dog: if you attack him, he lolls
out his tongue, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls out his
65
tongue. That is the similitude of those who reject Our signs; So
relate the story; perchance they may reflect.
— Qur'an, Surah 7 (Al-A'raf), ayat 175–176
The Muslim commentators explain that Balaam was a Canaanite

who had been given knowledge of some of the books of God. His
people asked him to curse Moses (Musa) and those who were
with him, but he said, "How can I curse one who has angels with
him?" They continued to press him, however, until he cursed the
Israelites, and, as a consequence, they remained forty years in
the Wilderness of the Wanderings. Then, when he had cursed
Moses, his tongue came out and fell upon his breast, and he
began to pant like a dog.
The story as told by Tabari is somewhat more Biblical. Balaam

had the knowledge of the Most Sacred Name of God, and
whatever he asked of God was granted to him. The story of
Balaam and the ass, then follows at length.
When it came to the actual cursing, God "turned his tongue" so

that the cursing fell upon his own people and the blessing upon
Israel. Then his tongue came out and hung down on his breast.
Finally, he advised his people to adorn and beautify their women
and to send them out to ensnare the Israelites.
The story of the plague at Baal-peor and of Cozbi and Zimri
follows.
According to another story which al-Tabari gives, Balaam was a

renegade Israelite who knew the Most Sacred Name and, to gain
the things of this world, went over to the Canaanites. Al-Tha'labi
adds that Balaam was descended from Lot. He gives, too, the
story of Balaam's dream, his being forbidden by God to curse
Israel. Another version is that Balak, the king of Bal'a, compelled
Balaam to use the Most Sacred Name against Israel. The curse
fell automatically, and Moses, having learned whence it came,
entreated God to take from Balaam his knowledge of the Name
and his faith. This being done, they went out from him in the
form of a white dove. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
66
Shaykh Fawzaan about him: This man was a scholar from the
children of Israel. “Him to whom We gave Our Ayat”. He
was a scholar from the children of Israel. And he was a person
whose supplication was answered, because he knew the greatest
Name. He knew Allah‘s greatest Name, which if called upon with
this name He will answer the supplication.
He was a worshipper and he was a scholar, and he was a person

whose supplication was answered. His name was Bulàm;
Bulàam ibn Baa‘ooraa‘.
Thus Musa—peace be upon him—and the children of Israel

fought the military campaign during the battle for Baytul Maqdis
to conquer it and take it from the hands of the pagans, the likes
of the Canaanites and the Amalekites.
So the enemies who Musa were fighting against came to

Bulàam, this scholar. They were afraid of the Muslims, they
were afraid of Musa peace be upon him. They came to Bulàam
requesting that he supplicate to Allah against Musa and against
the Muslims. They requested this from him because his
supplication was accepted. At first he rejected their request. He
refused and rejected them. Then they
convinced him, perhaps giving him some wealth. At this point he
supplicated against Musa. Thus Allah the Exalted disgraced him
and removed the blessing from him.
It is a very long journey, but the Surah takes us along, stage by

stage, making a stop at every landmark to indicate that the road
is clearly marked-out with well-known starting and finishing
lines. All mankind travels along, aiming to return to the point
where it started, in heaven, with the Supreme society. [REF:
Qutb, Fi Dhilal al-Qur‟an]
There are 15 sajdas in Qur‟an, as comes in this Hadith:
Narrated Amr ibn al-'As: The Prophet () taught me fifteen

prostrations while reciting the Qur'an, including three in al-
Mufassal and two in Surah al-Hajj. Abu Dawud said: Abu al-
67
Darda' has reported eleven prostrations from the Prophet (s), but
chain of this tradition is weak. [Sunan Abi Dawud Book 7,
Hadith 1]
They are in the following Ayat(in order):

1. Al-'A`rāf (7):206
2. Ar-Ra`d (13):15
3. An-Naĥl (16):49, but the sajda should be performed after

reading the ayah #50 (when the sujood meaning is
complete).
4. Al-'Isrā' (17):107, but the sajda should be performed after

complete).
5. Maryam (19):58
6. Al-Ĥaj (22):18
7. Al-Ĥaj (22):77
8. Al-Furqān (25):60
9. An-Naml (27):25, but the sajda should be performed after

complete).
10. As-Sajdah (32):15
11. Şād (38):24
12. Fuşşilat (41):37, but the sajda should be performed after

complete).
13. An-Najm (53):62
68
14. Al-'Inshiqāq (84):21
15. Al-Àlaq (96):19
Also note that performing the sajdah is not obligatory but is

a stressed (confirmed) sunnah (‫ ) س ٕة ِؤو دة‬that is highly
recommended to follow. Here is a hadith:
Narrated Rabi'a: 'Umar bin Al-Khattab recited Surat-an-Nahl on
a Friday on the pulpit and when he reached the verse of Sajda he
got down from the pulpit and prostrated and the people also
prostrated. The next Friday 'Umar bin Al-Khattab recited the
same Sura and when he reached the verse of Sajda he said, "O
people! When we recite the verses of Sajda (during the sermon)
whoever prostrates does the right thing, yet it is no sin for the
one who does not prostrate." And 'Umar did not prostrate (that
day). Added Ibn Ùmar "Allah has not made the prostration of
recitation compulsory but if we wish we can do it." [Sahih al-
Bukhari Book 17, Hadith 11]
Also here is a hadith about how good performing sajdah is:

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that when, the son
of Adam recites the Ayat of Sajdah (prostration) and then falls
down in prostration, the Satan goes into seclusion and
weeps and says: Alas, and in the narration of Abu Kuraib the
words are: Woe unto me, the son of Adam was commanded to
prostrate, and he prostrated and Paradise was entitled to him
and I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused and am
doomed to Hell. [Sahih Muslim Book 1, Hadith 151]
Courtesy:
https://islam.stackexchange.com/questions/2267/how-
many-sajdas-are-in-quran
Lessons and Reflection
1. An invitation is given to the People of the Book (Jews and

Christians) to become Muslims.
2. This is the first Surah to mention Nuh (a), Hud (a), Salih
69
(a), Lut (a), Shu'ayb (a) – each outlining a segment of the
society that these messengers went to reform. A warning
is given to the unbelievers about the consequences of their
denial through citing the example of punishments which
were inflicted upon former people for their wrong attitude
towards their Prophets.
3. It is the first Surah to have a lengthy discourse on Musa

(a) and his people The Jews are warned about the
consequences of their hypocritical conduct towards the
Prophets. They have conceived a wrong belief about
Allah's (swt) forgiveness.
4. Muslims are commandment to propagate the message of

Islam with wisdom. Believers should wear decent and
proper dress and eat pure and good food.
5. The Prophets as well as the people to whom they are sent

will be questioned on the Day of Judgment.
6. The Surah repeatedly warns the reader not to take Shaitan

as an ally. Affluence and adversity are the reminders from
Allah (swt).
7. Dialogue between the residents of paradise, the inmates of
hell and the people of A'raf (a place between the Paradise
and hell).
8. The fact that affluence and adversity are the reminders

from Almighty Allah.
9. The fact that Muhammad (s) is the Rasool for the all of
mankind.
10. The fact that the advent of Muhammad (s) was described
in At-Taurat ( Torah) and the Injil (Gospel /Bible).
11. Mankind's testimony about Allah (swt) at the time of

Adam's (a) creation. He created all of mankind from a
70
single soul. Allah (swt) made human beings vicegerents on
this earth – we pay back, being ungrateful, by initiating
oppressive systems.
12. Almighty Lord's commandment to show forgiveness,

speak for justice and avoid the ignorant.
13. Allah's (swt) commandment about listening to the

recitation of The Qur'an with complete silence.
71
8. Surah Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Anfal In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah comes from the first ayah, ―Al-Anfal‖
which also means the bounties along the meaning, ―The Spoils of
War‖. The subject of the Surah is Jihad and Peace. It describes
the general principles of war and peace reviewing the Battle of
Badr. It forms a pair with the next Surah, At-Tawbah. This
Surah is number 88 according to the order of revelation.
The previous seven Surahs, comprise a little less than one-third

of the Noble Qur‘an, and include the period of the early religious
history of man, up to the new ‗ummah‘ of the Prophet
Muhammad (s). This Surah has 75 ayats in 10 Ruku‘ (Section).
Its revelation occurred after the revelation of Surah Al-Baqarah.

This Surah has been revealed in Madinah. It is a review of Battle
of Badr that Muslims participated on the month of Ramadan in 2
AH. The war was between Quraysh and Muslim (Muhajirs and
Ansars), which was a test for newly formed Al-Madinah.
1. Commandment relating to the spoils of war. Battle of

Badr.
2. Allah's help for the Believers in the Battle of Badr.
3. Believers must always obey Almighty Allah and His
Messenger.
4. Only the righteous should be the guardians of the Masjid
al-Haram.
5. The purpose of war and the rules about the distribution of
the spoils of war.
72
6. Be firm and united in the combat against the enemy.
7. Victory of the Believers against the unbelievers. Allah
(swt) does not change His blessings unless people change
themselves.
8. Be prepared always to defend yourself and your people.
Make peace if the enemy is inclined towards peace.
9. Almighty Allah's promise to help the Believers.
10. Treatment of the prisoners of war and obligations towards
Muslims living among non-Muslims.
There are several subjects referred to in this Surah, such as:

Treasury of the Muslims, things taken as spoils of war, the Battle
of Badr, the ordinances of Holy Struggle, the night when the
Prophet Muhammad (s) was decided to be stabbed in his bed and
Ali (ra) laid in the couch of him (Laylat-ul-Mabit), and the
qualities of the true believers.
Here we begin another stage, whereby the ‗ummah‘ is

consolidated and directed. We have many lessons to be learnt
from the Battle of Badr, which are as follows:
1. The moral weakness that had come to the surface
in that expedition which has been pointed out so
that Muslims should learn do their best to reform
themselves.
2. The true virtues necessary for fighting the right
way.
3. It has been impressed upon Muslims that the
victory was due to the help of Allah, rather than
their own valour, so that Muslims would learn to
rely on Allah (swt) alone and obey Allah and His
Messenger.
4. Instructions are given regarding the war booty. It is
mentioned that they should gratefully accept with
gratitude their share, and willingly accede the
share, which Allah (swt) sets apart for His cause,
and for the help of the needy.
5. Instructions regarding the laws of peace and war.
73
6. Directions on the treatment of prisoners of war,
and maintaining the solidarity of the Muslim
community.
Muslims are given instructions concerning laws of peace and

war. They were told to refrain themselves from ignorance and
establish moral superiority in the world practically. Besides
stating the affairs of the Battle of Badr, some specialties of the
virtuous soldiers against the enemies of Truth are stated in this
Surah. So the success that yields out from the conflict between
Truth and Falsehood is peace of Almighty Allah.
Some Historical Facts Related to Battle of Badr
The Army of Muslims, Prophet Muhammad‘s (s) army was only

313 in number. Against Muslims Abu Jahl‘s army was stood
which three times as bigger, almost 1000 soldiers to fight with
the Muslims. After arriving in Madinah, the Prophet (s)
concluded a treaty of mutual co-operation and good
neighbourliness with them. Not only did the Prophet (s) take the
initiative in this connection, he also tried his best to maintain
pleasant relations with them.
The Prophet (s) also felt greater affinity with the Jews than with
the polytheists of Makkah. As a rule he always showed preference
to the customs and practices of the People of the Book over those
of the polytheists. But somehow the Jewish rabbis and scholars
were irked by the Prophet's preaching of pure monotheism and
moral uprightness, let alone his scathing criticism of the
deviations which appeared in Jewish belief and conduct. They
were constantly engaged, therefore, in efforts to sabotage the
new religious movement. In this respect, they left no stone
unturned. They collaborated with the hypocrites who were
apparently an integral part of the Muslim body-politic.
To serve the same end they fanned flames to rejuvenate the old
animosities between the Aws and Khazraj which had brought
about bloodshed and fratricide in pre-Islamic times. They
attempted to hatch conspiracies against Islam in collaboration
74
with the Quraysh and other tribes. What was all the more
deplorable was that they indulged in these nefarious activities
despite their treaty of friendship and co-operation with the
Prophet (s).
When the Battle of Badr took place, they took it for granted that
the Muslims would not be able to survive the very first attack of
the Quraysh. However, when the outcome of the battle dashed
their hopes, they became all the more spiteful. Apprehending
that the victory in the Battle of Badr would help the Muslims
consolidate their position, they carried out their hostile activities
against Islam even more vigorously. Ka'b b. Ashraf, a Jewish
chief, went to Makkah personally and recited stirring elegies for
their dead warriors with a view to provoking the Quraysh into
hostile action against the Muslims. It was the same Ka'b b.
Ashraf who considered the Muslim victory in the Battle of Badr
such a catastrophe that he regarded death to be better than life.
In his own words: 'The belly of the earth has become preferable
to us than its back.' (Ibn Hisham, vol. 2. p. 51 - Ed.)
Ayats (1-41): These ayats explains about problems and topics

related to ‗Spoils of War‘. These are ―Bounties of Allah‘ that come
as a result of victory at Badr. In recounting the events of the
Battle of Badr, the Qur'an aims to explain the significance of the
word al-anfal (spoils of war). In the opening ayah of the Surah
the Muslims were told that they should not deem the spoils to be
a reward for their toil. Rather, the spoils should
constitute a special reward granted to the Muslims by Lord
Almighty, to Whom the spoils rightfully belong. Moreover, the
spoils, being the bounties of God, belong to Allah (swt) and His
Messenger (s) and they alone are entitled to allocate them - a
fifth of whatever spoils of war you have acquired belongs only to
God, His Prophet, the near relatives [of the Prophet], the
orphans, the needy and the wayfarer.
Ayats (42-54): The ayats describes Battle of Badr as a triumph of

Islam over ―ignorance‖. Muslims should always rely on Allah
75
(swt) to prepare and to win war.
Ayats (55 -59): contains admonition of observing sanctioned

treaties which Muslims were told not to break.
Ayats (60-66): Muslims are told to be aware of war and be
prepared for it on every front, they were also told to be ready to
make peace when the other party wants one.
Ayats (67-71): These ayats contains instructions related to

prisoner of war.
Ayats (72-75): In order to keep the Muslims joined together

against their enemies, they have been taught to have cordial
relations with one another.
Virtue of the Surah
Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Abbas said, ―Al-Anfal are the spoils
of war.‖ Al-Bukhari also recorded that Said bin Jubayr said, ―I
said to Ibn Abbas, Surat Al-Anfal‘ He said, ‗It was revealed
concerning (the battle of) Badr.‖‘ (Fath Al-Bari 8:156)
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported, as Al-Bukhari recorded from Ibn
Abbas without a chain of narration, that Ibn Abbas said, ―Al-
Anfal are the spoils of war; they were for the Messenger of Allah,
and none had a share in them.‖ (At-Tabari 13:378)
Similar was said by Mujahid, Ikrimah, Ata‘, Ad-Dahhak,

Qatadah, Ata‘ Al-Khurasani, Muqatil bin Hayyan, Abdur-
Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and several others. (At-Tabari
13:361-362)
1. All success comes from Almighty Allah

2. He only gives success to those who obey Him and follow
his guidelines
3. The pivotal for success is the unity and cooperation with
76
each other. The true virtues necessary for fighting the
rightway is the Sabr/Patience and Dhikr to build strength
and stillness in the heart.
4. It has been impressed upon Muslims that the victory was
due to the help of Allah (swt), rather than their own
valour, so that Muslims would learn to rely on Almighty
Allah alone and obey Allah (swt) and His Messenger.
Muhajirs and Ansars loved each other for the sake of
Almighty Allah.
5. Instructions regarding the laws of peace and war.
Instructions are given regarding the war booty. It is
mentioned that they should gratefully accept with
gratitude their share, and willingly accede the share,
which Allah (swt) sets apart for His cause, and for the help
of the needy.
6. Attention was made to detail to prepare for battle and
adversity – this Surah has directions on the treatment of
prisoners of war, and maintaining the solidarity of the
Muslim community.
7. One should love and obey Allah (swt) and His Rasool (s)
and thus prevent discord based on Self or Ego based
dissatisfaction. Muslims should learn to their best to
reform themselves to resurface their weakness in
immorality that can arise in a battle.
8. One should purify from greed for the booty of this world
in war and peace and strive in peace and war only to
please Allah in words, actions and thoughts. One can
achieve it by releasing oneself from the love of dunya and
material goods.
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9. Surah At Taubah (The Repentance)
Concise Tafseer of Surah At-Taubah In Summarized
Form

This is a Madani Surah. It is the only Surah in the Noble Qur‘an

not to begin with BISMILLAH. To add to the context, the only Surah
in the Qur‘an to mention Bismillah twice is Surah Al-Naml, in
which the blessed words are mentioned at the beginning of the
Surah as well as in ayah 30, when Prophet Sulaiman (a)
addresses a letter to the Queen of Sheba: ―It is from Sulaiman,
and it begins in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.‖
It is called At-Taubah because it enunciates the nature of taubah
(repentance) and mentions the conditions of its acceptance in the
ayats 102 to 118. The second name Bara'at (Release;
Dissociation) is taken from the first word of the Surah. The Surah
has 129 ayats which are divided into 16 Ruku‘ (Section).
It was revealed when there was the time of the Battle of Tabuk. It
was not revealed completely at once; it was revealed in different
parts. Some of its parts were revealed at the start of the war;
some during the war and some parts at the end of this war.
According to Sahih Muslim, Surah Taubah is the last Surah,
which was revealed from Allah (swt).
Historical Background of the Surah
The context of the Surah has the series of evens pertaining to the
conditions which took place after the Peace Treaty of
Hudaibiyah. By that time, one-third of Arabia had come under
the control of Islam.
Well organized Muslim State has the affordable Treaty which

provides opportunities to spread Islam under a comparatively
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peaceful atmosphere. Two events took place after this Treaty:-
Conquest of Arabia: In the month of Ramadhan 8 AH a sudden
invasion of Makkah led to this conquest. The conquest of Hunain
paves the way to make Arabia ad-Darul-Islam (the Abode of
Islam).
Campaign of Tabuk: The provocative activities of the Christians

living within or near the boundaries of the Roman Empire to the
north of Arabia necessitated the campaign. The campaign of
Tabuk made Islam a formidable power.
Accordingly, Prophet Muhammad (s) marched boldly towards

the Roman Empire with an army of thirty thousand but the
Romans evaded the encounter. Some Christian Chiefs like
Ukaidir bin Abdul Malik Kindi of Dumatul Jaiidai, Yuhanna bin
D'obah of Allah, and the chiefs of Maqna, Jarba' and Azruh also
submitted and agreed to pay Jizyah to the State of Al-Madinah.
As a result the boundaries of the Muslim State of Islam were
extended right up to the Roman Empire. The majority of the
Arab clans, who were being used by the Caesar against Arabia,
became the allies of the Muslims against the Romans.
1. Proclamation to dissolve the "Treaty of Hudaibiyah."

2. Commandment of Lord Almighty to honour the treaty so
long as the unbelievers honour it. If the unbelievers
violate the treaty, then fight against their ringleaders.
Muslims should trust Allah (swt), not just their numbers.
3. Mushrikeen are forbidden to be the caretakers of Masajid.
Service to pilgrims is not equal to true belief in Allah
(swt), the Last Day, and Jihad. Do not take your fathers
and brothers as your friends if they prefer Kufr (unbelief)
over Imaan (belief).
4. Almighty Allah's help is with the quality and not the
quantity of the believers. Prohibition of Mushrikeen from
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entering Masjid-al-Haram.
5. The mushrikeen are the Jews and Christians who call Ezra
and Jesus the sons of God Almighty. Do not be like Rabbis
and Priests who misappropriate the wealth of people. The
number of months in the book of Allah is 12, of which 4
are sacred (according to the authentic traditions are the
months of Dhu'l-Qa'dah, Dhu‘l Hijjah, Muharram and
Rajab).
6. Allah's (swt) order to bear arms against the unbelievers, if
necessary.
7. Those who do not participate in Jihad are hypocrites.
Excuses of the hypocrites for not bearing arms against the
Unbelievers.
8. Categories for the distribution of Zakah. The order of
Allah (swt) not to molest the Prophet (s). End of those
who oppose Almighty Allah and the Prophet (s).
Punishment for those who make fun of the religion.
9. Hypocritical actions and their punishment. Believers'
actions and their rewards.
10. Allah's order to make Jihad against hypocrites and
unbelievers. Behavior of the hypocrites.
11. The hypocrites did not join the war against the
unbelievers. Prohibition of offering Funeral prayer for the
hypocrites.
12. Genuine exemptions from the battlefront. Those who
make excuses to avoid serving in armed struggle for the
cause of Almighty Allah when needed, are hypocrites.
13. Categories of hypocrisies. Commandment for the
collection of Zakah. The hypocrites built a Masjid, called
"Masjid-e-Zirar," for mischievous motives.
80
14. Allah (swt) has purchased the persons and wealth of the
Believers in lieu of granting them the Paradise. Do not
seek forgiveness for the Mushrikeen. Allah (swt) forgave
those three who lagged behind but were sincere.
15. Believers are those who prefer the life of the Rasool over
their own. Requirement of obtaining understanding of
religion.
16. Fight the disbelievers and be aware that Almighty Allah is
with pious.
The central theme of both the Surah - Al-‗Anfal and At-Tawbah

are about Jihad in the way of Lord Almighty. Surah Al-‗Anfal
revolves around the first battle of the Prophet (s) - Battle of Badr
- which began the local campaign. Surah At-Tawbah revolves
around the last battle of the Prophet (s) - Battle of Tabuk, which
began the global campaign. This Surah has three discourses:-
1st discourse (ayats 1-37): It was revealed in Dhu'l-Qa'dah 9 AH

or thereabout. Rasul Muhammad (s) dispatched Ali (ra) to follow
Abu Bakr (ra) who had already left for Makkah as leader of the
Pilgrims to the Ka'abah. Ali (ra) was sent to deliver the discourse
before the representatives of the different clans of Arabia so as to
inform them of the new policy towards the mushreeks.
2nd discourse (ayats 38-72): These ayats were revealed in Rajab 9

AH or a little before this, when Prophet Muhammad
(s) was preparing for the Campaign of Tabuk. The discourse was
an admonition for the believers. The shirkers were severely
rebuked for holding back their wealth and for hesitation to
sacrifice their lives in the way of Allah (swt).
3rd discourse (ayats 73-129): These were sent on the return from
the campaign of Tabuk. The discourse warns the hypocrites of
their evil deeds and rebukes those believers who stayed behind in
the campaign of Tabuk. Then after observing the believers
through trial, Allah (swt) pardoned them who had not taken part
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in the Jihad out of His mercy which yielded from their
repentance.
Ayats (1-12): These ayats deal with the rules and regulations of a
sanctioned treaty or treaties in case one party disagree to observe
them sincerely.
Ayats (13-37): Here Muslim has been urged to fight in the way of
Almighty Allah against Arab Mushreeks, the Jews and the
Christians who refused to follow the ordained rule of Allah (swt).
As they both hold their principle nabi as son of Allah (swt).
Ayats (38-72): The discourse of it clearly depicts the promise of

Allah (swt) to Muslims that they would certainly get reward if
they actively take part in the conflicts of kufr. Muslims are
warned about hypocrisy of hearts. Without minding their
whimsical feelings they are in obligation to battle dangers,
obstacles, temptations and the like, and to take part in Jihad.
Ayats (73-90): These ayats deal with problems of hypocrites.

These ayats have the detail discussion regarding them. These
ayats set the rules and regulations that should be meted out to
them and points out their distinctive marks from true Muslims.
Ayats (91-110): This segment discusses about those people who

remained behind and did not accompany the Prophet
Muhammad (s) for expedition (Jihad) to Tabuk. The believers
who realized their guilt and punished themselves before the
return of the Prophet (s) from Tabuk and those who confessed
their error - their cases have been dealt with in accordance with
the nature and extent of their offense. The disabled, the sick, the
indigent, the hypocrites they have been separated in different
categories.
Ayats (111-118): Allah (swt) mentions about the characteristics of

the believers in a more conspicuous and dignified qualities in a
noble look. They have been reassured by the Sovereign of the
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Samawat – Allah (swt) is their helper and guardian. Lord
Almighty has forgiven the three believers who did not take part
in the expedition due to their sincerity of believe.
Ayats (119-127): These ayats include the concluding segment of

the Surah where believers have code of instructions on how to
follow guidance.
Ayats (128-129): These are the concluding remarks of the Surah

where believers are told to follow the last prophet Muhammad
(s) and to put total trust to the Lord Almighty Allah.
Virtue of the Surah
―This Surah was revealed to cancel the peace treaty. In it appear

the command of killing the mushrikeen (polytheists) and the
expression of Allah Taàla‘s anger over them. Therefore,
Bismillah was not written at the beginning of the Surah since
Bismillah signifies peace and mercy‖. [Bukhri Shareef
(Vol2,pg 271)]
When Hadrat Uthman radi allahu ‗anhu was asked why there
was no bismillah at the beginning of Surah al-Tawba like how
there is bismillah at the beginning of other Surahs, he replied
that there was some doubt as to this Surah being a separate
Surah, because Nabi sallallahu ‗alaihi wa sallam passed away
without explicitly mentioning anything regarding it. This is why
Bismillah was not written at the beginning of Surah Taubah.
However, since its subject-matter is similar to that of Surah Al-
Anfal, it was placed after it and a space for Bismillah has been
kept because it is possible that this is a separate Surah.
[Tirmizi, Vol 2, Pg.139]
It appears in Shaatbi: Bismillah does not appear at the beginning

of this Surah, because it was revealed in connection to war. This
is not the actual reason though it is a point to consider. The

actual reason is that which is narrated from Hadrat Uthman radi
allahu ‗anhu. [Bayanul Qur‟an, Vol 4, Pg 95]
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The Holy Qur‘an was revealed bit by bit during the period of
twenty three years. The ayats of a Surah were revealed at
different times. When Saaiduna Jibraeel Alayhis Salam would
come with a revelation, he would also point out to the intended
arrangement of each revealed ayah explaining that it should be
placed in such and such Surah after such and such ayah. And
when at the end of one Surah the next was to begin, Bismillahir-
Rahmanir-Rahim would be revealed before the next actually did.
However, with Surah Tawbah, Bismillah was not revealed nor

did the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam instruct the
scribe of the revelation to so.
When Saaiduna Usman Radiallahu Anhu arranged the Holy

Qur‘an in the form of a book during the period of his Khilafah,
Bismillah was not there at the beginning of Surah At-Tawbah.
Therefore a doubt arose that perhaps this is not an independent
Surah but was part of another Surah, in which case what would
this other Surah be? In terms of its subjects, Surah Al-Anfal
seemed to fit the slot.
Also it is narrated by Saaiduna Usman Radiallahu Anhu that

during the blessed period of the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi
Wasalam, both these Surah‘s were called ―Qarinatayn‖ (the
connected ones).
From the above we learn that the reason for not writing
‗Bismillah‘ at the beginning of Surah At-Tawbah lies in the
probability that Surah At-Tawbah may not be an independent
Surah but being part of Surah Al-Anfal. On this basis Muslim
jurists have said that a person who was already been reciting
Surah Al-Anfal from above and is going to begin Surah At-
Tawbah then he or she should not recite Bismillah. But a person,
who is starting his or her recitation of the Holy Qur‘an or from
somewhere in the middle of Surah Tawbah should say
‗Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim‖. [Ma'ariful Qur'an p.300-
p.302 v.4]
84
Uzair (Ezra) lived during the period around 450 B.C. The Jews
regarded him with great reverence as the revivalist of their
Scriptures which had been lost during their captivity in Babylon
after the death of Prophet Sulaiman a (Solomon). After they had
lost all the knowledge of their law and their traditions and of
Hebrew which is their national language, Ezra re-wrote the Old
Testament and revived the law. That is why they used very
exaggerated language in his reverence which misled some of the
Jewish sects to make him ‗the son of God‘. The Qur‘an, however,
does not assert that all the Jews were unanimous in declaring
Ezra as the son of God. What it intends to say is that the
perversion in the articles of faith of the Jews concerning Allah
had degenerated to such an extent that there were some amongst
them who considered Ezra as the son of God. [TafHimul
Qur‟an]
1. Surah At-Taubah has a great virtue; it is related to

forgiveness of Allah (swt) as well as his blessings. It has its
individuality because we don‘t recite Bismillah at its start.
2. It gives the message of jihad. It cancels the peace treaty

with enemies of Islam. It tells us about the importance of
Taubah.
3. It reminds us about the blessings of Allah Almighty that

how Allah‘s love is more than the love of seventy mothers.
Allah (swt) always opens the door of mercy for us.
4. Our Taubah not only removes our sins, it also pleases

Allah Almighty. We should never be hopeless from his
mercy.
5. Our deeds should be solely for the sake of Allah Almighty

alone.
6. Allah Almighty is well aware of our purpose during our

85
activities. He knows whether we intended Him or
intended other than Him.
7. Allah Almighty is the Collective Observer and Witness

over everything that we do. He is well aware of our actions
before any surveillance registers our very movements.
8. We as human beings should not remain in apathy because

of the lack of belief in us from those around us.
9. We as human beings should act and continue doing that

which is right, even when the odds are stacked up against
us.
86
10. Surah Yunus (Jonah)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Yunus (Jonah) In
Summarized Form

The Surah derives its name from a reference to the Prophet

Yunus (a). And its name of the Surah appears in the ayah 98. The
Surah has 109 ayats in 11 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah mainly points out to the various signs for the people
that could lead them to the truth. It also contains stories of the
Prophets Nuh (a) and Musa (a).
This is a Makki Surah, the subject matter of it indicates that it

was revealed during the last stage of Prophet Muhammad‗s (s)
life at Makkah. There are some opinions that some of the ayats
are of Al-Madanah. But the nature of the theme of the Surah
suggests that it was revealed at one sitting and it belongs to
Makki period. This Surah is number 51 according to the order of
revelation. So, this Surah was revealed perhaps a few years
before the Hijrah in Makkah.
1. The Qur'an is the Book of wisdom; it contains signs from

the All Wise.
2. Man's ingratitude to Allah (swt) and His revelation.
3. Allah's (swt) mercy to His creation. Allah (swt) invites to
the abode of peace.
4. Almighty Allah's gifts. The Qur'an is from Lord Almighty.
Bring a Surah like the Qur'an if you can.
87
5. Those who disbelieve in the Qur'an shall be the losers.
Every people were sent a Messenger.
6. The Qur'an is a mercy, blessing and a cure for the
problems of humankind.
7. Whatever you do Lord Almighty is a Witness. The
mistakes of the Mushrikin.
8. Story of the Prophet Nuh (a) and his people. Rasools were
sent to the descendants of the Prophet Nuh (a) –
similarly. The Prophets Musa (a) and Harun (a) were sent
to Pharaoh.
9. Allah (swt) delivered the Children of Israel from the
bondage of the Pharaoh.
10. Almighty Allah's mercy for the Children of Israel. Prophet
Yunus (a) and his people.
11. If Allah (swt) afflicts you with any loss or wants to bestow
any profit on you, none can avert it. You must always
follow Allah's guidance.
The former Surah, that is ―Repentance‖, dealt with the acts of the
hypocrites as well as their punishment, while this Surah refers to
the acts of polytheists. This Surah represents objections of
pagans of Makkah against the Qur‘an, and responds to them. The
pagans said that Muhammad (s) was a "manifest sorcerer" and
that he fabricated the Qur‘an. They also challenged the Prophet
(s) to immediately bring the punishment of Allah (swt), if his
claim was true. They also demanded that Muhammad (s) to
change the Qur‘an to no longer condemn their practice of
idolatry and using intercessors when worshipping Allah (swt).
The Surah Yunus mainly points out to the various signs for the
people that could lead them to the truth. It also contains stories
of the Prophets Nuh (a) and Musa (a). The stories of those
Prophets are told to remind people about the consequences of
88
unfaithfulness and arrogance.
The Surah also mentions the People of Jonah [Yunus (a)], who at
first rejected Jonah's message, but then repented and believed.
Therefore, unlike the qawm of Nuh (a) and Musa (a), they were
averted from Lord Almighty's punishment. The Surah then
reminds our beloved prophet Muhammad (s) if he had any doubt
about the truth of what was revealed to him, he could ask other
People of the Book (i.e. the Jews and the Christians) who would
be able to confirm the Qur‘an's account of these people of the
past.
At the end of the Surah, Prophet Muhammad (s) is told to tell the
people that the truth has come. Whoever chooses to follow the
right path does so for his/her own benefit and whoever strays do
so at his/her own risk. The prophet (s) is not set over his qawm
to oblige them for guidance. Lord Almighty tells Prophet
Muhammad (s) to follow what has been revealed to him and to
be patient until He judges. Allah (swt) is the best of judges.
Ayats 1 to 13: Surah starts with introductory refutation of the

Message of Doctrine of Tauhid given to Muhammad (s) which is
not the sorcery, and there is life-after-death. Those who are given
revelation from Allah (swt) are assigned two duties, 1) to warn
people against the perils and disasters of using their intellect
wrongfully (in a way that is against the truth and revelation), 2)
and secondly to warn people against the actions that will lead
them to their own disaster.
Ayats 14 to 20: These ayats mentions the natural phenomenon of

all things which go through cycles of change, the only thing that
should remain constant is our faith and trust in Allah (swt). The
human impulse that arises from being a part of creation must
have a yearning to meet the Creator; and finally, that Allah (swt)
does not scourge upon a people outright, rather He gives them
time to reflect, and that is from His divine justice.
89
Ayats 21 to 37: These are reminders that it is as important for
man to remember Allah (swt) in times of ease as it is to
remember Him in times of distress. This life is a test and trial for
us one should use his/her time here on earth so that he/she can
harvest enough provision to take with him/her before dying. One
should make full use of this opportunity of this life. This Kitab
(al-Qur‘an) is the confirmation of what was before it and a
detailed explanation of the [former] Scripture.
Ayats 37 to 45: The Qurʾan confirms its authenticity with a

challenge to those who do not believe it. How can - one denies
that which one has not able to comprehend with knowledge and
whose interpretations have not yet reached him/her.
Ayats 46 to 56: These ayats resumes the divine pattern of justice

of Allah (swt) in prelude to the ayats 14 to 20 which has been
mentioned previously in the Surah. These ayats clarifies the
perspective of Allah‘s (swt) Justice with respect to making man
aware of His Oneness.
Ayats 57 to 60: Allah‘s (swt) ‗faḍl‗(grace) and His ‗raḥmah‘

(mercy) are the two qualities of Allah (swt) that believers should
be proud of. These ayats elaborates the wisdom of that spells out
a simple recipe to be happy and lead a fulfilling life.
Ayats 61 to 70: From the beginning of ayah 61 Allah (swt)

mentions about the one [Muhammad (s)] who recites the Qur‘an
qualifies the depth and the power of ‗wilayah‘ or ‗friendship‘
with Allah (swt) as he/she is abound to follow it. When people
are close to Allah (swt), they do not become insensitive to the

needs of others. The one who follow their assumptions
consequently invent falsehood and hereby disbelieve at the end.
Ayats 71 to 86: The story of Nuḥ (a) is revisited in the opening

ayats with a reminder that when divine retribution or justice
comes down to earth, there are rules of the physical world that
are kept intact. The next several ayats relate the story of Musa (a)
90
and the Pharaoh‘s magicians. The ‗daʿwah‘ (propagation of faith)
of Musa (a) and Nuḥ (a) relates the eventual consequence of
those not adhering the way of Divine Guidance.
Ayats 87 to 100: These ayats re-emphasizes the underlying

theme of this Surah – the Divine justice of Allah (swt) – and
contrasts the stark differences between the story of the Pharaoh
and that of the people of Yunus (a).
Ayats 101 to 109: In the concluding ayats of this Surah, Allah

(swt) emphasizes His all-encompassing power which none can‘t
doubt if one wants to follow it by the observing the heavens and
earth. It is He who manages the macroscopic and the
microscopic affairs of all beings and things. But these signs or
warning is no avail to a people who do not want to believe.
Virtue of the Surah
Sa‘d ibn Waqas (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Prophet

(salAllahu allayhi wasalam) said, ―The supplication made by the
Companion of the Fish (Prophet Yunus (as)) in the belly of the
fish was - ―There is no God but You, Glorified be You! Truly, I
have been of the wrongdoers‖ (Surah Ambiya, 21:87).
If any Muslim supplicates in these words, his supplication will be
accepted/responded to.‖ In another report we read, ―I know
words that will cause Allah to remove one‘s distress. These are
the words (of supplication) of my brother Yunus, peace be upon
him‖ [at-Tirmidhi; 3500, an-Nisa‟i in Àmal al-yawmi wa
al-layla; #656, al-Hakim 1:505 and 2:383. The latter
declared it sound (sahih) and Dhahabi confirmed him]
The Story of Prophet Yunus (a)
Throughout this long Surah, only one ayah out of the 109 ayats
make mention of the nation Yunus 'alayhi'l-salam (peace be upon
him) was sent to despite the Surah being named after him. The
prophet Yunus 'alayhi'l-salam (peace be upon him) was sent to
the people of Naynawa (Nineveh) in Mosul (modern day
Northern Iraq). This group of people did not believe in his
91
message of Tauhid at first but later they did as described in this
ayah. When Yunus 'alayhi'l-salam (peace be upon him) found
that his people had disbelieved, he was perturbed and annoyed
because they had rejected his call and so he left them. However,
soon Allah guided the hearts of his people and they realized their
mistakes and went out to the desert asking for Allah‘s
forgiveness. On this, Allah spared them from the punishment.
Allah says in the Qur‘an,
―Was there any town that believed (after seeing the
punishment), and its faith saved it Except the people of Yunus;
when they believed, We removed from them the torment of
disgrace in the life of the world, and permitted them to enjoy for
a while.‖ (Surah Yunus, 10:98)
About Prophet Yunus‘s behavior, Allah says in the Qur‘an:

‫ض ً۬با فَظَ َّه أَن لَّه وَّ ۡق ِد َر َعلَ ۡي ِه‬ َ ‫― َو َذا ٱلىُّى ِن إِذ َّذه‬And (remember) Dhun-Nun
ِ ‫َب ُم َغ ٰـ‬
(Prophet Yunus), when he went off in anger (this means: ―Anger
towards his people‖) and imagined that We shall not punish
him!‖ (Surah Ambiya, 21:87)
Prophet Yunus, after leaving his people, went on to board a ship

that got caught up in a storm and its people thought that they
would drown. In such a desperate situation when the ship was
being pounded by waves on all sides, and they were at risk of
drowning, they drew lots to decide to throw someone out of the
ship in an effort to lighten the load. The Prophet of Allah, Yunus
(peace be upon him), lost the draw three times.
However, the people of the ship did not want to throw him out of
the ship. So, he took off his garment so that he could throw
himself into the sea, and they tried to stop him. Allah says:
َ ِ‫ان م َِن ْالم ُْد َحض‬
‫ٌن‬ َ ‫― َف َسـ َه َم َف َك‬Then he (agreed to) cast lots, and he was
among the losers.‖ (Surah As-Saaffaat 37:141)
After he threw himself into the sea, Allah sent from the Green
Sea — according to what Ibn Masud said — a large fish which
cleaved the oceans until it came and swallowed Yunus. Allah
inspired that large fish not to devour his flesh or break his bones.
When in the belly of the fish, Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him)
92
realized his mistake and called out to Allah:
‫ٌِن‬ َّ ‫نت م َِن‬
َ ‫الظـلِم‬ َ ‫ت أَن الَّ إِلَـ َه إِالَّ أَنتَ ُسب َْحـ َن‬
ُ ‫ك إِ ِّنى ُك‬ ُّ ‫ …― َف َنا َدى فِى‬he cried
ِ ‫الظل ُ َمـ‬
through the depths of darkness (saying): ―There is no God but
You, Glorified be You! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers.‖
(Surah Ambiya, 21:87)
Ibn Masud said regarding the `depths of darkness‘ that it meant

―the darkness of the belly of the fish, the darkness of the sea and
the darkness of the night.‖ Ibn Masud, Ibn Abbas and others also
said that ―The fish took him through the sea, cleaving it until it
reached the bottom of the sea. Yunus heard the rocks at the
bottom of the sea uttering glorification of Allah, at which point
he said:
‫ٌِن‬ َّ ‫نت م َِن‬
َ ‫الظـلِم‬ َ ‫― الَّ إِلَـ َه إِالَّ أَنتَ ُسب َْحـ َن‬There is no God but You,
ُ ‫ك إِ ِّنى ُك‬
Glorified be You! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers‖ (Surah
Ambiya, 21:87) `
Awf Al-Aarabi said: ―When Yunus found himself in the belly of

the fish, he thought that he had died. But after he realized that he
could still move his legs, he prostrated where he was, and then
called out: Ò Lord, I have taken a place of worship to You in a
place where no other person has reached before.‖‘
Allah then tells us in the Qur‘an:
َ ‫ك ُنن ِجـى ْالم ُْؤ ِمن‬
‫ٌِن‬ َ ِ‫― َفاسْ َت َج ْب َنا لَ ُه َو َنجَّ ٌْ َنـ ُه م َِن ْالغَ ِّم َو َكذل‬So `We answered his call,
and delivered him from the distress. (This means that `We
brought him forth from the belly of the fish and from that
darkness.‘ And thus We do deliver (save) the believers.‖ (Surah
Ambiya 21:88)
This clearly shows that when we are in a difficulty or a distressful

situation and turn to Allah and call upon Him with sincere
repentance, especially with these words, Allah responds to our
call. The leader of the Prophets encouraged us to call upon Allah
with these words. Imam Ahmad recorded that Sa‘d bin Abi
Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "I passed by
‗Uthman bin Àffan, may Allah be pleased with him, in the
Masjid, and greeted him. But he just stared at him and did not
return the greeting. When Uthman was asked about it later, he
sought Allah‘s forgiveness (for not returning the greeting) and
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said that he had been preoccupied with what he had heard from
the Messenger of Allah about the supplication and Dua of Dhun-
Nun(Prophet Yunus) when he was in the belly of the fish: ―There
is no God but You, Glorified be You! Truly, I have been of the
wrongdoers.‖
It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, and by An-Nasa'i in Al-

Yawm wal-Laylah. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Sa`d said that
َ ‫س اسْ ُت ِج‬
the Messenger of Allah said: «‫ٌب لَه‬ َ ‫ » َمنْ َد َعا ِب ُد َعا ِء ٌُو ُن‬No
Muslim ever prays to his Lord with these words for anything, but
He will answer his prayer. [Recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-
Nasa‟i in Al-Yawm wal-Laylah]
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Saad reported that the Messenger of
Allah said:
َ ‫― » َفإِ َّن ُه لَ ْم ٌَ ْد ُع ِب َها مُسْ لِ ٌم َر َّب ُه فًِ َشًْ ٍء َق ُّط إِ َّال اسْ َت َج‬Whoever offers
‫اب َله‬
supplication in the words of the supplication of Yunus, will be
answered.‖ Abu Saeed said: ―The prophet (s) was referring to this
ayah:
‫ي‬ ِِ ِ ِ‫― َكذل‬And thus We do deliver (save) the believers.‖
َ ‫ك نُنجـى الْ ُم ْؤمن‬ َ
(Surah Ambiya 21:88)
Almighty Allah accepted Prophet Yunus‘s supplication, and cast

him on the shore and protected him there. Allah the Exalted
forgave him his error of impatience in deserting his people
without waiting for Allah‘s instruction.
Allah also made it known that had it not been for Yunus‘s (peace
be upon him) sincere repentance and his invocations to Him, he
would have stayed in the whale‘s stomach till the Day of
Judgment! The Qur‘an says:
َ ‫ث فِى َب ْط ِن ِه إِلَى ٌَ ْو ِم ٌُ ْب َع ُث‬
‫ون‬ َ ‫― َفلَ ْوالَ أَ َّن ُه َك‬Had he not been of
َ ‫ان م َِن ْال ُم َس ِّبح‬
َ ‫ لَلَ ِب‬- ‫ٌِن‬
them who glorify Allah, He would have indeed remained inside
its belly (the fish) till the Day of Resurrection.‖ (Surah As-
Saffaat, 143-144) [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
1. In the last version of the religion of Islam (that was sent to

94
Muhammad (s), a person becomes a believer when he/she
believes in Allah subhanahu wa ta‘ala, associates no
partners with Him, and follows the path of Muhammad)s(
in every matter of life.
2. One needs to have patience in all affairs of life.
3. By acknowledging the mistakes/weakness a believer

experiences taqwa (consciousness of Lord Almighty). It
can be attained by honouring Allah‘s (swt) commands and
staying away from prohibitions.
4. One should abstain from mocking, hurting, or causing
discomfort to anyone. By constantly praising Allah and
seeking Allah‘s forgiveness that helps one in challenging
situations.
5. Al-Qur‘an is an instruction to mankind from their Lord

and healing for what is in the chests and guidance and
mercy for the believers.
6. Don‘t Revert to Your Old State When the Test is over. And
when affliction touches man, he calls upon Allah; but
when affliction gets removed, one continues [in
disobedience] as if he had never been in affliction before.
7. Almighty Allah Takes Care of His Friends. Musa (a), Nuh

(a) and Yunus (a) are prophets of Allah (swt) and are
chosen as the guided one. Those of us who follow their
guidance ultimately become friend of Allah the Almighty.
Lord Almighty takes care of His friends in every step of
life.
8. Undoubtedly the friends and allies of Allah (swt) there will

have no fear and would not grieve either. Allah (swt) has
given the believers good tidings in the worldly life and in
the Hereafter.
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11. Surah Hud [Hud (a)]
Concise Tafseer of Surah Hud In Summarized Form

Surah Hud is a Makki Surah which obtain its title from the
reference to the story of Prophet Hud (a), who was sent to the
‗Ad people. The story can be found in ayats 50 to 60. It has 123
ayats and 10 Ruku‘(Section).
If we take the theme of it in consideration, we conclude that the

Surah was revealed during the same period as Surah Yunus.
Surah Hud was revealed after Surah Yunus and Surah Al-Isra
according to some scholars. The period in which the Surah was
revealed to the Prophet (s) was one of the saddest periods of his
(s) mission, because it was revealed after the death of his dear
wife Khadeejah (rh) who was his honest confidant and supporter.
It was the same period that his beloved uncle, Abu Talib who
used to give him unconditional backing and protect him against
the Quraysh infidels, died.
1. Seek forgiveness from Allah (swt) and His bounties will be

for you.
2. Patience and good deeds bring the stability in character.
3. The story of Prophet Nuh (a).
4. The fate of those who disbelieved in Prophet Nuh (a). The
moving description of the fate of Prophet Nuh's (a) son.
5. The Message of Prophet Hud (a). 'Ad people denied
Allah's (swt) message and were punished.
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6. The Message of Prophet Saleh (a), the Sign of the She-
Camel, and end of Thamud.
7. Prophet Ibrahim (a) receives the angles. The angels then
went to Prophet Lut (a). The punishment of the people of
Lut(a).
8. Prophet Shu'aib (a) and his message, his people's denial
and their punishment.
9. Prophet Musa (a) was sent to Pharaoh and his people. The
purpose of these stories.
10. Prophets were denied before. Continue presenting the
message with patience. Had Allah (swt) forced His will
upon the people, He would have made them all one
people.
The subject matter of the Surah is same as that of Surah Yunus:

invitation to the message, admonition and warning. The
statement of warning is sterner from the previous Surah Yunus.
The main content of the surah is a series of stories of prophets
who warned their people to follow Allah, the people persisting in
defying their Lord, and Allah punishing for their misdeeds. In
this Surah we have the stories of Prophets Nuh, Salih, Hud, Lut,
Shuaib and Moses -peace be upon them all.
The Surah opens with a discussion on the nature of man and the
punishment that awaits those who defy God Amighty.
Ayats 25 to 49 tell the story of Noah (Nuh a) and how his people
did not believe his commands to follow Lord Almighty. The
unbelievers are drowned in a flood, which includes Noah's son;
Noah asks Almighty God about this act, but He rebukes
Noah as being ignorant and says that Noah's son is "not a
member of his family." Surah 66, At-Tahrim, elaborates on
this and says that Noah's wife is an unbeliever in hell who was
unfaithful to her husband.
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Ayats 50 to 60 deals with the prophet Hud (a). He was sent to the
Ad, an Omani tribe which according to history crumbled
sometime between the 3rd and 6th century AD. The Ad do not
believe Hud, and Hud (a) and those who do believe are rescued
by Allah (swt), followed by God Almighty inflicting a "dreadful
doom" on them so that they were "accursed in the world."
Ayats 61 to 68 concerns the people of Thamud and the prophet

Salih (a). Salih (a) tries to convince Thamud to repent, but once
more the unbelievers ignore the prophet. Salih (a) offers a she-
camel as an offering of peace, but says that it should be left alone.
If anything befalls it, the people will be punished. The camel is
hamstrung, Salih and those who believe are rescued, and the
unbelievers are smitten by a "blast from heaven."
The Qu'ranic version of the Biblical story of Sodom and

Gomorrah is in ayats 69 to 83. ibraham (a) [Abraham] and Sarah
are given the news of their son and grandson's forthcoming birth
Ishaq (a) and Yaqub (a) [Isaac and Jacob], after which they plead
for mercy for Lut's (a) people. God Almighty refuses the request,
saying that the punishment cannot be averted. Lut (a) offers his
daughters to the men of Sodom, but they respond with
disinterest and say "you know what we want." Surah 7:80–84
confirms the Biblical account of homosexuality as being the
crime of Lut's (a) people. Angels descend to protect Lut (a) and
his daughters, and the city is destroyed by a stone rain. Lot's wife
perishes as well.
Ayats 84 to 95 deal with the prophet Shu'aib (a) sent to Midian.

Once more, the people ignore the prophet's warnings; this time,
Shu'aib (a) reminds the people of the fate of the people of Nuh
(a), Hud (a), Salih (a), and Lut (a). It doesn't work, and the
people spare Shu'aib (a) from death by stoning only because he
comes from a powerful clan. Shu'aib (a) and those who believe
are rescued by Almighty Allah. Afterward, the unbelievers
"[were] seized by a punishment from heaven, and lay overturned
in their homes in the morning as though they had not dwelt there
at all."
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At the end, Surah discusses the general theme once more, with
occasional references to Musa (a). The harsh punishment is
explained as "We did not wrong them; they wronged
themselves." Other gods are decried as false, powerless, and
useless. Believers are commanded to walk the straight path and
follow Lord Almighty, and those who disbelieve will suffer in
Hell.
Virtue of the Surah
Surah Hud made the Prophet's Hair turn Gray
Abu Ìsa At-Tirmidhi recorded from Ibn Àbbas that Abu Bakr
said, "O Messenger of Allah, verily your hair has turned gray.''
The Prophet replied,
(Surahs Hud, Al-Waqiàh, Al-Mursalat, Àmma Yatasa'lun ﴿An-
Naba'﴾ and Idhash-Shamsu Kuwwirat ﴿At-Takwir have turned my
hair gray. In another narration he said,
(Surah Hud and its sisters...) [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
Story of Hud (a) In a Nutshell
Prophet Hud (a) was sent by Allah on the people of ‗Ad, they
were very clever and great architects, they had built the
mansions and everything beautifully. They had known a lot
about the world but less about the Allah, so Allah sent Prophet
Hud (a) to them.
In the Old Testament reference is made to a descendant of Noah

named Eber. In some traditions, he is called Heber, and known
as the father of the Hebrew language. In Islam however he is
known as Hud and is one of four Arabic prophets, the others
being, Salih, Shuaib and Muhammad. Renowned Islamic scholar
of the 14th century, Ibn Kathir, reports that Ibn Jarir also claims
that Hud was a descendent of Noah.
The people of Adam were living between Oman and Yemen. They
were all builders and physically well-built. However, they were
under the leadership of a dictator and were worshipping Allah
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and as well as other creatures.
Then, Allah sent to Earth, Prophet Hud (a) to guide these people
to His path. He told the people not to practice idolatry and
worship Allah (swt) alone. However, his message did not
convince them and, instead, he was questioned whether he
wanted to be a master and wanted money for his motive.
Hud (a) refused and wanted to them to follow the path of Allah
and that Allah blessed them with strength. Despite being aware,
the wealthy people were still arrogant and ungrateful but did not
believe him.
Hud (a) reminded them of Nuh (a)‘s Ark and what happened if
they did not obey the words of Allah. Years passed, the people
became more arrogant and proud believing that the idols were
their Gods who protect them. Everybody believed that Hud (a)
was crazy, mocked him and accused him of hurting their ‗Gods‘.
Confident and proud, the people asked Hud (a) for judgment of
their actions on Earth which Hud (a) was preaching.
Then, a drought struck the area, cracked the land. No drop of

rain and people‘s heads were on fire. Hud (a) asked the people to
believe in Allah and he would bring rain but they laughed at him.
The drought persisted until dark clouds appeared. The weather
changed drastically bringing gusts that flew everything in its
path, including people.
All the disbelievers‘ bodies were torn away by the winds that
lasted 8 days and 7 nights. The people who believed Hud (a) were
unharmed and migrated to Yemen to worship Allah (swt) alone.
They were destroyed by a furious violent wind which God

imposed on them for seven nights and eight days in succession,
so that you could see men lying overthrown (destroyed) as if they
were hollow trunks of date palms! (Al-Qur‟an, 69.AlHaqqah:
6-7)
Ibn Kathir tells us that the violent gale did not stop until the
entire region, once lush and green was reduced to ruins and
100
swallowed by the sands of the desert. Only Hud (a) and his small
band of followers were saved and were believed to have migrated
to the Hadramaut area of what is today known as Yemen.
Ark settled on Mount Judi
According to the Qur‘an, the Ark rested upon Mount Judi, which
is situated to the north-east of Jazirah Ibn Umar in Kurdistan.
But according to the Bible its resting place was Mount Ararat in
Armenia, which is one of the ranges of mountains of the same
name that extends from Armenia to southern Kurdistan.
Mount Judi is one of the mountains of the Ararat range, and is

known by the same name even today.
The ancient histories confirm that the resting place of the Ark
was Mount Judi. For instance, Berasus, a religious leader of
Babylonia, who lived about 250 years before Christ, says in his
history of the Chaldeans that Noah‘s Ark rested upon Mount
Judi. Abydenus, a pupil of Aristotle, not only confirms the same
but also says that many people of Iraq of his time possessed
pieces of the Ark, which they ground in water and gave to the sick
as a medicine.
Now let us consider the question: Did the deluge mentioned here
cover the whole earth or was it confined to that particular region
where Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) lived?
This is a question which has not been finally settled up to this

day. As far as the Bible and the Israelite traditions are concerned,
this was universal. (Genesis 7: 18- 24) But the Qur‘an is silent
about it, though it does say things which show that the whole
human race after the deluge was the descendant of Prophet Noah
(peace be upon him) and of those with him in the Ark, but this
does not mean that the deluge covered all the earth. It may be
explained like this: At that time of the history the only region of
the earth, which was inhabited by the human race, was the
region in which Noah lived, and the generations which came
after the deluge, gradually spread over other parts of the earth.
This theory is supported by two things. First, there is a
101
conclusive proof that a great flood did come over the land of the
Tigris and the Euphrates. This is confirmed by historical
traditions, archaeological remains and geological evidence. But
there are no such proofs in the other parts of the earth as might
show that the deluge was universal. Secondly, traditions have
come down to almost all the peoples of the earth living even in
distant places like America and Australia, that once a great flood
had come all over the earth. The only conclusion which can be
drawn from the above is that at one time the forefathers of all the
people of the earth lived at one place. But, when afterwards they
spread over different lands in the earth; they carried the
traditions of the deluge along with them. Traditions similar to
the story of Noah are also found in classical Greek Egyptian,
Indian and Chinese literature.
Moreover, stories of identical import have been popular since

time immemorial in Burma, Malaya, the East Indies, Australia,
New Guinea and various parts of Europe and America.
1. This Surah invites us to: Obey the Messenger of Allah;

discard shirk, and worship Allah and Allah alone. If we
seek forgiveness it will be for our own good.
2. We should all ask for forgiveness to the Most Forgiving,
to return back to Allah and the straight path. Then, we will

have goodness in this world and the hereafter. If we
refuse, however, we will receive a big disaster and
calamity on the Day of Judgment.
3. It is not a sin to enjoy the blessings of Allah as long as we

continue to remember Him and do shukr. But if we forget
our duty towards Allah and the people and our sole
purpose of life becomes this world then it really is a
dangerous thing for our imaan and akhirah.
102
4. Patience and good deeds bring the stability in character.
5. The past nations rejected the appeal of their prophets by

ascribing partners to Allah and not asking for His
forgiveness. Thus, they were destroyed.
6. Allah (swt) makes mention of the ending of those who

disbelieved and do bad deeds on Earth. They are engulfed
by the fires of hell and in there they will be violently
inhaling and exhaling. They would stay in there forever
and hell is the worse of final abodes.
7. A day which Almighty Allah promises would not be

delayed once the time arrives. A day where the
disbelievers would regret all their deeds and the believers
would emerge smiling.
8. To Allah (swt) belongs the unseen of the heavens and the

earth, and every affair gets returned to Him; Lord
Almighty is not heedless of what we do. So, serving and
relying on Him is the ultimate success.
103
12. Surah Yusuf [Joseph (Yusuf „alaihis salam )]
Concise Tafseer of Surah Yusuf In Summarized Form

The Surah is called ―Surah Yusuf‖ as it is entirely dedicated to the

biography of Yusuf (a). It is a Makki Surah revealed towards the
end of the Makki period, about a year or two before the Hijrah.
This Surah has 111 ayats in 12 Section (Ruku‘).
There is no confirmed time when Surah Yusuf was revealed, but

it is estimated to be either in the 10th or 11th year of dawah. In
other words, it is known to have been revealed 2 or 3 years before
the Hijrah (Migration) from Makkah to Madinah which is close
to the end of the Makki era. This Surah was revealed after a year
the scholars of seerah call 'am al huzun' (the year of Sorrow or
Despair). This year was a sad and depressing time for
Muhammad (s). He was going through several hardships and
three of those are the most significant.
The first one is his uncle Abu Talib's death. Abu Talib was the
only father figure he had left and one of the people who protected
him from the harms of society. The second tragedy would come
with his beloved first wife, Khadijah's (rh) death.
At that time some of the unbelievers put this question to test
him, ―Why did the Israelites go to Egypt?‖ Probably it was asked
by the instigation of Jews, they knew that their story was known
to the Arabs.
At those times, the Quraysh were considering the question of

killing or exiling or imprisoning Prophet Muhammad (s). Some
of the unbelievers put this question (probably at the instigation
of the Jews) to test him: ―Why did the Israelites go to Egypt?"
This question was asked because they knew that their story
was not known to the Arabs for there was no mention of it
104
whatever in their traditions and the Prophet had never even
referred to it before.
Historical Background in the Surah
The story of the Surah begins with the dream of Yusuf (a) when
he describes his dream to Yaqub (a), where he saw, 11 stars - the
sun, and the moon prostrating to him. Yusuf (a) was the son of
Yaqub (a) [Jacob] and grandson of Ishaq (a) [Isaac] and a great
grandson of Ibrahim (a) [Abraham]. According to the research
scholars of Bible, Yusuf (a) [Joseph] was born in or about 906
BC. The timeline of the story starts at 890 BC. The Hyksos King
that ruled over Egypt at that time was Apophis.
1. The Qur'an is revealed in the Arabic language. The story of

the Prophet Yusuf (a) - Joseph starts with his dream.
2. Prophet Yusuf (a) suffered the bad treatment of his

stepbrothers.
3. Prophet Yusuf (a) was sold in Egypt, his firmness in piety

against the temptations
4. Prophet Yusuf (a) was in prison.

5. Prophet Yusuf (a) preached to the inmates.
6. The King's dream and Prophet Yusuf‘s (a) interpretation.
7. Prophet Yusuf (a) was cleared of the false charges against
his character. He became a high official in Egypt.
8. The famine in Palestine brought Prophet Yusuf's (a)
brothers to Egypt.
9. Prophet Yusuf (a) meets his real brother.
10. Prophet Yusuf (a) disclosed his identity to his
stepbrothers.
11. Prophet Jacob's [Yaqub (a)] family comes to Egypt.
Prophet Yusuf (a) honours his parents and forgives his
brothers.
12. Most of the ignorant people who believe in Allah (swt)
105
13. also commit shirk. All the Rasools were human beings.
The story of Yusuf (a) is confirmation of previous
scriptures.
The basic theme of the Surah is to emphasize that all Prophets

were human beings and their messages were similar. They were
also highly moral beings. This is the way all believers should be.
The Prophets trusted in Lord Almighty Allah and in the end
Allah's plans did succeed.
The story of Yusuf (Surah Yusuf) is about the prophet Yusuf

translated in English as Joseph. Yusuf (a) is one of the sons of
Ya'qub (a) - Jacob - who has the talent of interpreting dreams.
One day Yusuf has a dream and he narrates his dream to his
father who immediately knows that Yusuf will be a prophet. His
father tells him not to tell his brothers to avoid any harm.
However, because of Ya'qub's loving treatment towards Yusuf,
Yusuf's brothers felt jealous.
They wanted to get rid of Yusuf, so their father could love them
instead of Yusuf. Their initial plan was to kill Yusuf, but later
they decided to throw him in a well. They lied to their father and
told him that a wolf had killed him. Later, a caravan rescued
Yusuf from the well, who then sold him to a man in Egypt. The
man took Yusuf in and was hoping to either put him to work or
adopt him as a son. Later, the man's wife tries to seduce Yusuf,
but he resists. The woman seeing his resistance accuses Yusuf of
wanting to harm her and demands that he should either be
punished severely or sent to jail.
A witness, after Yusuf defends his innocence, testifies "if his shirt
is torn from the front, then she has told the truth, and he is of the
liars but if his shirt is torn from the back, then she has lied, and
he is of the truthful." The shirt was indeed torn from the back.
Soon after this accident, the women of the city talk of how the
wife of the King is seeking to seduce Yusuf. The wife of 'Al-Aziz
invite them to a banquet and give one of each a knife and then
106
tells Yusuf to come out. The women cut their hands in
astonishment. 'She said, "That is the one about whom you
blamed me. And I certainly sought to seduce him, but he firmly
refused; and if he will not do what I order him, he will surely be
imprisoned and will be of those debased. Yusuf (a) prefers prison
to what they call him so he prayed to God Almighty. Yusuf is sent
to prison.
In the prison, Yusuf met two other men and interprets one of the
prisoner's dreams. The prisoner is then released and Yusuf asked
the prisoner to mention his talent to the king. One day, the King
had a dream, and the prisoner who had been released earlier
remembers and mentions Yusuf. He interprets the King's dream,
which is about Egypt having a seven-year drought. To reward
him, the King requests his release from jail and the King also
investigates his case. The wife who tried to seduce Yusuf (a)
testifies that he was innocent, and the truth unveils. Later on
after Yusuf (a) was appointed minister of finance by Ar-Rayyan
bin Al-Walid by the King of Egypt at the time. And after that
Allah (swt) gave him the authority of Egypt as King.
During the seven-year drought, Yusuf's (a) brothers visited Egypt

to get food for their family. Upon seeing his brothers, Yusuf (a)
recognized them though they did not recognize him. He provided
them with enough wheat for their needs and had their money put
back in their bags secretly. He also asked them to bring their
other brother the next time as proof that they were speaking the
truth about their family.
When the brothers returned with their youngest brother, Yusuf

(a) takes him aside and tells him his identity. Yusuf (a) plots a
theft case where his youngest brother is found guilty of theft
when he is truly innocent and is detained from his family, so he
could stay with him. Later, when the father and brothers
face poverty they come back to Yusuf (a) and Yusuf (a) then helps
them and reveals his identity asking them to come and live with
him.
Virtue of the Surah

107
The Prophet (s) said, 'Teach your relatives the recitation of Surah
Yusuf, for, any Muslim who recites it or teaches it to his family
and slaves, Allah shall ease for him the agony of death, and give
him the strength that will prevent him from envying a fellow
Muslim' [Ibn Asakir]
The family of Yusuf (a) who migrated along with him

after he became King of Egypt
It is worthwhile to take notice of the total number of Prophet

Jacob‘s family members that migrated to Egypt with him, for it is
closely connected with the problem that is raised concerning the
total number of the Israelites who emigrated from there some
five hundred years after this. According to the Bible, the total
number of the family members was 70, including Prophet Joseph
and his two sons, and excluding those daughters-in-law who did
not belong to the family of Prophet Jacob. But according to the
census figures given in Numbers, their number was about two
million when they were counted in the wilderness of Sinai in the
second year, after they come out of the land of Egypt. The
problem is this: how is it possible that these three score and ten
souls of his house had multiplied into two million souls during
five hundred years or so?
It is obvious that no family can multiply to such a large number

in five hundred years merely by the generative process. Thus the
only other way in which their number could have been increased
was proselytism. And there are sound reasons to believe that this
must have been so. The Israelites were the descendants of
Prophets. They had migrated to Egypt because of the power
Prophet Joseph enjoyed there. And we have seen that he made
full use of every opportunity he got for carrying out the work of
the mission of Prophethood.
Therefore it may reasonably be expected that the Israelites would

have done their very best to convert the Egyptians to their faith
of Islam during the five centuries of their power in Egypt. As a
108
result of this the Egyptian converts to Islam would not only have
changed their religion but also their culture so as to make them
look quite different from the other Egyptians and look like the
Israelites. Naturally the non-Muslim Egyptians would have
declared them to be foreigners just as the Hindus treat the
Indian Muslims of today.
By and by they themselves would have accepted this position and

become members of the Israelite nationality. Afterwards, when
the Egyptian nationalists began to persecute the alien Israelites,
the Muslim Egyptians were also made a target of their tyranny.
So when the Israelites migrated from Egypt, they, too, left their
country along with them and began to be counted among them.
The above mentioned explanation is confirmed by the Bible also.

For instance, it says ―that when they left Egypt, the children of
Israel journeyed from Remases to Suceoth....and a mixed
multitude went up also with them....‖ (Exodus 12: 37-38) and
―the mix multitude that was among them fell a lusting‖.
(Numbers 11:4)
Then by and by these non-Israelite converts to Islam began to be

called the stranger. ―One ordinance shall be both for you of the
congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you,
an ordinance forever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the
stranger be before the Lord. One law and the one manner shall
be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.‖
(Numbers 15: 15-16)
―And I charged your judges at that time, saying: Hear the causes
between your brethren, and judge righteously between every
man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.‖ (Deut. 1:
16). Now it is not an easy thing to find out the exact term which
was applied in the original Scriptures to the Egyptian converts to
Islam, and which was afterwards changed into the stranger by
the translators.
Al-Qur'an is revealed in Arabic to protect it from

Corruption and Misunderstanding
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(12:02) Verily, We have sent it down an Arabic recitation, that
haply you will ponder.
The fact that this Qur‘an has been revealed in the Arabic
language makes it imperative for everyone who cares about
religion to learn it. According to Imam Shafeì, learning Arabic is
an obligation upon every Muslim. As mentioned by Alusi, Ibn
Taymiyyah has reported Imam Abu Yusuf as of the opinion that
whoever can manage some Arabic ought not to speak in any
other language.
Majid writes about the power of the Qur‘anic Arabic: ―Hardly any
language seems capable of exercising over the minds of its users
such irresistible influence as Arabic ... the triumph of Islam was
to a certain extent the triumph of a language, more particularly
of a book.‘ (Hitti, A Short History of the Arabs, pp.90-91)
The origin of the language is a mystery. Earnest Renan (1823-

1894), who carried out an extensive research on Semitic
languages said, ―The Arabic language is the most astonishing
event of human history. During the classical period, it suddenly
emerged as a complete language. After this, it did not undergo
any noticeable change, so one cannot define for it an early or late
stage. It is just the same today as it was when it first appeared.‖
Anyone who knows its grammatical structure, and the strict

application of the rules to the most ancient Arabic texts, when
the art of writing was non-existent, will admit that the language
could not have come into being through the normal process of
gradual development over several centuries, as has been the case
with every other languages. The classical Jahiliyy poetry that the
Arab boast about to this day, was not penned down but centuries
after the poets were dead. These facts have led some linguists to
believe that it is a revealed language. In fact, Hakim has a report
from the Prophet (s) that the language was revealed to Isma‘il.
But some Hadith experts have declared the report daìf and most
of the scholars say that Arabic language precedes Isamìl. Also,
Arabic of higher literary quality happens to be difficult because of
the possibilities of a vast vocabulary, numerously different
shades of meaning and nuances, brought to being by countless
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rules of grammar.
Hence Imam Shafeì‘s opinion (as in Alusi) is that no one can

master this language except a Prophet. And hence too, the
Companions often wondered at the Prophet‘s skill in the
language.
As regards any individual gaining complete mastery over the
language, countless Arab linguists will have no hesitation in
accepting it as true.
Allah has informed Muhammad (s) about the past

through the Proof of Qur‟an
(12:101) My Lord! You have bestowed dominion upon me and

have taught me to comprehend the depths of things. O Creator of
heavens and earth! You are my Guardian in this world and in the
Hereafter. Cause me to die in submission to You, and join me, in
the end, with the righteous.
The few sentences that were uttered by Prophet Joseph (a) at the
happiest occasion of his life help depict the most graceful pattern
of the virtues of a true believer. There is the man from the desert,
whom his own brothers had, out of jealousy, attempted to kill,
now sitting on the throne after passing through many
vicissitudes of life. All the members of his family have been
forced by famine to come before him for help.
The same jealous brothers, who had made an attempt on his life,
are now standing before him with downcast heads.
Instead of giving vent to his grievances against his brothers,
making taunts at them for their ill treatment, he does not make
even a mention of such things but puts up a defense for them,
saying that it was all due to Satan, who had stirred up strife
between them: nay, he even puts it forward as a blessing in
disguise, being one of the mysterious ways of Allah by which He
had fulfilled His design of raising him to the throne.
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1. Knowledge of Dreams: The knowledge of interpreting
dreams is a very important branch of knowledge that Allah
(swt) gives to whom he pleases from His servants. And most
of them (dreams) are based on symbols that are ambiguous
in meaning and in description. For indeed the significance of
the sun, the moon and twelve stars bowing to Yusuf (a), is
that these lights are the beauty of the sky, and from them
emanates benefit. Likewise the prophets and the scholars are
the beauty of this earth, and by them mankind is guided
through darkness just as they do by the light of the stars, the
sun and the moon.
2. Do Not Be Jealous: One should never be jealous and always

be happy for others. Jealousy can break relationships and
sometimes destroy lives. In this Surah, Brothers of Yusuf (a)
started believing that their Father Yaqub (a) loves Yusuf
3. more than them. This was the reason why Yaqub (a) stopped
Yusuf (a) from telling the dream that he saw to his brothers.
4. Sabr – Be Patient and Believe in Allah: Yusuf (a) suffered a

lot after Pharoah‘s wife put false allegations on him; he was
sold out as a slave in Egypt and imprisoned for no reason.
But he remained calm and believed in Almighty Allah. The
merits of taqwah and sabr (patience), for every good in this
life and the next are as result of taqwah and sabr based on
the statement of Allah, ―Allah has indeed been gracious to us.
Verily, he who fears Allah and is patient, then surely, Allah
makes not the reward of the Muhsinun (good-doers) to be
lost."
5. Hosting guests honorably: It is from the ―sunnah‖ of the

prophets to host guest and treat them honourably based on
the statement of Yusuf, ―See you not that I give full measure,
and that I am the best of the hosts?‖
6. Telling about hardships of life being satisfied to Allah is not
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impermissible: The permissibly of informing others of the
difficulties one is enduring, as long as this is not done in a
manner that indicates one is annoyed with the decree of
Allah, for the brothers of Yusuf complained, ―O ruler of the
land! A hard time has hit us and our family,‖ and Yusuf (a)
did not object to their statement.
7. Forgiveness that Allah Likes: When Yusuf (a) became the

King of Egypt then he forgave each and everything about
their brothers. The matter that really counts in the life of the
servant is the successful ending and not the deficient
beginning. For the children of Yaqub (a) did what they did in
the beginning which was a very reprehensible act, then their
affair ended in sincere repentance, complete forgiveness
from Yusuf (a) and their father, and du‘a was made for them
to be forgiven and have mercy upon.
8. Worshipping Almighty Lord in all specks of life: Just as the

servant worships Allah (swt) during times of ease, similarly
he should also worship him during times of hardship. For
Yusuf (a) was constantly calling to Allah, thus when he
entered the prison he continued to make dawah. He called
the two young men to at-tawheed and he warned them
against as-shirk. Hence, from his quick-wittedness he saw
that they were responsive to his dawah, whereby they said to
him, ―We think you are one of the Muhsinun (doers of
good).‖
9. Trusting someone for assistance is not giving up the reliance

of Allah: It is not considered depending on others (instead of
Allah), if one happens to get into a difficult situation and one
seeks the assistance of someone whom he thinks can alleviate
his situation, for this person there is no blame on him if he
does this. This is because it has always been the custom of
people to seek each other assistance in such matters. Hence,
Yusuf (a) said to the one whom he knew would be saved,
"Mention me to your lord (i.e. your king, so as to get me out
of the prison)."
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10. Save Yourself From Sins: Yusuf (a) was beautiful both
externally and internally. His beauty made women cut their
hands. And his internal beauty was his sabr and not agreeing
on disobeying Almighty Allah. One should be careful to avoid
being secluded with women whom may be a cause of fitnah,
and one should also be cautious of the love for someone that
may be harmful. For the wife of the king did what she did
because of her obsession with Yusuf (a) that lead her to try to
seduce him, tell lies about him and cause him to be
imprisoned for a long time.
11. One should not talk or bear witness without knowledge: It is

not permissible for a person to bear witness except to that
which he has sure knowledge of. Those who acquire their
knowledge either by witnessing it himself or by being

informed by a trustworthy person; based on the statement of
the Yusuf‘s brothers, ―We testify not except according to
what we know.‖
12. Sign that our beloved Prophet (s) is truly a messenger from
Almighty Allah: This Surah has the evidences of the
truthfulness of the prophet hood of Prophet Muhammad (s);
for he narrated to his people this long story and he never had
read the previous books nor learned from any one.
13. Be steadfast in worshiping Lord Almighty at all time: The

servant should always exalt Allah for making him remain
steadfast upon Imaan by constantly doing those deeds that
causes one‘s Imaan to remain firm. Also one should always
ask Allah to have successful ending by perfecting His Favor
upon one based on the du‘a of Yusuf (s), ―My Lord! You have
indeed bestowed on me of the sovereignty, and taught me the
interpretation of dreams; The Creator of the heavens and the
earth! You are my Wali (Protector, Helper, Supporter,
Guardian, etc.) in this world and in the Hereafter, cause me
to die as a Muslim, and join me with the righteous."
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13. Surah Ar-Ra„d (The Thunder)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ar-Ra‟d In Summarized Form

The Surah takes its name from the word ―ar-ra‘d‖ which appears
in ayah 13, meaning of which is, ―the thunder‖. There is a Sajda-
e-Tilawat in Ayah 15 of this Surah. The Surah has 43 ayats in 6
sections (Ruku‘).
The Surah was revealed in the last stage of Prophet Muhammad

(s) stay in Makkah and during the same period in which Surahs
Yunus, Hud and Al- A'araf were sent down. There is also
differing opinions whether Sura Ar-Ra‘d is Makki or Madani
Surah. Some scholars say it has Makki ayats with exception to
few ayats, whereas some other authorities hold that it to be
Madani Surah with exception to few being of Makki period. But
the time period is closer to the Hijrah of Madinah (Yathrib).
1. Almighty Allah's signs in nature.

2. Allah (swt) knows everything; the whole samawat praises
Him. Those who have eyes can see the truth. The truth has
an abiding power.
3. The faithful and unfaithful, their characters and their
ends.
4. The comfort of the hearts is in the remembrance of Allah
(swt). Those who deny Lord Almighty, no signs or
miracles can help them.
5. People in the past also denied Allah's Prophets and
laughed at them, but what were their ends.
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6. Prophet Muhammad (s) is the Messenger of Allah. The
witness is Allah and all those who have the knowledge of
the Scriptures of Allah (swt).
This Surah opens with Muqattat (Qur‘anic initials: disjoined

letters) ‫( اٌ ّر‬Alif. Lam. Mim. Ra). God Almighty Alone knows the
true meaning of this combination and why 29 Surahs of the
Qur‘an open in a similar way. Allah (swt) reminds us that the
Qur‘an has been revealed to Prophet Muhammad (s).
The main theme of this Surah is that the Message of Allah is the
Truth. It is a mistake for people to reject it. The arguments in the
whole Surah turns around this theme, and the basic components
of the Message which are Tauhid (God is One), Risalat
(Prophethood) and Resurrection, are repeated over and over
again. People are invited to believe in these facts for their own
good and if they don't, they are warned about incurring their own
ruin. The following are the contents of the Surah:
1. The Surah takes the human heart on a grand tour,
showing the samawat in a variety of spectacular images:-
- The heavens raise without support
- The sun and the moon pursuing their courses for a
definite time
- The night covered by day
- The spread of the earth with its firm mountains and
running rivers
- Gardens, plants and date trees with different
shapes, tastes and colours yet growing in adjacent
land irrigated with the same water.
2. The pursuit of knowledge of human heart has illustrated
with vividly motional explanation in contrast to Allah‘s
(swt) absolute knowledge.
3. Ar‘ Ra‘d (the thunder) is depicted as a power behind hope
and fear. The Surah gives an impression of the nature of
power of Allah (swt) that encompasses samawat
everywhere –
- The hidden and the apparent
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- Large and small
- Present and detached
4. The content of the Surah guides people to search the
depths of events in history through showing them the
painful end of the disobedient nations in the past.
This Surah also answers the objections and doubts of the
disbelievers which appeared to be a hindrance to accepting the
Divine Message. It also provides comfort, hope, and courage to
the believers who are in a long and hard ordeal in their
disorderly outskirts. So, one should be aware not to be deceived
by the glitter of falsehood. It makes frequent use of sympathetic
advice to win over the hearts of disbelievers by warning them
about the consequences of Kufr (unbelief) and the good results
and rewards of having True Faith.
Thus, This Surah Ar-Ra‘d begins with some ayats concerning

faith and convictions, and ends with introducing the deeds and
activities which are helpful in the formation of human character.
Ayats (1-7): The Qur'an is revealed by Allah (swt), the Creator of

the heavens and the earth. Trees, fruit, vegetables and their
tastes are the signs of Allah (swt). For every nation Allah (swt)
sent a guide (Rasool).
Ayats (8-18): Allah (swt) never changes the condition of a people

unless they strive to change themselves. Pray to Allah Alone.
Deities besides Allah (swt) have no control over any harm or
benefit and those who do not respond to the call of their Rabb
will have no way to escape.
Ayats (19-26): Those who fulfill their pledge with Allah (swt) will
have an excellent abode in the Hereafter. Those who break their
pledge will have the curse & a terrible home.
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Ayats (27-31): It is the remembrance of Allah (swt) that provides
tranquility to hearts. There is no God but Him, all things are
subject to His command.
Ayats (32-37): Allah (swt) watches each and every soul minutely.
The Qur'an is revealed in Arabic for easy understanding.
Ayats (38-43): The Rasool has no power to show any miracle

without Allah's (swt) sanction. When Allah (swt) commands,
there is none to reverse it. Allah is the Master of all planning.
Virtue of the Surah
The Guardian Angels With Each Person
The honorable angels accompany the children of Adam (a) from

the day they are formed in their mothers‘ wombs until the day
when their souls are brought forth from their bodies at the time
of death. They also accompany them in their graves and in the
Hereafter. Their accompanying them in this world is as follows:
Allah said next,
ِ َّ ‫ظو َن ُه ِمنْ أَمْ ِر‬

﴾........‫َّللا‬ ُ ‫ْن ٌَ َد ٌْ ِه َو ِمنْ َخ ْلفِ ِه ٌَحْ َف‬ ٌ ‫﴿لَ ُه ُم َع ِّق َب‬
ِ ٌ‫ـت مِّن َب‬
(For him (each person), there are angels in succession, before

and behind him. They guard him by the command of Allah.)
[Ar-Ra‟d ; 13:11]
Allah states that there are angels who take turns guarding each
servant, some by night and some by day. These angels protect
each person from harm and accidents. There are also angels who
take turns recording the good and evil deeds, some angels do this
by day and some by night. There are two angels, one to the right
and one to the left of each person, recording the deeds. The angel
to the right records the good deeds, while the angel to the left
records the evil deeds. There are also two angels that guard and
protect each person, one from the back and one from in front.
Therefore, there are four angels that surround each person by
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day and they are replaced by four others at night, two scribes and
two guards. An authentic Hadith states,
(Angels take turns around you, some at night and some by day,
and all of them assemble together at the time of the Fajr and
Àsr prayers. Then those who have stayed with you throughout
the night, ascend to Allah Who asks them, and He knows the
answer better than they about you, "How have you left My
servants'' They reply, "As we have found them praying, we have
left them praying.'') Imam Ahmad recorded that Àbdullah said
that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Verily, every one among you has his companion from the Jinn
and his companion from the angels.'') They said, "And you too, O
Allah's Messenger'' He said,
(And I too, except that Allah has helped me against him, so he

only orders me to do good.) Muslim collected this Hadith. Ibn
Abi Hatim narrated that Ibrahim said, "Allah revealed to a
Prophet from among the Children of Israel, `Say to your nation:
every people of a village or a house who used to obey Allah but
changed their behavior to disobeying Him, then He will take
away from them what they like and exchange it for what they
dislike.'' Ibrahim next said that this statement has proof in
Allah's Book,
(Verily, Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as

long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves.)
[Ar-Ra‟d ; 13:11]
(It is He Who shows you the lightning, as a fear and as a hope.

And it is He Who brings up the clouds, heavy (with water).)
(And Ar-Ra'd (thunder) glorifies and praises Him, and so do the

angels because of His awe. He sends the thunderbolts, and
therewith He strikes whom He wills, yet they (disbelievers)
dispute about Allah. And He is Mighty in strength and Severe in
punishment.) [Ar-Ra‟d ; 13:12-13] [Tafseer Ibn Kathir]
119
Every single person has two angels who write down his deeds,
good and bad, minor and major. Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
―But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind)
to watch you, Kiraman (Honourable) Katibeen —writing down
(your deeds), They know all that you do.‖ [Al-Infitar; 82:10-
12]
―And indeed We have created man, and We know what his own
self whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular
vein (by Our Knowledge). (Remember) that the two receivers
(recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the
right and one on the left (to note his or her actions). Not a word
does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to
record it).‖ [Qaf; 50:16-18]
The angel on the right records hasanat (good deeds) and the
angel on the left records sayyiat (bad deeds).
It was reported from Abu Umamah that the Messenger of Allah

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ―The angel on
the left does not write down anything until six hours have passed
after a Muslim does a bad deed. If he regrets it and asks Allah for
forgiveness, he casts it aside [does not write it down], otherwise
he writes down one (sayyiah/bad deed).‖ [al-Tabaraani]
Ayats Requiring Sajda-e-Tilawat
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira (ra) that when, the

son of Adam (a) recites the Ayat of sajdah (prostration) and then
falls down in prostration, the Satan goes into seclusion and
weeps and says: ‗Alas, and in the narration of Abu Kuraib the
and I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused and I am
doomed to Hell.‘ (Sahih Muslim, Book #001, Hadith
#0144)
There are fifteen places in the Qur‘an where we should perform

120
Sajdah al-tilaawat (prostration of recitation) when reciting them.
It was reported from ‗Amr ibn al-‗Aas that the Messenger of Allah
(sollallahu ‗alaihi wa sallaam) recited to him fifteen ayats in the
Qur‘an where one should prostrate, three of which are in al-
Mufassal and two in Surah al-Hajj. It was reported by Abu
Dawood, Ibn Maajah, al-Haakim and al-Daaraqutni, and classed
as hasan by al-Mundhiri and al-Nawawi. The fifteen aayat are
(interpretation of the meanings):
Sajdah # 1: Surah Al A‟raf (7) Ayah 206

―Those who are near to thy Lord, disdain not to do Him worship:
They celebrate His praises, and bow down before Him.‖
Sajdah # 2: Surah Al Ra‟d (13) Ayah 15

―Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth does
prostrate themselves to Allah (acknowledging subjection), - with
good-will or in spite of themselves: so do their shadows in the
morning and evenings.‖
Sajdah # 3: Surah Al Nahl (16) Ayah 50

―They all revere their Lord, high above them, and they do all that
they are commanded.‖
Sajdah # 4: Surah Al Isra‟ (17) Ayah 109

―They fall down on their faces in tears, and it increases their
(earnest) humility.‖
Sajdah # 5: Surah Maryam (19) Ayah 58

―Those were some of the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His
Grace, - of the posterity of Adam, and of those who We
carried (in the Ark) with Noah, and of the posterity of Abraham
and Israel of those whom We guided and chose. Whenever the
Signs of (Allah) Most Gracious were rehearsed to them, they
would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears.‖
Sajdah # 6: Surah Al Hajj (22) Ayah 18

―Seest thou not that to Allah bow down in worship all things that
are in the heavens and on earth,- the sun, the moon, the stars;
the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among
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mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for
Punishment: and such as Allah shall disgrace, - None can raise to
honour: for Allah carries out all that He wills.‖

―O ye who believe! bow down, prostrate yourselves, and adore
your Lord; and do good; that ye may prosper.‖
Sajdah # 8: Surah Al Furqan (25) Ayah 60

―When it is said to them, ―Adore ye (Allah) Most Gracious!‖ they
say, ―And what is (Allah) Most Gracious? Shall we adore that
which thou commandest us?‖ And it increases their flight (from
the Truth).‖
Sajdah # 9: Surah Al Naml (27) Ayah 26

―God!- there is no god but He!- Lord of the Throne Supreme!‖
Sajdah # 10: Surah Al Sajdah (32) Ayah 15

―Only those believe in Our Signs, who, when they are recited to
them, fall down in adoration, and celebrate the praises of their
Lord, nor are they (ever) puffed up with pride.‖
Sajdah # 11: Surah Sad (38) Ayah 24

―(David) said: ―He has undoubtedly wronged thee in demanding
thy (single) ewe to be added to his (flock of) ewes: truly many are
the partners (in business) who wrong each other: Not so do those
who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and how few are
they?‖ …and David gathered that We had tried him: he asked
forgiveness of his Lord, fell down, bowing (in prostration), and
turned (to Allah in repentance).‖
Sajdah # 12: Surah Fussilat (41) Ayah 38

―But if the (Unbelievers) are arrogant, (no matter): for in the
presence of thy Lord are those who celebrate His praises by night
and by day. And they never flag (nor feel themselves above it).‖
Sajdah # 13: Surah Al Najm (53) Ayah 62

―But fall ye down in prostration to Allah, and adore (Him)!‖
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Sajdah # 14: Surah Al Inshiqaq (84) Ayah 21
―And when the Qur‘an is read to them, they fall not prostrate,‖
Sajdah # 15: Surah Al Alaq (96) Ayah 19

―Nay, heed him not: But bow down in adoration, and bring
thyself the closer (to Allah)!‖
1. Rationale for existence of Allah and Here after: Allah (swt)

created the heavens; they are above us without any visible
means of support. Then He established Himself above the
heavens on His throne. He created the universe for the
benefit of humankind. It is the truth although most people
do not believe it.
2. Lightning, clouds – its creation and management of this

samawat in control of Allah (swt): The sun and the moon
float in their orbits, they are on a specific course for a
specified amount of time. The world around us is full of
signs and the revelations are clear in order that we have
no doubt concerning our meeting with God in the
Hereafter. Allah (swt) crowded the samawat with signs to
ponder and reflect upon; there are rivers, mountains, fruit
and plants, and the regular cycle of night and day. The
earth is filled with all sorts of vegetation, they are all
watered with rain but some are of better quality. These
signs are obvious for those who think.
3. Allah (swt) knows the obvious and the unseen: Allah (swt)
knows everything about birth and wombs; He knows both
the obvious and the hidden. Speaking in whispers or being
in the cover of darkness does not conceal anything from
Him. Each person has two guardian angels. God Almighty
will not change the condition of a people unless they
change themselves. If Allah (swt) intends to punish a
people, then no one can prevent it. The only real
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protection is from Almighty One Himself.
4. Hearts find rest & comfort in the remembrance of Allah:

Lord Almighty provide guidance to those who seek it, who
want it. They are the ones who believe and find peace in
Allah‘s remembrance. Their heart‘s delight is in Allah‘s
Zikr, whether it is quiet contemplation, or talking to Allah,
or reading Salat and the Qur‘an or talking to others about
Allah (swt). These are the ones who are guided by Allah to
peace and success in both the worlds. Calamities come
due to our own short comings and sins, a believer always
evaluate himself by gratifying the blessings given by the
Sustainer Allah (swt).
5. Umm-ul-Kitab is the Source and Origin of all the revealed

Books: Every age has its own (revealed) Book. Those who
remember Allah (swt) will have a reward that looks like
this; flowing streams, everlasting fruit and shade. But the
unbelievers have nothing but the Fire. Those who
accepted Islam from among the People of the Book (Jews
and Christians) rejoice at the new revelations (Qur‘an) but
some from among the People of the Book deny parts of it.
The Qur‘an has been revealed in Arabic. If Prophet
Muhammad (s) was to follow the vain desires of some of
his community after knowledge had been given to him,
nothing could protect him from the wrath of Allah (swt).
6. All the messengers were ridiculed: The messengers before

Muhammad (s) had wives and children but none had the
power to perform miracles without God‘s permission. In
every time period there was a book (or revelation) and
God confirms or erases whatever He wills because He is
the source. Some people ask Prophet Muhammad (s)
astonishing questions about whether or not they will be
resurrected. They challenge Prophet Muhammad (s) to
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bring about the punishment he refers to rather than
asking God for forgiveness. God is full of forgiveness but
also severe in punishment. They stubbornly demand a
miracle of their choice, but Prophet Muhammad (s) is a
warner, nothing more.
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14. Surah Ibrahim (Prophet Abraham)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ibrahim In Summarized Form

The Surah takes its name from Ayah 35 where the mention of
Prophet Ibrahim (a) was made, but it does not mean that it
contains the life story of Ibrahim (a) as a whole, but considerable
mention is made of Prophet Ibrahim (a) and his prayer for the
city of Makkah and his descendants. It has 52 ayats and 7 Ruku‘
(Section).
The righteous and grateful in this world will be suitably rewarded

in the Hereafter; while the ungrateful and disbelievers will be
punished. Each person will be brought to account for his/her
actions.
It was revealed during the last stage of Makki period of Prophet

Muhammad (s), except the ayats 28 and 29 that are about those
killed in Badr Campaign and are revealed in Madinah. It is
probably one of the last Makki Surahs.
1. The purpose of the Qur'an is to lead humankind to light.

2. Prophets and their people.
3. Non-believers threatened the Prophets, but Allah's
promise to the Prophets.
4. Shaitan misleads the disbelievers in this world, but in the
hereafter he would leave them in the lurch.
5. The ingratitude of people
6. Prophet Ibrahim's (a) prayer for Makkah, for its people
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and for his own children
7. Allah (swt) is aware of what the wrongdoers are doing,
their respite and end.
This Surah is an admonition and a warning to the disbelievers

who were rejecting the Message of the Prophet Muhammad (s)
and devising cunning schemes to defeat his Mission. A good deal
of admonition had already been made in the previous Surahs,
but in spite of this their stubbornness, enmity, hatred, mischief,
harassment, etc. had rather increased.
The purpose of this guidance is to take the people from darkness

to light. Many people in the past had doubts about their
prophets. They laughed at them and they threatened to kill them
or expel them from their towns. However, the lasting word is the
"good word."
The Surah also mentions Prophet Ibrahim's (a) prayer when he

established the city of Makkah.
Ayats (1-5): This Book is revealed to bring mankind out of

darkness into light. All prophets spoke the language of their own
people. The Prophet Musa (a) was sent to lead his people out of
darkness into light.
Ayats (6-12): If all the dwellers of earth become nonbelievers, it

makes no difference to Allah (swt). Those before us - Allah (swt)
presented us the same old Dailogue between the Rasools and
their nation‘s (the people of Noah and 'Aad and Thamud and
those after them) refused in these ayats. Let the believers put
their trust in Allah (swt).
Ayats (13-21): Allah (swt) punishes the wrongdoers & blesses

those who gratify His eminence. Lord Almighty has based the
creation of heavens and earth on Truth.
127
Ayats (12-27): Shaitan has no power over human beings - he only
invites and people follow him. Greetings in Paradise will be
'Peace'. Example of a "good word" is like a root which is firmly
fixed and its branches spring up to the sky and example of a "bad
word" has no stability gets uprooted from the surface of the earth
easily.
Ayats (28-34): Those who show ingratitude towards Allah's

favours shall be cast into Hell. Allah (swt) has given us countless
favours.
Ayats (35-41): Prophet Ibrahim (a) prayed for the city of Makkah
and its residents. The prayer of the Prophet Ibrahim (a) was, ―My
Lord! Make me a performer of the prayer and of my offspring
(too): Our Lord! And accept my petition; Our Lord! Forgive me
and my parents, and the believers on the Day when the
reckoning shall come to pass.‖ [14: 40-41] which is made a part
of Muslims five daily prayers.
Ayats (42-52): Never think that Allah (swt) is unaware of the

unjust, or that He will ever break His promise made to His
Rasools. Allah is the One and Only God.
Virtue of the Surah
Ibrahim (a), an Imam (leader) to the people

Ibrahim (a) was born in a house of idolaters in the ancient city of
Ur of the Chaldees, likely the place called 'Ur' in present-day
Iraq, in which case, the idolaters would have been practitioners
of the hypothesized Ancient Mesopotamian religion.
His father Azar was a well-known idol-sculptor that his people

worshiped. As a young child, Ibrahim used to watch his father
sculpting these idols from stones or wood. When his father was
finished with them, Ibrahim (a) would ask his father why they
could not move or respond to any request and then would mock
them; therefore, his father would always ground him for not
following his ancestors‘ rituals and mocking their idols.
128
After Ibrahim (a) qualified in all the trials of Allah (swt), He, the
Exalted, decided to make him an Imam meaning a Prophet and
leader and an example for the people to come:
"And remember that Ibrahim was tried by his Lord with certain
Commands, which he fulfilled: He said: "I will make thee an
Imam to the Nations." He pleaded: "And also (Imams) from my
offspring!" He answered: "But My Promise is not within the
reach of evil-doers." [Surah Al Baqarah 2:124]
"...and We granted him his reward in this life; and he was in the
Hereafter (of the company) of the Righteous." [Surah Al
'Ankabut 29:27]
Allah (swt) granted Prophethood and Divine Books to his

progeny:
"We gave him Ishaque and Yaqub: all (three) We guided: and
before him, We guided Nuh, and among his progeny, Dawud,
Sulaiman, Ayyub, Yusuf, Musa, and Harun: thus do We reward
those who do good: And Zakariya and Yahya, and Isa and Ilyas:
all in the ranks of the righteous: And Ismail and Al-Yas'a, and
Yunus, and Lut: and to all We gave favour above the nations: (To
them) and to their fathers, and progeny and brethren: We chose
them, and We guided them to a straight Way. This is the
Guidance of Allah: He giveth that guidance to whom He pleaseth,
of His worshippers. If they were to join other gods with Him, all
that they did would be vain for them." [Surah Al An'am 6:84-
88]
Thus, every Book (Scripture) was given to the Prophets from the
progeny of Ibrahim (a). From Ishaque (a), the second son of
Ibrahim came the Prophets of Israel and their progeny finished
on Isa (a). From Ismail (a), the first son of Ibrahim (a) came only
one Prophet, the superior among them and the seal of them,
which is Prophet Muhammad (s).
Thus, Ibrahim (a) acquires great respect and honour in the

hearts of Muslims. He is the most superior of the Prophets after
Prophet Muhammad (s). Therefore, when we send prayers and
blessings on our Prophet, we are also ordered to mention his
129
name.
Narrated by Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Laila: "Ka'b bin Ujrah met

me and said, "Shall I not give you a present I got from the
Prophet?" 'Abdur-Rahman said, "Yes, give it to me." I said, "We
asked Allah's Apostle saying, 'O Allah's Apostle! How should one
(ask Allah to) send blessings on you, the members of the family,
for Allah has taught us how to salute you (in the prayer)?'He
said, 'Say: O Allah! Send Your Mercy on Muhammad and on the
family of Muhammad, as You sent Your Mercy on Ibrahim and
on the family of Ibrahim, for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the
Most Glorious. O Allah! Send Your Blessings on Muhammad and
the family of Muhammad, as You sent your Blessings on Ibrahim
and on the family of Ibrahim, for You are the Most Praise-
worthy, the Most Glorious.'‖ [Sahih Bukhari, Book #55,
Hadith #589]
1. Allah (swt) never sent a Rasool [Messenger] for the

guidance of a nation except one who spoke the language of
those people.
2. If every human being becomes a disbeliever, it makes no
difference to Almighty Allah.
3. The message of all Prophets and Messengers was the
same.
4. Allah (swt) increases his blessings if a person shows
gratitude.
5. Allah (swt) has based the creation of the heavens and the
earth on Truth.
6. Shaitan has no power except to seduce human beings.
7. Greeting in paradise will be "Assalam-u-Alaikum" which
means: "peace be upon you."
8. A Good word has firmly fixed roots whose branches reach
the sky, yielding its fruits in every season. Whereas evil
word is like a bad tree which is not stable, devoid of
blessings instead of providing benefits it produces bitter
fruits. Allah (swt) contrasted the oneness of Divine Belief
with the Shirk and Kufr most vividly.
130
9. The purpose of this book al-Qur‘an is to enlighten all of us
from darkness into light towards our Lord. Unbelievers
have coolly considered and weighed the pleasures of this
world against the joys of the Next World, and decided in
favour of this world.
10. Historical events are Signs that serve as warnings and
reminder of blessings to invite towards obedience. Signs
are always there, only those persons learn lessons from
them who remain steadfast in trials and appreciate the
blessings of Allah.
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15. Surah al-Hijr (The Valley of Stone; The Stoneland;
The Rock; The Rocky Tract)
Concise Tafseer of Surah al-Hijr In Summarized Form

The name of this Surah is taken from Ayah 80 where the people
of Salih (a) used to live. Its title comes from the Rocky Tract that
is mentioned in ayats 80 to 84. The majority of scholars believe
this refers to the people of Thamud and the rocky tract is an
allusion to their stone cities. Its topics and style are very similar
to Surah 14, Surah Ibrahim. In this Surah we learn about
Almighty God‘s boundless grace and the inherent danger in
Shaitan‘s plans for humankind. The Surah has 99 ayats in 6
Ruku‘ (Section).
This Surah is generally believed as the 52nd Surah

chronologically. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (s) in
Makkah prior to his migration. It is clear from its topics and style
that the period of its revelation is about the same as that of Surah
Ibrahim, for two things is quite prominent in its background.
This Makki Surah believed to be revealed to our prophet (s)
shortly after the 12th Surah (Yusuf).
1. Qur'an is the Book of Allah (swt). He revealed it and He

will guard it.
2. Allah (swt) knows everything in the samawat. He is the
Creator of all.
3. The creation of human being is from a very humble stuff,
4. but Allah (swt) honoured them and asked angels to bow
down to Adam (swt). Shaitan's response was negative.
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5. Allah (swt) is very forgiving, but His punishment is also
severe.
6. Prophet Lut (a) and Prophet Shu'aib (a)'s people.
7. The People of Hijr and what happened to them. Qur'an
and Surah al-Fatihah are special gifts of Allah. Allah (swt)
will take care of those who ridicule His message.
The Surah 14 begins with the same combination of letters - Alif,

Lam, Ra. Over the centuries there has been much speculation as
to the meaning of these combinations of letter that begin 29
Surahs of the Qur‘an. Their meaning however is known only to
Allah (swt). The Qur‘an makes the truth manifest on its own.
Most of the discussions in this noble Surah are about the

accusations and scoffs of the pagans unto the Qur‘an and the
blissful Prophet (s), as well as some commandments to him to be
patient and perseverant with forbearance towards them.
It provided some kind of comfort and soothing effect as against
the pressure exerted by the invasion of the opponents after the
death of Khadijah (rh) and Hadrat Abu-Talib, both of whom
were dear to the Prophet (s).
Some of the ayats deal with the origin of the world of existence,
and belief in Him which are brought about by the study of the
secrets of creation. The story of man‘s creation, and the
disobedience of Iblis, as well as his ultimate destiny, is also
exposed.
There are also allusions made to the biography of such tribes as

the people of Lut (a), the people of Salih (a), and the people of
Shu‗ayb (a). The Surah states that Allah (swt) has never
destroyed any people whose term of life was not ordained
beforehand. Allah (swt) declares that it is He Who revealed the
Qur‘an and He will guard it from any corruption.
In the end, Allah (swt) reminds Prophet Muhammad (s) that He

133
gave him great blessings like the seven oft-repeated ayats (the
opening Surah of the Qur‘an) and the Qur‘an, in which there is
light and guidance.
Ayats (1 - 15): The Qur'an is the Divine Book. On the Day of

Judgment, the unbelievers will wish that they were Muslims.
Allah (swt) Himself has taken the responsibility of preserving the
Qur'an.
Ayats (16 - 25): Allah (swt) created and decorated the heavens.
He also created everything suitable for human life on earth.
Ayats (26 - 44): Story of Adam's (a) creation; prostration of the

angels before him and Shaitan's refusal to prostrate. Shaitan and
his followers are destined for hell.
Ayats (45 - 60): The righteous will be awarded paradise. The

Prophet Ibrahim (a) is given the good news of a son by two
angels.
Ayats (61 - 79): The same angels came to the Prophet Lut (a) and
executed Allah (swt)'s decree of stoning to death the nation of
homosexuals.
Ayats (80 -99): Punishment to the people of Hijr for their

disbelief. Al-Fatiha is also called: "Seven ayats worthy of oft-
recitation." Allah (swt) told Muhammad (s) to proclaim the
commandments of Almighty Allah publicly and turn away from
the Mushrikeen.
Virtue of the Surah
The Expulsion of Iblis from Jannah, and His Reprieve

until the Day of Resurrection
Allah tells us how He issued an unconditional command to Iblis

to leave the position he held among the highest of heights. He
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told him that he was an outcast, i.e., cursed, and that he would be
followed by a curse that would hound him until the Day of
Resurrection. It was reported that Saìd bin Jubayr said: "When
Allah cursed Iblis, his image into something different from that
of the angels, and he made a sound like a bell. Every bell that
rings on this earth until the Day of Resurrection is part of that.
This was reported by Ibn Abi Hatim.
Iblis said: ―O my Lord! Because You misled me, I shall indeed

adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I
shall mislead them all, except Your chosen (guided) servants
among them.'' (Allah) said: "This is the way which will lead
straight to Me.'' "Certainly, you shall have no authority over My
servants, except those of the astray who follow you.'' And surely,
Hell is the place promised for them all. It has seven gates, for
each of those gates is a class assigned. [Al-Hijr: 15:39-44]
Al-Hijr: capital city of the people of Thamud, and

modern city ruins of Al-Ula
The Thamud are another ancient Arab people, next only to the
'Ad in fame. Legends relating to them were quite popular in pre-
Islamic Arabia. In fact poetry and orations of the pre-Islamic
(Jahiliyah) period abound with references to them. They are also
mentioned in the Assyrian inscriptions and in the Greek,
Alexandrian and Roman works of history and geography.
Some descendants of the Thamud survived to a little before the

birth of Jesus. The Roman historians mention that they entered
into the Roman army and fought against the Nabateans, their
arch-enemy.
The Thamud lived in the north-western part of Arabia which is

still called al-Hijr. In the present time there is a station on the
Hijaz railway, between Madina and Tabuk. This is called Mada'in
Salih, which was the capital town of Thamud and was then
known as al-Hijr, the rock-hewn city. This has survived to this
day and is spread over thousands of acres. It was once inhabited
by no less than half a million people. At the time of the revelation
135
of the Qur'an Arab trade caravans passed through the ruins of
this city.
While the Prophet (peace be on him) was on his way, to Tabuk,

he directed the Muslims to look upon these monuments and
urged them to learn the lessons which sensible persons ought to
learn from the ruins of a people that had been destroyed because
of their evil-doing. The Prophet (peace be on him) also pointed to
the well from which the she-camel of the Prophet Salih used to
drink. He instructed the Muslims to draw water from that well
alone and to avoid all other wells. The mountain pass through
which that she-camel came to drink was also indicated by the
Prophet (peace be on him).
The pass is still known as Fajj al-Naqah. The Prophet (peace be

on him) then gathered all the Muslims who had been directed to
look around that city of rocks, and addressed them. He drew
their attention to the tragic end of the Thamud, who by their evil
ways had invited God's punishment upon themselves. The
Prophet (peace he on him) asked them to hastily move ahead for
the place was a grim reminder of God's severe punishment and
he hence called for reflection and repentance. (See waqidi, al-
maghazi, vol. 3, pp. 1006-8. See also the comments of
Ibn Kathir on verses 73-8 - Ed.)
When Ibn Batutah reached there in the eighth century of Hijrah

on his way to Makkah, he wrote: I have seen the buildings of
Thamud hewed into red mountains; the paintings look so bright
as if they have been put on only recently, and rotten bones of
human beings are found in them even today."
The Gates of Hell are Seven
Then Allah tells us that Hell has seven gates: [Al-Hijr: Ayah
44]
(for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.)
136
means, for each gate a portion of the followers of Iblis have been
decreed, and they will have no choice in the matter. May Allah
save us from that. Each one will enter a gate according to his
deeds, and will settle in a level of Hell according to his deeds. Ibn
Abi Hatim recorded that Samurah bin Jundub reported from the
Prophet about,
(for each of those gates is a class assigned.) He said,
(Among the people of Hell are those whom the Fire will swallow
up to the ankles, and those whom it will swallow up to the waist,
and those whom it will swallow up to the collarbone.) The degree
of which will depend upon their deeds. This is like the Ayah;
(for each of those gates is a class assigned.)
Truly, those who have Taqwa, will dwell in Gardens and water
springs. (It will be said to them): "Enter it in peace and security.''
And We shall remove any deep feeling of bitterness from their
breasts. (So they will be like) brothers facing each other on
thrones. No sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shall they be
asked to leave it. Declare to My servants that I am truly the
Forgiving, the Most Merciful. And that My torment is indeed the
most painful torment. [Al-Hijr: Ayah 45 -50]
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
The levels of Hell differ according to the extent of their

inhabitants‘ kufr in this world. The hypocrites will be in the
lowest level of Hell, as our Lord has told us (interpretation of the
meaning):
―Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the
Fire; no helper will you find for them‖ [al-Nisa‟ 4:145]
Lut (a) and his Qawm
Lut (Lot) is the son of Haran the son of Azar (Terah), and he was
the nephew of Ibrahim, peace be upon them both. Lut had
believed in Ibrahim and migrated with him to the Sham area.
Allah then sent Lut to the people of Sadum (Sodom) and the
surrounding villages, to call them to Allah, enjoin righteousness
and forbid them from their evil practices, their sin, and
137
wickedness. In this area, they did things that none of the children
of Adam or any other creatures ever did before them. They used
to have sexual intercourse with males instead of females. This
evil practice was not known among the Children of Adam before,
nor did it even cross their minds, so they were unfamiliar with it
before the people of Sodom invented it, may Allah's curse be on
them. [Tasir Ibn Kathir]
1. Lessons from the earlier nations: The disbelievers will one

day come to wish that they had submitted themselves to
God Almighty. For the moment they are distracted and
enjoying themselves but one day they will understand.
Allah (swt) has never destroyed a people except at the
time that was previously decreed.
2. The Sustainer: Allah (swt) created the heaven and made it

beautiful by filling it with constellations. He is the One
who protects it from the devils and those who try to
eavesdrop on the inhabitants of the heaven are followed
by a fiery comet. Lord Almighty spread out the earth and
set mountains into it. He caused vegetation of many kinds
to grow in a balanced order. There is a means of
sustenance for every living thing. God Almighty sends the
winds to fertilise the earth, the rain to provide water.
Humankind has no control over this. It is God Almighty
who controls life and death and He knows who has existed
in the past and will exist in the future. In the end Lord
Almighty will gather them all together.
3. God Almighty will guard the Qur‘an: Allah (swt) Himself

has taken the responsibility of preserving and
safeguarding Al-Qur'an.
4. Who is Shaitan?: Humankind was created from clay

(altered black mud) and the jinn were created before
138
humankind from smokeless fire. When God Almighty
created Adam (a) he told the angels to bow down before
him (Adam) and they did. One person called Iblis (also
called Shaitan) refused. Iblis was cast out and cursed
until the Day of Judgment. Shaitan asked for a reprieve
until that Day and God Almighty granted it to him. Iblis
vowed to mislead humankind and make disobedience
attractive to all of them except the ones sincerely devoted
to Allah (swt).
5. Gardens for the righteous: The righteous however will

enter into gardens and springs. They will be told to enter
in peace and security. All resentments and bitterness will
be removed from their hearts. They will treat each other
like close family members. It is a place from which they
will never be turned out and they will never be tired.
6. The angels visit the two Prophets Ibrahim (a) and Lut (a):
The Prophet Ibrahim (a) was given the good news of
having a son by the same two angels who were assigned to
destroy the nation of Lut (a). Lut‘s qawm‘s town was
turned upside down and stones of baked clay rained down
upon them.
7. Forgiveness and kindness: God Almighty created the

heaven and the earth and everything in between with a
purpose. The Hour will come (where the truth will become
apparent), so Prophet Muhammad (s) is advised to
overlook and forgive their misbehaviour. He has been told
not to envy what they have in this world, and not to get
upset about himself with regret for their rejection of him
and their opposition to his message. Almighty Allah is
enough to stand against all those who ridicule the
message. Those who worship something other than Allah
(swt) will soon come to understand their stupidity.
139
16. An-Nahl (The Honey Bee)
Concise Tafseer of Surah An-Nahl In Summarized Form

This Surah is a Makki Surah. It is named after the bee mentioned

in ayats 68 and 69. As a Book of Divine Legislation al-Qur‘an,
―The bee‖ is one of many examples mentioned in this Surah of
God‘s grace towards His creation. Along with this one -An-Nahl
(the bee), others include An-Najm (the star), Ash-Shams (the
sun), Al-Fil (the elephant), and Al-‗‘Ankabut (the spider). An-
Nahl ayah 49 has tilwat-e-sajdah, but the sajdah should be
performed after reading the ayah 50. This Surah has 128 ayats in
16 Ruku‘ (Section).
It is the 70th Surah according to the order of revelation. This is

one of the late Makki Surahs revealed sometime before the
Hijrah. This and previous six Surahs (Yunus, Hud, Yusuf, Ar-
Ra'd, Ibrahim and Al-Hijr) were revealed one after another. The
time period and themes are similar.
Incidentally, most of the commentators are of the opinion that

first 40 ayats are revealed at the end of Makki era of Muhammad
(s), and the remaining 88 ayats are revealed during the early
period of Prophet‘s (s) Madani life. Therefore, this Surah is both
Makki and Madani in combination.
According to Sayyid Abu Ala Maududi, this Surah was revealed

during the last stage of Rasul (s)‘s Makki period. He provided the
following reasons for it;
 Ayah 41 clearly shows that persecution had forced some
Muslims to emigrate to Habash before the revelation of
this Surah.
 Ayah 106 gives evidence that the persecution of Muslims
was at its height. Therefore, a problem had arisen in
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regard to the utterance of a blasphemous word under
unbearable conditions.
 Ayats 112 to 114 clearly refer to the end of seven year
draught/famine that had struck Makkah some years after
the appointment of Prophethood of Rasul Muhammad (s).
Surah Ibrahim, Al-Hijr and An-Nahl – are revealed at a time of
great trials upon the Prophet (s) and the Muslims – which all
then lead to the point of Isra wal-Mi‘raj – where the Loved meets
The Beloved.
1. The whole creation points to Allah (swt).

2. The truth is that there is only One God Almighty.
3. The reward of the righteous and the disgrace of the
wicked.
4. Allah's message has come. Man is a creature of Allah
(swt), but he argues a lot.
5. Mushrikin's argument and the answer.
6. Prophets were human beings. The mission of the last
Prophet (s). Warnings to non-believers.
7. Prohibition against shirk. Arabs used to call angels the
daughters of Allah but they themselves did not like to have
daughters.
8. Allah (swt) gives time to people to repent and turn to him.
9. Consider the bounties of Allah (swt). Some more signs
mentioned.
10. The comparison between the faithful and the unfaithful.
11. Warnings about the Last Hour. Allah's favours to
humankind.
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12. Prophet Muhammad (s) is a witness over all witnesses.
13. Justice, benevolence, care of the kith and kin are Allah's
commands. He forbids shameful deeds, evil and
aggression.
14. Al-Qur'an is sent by Allah; even the Prophet cannot make
any changes in it.
15. Every soul will be paid in full what it has earned. Halal
and Haram are the authority of Allah the Almighty.
16. The ideal faith of Prophet Ibrahim (a). The best way of
giving da'wah.
The Surah speaks about Allah's creative power. Everything in the

samawat points to Allah (swt). There is coherence and balance in
Allah's creation. The issues dealt with in this Surah are: the
Divine blessings, reasons for monotheism and resurrection,
ordinances concerning the war, the threats against the pagans,
the dissuasions of injustice, indecency, breaking of one‘s
promises, innovations, and satanical temptations.
This Surah warns against polytheism, saying that the pagan gods
cannot create anything [16:20], and against comparisons
between Allah (swt) and any created beings [16:74]. All praises
come from Almighty Allah for giving the Earth with all its wealth
to mankind. All wonders of the natural world, like seas, stars,
mountains are proofs of God's infinite power [16:14].
The ayah 66 talks about the miracle in milk formation in cattle:

"From what is within their bodies, between excretions and blood,
We produce for your drink, milk, pure and agreeable to those
who drink it." The ayah 67 talks about miracle of vine: "And from
the fruit of the date-palm and the vine, ye get out strong drink
and wholesome food: behold, in this also is a sign for those who
are wise".
142
So, the Surah stresses on the wonders of the Almighty Allah and
deplores the hostile attitude of some men towards the female
child. Allah (swt) enjoins justice, kindness and charity on one‘s
kindred and forbids indecency, wickedness and oppression - in
ayah 90 - which were ordered by the Khalifa Umar Ibn Khattab
(ra), to be regularly recited in every khutbah (sermon) of the
Yaamul Jumu‘ah prayer. The Surah commands believers to call
men to the path of Allah, with kindness, wisdom and gentle
urging.
In the concluding ayats Prophet Muhammad (s) and his

companions are instructed how to act in the face of antagonism
and persecution. We are told to call the people to Lord Almighty
with wisdom and good advice. And reason with them in a
courteous manner. God Almighty knows best who will be guided
and who will go astray. Muhammad (s) is told to be patient and
not to grieve or be distressed by the conspiracies of the
disbelievers. Almighty Allah is with those who are mindful of
Him and have an attitude of righteousness.
Ayats (1 - 9): Allah (swt) has sent down His revelations to warn
that there is no God except He Himself. He has created cattle for
the benefit of human beings.
Ayats (10 - 21): It is He Who sends down water from the sky for
drinking and agriculture. He set mountains to stabilize the earth.
Allah (swt) has bestowed so many favors, one cannot even count
them.
Ayats (22 - 25): The unbelievers are arrogant and they will be
held responsible for that attitude.
Ayats (26 - 34): On the Day of Judgment, Allah (swt) will

humiliate the arrogant and cast them into hell while the
righteous will be awarded paradise.
Ayats (35 - 40): Allah has sent the Rasools to warn against the
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unbelievers' excuse: "If Allah wanted, we would have not
worshipped anyone else."
Ayats (41 - 50): Allah has promised a good abode for those who
migrate for His sake. Do the unbelievers feel secure against the
wrath of Allah (swt).
Ayats (51 - 60): Whenever unbelievers are in distress they call

upon Allah Alone; no sooner does He relieves them that they
start committing shirk.
Ayats (61 - 65): If Allah were to punish mankind for wrong

doings, He would not leave even an animal around the
wrongdoers. As water gives life to dead land so does the Qur'an
to the human soul.
Ayats (66 - 70): There is a lesson for mankind in the lives of

animals i.e., milk-producing animals and the honeybee.
Ayats (71 - 76): There is a lesson in the process of our own

creation: Why, then, believe in deities who have no power to
create anything and disbelieve in Allah, the Creator?
Ayats (77 - 83): There are also signs of Allah in the lives of the
birds and the animals.
Ayats (84 - 89): On the Day of Judgment a witness will be called

from each nation and the unbelievers will face the reality of their
invented false gods. The punishment of disbelievers has been
mentioned. Witness from every nation will be there and the
Prophet (s) as witness to all.
Ayats(90 - 100): Allah commands to do justice, do good to

others, and give to near relatives; and He forbids indecency,
wickedness, and rebellion. Don‘t break your covenants. What is
with you is transitory; and what is with Allah is everlasting. Good
life for the believers in this world and their reward in the
hereafter. When you recite the Qur'an, seek Allah's protection
against Shaitan.
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Ayats(101 - 110): The unbelievers accused Muhammad (s) of
being taught the Qur'an by a certain man, but the man they
allude to is non-Arab while the Qur'an is in eloquent Arabic.
Ayats(111- 119): Do not declare with your tongue what is Halal

(lawful) and what is Haram (unlawful) - Halal and Haram are
from Allah (swt).
Ayats (120 - 128) Ibrahim (a) was a nation in himself. Call

towards the Way of Allah with wisdom; advice and reason in a
courteous manner.
Virtue of the Surah

and I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused and am
doomed to Hell.‘ (Sahih Muslim, Book #001, Hadith
#0144)

Mufassal and two in Surah al-Hajj. It
was reported by Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, al-Haakim and al-
Daaraqutni, and classed as hasan by al-Mundhiri and al-Nawawi.
The fifteen aayat are (interpretation of the meanings):
Sajdah # 1: Surah Al A‟raf (7) Ayah 206
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―Those who are near to thy Lord, disdain not to do Him worship:
They celebrate His praises, and bow down before Him.‖
Sajdah # 2: Surah Al Ra‟d (13) Ayah 15

―Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth does
prostrate themselves to Allah (acknowledging subjection), - with
good-will or in spite of themselves: so do their shadows in the
morning and evenings.‖
Sajdah # 3: Surah Al Nahl (16) Ayah 50

―They all revere their Lord, high above them, and they do all that
they are commanded.‖
Sajdah # 4: Surah Al Isra‟ (17) Ayah 109

―They fall down on their faces in tears, and it increases their
(earnest) humility.‖
Sajdah # 5: Surah Maryam (19) Ayah 58

―Those were some of the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His
Grace, - of the posterity of Adam, and of those who We carried
(in the Ark) with Noah, and of the posterity of Abraham and
Israel of those whom We guided and chose. Whenever the
Signs of (Allah) Most Gracious were rehearsed to them, they
would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears.‖

―Seest thou not that to Allah bow down in worship all things that
are in the heavens and on earth,- the sun, the moon, the stars;
the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among
mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for
Punishment: and such as Allah shall disgrace, - None can
raise to honour: for Allah carries out all that He wills.‖

―O ye who believe! bow down, prostrate yourselves, and adore
your Lord; and do good; that ye may prosper.‖
Sajdah # 8: Surah Al Furqan (25) Ayah 60
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―When it is said to them, ―Adore ye (Allah) Most Gracious!‖ they
say, ―And what is (Allah) Most Gracious? Shall we adore that
which thou commandest us?‖ And it increases their flight (from
the Truth).‖
Sajdah # 9: Surah Al Naml (27) Ayah 26

―God! - there is no god but He!- Lord of the Throne Supreme!‖
Sajdah # 10: Surah Al Sajdah (32) Ayah 15

―Only those believe in Our Signs, who, when they are recited to
them, fall down in adoration, and celebrate the praises of their
Lord, nor are they (ever) puffed up with pride.‖
Sajdah # 11: Surah Sad (38) Ayah 24

―(David) said: ―He has undoubtedly wronged thee in demanding
thy (single) ewe to be added to his (flock of) ewes: truly many are
the partners (in business) who wrong each other: Not so do those
who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and how few are
they?‖ …and David gathered that We had tried him: he asked
forgiveness of his Lord, fell down, bowing (in prostration), and
turned (to Allah in repentance).‖
Sajdah # 12: Surah Fussilat (41) Ayah 38

―But if the (Unbelievers) are arrogant, (no matter): for in the
presence of thy Lord are those who celebrate His praises by night
and by day. And they never flag (nor feel themselves above it).‖
Sajdah # 13: Surah Al Najm (53) Ayah 62

―But fall ye down in prostration to Allah, and adore (Him)!‖
Sajdah # 14: Surah Al Inshiqaq (84) Ayah 21

―And when the Qur‘an is read to them, they fall not prostrate,‖
Sajdah # 15: Surah Al Alaq (96) Ayah 19

―Nay, heed him not: But bow down in adoration, and bring
thyself the closer (to Allah)!‖
In Man there is a Lesson
147
Allah tells us that He is controlling the affairs of His servants. He
is the One Who created them out of nothing, then He will cause
them to die. But there are some of them that He allows to grow
old, which is a physical weakness, as Allah says:
(Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave

you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you)
weakness) (30:54)
(so that they know nothing after having known.) (16:71)

meaning, after he knew things, he will reach a stage where he
knows nothing because of weakness of mind due to old age and
senility. Thus Al-Bukhari, when commenting on this Ayah,
reported a narration from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of
Allah used to pray:
(I seek refuge with You from miserliness, laziness, old age,
senility, the punishment of the grave, the Fitnah of the Dajjal and
the trials of life and death.) Zuhayr bin Abi Sulma said, in his
famous Muàllaqah: "I became exhausted from the
responsibilities of life. Whoever lives for eighty years, no wonder
he is tired. I saw death hitting people like a crazed camel, and
whoever it hit dies, but whoever is not hit lives until he grows
old.''
(And Allah honored some of you over others with wealth and
properties. Then, those who are so honored will by no means
hand over their wealth and properties to those (captives of war)
whom their right hands possess, so that they may be equal with
them in that. Do they then deny the favor of Allah) (16:71)
[Tafsir ibn Kathir]
There is a Sign and a Blessing in Matters of People's

Livelihood
Allah explains to the idolaters the ignorance and disbelief

involved in their claim that Allah has partners while also
admitting that these partners are His servants. In their Talbiyah
for Hajj, they used to say, "Here I am, there are no partners for
You accept Your own partner, You own him and everything he
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owns.'' Allah says, denouncing them: `You would not accept for
your servant to have an equal share in your wealth, so how is it
that Allah would accept His servant to be His equal in divinity
and glory As Allah says elsewhere:
(He sets forth a parable for you from yourselves: Do you have
partners among those whom your right hands possess (i.e. your
servant) to share as equals in the wealth We have granted you,
those whom you fear as you fear each other) (30:28) Al-Àwfi
reported that Ibn Àbbas mentioned this Ayah, saying, "Allah is
saying - Ìf they did not want their servant to have a share with
them in their wealth and wives, how can My servant have a share
with Me in My power' Thus Allah says:
(Do they then deny the favor of Allah)'' (16:71) According to
another report, Ibn Àbbas said: "How can they accept for Me
that which they do not accept for themselves''
(Do they then deny the favor of Allah) meaning, they assign to
Allah a share of the tilth and cattle which He has created. They
denied His blessings and associated others in worship with Him.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: "Umar bin Al-Khattab wrote this letter to
Abu Musa Al-Ashàri: `Be content with your provision in this
world, for the Most Merciful has honored some of His servants
over others in terms of provision as a test of both. The one who
has been given plenty is being tested to see if he will give thanks
to Allah and fulfill the duties which are his by virtue of his
wealth...''' It was reported by Ibn Abi Hatim.
(And Allah has made for you mates of your own kind, and has
made for you, from your mates, sons and grandsons, and has
granted you good provisions. Do they then believe in false deities
and deny favor of Allah) (16: 72) - [Tafsir ibn Kathir]
The Unseen belongs to Allah and only He has

Knowledge of the Hour
Allah tells us of the perfection of His knowledge and ability to do

all things, by telling us that He alone knows the Unseen of the
heavens and the earth. No one knows anything about such things
149
except for what Allah informs about as He wills. His complete
power, which no one can oppose or resist, means that when He
wants a thing, He only has to say to it "Be!'' and it is, as Allah
says:
(And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye.)
(54:50) meaning, whatever He wills happens in blinking. Thus
Allah says in Surah An-Nahl:
(And the matter of the Hour is not but as a twinkling of the eye,
or even nearer. Truly, Allah is Able to do all things.) (16:77) in
elsewhere, Allah says:
(The processes of creating you all and resurrecting you all are but
like that of (the creation and resurrection of) a single person.)
(31:28) - [Tafsir ibn Kathir]
In some quotations narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (s), it

has been confirmed that he said: ―He who recites this Surah,
Allah will not hold him accountable for the blessings which He
has bestowed on him in this world.‖ All means will be made
available to him to go to Paradise. [Tafsir-i-Burhan]
1. Allah‘s blessings for humankind: The Earth is filled with

things of many different colours; these are signs for those
seeking to learn a lesson from them. Allah (swt) has
provided us with signs in the lives of the bees, birds and
animals. Allah (swt) sends down rain. It provides drinking
water and it nourishes crops and fruit including olives,
date palms and vines. This is a sign for those who ponder.
God Almighty has made the day, the night, the sun, the
moon and stars for the benefit of humankind. These are
signs for those who think. There is sea where ships can
sail through so that humans may seek Allah‘s bounties.
These are all for the benefit of humankind; God Almighty
has also set the mountains firmly into the earth to prevent
it from shaking and He has made rivers and paths with
landmarks and stars to guide people through the lands.
Everything is a gift for us to provide thanks to the Lord
Almighty. If one attempted to count the blessings of God
150
Almighty, one could never complete this task.
2. There is no true deity but God Almighty Allah: For the
benefit of humankind God created cattle for food, clothing
and to carry burdens. He also created horses, mules and
donkeys to ride and other things that are beyond the
comprehension of humankind. The Day of Judgment is
coming one should not be impatient to experience it.
3. A warning to make things clear: If Allah Almighty
punished humankind for the evil that they do there would
not be one person left on the earth. Instead He gives them
respite, until an appointed time. It is a time that cannot be
delayed or bought forward. The followers of Shaitan will
face a painful punishment.
4. God Almighty does not guide the disbelievers: When Allah
(swt) substitute one ayah for another they say that
Prophet Muhammad (s) has invented lies but they do not
understand that angel Jibril (a) [Gabriel] has brought the
ayats down piecemeal in order to gradually strengthen the
believers. They say that a human being has taught Prophet
Muhammad (s) the revelations but this Qur‘an is in clear
Arabic. Allah has sent the Rasools to warn against the
unbeliever's excuse: "If Allah wanted we would have not
worshipped anyone else."
5. Allah's promise to provide a good abode for those who
migrate for His sake: Those who had to leave their homes
in order to worship God will find a home in a good place
but the home they have in the Hereafter will be even
better. A very happy end awaits those who are steadfast
and put their trust in Lord Almighty. All the messengers
God Almighty sent were human beings; the people of the
scripture (Jews and Christians) know this.
6. The disbelievers will feel no respite: The Prophet‘s duty is
only to deliver the message. Most people understand but
are ungrateful and turn away. On the Day of Judgment
there will be a witness (their Messenger) from every
nation. Then it will be too late for excuses. The
disbelievers will see what awaits them and there will be no
respite. When the disbelievers appeal to their false gods,
the gods will call them liars and disassociate themselves
151
from the ones who worshipped them.
7. A warning to make things clear: The Qur‘an was revealed
in order to make the things they argue about clear and it is
a guidance and a mercy for those who believe.
8. Eat from the good things provided: Almighty Allah give us
an example of a town that was secure with provisions in
abundance. The people became ungrateful so they were
afflicted with famine and fear. They denied their
Messenger and the punishment overtook them. So eat
from the good things Lord Almighty has provided and be
grateful. Almighty Allah has forbidden only carrion, blood,
pig meat and that which has been dedicated to something
other than God. But if a person must eat these things out
of necessity God will be forgiving.
9. A righteous person uses wisdom and talk about God
Almighty: Prophet Ibrahim (a) is a good example, he was
devout and obedient. And he was a nation in himself too.
He was grateful and did not associate anything with Allah
(swt). He had a good life and will be amongst the
righteous in the Hereafter. The Sabbath day was made
obligatory because they argued and differed about it and
on the Day of Judgment God Almighty will judge between
them. The Jews were prohibited certain things but it was
not a hardship upon them, they turned it into a hardship.
God Almighty is most forgiving to those who do wrong out
of ignorance and then repent.
10. Allah orders Ihsan - i.e. justice (Adl ―‫ )‖عدي‬which is best:
Allah (swt) is One, those who do not believe in the
Hereafter are arrogant and their hearts contain no faith.
God Almighty does not like the arrogant because He
knows what they keep hidden and what they say or do
openly. When they are asked about what God has revealed
they say that it is nothing but fairy tales from the old days.
On the Day of Resurrection they will bear their own
burdens plus some of the burdens of those they led astray.
Allah (swt) commands to do justice, be good to others,
and give to near relatives; and He forbids indecency,
wickedness, and rebellion.
11. The Way to Allah is righteousness: Allah (swt) created all
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things into existence and will cause us to die in His
decreed time. Babies emerge from their mother‘s wombs
knowing nothing, but Almighty God provides them with
hearing, sight and minds so that they can be thankful to
Him. Lord Almighty has made the birds able to fly without
falling. Allah (swt) gives examples: are slaves and those
who have been provided with everything equal? Is a
person unable to care for himself equal to one who is
righteous and dispenses justice? The Day of Judgment is
coming. He provides humankind with shelter and warmth
and everything one tries to achieve in their lives. Human
are provided with garments that protect them from the
heat and the cold and other garments that protect them in
battle. He bestows the favours so that one can submit to
Him.
12. Seek Allah's protection against Shaitan before starting to
recite The Qur'an: Whenever one recites from the Qur‘an
one must seek refuge in God Almighty from the accursed
Shaitan. Shaitan has no power over those who have
submitted themselves to Allah (swt); his power only
affects those who align themselves with Shaitan and
worship something other than God Almighty. One should
call the people to God Almighty with wisdom and good
advice. And he/she reason with them in a courteous
manner. Allah (swt) knows best who will be guided and
who will go astray.
153
17. Surah Isra (The Night Journey)/ Bani Israel
(Children of Israel)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Isra In Summarized Form

This Surah is about Isra and the Children of Israel. This Surah is
a Al-Musabbihat Surah because it begins with the glorification of
Allah (swt). The Surah takes the name ‗al-Isra‘ from the first
ayah of the Surah. ―Exalted is He who took His Servant by night
from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa‖. The Isra in ‗al-
Isra wal-Mi‘raj‘ – is the first part of the journey which took place
from Makkah to Jerusalem – the ‗Mir‘aj‘ being the ascension
from Jerusalem to the Heavens. The Surah is also referred as
‗Bani Israel‘ – Children of Israel. There is a tilawat-e-sajdah from
Al-Isra ayah 107, but the sajdah should be performed after
reading the ayah 109. The Surah has 111 ayats and 12 Ruku‘
(Sections).
This Surah is number 50 according to the order of revelation.

The very first ayah indicates that this Surah was revealed on the
occasion of the ascension (Mi‘raj). According to the narrations
(hadith) on the life of the Prophet (s), this event happened one
year before migration (Hijrah). Thus this Surah was revealed in
the last stage of Prophethood in Makkah.
1. Isra' journey of the Prophet Muhammad (s) to Jerusalem

and the history of that area.
2. Human beings are hasty. Reward and punishment all have
their time.
154
3. Moral and spiritual principles are emphasized - Worship
of Lord Almighty and respect of parents.
4. Moral principles - children's rights, decency, right of life,

orphans' property, honesty in dealings, humbleness.
5. Tauhid is the basic message of the Qur'an.
6. Gentleness is enjoined.
7. Satan's pride against man and his pledge to mislead

human beings.
8. Everyone will be brought on the Day of Judgment with

his/her own deeds.
9. Emphasis on prayers, and on the reading of the Qur'an.
10. The Qur'an is inimitable.
11. Non-believers have lame arguments against accepting the

Prophets.
12. The attitude of Pharaoh towards Prophet Musa (a) and the
signs that he showed.
Background of the Surah
The Prophet (s) had been propagating Monotheism (Tauhid) for

twelve years now. In spite of all the opposition, Islam had spread
to every corner of Arabia and there was hardly a clan which had
not been influenced by the invitation. In Makkah itself, the true
Believers had formed themselves into a small community. A
large number of the people from the Aws and Khazraj tribes (two
influential clans of Madinah) had also now accepted Islam. Thus
the time had come for the Muslims to emigrate from Makkah to
Madinah.
155
The Surah opens with the night journey of the Prophet
Muhammad (s) from sacred Masjid of Makkah to the farthest
Masjid of Jerusalem. The exact location is not specified, although
in Hadith Traditions this is commonly taken to be the Noble
Sanctuary (Temple Mount) in Jerusalem. Some scholars disagree
about this. While the city of Jerusalem (or al-Quds) is not
mentioned by name anywhere in the Qur'an, it is identified in
various Hadith.
The bulk of the Surah Isra deals with two things, the Qur‘an and
Prophet Muhammad (s) and the nature of his prophecy. This
Surah emphasizes that human beings always need divine
guidance. Without the guidance of Allah (swt), humans end up in
evil, sin and misery. So, the primary theme of the Surah is Salah
(daily prayers), whose number is said to have been fixed at five
during the Miraj which it alludes to. In addition, the Surah
forbids adultery, calls for respect for father and mother, and calls
for patience and control in the face of the persecutions the
Muslim community was facing at that time.
The disbelievers of Makkah had been admonished to take a

lesson from the miserable end of the Israelites and other
communities and mend their ways within the period of respite
given by Allah (swt), which was about to expire. They should,
therefore, accept the invitation that was being extended by
Muhammad (s) and the Qur‘an. Incidentally, the Israelites, with
whom Islam was going to come in direct contact in the near
future at Al-Madinah have also been warned that they should
learn a lesson from the chastisements that have already been
inflicted on them.
The unique aspect of the Qur‘an is stressed on, and Allah (swt)
says that even if all humans and jinns combined to write the like
of the Qur‘an, they would surely fail.
Ayats (1 - 10): Almighty Allah took Muhammad (s) on a tour of

156
the samawat. Allah (swt) fulfilled the prophecy made in the Holy
Book of the Israelites that they will create mischief in the land
twice and each time they will be punished. The Qur'an guides to
the perfect Straight Way.
Ayats (11 - 22): On the Day of Judgment, each individual shall be

given the book of his own deeds. Those who seek guidance do so
to their own good and those who go astray do so to their own
loss. Those who desire the transitory things of this life are given
here, but in the Hereafter they shall be condemned to hell.
Ayats (23 - 30): Some spiritual principles detailing the

commandments of Allah (swt) for the believers including proper
behavior with parents, relatives, and the community at large.
Ayats (31 - 40): The moral guidelines with more spiritual

principles regarding - children's rights, decency, right of life,
orphans' property, honesty in dealings, humbleness.
Ayats (41 - 52): If there were other gods besides Allah, they
would have tried to dethrone Him. Belief in the Hereafter is
necessary to understand the Qur'an. Hereafter is life after death.
The disbelievers ask questions on resurrection.
Ayats (53 - 60): Believers should speak only good words.

Invented gods have no power to relieve us from any distress.
Why the signs are not sent to Muhammad (pbuh) like prior
prophets.
Ayats (61 - 70): Shaitan, his enmity with human beings, and his
vow to seduce them. Almighty Allah has provided conveyance for
us on land and sea.
Ayats (71 - 77): Accountability of every community and its

leaders. No compromise is allowed in matters of law and
principles. Five times daily Salah (prayers) and an extra prayer
(called Tahajjud) are mentioned to Prophet (s).
Ayats (78 - 84): The Qur'an is a healing and mercy for the
157
believers.
Ayats (85 - 93): Ar-Ruh (Spirit) is at the command of Lord

Almighty Allah. No one can produce a Qur'an like this. Allah
(swt) has used different methods in the Qur'an to make people
understand His Message.
Ayats (94 - 100): Almighty Allah has sent a human Rasool to

human beings; if the dwellers of earth had been Angels, Allah
would have sent an angel as a Rasool. Disbelievers will be
resurrected as deaf, blind, and dumb. Only disbelievers can
doubt life after death.
Ayats (101 - 111): Musa (a) was given nine signs. The Qur'an is
revealed in truth and with the truth it has come down in sections
to suit each occasion, for easy deliberation. Offer Salah neither
too loud nor in too low a voice, adopt the middle course.
Virtue of the Surah
Abdullah bin Masood (ra) said, ―Surat Bani-lsrael, Al-Kahf (The

Cave), Maryam, Taha, Al-Anbiya' (The Prophets) are amongst
my first earnings and my old property, and (in fact) they are my
old property.‖[ Bukhari no. 4994] . What Abdullah ibn
Masood meant was that these Surahs were amongst the first he
learnt.
Aishah (rh), the Mother of the Believers, said, ―The Messenger of

Allah would fast [so much] that we would say he will not stop
[fasting]. Then he would not fast till we felt he would not fast
[again] and he would recite every night Bani Israeel and
Zumar.‖ [Tirmidhee]
The tree of Zaqqum, which is the food of the people of
Hell
This tree is described in the Qur‘an as (interpretation of the

meaning): "… the accursed tree (mentioned) in the Qur‘an" [al-
Isra 17:60]
158
Allah also says about it (interpretation of the meaning):"Then,
moreover, verily, - you the erring-ones, the deniers (of
Resurrection)! You verily will eat of the trees of Zaqqum. Then
you will fill your bellies therewith, and drink boiling water on top
of it, so you will drink (that) like thirsty camels! That will be their
entertainment on the Day of Recompense!" [al-Waqi‟ah 56:51-
56]
"Verily, the tree of Zaqqum, will be the food of the sinners, like
boiling oil, it will boil in the bellies, like the boiling of scalding
water. (It will be said): ‗Seize him and drag him into the midst of
blazing Fire, then pour over his head the torment of boiling
water, taste you (this)! Verily, you were (pretending to be the
mighty, the generous! Verily! This is that whereof you used to
doubt!‘" [al-Dukhan 44:43-50]
"Is that (Paradise) better entertainment or the tree of Zaqqum (a

horrible tree in Hell)? Truly We have made it (as) a trial for the
Dhalimin (polytheists, disbelievers, wrongdoers, etc.). Verily, it is
a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-fire, the shoots of its
fruit-stalks are like the heads of Shayatin (devils); truly they will
eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith. Then on the top of that
they will be given boiling water to drink so that it becomes a
mixture (of boiling water and Zaqqum in their bellies). Then,
thereafter, their return is to the flaming fire of Hell." [as-Saffat
37:62-68]
Why the name was Bani Israel initially
The scholars said that this Soorah was better known by the name
Soorat Bani Isra‘eel at the time of the Sahaabah and
Taabi‘een, because the first ayah of Soorat al-Isra‘ speaks of
the Isra‘ (Night Journey) to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, then in the
second ayah it starts to speak of an important stage in the story
of Bani Isra‘eel (the Children of Israel) and their mischief in the
land, which is not mentioned in any of the stories of Bani Isra‘eel
anywhere else in the Qur‘aan. That is in the passage where Allah,
may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
―Glorified (and Exalted) is He (Allâh) [above all that (evil) they
159
associate with Him]. Who took His slave (Muhammad S.A.W) for
a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Harâm (at Makkah) to Al-
Masjid-al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the neighborhood whereof We
have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad
S.A.W) of Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.).
Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. And We gave Musa
(Moses) the Scripture and made it a guidance for the Children of
Israel (saying): ‗Take not other than Me as (your) Wakil
(Protector, Lord, or Disposer of your affairs). ‗O offspring of
those whom We carried (in the ship) with Nuh (Noah)! Verily, he
was a grateful slave.‘ And We decreed for the Children of Israel in
the Scripture, indeed you would do mischief in land twice and
you will become tyrants and extremely arrogant!‖ [al-Isra‟ 17:1-
4]
Al-‗Allaamah al-Taahir ibn ‗Ashoor (may Allah have mercy on

him) said:
In many Mushafs it is called Soorat al-Isra‘. Al-Aloosi stated that
it is called by this name, because at the beginning it mentions the
Isra‘ (Night Journey) of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) and that is the only place where it is mentioned.
But at the time of the Sahaabah it was called Soorat Bani
Israa‘eel, the reason for that being that it mentions things about
Bani Isra‘eel that are not mentioned in other soorahs, namely
their subjugation by those who were given to terrible warfare (cf.
17:4) -- the Assyrians; then their subjugation by another people,
namely the Romans. It is also called Soorat Subhaan, because it
begins with this word. [al-Tahreer wal-Tanweer, 15/5]
The Virtues of Surat Al-Isra'
Imam Al-Hafiz Abu Àbdullah Muhammad bin Ismaìl Al-

Bukhari recorded that Ibn Masùd said concerning Surah Bani
Israìl (i.e., Surat Al-Isra'), Al-Kahf and Maryam: "They are
among the earliest and most beautiful Surahs and they are my
treasure.'' Imam Ahmad recorded that À'ishah said: "The
Messenger of Allah used to fast until we would say, he does not
want to break his fast, then he would not fast until we would say,
he does not want to fast, and he used to recite Bani Isra'il and Az-
160
Zumar every night.'' [Tafsir ibn Kathir]
Ar-Ruh(Soul)
Al-Bukhari recorded in his Tafsir of this Ayah that Àbdullah bin

Masùd said, "While I was walking with the Prophet on a farm,
and he was resting on a palm-leaf stalk, some Jews passed by.
Some of them said to the others, Àsk him about the Ruh.' Some
of them said, `What urges you to ask him about that' Others said,
`Do not ask him, lest he gives you a reply which you do not like.'
But they said, Àsk him.' So they asked him about the Ruh. The
Prophet kept quiet and did not give them an answer, and I knew
that he was receiving revelation, so I stayed where I was. When
the revelation was complete, the Prophet said: (And they ask you
concerning the Ruh (the spirit). Say: "The Ruh (the spirit) is one
of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord...'')
(17:85)
This context would seem to imply that this Ayah was revealed in
Al-Madinah, and that it was revealed when the Jews asked him
this question in Al-Madinah, although the entire Surah was
revealed in Makkah. This may be answered with the suggestion
that this Ayah may have been revealed to him in Al-Madinah a
second time, after having previously been revealed in Makkah,
or that he was divinely inspired to respond to their question with
a previously-revealed Ayah, namely the Ayah in question. Ibn
Jarir recorded that Ìkrimah said, "The People of the Book asked
the Messenger of Allah about the Ruh, and Allah revealed:
(And they ask you concerning the Ruh...) (17:85) They said, `You
claim that we have only a little knowledge, but we have been
given the Tawrah, which is the Hikmah, (and he, to whom
Hikmah is granted, is indeed granted abundant good.)' (2:269)
Then the Ayah
(And if all the trees on the earth were pens and the sea (were ink
wherewith to write), with seven seas behind it to add to its
(supply),) (31:27) was revealed. He said, "Whatever knowledge
you have been given, if Allah saves you from the Fire thereby,
then it is great and good, but in comparison to the knowledge of
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Allah, it is very little.''
(And they ask you concerning the Ruh.) (17:85) Al-Àwfi

reported that Ibn Àbbas said, "This was when the Jews said to
the Prophet , `Tell us about the Ruh and how the Ruh will be
punished that is in the body - for the Ruh is something about
which only Allah knows, and there was no revelation concerning
it.' He did not answer them at all, then Jibril came to him and
said:(Surah Isra, 17:85)(Say: "The Ruh (the spirit) is one of the
things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of
knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little.'') So the
Prophet told them about that, and they said, `Who told you this'
He said,
(Jibril brought it to me from Allah.) They said, `By Allah, no one

has told you that except our enemy ﴿i.e., Jibril﴾.' Then Allah
revealed:(Say: "Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (let him die in his
fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your
heart by Allah's permission, confirming what came before it.)''
(2:97) [Tafsir ibn Kathir]
1) Isra & Mir‘aj: It is Allah the Almighty who took Prophet

Muhammad (s) on a journey, over one night, from the
sacred House in Makkah to the blessed area in
Jerusalem. This was in order to show him some signs.
Allah (swt) also gave Musa (a), who was a thankful
servant, a book as a guide for the Children of Israel. They
are the descendants of Nuh (a), and were warned not to
take any Protector other than Him.
2) Divine Commandments reminding Bani Israel about their

prophesized punishments: Before Allah (swt) warned the
Children of Israel that twice they would become arrogant
transgressors and that twice they would be punished.
After the promised punishment for the first transgression,
Allah (swt) allowed them to prosper. When the second
transgression came, God Almighty allowed their enemies
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to destroy the temple as punishment. Allah (swt) wants to
be merciful but if the behaviour is repeated the
punishment will be repeated, and Hell will become their
prison in the Hereafter.
3) Worship none but Allah and be kind to the parents: Do

not associate anything with God Almighty or one will be
disgraced and forsaken. Allah (swt) commands us to
worship nothing except Him, and that we are kind to our
parents. As they grow older, one must not be impatient or
harsh rather be humble towards them and pray that Allah
(swt) treats them mercifully as they treated us when we
were young.
4) Humanity is mostly ungrateful: It is God Almighty who

allows humankind to sail ships across the ocean in order
to seek their bounty. And when adversity strikes, whatever
they worship besides Allah (swt) disappears from their
hearts and minds and they call only Him for help. And
when Almighty Allah brings them safely to land, they turn

their backs on Him. Humankind is ungrateful; what
makes them so sure that they will not fall victim to natural
disasters? Who do they think protects them? Humankind
has been honoured and favoured above many of Lord
Almighty‘s creations.
5) Give to relatives and the needy and be not a miser or a

spendthrift: Give your relatives their rights but also spend
on the needy and the travellers. Do not be wasteful,
squandering the money. If one cannot assist needy people
then at least be courteous to them. One would not be
miserly or extravagant, instead should take a middle path.
Allah (swt) gives abundantly to some and sparingly to
others, He knows and observes everyone.
6) Do not kill your children for fear of poverty: Parents
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should not kill their children because they think they
cannot provide for them, it is a great sin. It is Allah (swt)
who provides Rizk (sustenance) for them which comes
from the sky; they cannot cause poverty; that is the will of
Almighty Allah.
7) Do not commit adultery: Allah (swt) warned us not to go

near to adultery. One should abstain themselves from
making relation that would incite further evil from
Shaitan. Allah (swt) has positioned this ayah in between
the ayats those dealt with taking lives of children out of
poverty and rights of killing with its judgment. So, how
can one justify killing one‘s innocent heart which craves to
remember in her entirety?
8) Do not slay without just cause: One should not take a life,
except within the laws of God Almighty. If anyone is
killed unjustly, God has granted a right of retribution but
one should not be vengeful and take things too far.
9) Incident of Iblis refusing to respect Adam (a) in the form

of Sajdah: Allah (swt) has reminded us by mentioning
about the time when God Almighty told the angels to
prostrate before Adam (a). They all obeyed except Iblis.
He was arrogant and gave the reason of why he should
worship someone made from clay. Iblis said that if God
Almighty delayed his death until the Day of Resurrection
he would lead most of the descendants of Adam (a) astray.
Allah (swt) told him to go away because Hell would be the
reward for him and any that follow him. Iblis was told to
do whatever he could to tempt and destroy humankind
but to be aware that he would never have power over the
true believers.
10) There is wisdom in honouring commitments by

safeguarding orphans rights and saying nothing without
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knowledge and not to be arrogant: One should safeguard
the property of orphans which he/she has undertaken as
an obligation to protect with good intentions. One should
honour his/her commitments as he/she is liable to the
Lord Sustainer Allah. So, one should conduct business
fairly, give full measure and balance the scales correctly.
One should not pursue that of which he/she has no
knowledge - using heart, eyes and ears to confirm the
things one hears is the way. One should not walk about
the earth arrogantly. A human being is just a small and
weak creature; is he/she more than that!
11) Allah (swt) does not beget children and those who say
this, utter a monstrous lie: Do not say that God Almighty
has taken the angels as daughters. That is a monstrous
statement with grave consequences.
12) There is a life after death: When one recites the Qur‘an
there is a barrier between him/her and those who do not
believe in the Hereafter. As a result some people turn even
further away by the whisper of Shaitan.
Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Almighty
God. The unbelievers of Makkah have privately called
Prophet Muhammad (s) a man bewitched as they did not
try to understand the Message themselves. They disputed
that how they would be raised up after they become bones
and dust. Allah (swt) replied to our beloved Prophet (s) in
the Qur‘an to tell them - even if they were stones and iron
they would be bought back. When they ask who would do
that, Allah (swt) replied - the One who created you in the
first place. On the Judgment Day one who would be raised
up would imagine that he/she had been dead for only a
very short time.
13) The Qur'an is a shifa and rahmah for those who want to
believe in it: One should establish the prayer from when
the sun is at its zenith until the darkness of the night (four
obligatory prayers fall during this time) and recite the
Qur‘an at the time of the Morning Prayer. The recitation
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at the time of dawn is always witnessed by the angels.
Truth has come and falsehood has departed. People tried
to entice Prophet Muhammad (s) to fabricate revelations
but Allah (swt) strengthened his heart. If he had inclined
even a little towards them, he would have received a
double punishment in this life and in the Hereafter. It was
that way with all the Messengers. The Qur‘an was sent as a
healing and a mercy for the believers but the disbelievers
gain nothing from it except loss. Everyone does things in
their own way but God Almighty knows who is following
the best way. On the Day of Resurrection, when every
community is gathered with their leader, those who
receive their book in their right hand will read it with
pleasure. Those who pretended to be blind about the
Hereafter will be worse than blind in the Hereafter.
14) Human Rasools are sent to human beings: Almighty Allah

does not send signs for those who demand them because
previously His signs were denied. The people of Thamud
were given the she-camel but they mistreated her. Prophet
Daud (a) was given the book of Psalms. Lord Almighty
made the Night Journey and the accursed tree mentioned
in the Qur‘an as tests. Allah (swt) warned us, but it only
increases the transgressions of the unbelievers. The
deities the unbelievers call upon have no power
whatsoever to help or remove harm. Allah (swt) directs
Prophet Muhammad (s) to tell the believers to speak in
the best way and remind them that Shaitan is their sworn
enemy. Lord Almighty knows everything about them and
will be merciful or punish them according to His will.
There is no community of evildoers that will not be
destroyed or severely punished before the Day of
Resurrection.
15) Soul is a gift of Allah (swt) to humankind and revelation is

guidance: Prophet Muhammad (s) was told to say that the
subject of Ruh (soul) is the concern of Allah (swt), and we
(humankind) have been given very little knowledge about
it. If God Almighty wanted He could take away that which
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has been revealed and then humankind would never be
able to get it back. The revelations are a mercy. Even if all
of humankind and the jinn came together they could not
produce anything like the Qur‘an no matter how much
they helped each other. The Qur‘an is full of different
examples to help people understand the message but still
most people persist in their disbelief. Even then, they say,
we will not believe in your ascension unless you bring
down for us a book that we can read. Allah (swt) says to
tell them that you (Prophet Muhammad) have never
claimed to be anything other than a human being with a
message. Allah (swt) tells us in the Qur‘an - if there had
been angels walking about on earth, then an angel would
have been sent. Almighty Allah is witness to what we say
to each other and He knows and understands everybody
well.
16) Perform Salah in a voice which is neither too loud nor too
soft: Allah (swt) told us to call Him his best names. And
not to speak too loudly nor too softly, but seek a middle
way. One should praise his/her Lord Almighty, the One
with no son or partner.
17) Truth has come in the form of the Qur‘an: The Qur‘an has
been sent down little by little and the righteous people
who were given knowledge before the Qur‘an recognize
the truth of it and weep falling down in prostration.
Likewise, Prophet Musa (a) was sent nine clear signs but
Pharaoh believed it was all magic. When Musa (a) told
him he was doomed, Pharaoh intended to drive him away
along with the Israelites off from the face of the earth.
Allah (swt) drowned Pharaoh and those with him. The
truth has been sent down in the form of the Qur‘an. The
Children of Israel were told to settle down and when the
appointment of the Hereafter comes they will all be
resurrected in a mingled gathering. Prophet Muhammad
(s) was sent only as a bearer of good news that comes with
a warning.
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18. Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Kahf In Summarized Form

The Surah takes its name from the story of the people who fell
asleep in a cave, told in ayats 9 to 26. It is the 69th Surah
according to the order of revelation. The name of the Surah, ―Al-
kahf‖ appears in the 9 and 16 number ayats. The Surah was
revealed after the Surah al-Ghashiya but comes after Surah Isra
in order. It has 110 ayats in 12 Ruku‘ (Section).
This Surah was revealed at Makkah most probably revealed 4-5

years before the Hijrah. It was also sent down to answer three
questions that had been put forwarded by the Rabbis of Madinah
to Prophet Muhammad (s) in order to test him. It is believed to
have been revealed as a comfort because the fledgling Muslims
were suffering ongoing torment and persecution at the hands of
the ruling classes of Makkah. As it seems the Surah came down
at the beginning of little after the middle period of prophet-hood
in Makkah. So, the revelation occurred before the migration to
Habash had yet to occur.
1. The straight message of the Qur'an.
2. The Companions of the Cave.
3. The proof of resurrection.
4. Always remember Lord Almighty Allah. Everything

depends on Allah‘s will.
5. The parable of an ungrateful person and a grateful person.
168
6. Wealth and children are only a passing show.
7. Satan and his progeny they are the open enemies of

human beings.
8. Almighty Allah's mercy is available all the time.
9. Prophet Musa (a) search for a teacher.
10. Some strange events and their explanations.
11. The pious ruler Dhul Qarnain. Gog and Magog
12. The real losers and winners.
The Surah answers some questions that the Mushrikin of

Makkah posed to the Prophet (s). The answers came in a very
clear way and also challenged them to accept the message of
Islam. In this Surah we have the stories of: the People of the
Cave, the man who had two gardens and was very proud of
himself, Prophet Musa (a) with an angelic figure, and Dhul
Qarnayn - a pious ruler. These stories are told to emphasize the
value of faith, knowledge and patience, the relativity of time, and
the variety in this world.
The people of the cave, mentioned in the Surah, were among the
wonderful signs of Allah (swt), intended to confirm the faith in
life after death. The youth (mentioned in this Surah) hid in the
cave, but they trusted in Almighty Allah and presented their case
to Him. Then they apparently fell asleep, and knew nothing of
what was happening in world outside. Their faith carried them
higher and higher on the road to truth.
The second story in the Surah is a person who was the owner of
two gardens and was wealthy and rich in every regard. However,
his wealth lead him astray and he started doubting his faith, as a
result of which Allah Almighty deprived him of all the worldly
artifice and bounties, which made him realize the transients
169
nature of the things of this world but by then it was too late for
him.
The meeting of Prophet Musa (a) with Al-Khidr shows us that the
manifestation of the highest divine wisdom sometimes takes
place in the form of an apparent loss, and that, the true believer
would never lose heart at such losses.
The story of Dhul Qarnayn (the two-homed one), shows that it is

not necessary to abstain from worldly life, to pursue
righteousness. He was just and righteous, not selfish or grasping.
He protected the weak and punished the unlawful and turbulent.
Ayats (1 - 12): Those who say Allah (swt) has begotten a son are
uttering a monstrous lie. The Companions of the Cave‘s story
starts from the 9th ayah of the Surah.
Ayats (13 - 17): The companions of the cave were young men who
declared the truth about the Oneness of Allah. They had to run
away and take refuge in a cave.
Ayats (18 - 22): The companions of the cave were made to sleep
by the Divine decree of Almight Allah. They were awakened by
Allah (swt) after hundreds of years. Their identity was disclosed
to resolve the disputed issue of life after death: What a shame
that instead of getting the point, people were disputing about
their numbers.
Ayats (23 - 31): Whenever one promise to do something in the

future, always should say: "Insha Allah (If Allah wills)." No one is
authorized to change the Word of Allah (swt). And one should be
content with those who cry unto their Lord. Allah tells us: "Truth
from Allah has come, choice is yours: believe it or disbelieve."
Ayats (32 - 44): Parable of a believer and a disbeliever. Owner of

the two gardens felt exalted of being in affluence, whereas the
righteous one was content with his little belongings.
170
Ayats (45 - 53): Similitude of worldly life and its relationship
with the life of the Hereafter. Fates of those who follow the
Shaitan and commit shirk.
Ayats (54 - 59): Allah (swt) has given all kinds of examples in the
Qur'an so that the people may understand His Message.
Ayats (60 - 70): The Prophet Musa (a) travelled to find Khizr to
learn some of the knowledge given to him by Allah Almighty and
Khizr warned Musa (a) that he would not be able to bear with
him.
Ayats (71 - 82): The Prophet Musa (a) could not resist
questioning Khidr (a) when he made a hole in the boat, and when
he killed a boy with no apparent reason. The story of Musa (a)
ended when Khidr (a) explained to him the interpretations of his
actions after their mission ended reaching the dwellings of two
orphans.
Ayats (83 – 101): The story of Zul-Qarnain who visited two ends
of the world and a place between two mountain passages.
Ayats (102 - 110): Fates of the Mushrikeen and the believers on

the Day of Judgment. Words of Allah (swt) are countless and
cannot be recorded. Muhammad (s) is but a human being like us,
although he is the last messenger came from Allah Almighty.
Virtue of the Surah
Circumstances of revelation
Arab Muslim historian and hagiographer, Ibn Ishaq, reported in

his traditional Muslim biography of Muhammad (s), Sirah Rasul
Allah that the 18th Surah of the Qur'an (which includes the story
of Dhu l-Qarnayn and the cave) was revealed to the prophet
Muhammad (s) on account of some questions posed by rabbis
residing in the city of Madinah. According to Ibn Ishaq,
Muhammad (s)'s tribe, the powerful Quraysh, were greatly
concerned about their tribesman who had started claiming
prophethood and wished to consult rabbis about the matter. The
171
Quraysh sent two men to the rabbis of Madinah, reasoning that
they had superior knowledge of the scriptures and about the
prophets of God Almighty. The two Quraysh men described their
tribesman, Muhammad (s), to the rabbis. The rabbis told the
men to ask Muhammad (s) three questions:
They [the rabbis] said, "Ask him about three things which we
will tell you to ask, and if he answers them then he is a Prophet
who has been sent; if he does not, then he is saying things that
are not true, in which case how you will deal with him will be
up to you. Ask him about some young men in ancient times;
what was their story for theirs is a strange and wondrous tale.
Ask him about a man who travelled a great deal and reached
the east and the west of the earth. What was his story and ask
him about the Ruh (soul or spirit) – what is it? If he tells you
about these things, then he is a Prophet, so follow him, but if he
does not tell you, then he is a man who is making things up, so
deal with him as you see fit."[Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
According to Ibn Ishaq, when Muhammad (s) was informed of

the three questions from the rabbis, he said that he would have
the answers in the morning but did not say "if God wills it". For
fifteen days, Muhammad (s) awaited eagerly for the revelation.
Doubt began to appear amongst the people of Makkah. Then,
after fifteen days, Muhammad (s) received the revelation of Al-
Kahf as an answer to the questions. The answer to the first two
questions appears in this Surah, Allah (swt) set the third one in
the previous one - in Surah Isra. This Surah is a protection from
the fitnah of Dajjal. The Messenger of Allah (s) said: "Whoever
commits to memory the first ten Ayat of the Surat Al-Kahf, will
be protected from (the trial of) Ad-Dajjal (Antichrist)."
[Muslim]
The Messenger of Allah (s) mentioned the Dajjal (Antichrist)

saying: "If he comes forth while I am among you I shall be the
one who will dispute with him on your behalf, but if he comes
forth when I am not among you, a man must dispute on his own
behalf, and Allah will take my place in looking after every
Muslim. Those of you who live up to his time should recite over
172
him the opening ayats of Surat al-Kahf, for they are your
protection from his trial. We asked: How long will he remain on
the earth? He replied: Forty days, one like a year, one like a
month, one like a week, and rest of his days like yours. We asked:
Messenger of Allah, will one day‘s prayer suffice us in this day
which will be like a year? He replied: No, you must make an
estimate of its extent. Then Jesus son of Marry will descend at
the white minaret to the east of Damascus. He will then catch
him up at the date of Ludd and kill him."[Muslim]
It was narrated that Ibn ‗Umar (radiyallahu anhuma) said: ―The

Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wasallam) said: ‗Whoever
reads Surat Al-Kahf on the day of Jumu‘ah, a light will shine for
him from beneath his feet to the clouds of the sky, which will
shine for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be forgiven
(his sins) between the two Jumu‘ah.‘‖ [Al-Mundhiri said,
this was narrated by Abu Bakr ibn Mardawayh in his
Tafseer, with an isnaad with which there was nothing
wrong]
From Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri, who said: "Whoever reads Soorat al-
Kahf on the night of Jumu'ah, will have a light that will stretch
between him and the Ancient House (the Ka'bah)."
[Narrated by al-Daarimi, 3407. This hadeeth was
classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-
Jaami, 6471]
"Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on the day of Jumu'ah, will have

a light that will shine from him from one Jumu'ah to the next."
[Narrated by al-Haakim, 2/399; al-Bayhaqi, 3/249. Ibn
Hajar said in Takhreej al-Adhkaar that this is a hasan
hadeeth, and he said, this is the strongest report that
has been narrated concerning reading Soorat al-Kahf.
See: Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/198. It was classed as saheeh by
Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 6470]
It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: 'Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on the day of
173
Jumu'ah, a light will shine for him from beneath his feet to the
clouds of the sky, which will shine for him on the Day of
Resurrection, and he will be forgiven (his sins) between the two
Jumu'ah.'" Al-Mundhiri said, this was narrated by Abu Bakr ibn
Mardawayh in his Tafseer, with an isnaad with which there was
nothing wrong. [al-Targheeb wa'l-Tarheeb, 1/298]
Al-Mannaawi said: Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in his Amaali: "In

some reports it says 'the day of Jumu'ah' and in some reports it
says 'the night of Jumu'ah'. They may be reconciled by saying
that what is meant is the day which includes the night and vice
versa." [Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/199]
1. Al-Qur‘an is a straightforward Book: The Qur‘an has been

revealed as an uncomplicated book; a book that does not
deviate from the straight path and from the aberration of
nonconformity.
2. Story of the Companions of the Cave: Ayats 9 to 26 of the

Surah retells the Christian folktale of the "People of the
Cave". A few young believers lived in a time when they
were tortured for their beliefs. Upon the guidance of Lord
Almighty, they fled from the city, where believers were
persecuted, together with their kalb (Arabic: ٍ ‫و‬, dog),
and took refuge in a cave where they fell asleep. When
they woke they found themselves that the people of the
city had become believers.
3. Wishing Allah‘s favour for future commitments: Saying,

"Insha‘Allah (If Allah so wills)" is an obligation for the
believers whenever they make promise to do something in
the future.
4. Choice of truth and falsehood: Prophet Muhammad (s) is

told to recite what has been revealed to him and there is
174
no authorisation to change anything in any way. He was
told to be content to be among those who seek God
Almighty‘s approval and not to let the notable people of
Makkah drive away the weak and humble among his
followers.
5. A moral tale of rich and the poor: In ayats 32 to 44, the

Surah discusses a parable of two men, one of whom had
been given blessings from God and the other poor. The
rich one wronged his soul and started showing off with his
wealth and noble lineage. At the end of the parable God
destroys what he had given the man.
6. Similitude of this worldly life and its relationship with the

life after death: The life of this world is like vegetation that
flourishes but then dries up and withers away, blown in
the wind. Our good deeds hold the promise of everlasting
reward than our wealth and belongings - we adore more
for ourselves. A day will come when the earth will be flat
and bare and all humankind will be gathered together. We
will stand in rows before God Almighty and our book of
deeds will be held out open to us.
7. Story of the Prophet Musa (a) as a student of the Khidr

(a): The third main story within the Surah (ayats 60–82)
is that of Musa (a) traveling to gain knowledge from
another servant of God Almighty who is never mentioned
by name in the Qur‘an, in tafsir of ibn Kathir he is called
Al-Khidr. Musa (a) was a very wise and knowledgeable
person, but there were many things which he did not
know. He was instructed to seek out a servant of Allah
(swt), who would give him further knowledge. Allah (swt)
states three incidents between Musa (a) and Kidhr (a). In
one of them Kidhr (a) made hole in a boat, in another one
he killed an innocent child, and in the last one he and
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Musa (a) helped the two orphans being repaired their wall
that was falling down even though refused to help or feed
them out of hospitality. Initially Musa (a) was said that he
would not be able to be patient with the events that he
would encounter with Khidr (a). And it happened that
way. So, Khidr (a) explained to him the reasons behind his
actions. Khidr (a) said he did not do these things of his
own accord, he was following Lord Almighty‘s plan.
8. Story of King Dhul-Qarnain: Dhul-Qarnain was a

righteous and just king. Allah (swt) bestowed him with
power to achieve great thing traveling through lands. The
Qur‘an mentions three of his journeys from West to East
and then to a mountain passage. He traveled first to the
Western edge of the world where he sees the sun set in a
muddy spring, then to the furthest East where he sees sun
rises from the ocean, and finally northward to a place in
the mountains where he finds a people oppressed by Gog
and Magog.
9. One who loses hard earned efforts of credibility without

knowing them: Prophet Muhammad (s) is told to tell the
people that the person who loses the most, by his or her
actions, is the one whose efforts are lost even though they
think they are doing well. These people disbelieve in God‘s
ayats and signs, and deny that they will ever come face to
face with Him. This disbelief renders their deeds
worthless.
10. The words of God‘s attributes, grandeur, and knowledge

would exhaust if all the oceans were ink for writing: The
favours of Allah (swt) are countless and cannot be
recorded even if all the oceans were to be used as an
inkwell and other such oceans are brought to refill this
ink.
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11. Prophet (s) is but a human being like us: Prophet
Muhammad (s) is told to say that he is just a human
being, the same as everyone else, and it has been revealed
to him that the Lord God is One. Everyone amongst the
people who fears their meeting with God Almighty Allah
should do good deeds and never let anyone else or
anything share in the worship that is due to Allah (swt)
alone.
12. This Surah contains Many of the Signs of End times: The
core of this Surah is to get protection from Fitna-e-Dajjal.
When head of the state was cruel and the majority of
society was corrupt, some youth took refuge in Cave
(distant from population) by the guidance of Allah with
the fear that society will not leave them alone on the right
path and they may turn them away. Allah (swt) discusses
the concepts/messages which one would adhere to which
are connected to the trials associated to Dajjal.
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19. Surah Maryam (Mary)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Maryam In Summarized Form

This Surah is named after Maryam (Mary), Mother of Isa (a)

[Jesus], who appears in ayats 16–34. Allah (swt) has mentioned
no woman in the Qur‘an directly by her proper name except
Maryam (a) - Mary, and the name ‗Maryam‘ occurs 34 times in
the Qur‘an. The only Surah, which has been entitled by the name
of a woman in the Qur‘an, is this very Surah, Surah Maryam. In
ayah of 58 Surah Maryam there is a Tilawat-e-Sajdah. The Surah
has 98 ayats in 6 Ruku‘ (Section).
This Surah was revealed before the migration to Habash

(Abyssinia) during the third stage of the Prophet's residence at
Makkah. Authentic traditions indicate that Sayyiduna J'afar
recited ayats 1-40 of this Surah in the court of Negus, the king of
Habash, when he called the immigrants to his court in the
presence of hostile ambassadors of Quraysh. According to the
earliest Muslims chroniclers, the king and the bishop wept
saying, ‗Indeed, this revelation and that of Moses proceed from
one and the same source.‘
1. Prophet Zakaria‘s (a) prayer for a son. Birth of John

(Yahya) and Allah's favours upon him.
2. Maryam (a) - and the miraculous birth of her son Isa (a).
3. Prophet Ibrahim (a) preached the unity of Allah (swt).

His conversation with his father.
4. Other great Prophets and Messengers of Allah.
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5. The Resurrection will surely happen.
6. Criticism of misconceptions about intercession and the

divinity of Isa (a).
Surah Maryam begins with five Arabic letters: Kaf Ha Ya 'Ayn

Sad (The Muqaṭṭaʿāt : ḥurūf muqaṭṭaʿāt, disjoined letters;
disconnected letters). It narrates the account where Prophet
Zakariya (a)‘s [Zachariah] prays to Allah Almighty for a son to
succeed him. And so, Allah (swt) blesses him with Yahya (a). The
Surah gives a detailed account of Maryam (a) and the miraculous
birth of Prophet Isa (a) [Jesus], a cousin of Yahya (a) [John the
Baptist]. The claim that Isa (a) is the son of Lord Almighty is
firmly denied, as is the assertion of the pagans of Makkah that
the angels are God Almighy‘s daughters. So, the Surah goes on to
mention the missions of some earlier prophets, showing that
only human beings are raised to reform the world.
The prophetic figures mentioned in the Surah include Ishaq (a)

[Isaac], Yaqub (a) [Jacob], Musa (a) [Moses], Harun (a) [Aaron],
Isamail (a) [Ishmael], Idris (a) [Idris], Adam (a) [Adam], and
Nuh (a) [Noah].
The Qur‘an makes us believe in the power of God Almighty in

such a way that it enables us to see beyond the inevitability of
cause and effect. Although Allah (swt) has made this samawat in
such a way that for everything there is physical reasoning but at
the same time He has also made miracles happen which
make us realize that God Almighty is not dependent on these
laws. We find in the Qur‘an such examples which make us
"see" this power, so that the closer we come towards Him with
love and submission, the more belief we have in our hopes and
dreams turning into reality.

Ayats (1 - 15): The story of Zakariyya (a) and the birth and youth
of Yahya (a) (John).
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Ayats (16 - 40): The story of Maryam; dialogue between her and
the angel. The response of the angel a d the miraculous birth of
Isa (a) is explained. Maryam brought her baby (Jesus) to her
people, and the baby spoke to his people in the cradle to defend
his mother and proclaim his assignment to be their Prophet. Isa
(a) (Jesus) is not the son of God Almighty, it is not befitting to
the Majesty of Almighty Allah that He needs to beget a son.
Ayats (41 - 50): The story of Ibrahim (a) and his idol-
worshipping father.
Ayats (51 - 65): The Prophethood of Musa (a), Ismaìl (a) and
Idrees (a). All prophets of Allah (swt) were Divinely Guided and
chosen.
Ayats (66 - 82): Believers' and unbelievers' life in this world and
their life in the Hereafter.
Ayats (83 - 98): No god other than Allah (swt) will be able to save
humans on the Day of Judgment and Those who say Allah (swt)
has begotten a son, preach such a monstrous lie that even the
heavens may crack, earth split and mountains crumble to pieces.
Almighty Allah has made the Qur'an easy for mankind.
Virtue of the Surah
The Virtue of Maryam Over the

Women of Her Time
Allah states that the angels spoke to Maryam by His command

and told her that He chose her because of her service to Him,
because of her modesty, honour, innocence, and conviction.
Allah also chose her because of her virtue over the women of the
world. At-Tirmidhi recorded that Àli bin Abi Talib said, "I heard
the Messenger of Allah say,
(The best woman (in her time) was Maryam, daughter of Ìmran,
and the best woman (of the Prophet's time) is Khadijah (his
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wife), daughter of Khuwaylid.)''
The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith. Ibn Jarir recorded that
Abu Musa Al-Ashàri said that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Many men achieved perfection, but among women, only
Maryam the daughter of Ìmran and Asiah, the wife of Firàwn,
achieved perfection.)
The Six -- with the exception of Abu Dawud - recorded it. Al-
Bukhari's wording for it reads,
(Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman
reached such a level except Asiah, the wife of Firàwn, and
Maryam, the daughter of Ìmran. The superiority of À'ishah
(his wife) to other women is like the superiority of Tharid (meat
and bread dish) to other meals.) [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
Allah's Messenger (s) said, "Many amongst men attained

perfection but amongst women none attained the perfection
except Mary, the daughter of Ìmran and Asiya, the wife of
Pharaoh. And the superiority of Àisha to other women is like the
superiority of Tharid (i.e. an Arabic dish) to other meals."
[Sahih al-Bukhari 3769]
1) Story of Zakariya (a) and the birth of Prophet Yahya (a):

In the Bible, Zechariah (Zakariya a) is husband of
Elisabeth who is the cousin of Mary. The Qur‘an tells us
that Zakarya (a) was also the guardian of Mary (Maryam
a), the mother of Isa (a) - Jesus. Zechariah was a prophet
of God Almighty whose office was in the temple in
Jerusalem. He was in charge of services at the temple.
Zechariah‘s wife was barren and both were very old.
Zechariah began to worry over who would carry on the
daily services of the temple and preach the message of
God Almighty after his death. In response to Zechariah‘s
earnest prayer to God for a son, an angel announced that
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Allah (swt) will provide him a son whose name will be
John (Yahya a). God Almighty made John (Yahya a)
compassionate, wise, pure, and kind to his parents who
diligently practiced the commandments of the Torah.
2) Story of Maryam (Mary) and the miraculous birth of

Prophet Isa (Jesus): An angel appears to Virgin Mary
(Maryam a) in the form of a man to convey the birth of a
son – a mercy and a miracle from God Almighty Allah.
She goes to Bethlehem fearing reaction from people
toward an unmarried pregnancy. Allah (swt) provides her
with fresh water and ripe dates at the time of delivery
supported by an angel at the time of childbirth.
3) Prophet Isa's address to his people from his cradle: When

Maryam (a) is probed about the child - the baby Jesus (Isa
a) miraculously speaks from the cradle in defense of his
mother. Isa (a) announced that he has been made God‘s
blessed servant and prophet, and has been commanded to
pray, give charity, and be kind to his mother. Later on,
when Isa (a) became mature, a faction from the Bani
Israel disagreed over Isa (a), Allah (swt) reminds all the
sects who still differ about Isa (Jesus) of the dreadful "Day
of Remorse" when all will return to Him.
4) Allah (swt) does not take a son and has no need for one:
The fact that Isa a (Jesus), is not the son of Allah (swt),
and that it is not befitting to the Majesty of Allah that He
needs a son (i.e. for name, fame, help or continuity of
race). The narration of Isa (a) who declared that God is his
Lord, worship belongs to Him - is the truth.
5) Story of Prophet Ibrahim (a) and his mushrik father:

Ibrahim (a) [Abraham] gently reminds his father not to
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worship idols that cannot hear, see, or benefit themselves.
The truthful prophet was threatened by physical violence
and expelled from home, even after these menaces he did
vow to pray for his father. Ibrahim (a) had fear for his
father's safety and the inevitable punishment should he
die as a disbeliever in Allah (swt). Later on he was told not
to do that as his father contended on doing idol-
worshiping knowingly. In this Surah, Allah (swt)
reminded us that Ibrahim (a) was later gifted with two
prophets by God Almigty – Ishaq (a) [Isaac] and from
Ishaq (a)‘s progeny Yaqub (a) [Jacob].
6) The fact that all Prophets of Allah were divinely guided

and chosen people: Musa (a) was a chosen prophet called
into close communion by Allah (swt) next to Mount Tur
(the burning bush). Ismail (a) [Ishmael] was also a
sincere prophet and messenger of God Almighty who was
true to his word and cared for his family‘s spiritual well-
being; he reminded them to pray and be charitable. Idris
(a) (probably Enoch of the Bible) was a sincere, prophet of
Almighty God, elevated in status. Allah (swt) favoured

other prophets from among the descendants of Adam a,
Nuh a, Ibrahim a, and Yaqub a (Israel) and they would fall
weeping in prostration before Him.
7) Life of the believers and the nonbelievers in this world and

in the Hereafter: A distinctive attribute of those whose
character is molded by the teachings of the prophets, is
that they are no longer slaves of their base desires, but rise
above them. They turn into people who remember
Almighty Allah, the organized expression of which is
prayer (salah). They keep on making acts with the view of
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afterlife through accumulating his good deeds on and on
without any haste. The generations that came after the
prophets became negligent of God Almighty and started
following their base desires. Being affiliated to a prophet
shall be of no use to them. They shall receive what they
deserve. Of them, only those shall be spared who return to
the original religion and adopt a life of faith and virtuous
deeds.
8) Annulling plurality of the deities and the ascription of

sons to God: Human wants to be able to do as he/she likes
in this world, but he/she does not want to suffer the
consequences of his/her wrongdoings. Therefore, he/she
courts beings supposedly near and dear to God Almighty
who could plead his/her case to Him. Belief in existence of
God‘s children can be explained in one of two ways: that
God needs assistants like ordinary people or He desires
having children. Both propositions are baseless. Those
who say, "Allah has begotten a son," preach such a
monstrous lie that if they could hear it; the heavens would
crack the earth would split and the mountains would
crumble to pieces.
9) Allah (swt) has made the Qur'an easy for mankind: The
Qur‘an has been revealed by Almighty Allah in the Arabic
language, but has been made easy for one to learn and
memorize.
10) Deniers of resurrection, their punishment, and attitudes:

The Arabs, who were first addressed by the Qur‘an,
accepted life after death, but their acceptance was purely
formal and as such had no impact on their lives. This
indifference persists because people do not give serious
consideration to this matter. If they did, they would
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realize that the initial, first birth is in itself an argument in
support of re-birth.
11) Steadfastness upon faith is one of the ways to achieve the

Love of Allah: God Almighty loves those who believe and
act righteously. Those who oppose the call for Truth err in
thinking that, in doing so; they will not come to any harm.
There is evidence of the opponents of Truth being wiped
out, but they do not take any lesson from it. Total
submission is the real strength in this world and a hope
for everlasting success and happiness in the Hereafter.
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20. Surah Ta Ha
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ta Ha In Summarized Form

The Surah‘s name appears in the first ayah with Arabic letters,
―TaHa‖ - ‫( طه‬ṭā ḥā) which called as Muqatta‘at (meaning,
"disconnected" or "mysterious"). Out of the 114 Surahs of the
Qur‘an, 29 Surahs are figuring with this type beginning just after
the Bismillah. The letters are also known as fawātiḥ (‫ ) َف َواتِح‬or
"openers" as they form the opening ayah of their respective
Surahs.
This Surah discusses the story of Musa (a) and Adam (a), and
exhorts Prophet Muhammad (s) to patience and prayer, and
reminds us of the consequences of disbelief. This Surah has 135
ayats in 8 Ruku‘ (Section).
This Surah was revealed in Makkah. According to well-known

authentic traditions Surah TaHa was revealed before Hazrat
Umar (ra) embraced Islam. When Umar bin Khattab (initially an
arch enemy of Islam), heard the recitation of some portion of this
Surah, from a written copy of his sister Fatima and which was
given to him a sincere thought and that resulted to his
conversion and became the great companion of the Prophet
Muhammad (s). So, the Surah was revealed sometime before the
Hijrah to Abyssinia. This took place sometimes in the 5th year of
Prophet-hood.
1. Prophet Muhammad (s) is told not to feel distress because

of the denial of the unbelievers. Allah (swt) knows
everything. Remember the story of Musa (a). Allah (swt)
called him to the Prophet-hood and gave him special
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signs.
2. Prophet Musa's (a) prayer. Allah Almighty commanded

Musa (a) and his brother Harun (a) to go to Pharaoh and
give him the message. Allah (swt) mentions His favours
upon Musa (a).
3. Prophet Musa (a) goes to Pharaoh. The challenged the

Egyptian magicians. The defeat of the magicians and then
their conversion.
4. Allah (swt) saved the Children of Israel from Pharaoh.

Prophet Musa (a) goes to Sinai. Samiri misleads the
Israelites and they worship the calf.
5. The anger of Prophet Musa (a). Samiri confessed his evil

action and he was punished.
6. The Day of Judgment. No intercession will help without

Allah's permission. The opponents of the Prophet.
7. Devil misleads human beings. Some references to the

story of Adam (a) and Shaitan (Iblis).
8. The evil doers will be punished. Be patient and offer

regular prayers.
The Surah TaHa begins by proclaiming that the Qur‘an was

revealed as an admonition to those who fear Allah the Almighty.
Then the Surah abruptly moves on to relate the story of Prophet
Musa (a) without any apparent relevancy and without even
hinting at its applicability to the events of the period. However, if
we read between the lines we realize that the discourse is
addressed very relevantly to the people of Makkah.
The Arabs in general acknowledged Musa (a) as a Prophet of God
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Almighty. This was because they had been influenced by the
large number of the Jews around them and by the neighbouring
Christian kingdoms.
The story of Prophet Musa (a) was mentioned in detail. Musa (a)
is originally tasked by Allah (swt) to go to Pharaoh and try to
show him the right path, who has got erred already. Musa (a) is
triumphant over Pharaoh by the help of Almighty Allah by
defeating the magicians. After escaping, Musa (a) leaves his
people to confer with God Almighty. During his absence, his
people are led awry by al-Samiri, and begin to worship a golden
calf instead of Lord Almighty. Upon his return, Musa (a) is
furious. He exiles al-Samiri, and chastises his brother Harun (a)
for allowing the people to worship anything other than the one
true God Almighty Allah. The story of Musa (a) has been used to
throw light on all those matters which were connected with the
conflict between the Prophet (s) and the Quraysh.
After this the story of Prophet Adam (a) has been narrated, as if
to tell the Quraysh that they are following the way of Shaitan,
whereas the right way for a man is to follow his father Adam (a).
Adam (a) was beguiled by Shaitan, but when he realized his
error, he plainly confessed it and repented and again turned back
to the service of God Almighty and won His favour.
Scenes of the Day of Judgment are depicted, and the believers
are urged to pray to Allah (swt) for mercy. Lord Almighty
reminds us not to enviously regard the worldly goodness that he
has bestowed on some people; as He only seeks to try them with
it. In the end, the Prophet (s) and the Muslims have been advised
not to be impatient in regard to the punishment to the
disbelievers, since Lord Almighty has His Own plan concerning
them.
Ayats (1 - 24): The Qur'an is a reminder for those who fear

Almighty Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The
Prophet Musa (a) went to the sacred valley of 'Tuwa' at mount
Tur. Allah (swt) chose him as His Rasool & assigned him towards
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Fir‗aun (Pharaoh).
Ayats (25 - 54): The Prophet Musa (a) prayed to Allah (swt) to
open his heart, ease his task and remove the impediment from
his speech so that people may understand what he says. Almighty
Allah granted his request and reminded him about His favours.
This portion has a Dialogue between Musa (a) and Fir‗aun.
Ayats (55 - 76): Human life cycles around soil of earth from
which Almighty God created initially; we would return and
resurrect from it as well. Fir‗aun disbelieved Musa (a) by calling
his miracles a magician's trick and challenged him to confront
his magicians in public - Musa (a) accepted the challenge. The
confrontation took place between Musa (a) and Fir‗aun's
magicians. After witnessing Musa's miracle the magicians
accepted Islam. The dialogue between magicians and Fir‗aun is
presented. End of the criminals and the believers are Hell and
Paradise respectively.
Ayats (77 - 89): Deliverance of the Children of Israel from the

bondage of Fir‗aun. When the Prophet Musa (a) went to Mount
Tur for communion with Allah (swt) - Israelites started
worshipping the calf in his absence.
Ayats (90 - 104): Musa's (a) inquiry about idol worshipping, his
decision about Samiri, Golden Calf and his address to his people.
The Qur'an is but a reminder and the life of this world shall
appear to be no longer than one day in the Hereafter.
Ayats (105 - 115): A scene from the Day of Judgment. The Qur'an
is sent in Arabic to teach and to remind, so read and say: "O my
Rabb, increase me in knowledge."
Ayats (116 - 128): The story of Adam's (a) creation and Shaitan's
temptation. Lord Almighty forgave Adam's (a) sin,
chose him and guided him to the right Way. Those who do not
read the Qur'an and not follow its guidance shall be raised as
blind on the Day of Resurrection.
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Ayats (129 - 135): One shall not envy others in worldly benefits;
rather seek Allah's (swt) pleasure if one wants to attain the
blessed end. The Qur'an is a sign from Almighty Allah so there
can be no excuse for the unbelievers on the Day of Judgment.
Virtue of the Surah
It was narrated that ‗Abd-Allah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be

pleased with him) said concerning Bani Israil (al-Isra), al-Kahf,
Maryam, Taha and al-Anbiya: They are among the best of the
earliest ones that I learned by heart. [Narrated by al-Bukhari
(4994)]
It was narrated from Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with

him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said: ―The greatest name of Allah appears in three
Surahs of the Quran: in al-Baqarah, Al ‗Imran and Taha.‖
[Narrated by Ibn Majah (3856) and al-Hakim (1/686);
classed as hasan (sound) by al-Albani in al-Silsilah al-
Saheehah (746)]
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With regard to the
words of al-Qasim ibn ‗Abd al-Rahman (the one who narrated it
from Abu Umamah) that the greatest name is found in the ayah
(interpretation of the meaning): ―And (all) faces shall be
humbled before (Allah), Al-Hayyul-Qayyum (the Ever Living, the
One Who sustains and protects all that exists)‖
[Taha20:111] in Surah Taha, I could not find anything to support

it. It is more likely in my view that it is in the ayah at the
beginning of the Surah: ―Verily, I am Allah! La ilaha illa Ana
(none has the right to be worshipped but I)‖ [Taha 20:14], and
that is in accordance with some saheeh hadeeths (authentic
narrations. See: al-Fath (11/225) and Saheeh Abi Dawood (1341).
Du‟a while seeking knowledge or feeling tongue-tied
(Rabbishrah lee sadree Wayassir lee amree Wahlul ‗uqdatan min

lisanee Yafqahoo qawlee)
―O my Sustainer! Open up my heart and make my task easy for
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me, and loosen the knot from my tongue so that they might fully
understand my speech.‖ [Surah Taha (Ayats 25-28)]
Who is Samiri in the Qur‟an
Samiri or the Samiri (Arabic: ‫ السامري‬,translit .as-Sāmirī) is a phrase

used by the Qur‘an to refer to a rebellious follower of Moses who
created the golden calf and attempted to lead the Hebrews into
idolatry. According to the twentieth Surah of the Qur‘an, Samiri
created the calf while Musa (a) [Moses] was away for 40 days on
Mount Sinai, receiving the Ten Commandments. In contrast to
account given in the Hebrew Bible, the Qur‘an does not blame
Harun (a) [Aaron] for the calf‘s creation and instead praises him
for trying to stop the worship of it.
Scholars of Islam have linked Samiri to various individuals

mentioned in the Bible. Due to the fact that as-Samiri can mean
the Samaritan, some believe that his character is a reference to
the worship of the golden calves built by Jeroboam of Samaria,
conflating the two idol-worshiping incidents into one. However,
recent research reveal that the Samaritans are the direct
descendants of the Joseph tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh and
that until the 17th century C.E., they possessed a high priesthood
descending directly from Aaron through Eleazar and Phinehas.
Samiri has also been linked to the rebel Hebrew leader Zimri on
the basis of their similar names and a shared theme of rebellion
against Musa‘s (a) authority. Others link him to the
Mesopotamian city of Samarra and suggest that he came from a
cow-worshiping people, giving his name as Musa bin Zafar.
There is no consensus among Islamic scholars on which, if any,
of these identifications is correct.
[Courtesy:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samiri_(Islam
ic_figure)]
1. The Qur'an is but a reminder for those who fear Allah:

Allah (swt) informs Prophet Muhammad (s), may the
191
mercy and blessings of God be upon him, that He did not
send down the Qur‘an to cause distress to him, but as a
reminder for those who hold God Almighty in awe, a
revelation from the One who created the earth and the
heaven, the Lord of Mercy who is above the Throne.
Everything in the heavens and on earth and between them
belongs to Him. He knows what people keep hidden.
2. In the Hereafter, the life of this world shall appear to be

no more than a day or a part of a day: Whoever turns away
from the Qur‘an will bear a terrible heavy burden on the
Day of Resurrection. When the trumpet is sounded and
God Almighty gathers the sinful, they will murmur to one
another that they stayed only ten days on earth, but the
more perceptive of them will say that their stay on earth
was only a single day.
3. Story of Prophet Musa (a): Musa (a) is the prophet whom

God Almighty has talked of the most in the Qur‘an and
narrated the events of his life from different angles so that
his personality emerges in a different perspective every
time. In this Surah the reference of the journey of Musa
(a) and his family from Madyan to Egypt is made firstly.
When he goes towards the light he hears the voice of God
Almighty calling him. Musa (a) holds a conversation with
his Lord at the sacred valley. Allah (swt) tells him to
establish prayer for His remembrance, and gives him two
miracles. After this God Almighty tells him about the
mission he has been chosen for: call Pharaoh to the path
of Almighty God. Allah (swt) grants Musa (a)‘s wish of
making his brother Harun as prophet. Allah (swt) reminds
Musa (a) of the blessings He bestowed on him since his
birth, and through the various twists and turns of his life
he has been chosen as a Prophet. Pharaoh‘s sorcerers
challenged to Musa (a) upon the request of Pharaoh‘s
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chiefs, and eventually when they got defeated they
submitted themselves to their Lord. After Musa (s) took
Bani Israel out of the slavery of Pharaoh, he went to
Mount Tur to receive the Torah, his people started
worshipping the statue of a calf, being led astray by
Samiri. Musa (a) banished him and burnt the idol.
4. A scene from the Day of Judgment: On the verge of the

Day of Resurrection God Almighty will blast the
mountains into dust and leave a flat plain and people will
follow the caller from whom there is no escape. Every
voice will be hushed for the Lord of Mercy. Only whispers
will be heard. On the Day of Judgment, intercession will
be useless except from those to whom the Lord grants
permission and whose words He approves. All faces will
be humbled before the Living, Ever Watchful One. Those
burdened with evil deeds will despair, but whoever has
done righteous deeds and believed need not to fear of
injustice or deprivation.
5. Du‘a of increasing knowledge: The Qur'an is sent in the

Arabic language for easy understanding, so read it and
say: Rabbi Zidni 'Ilma - "O Rabb, increase my knowledge."
6. The story of Adam's creation and Shaitan's temptations:

Allah (swt) commanded the angels to bow down before
Adam (a) and they did, but Shaitan refused, so God
Almighty told Adam (a) that Shaitan is an enemy to him
and his wife and to not let him drive them out of Paradise.
And as long as he stays in Paradise, he will not go hungry,
feel naked, be thirsty, or suffer from the heat of the sun.
But Shaitan whispered to Adam (a), tempting to lead
Adam to "the tree of immortality and an everlasting
kingdom." Adam (a) disobeyed his Lord; both he and Eve
fell for Shaitan‘s whispers and ate from the tree. They
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became conscious of their nakedness and began to cover
themselves with leaves. Later his Almighty Allah brought
him close, accepted his repentance, and guided him. God
expelled them from Paradise. Allah (swt) told them that
whoever follows His guidance when it comes, will not go
astray nor fall into misery, but whoever turns away from it
will have a life of great hardship. Lord Almighty promises
to raise the one who turns away as a blind person on the
Day of Resurrection.
7. Taking lessons from previous nations: Do they not draw a

lesson from the many generations God Almighty
destroyed before them, through whose dwelling places
they now walk? They are truly signs for those who
understand. If it were not for a preordained Word from
the Lord, they would already have been destroyed. Their
time has been set.
8. Establishing the Prayer is a means to increase Rizq

[sustenance] and for happiness in this world and the here-
after: Prophet Muhammad (s) is told to be patient with
what they say, and celebrate the praise of his Lord before
the rising and setting of the sun, during the night, and at
the beginning and end of the day, so that he may find
contentment. Allah (swt) thus admonished him to order
people to pray and to be steadfast in prayers himself. God
Almighty does not ask anyone to give Him provision, He
provides for everyone, and the rewards of the Hereafter
belong to the devout. So, the believers were reminded not
to envy others for their worldly riches, those who don‘t
care much for the hereafter.
9. The stubbornness of the polytheists and its consequences:

The disbelievers ask - why does Prophet Muhammad (s)
not bring a sign from his Lord? God Almighty tells them
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that they were given clear proof in the earlier scriptures of
the coming of Prophet Muhammad (s). If God would have
destroyed them through punishment before this
Messenger came, they would have complained and asked
if only Allah (swt) had sent them a messenger, they would
have followed His revelations before they suffered
humiliation and disgrace! Prophet Muhammad (s) is told
to say that we are all waiting, so you carry on waiting;
ultimately you will come to learn who has followed the
even path, and who has been rightly guided.
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21. Surah Al-Anbiya‟ (The Prophets)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Anbiya‟ In Summarized
Form

This Surah is known as Al-Anbiya‘ (pronounced, ―ambiya‘i‖)

meaning, ―The Prophets‖, and is not known by any other name.
It is the 73rd according to the order of revelation. The title of it
comes from the subject matter from 48 to 91 ayats‘ stories, and
lessons from the lives of many of the more notable prophets. The
Surah has 112 ayats in 7 Ruku‘ (Sections).
This is a Makki Surah revealed about 5-6 years before the Hijrah.
According to Ibn Attiyah and Qurtubi there is consensus on this
Surah being a Makki Surah - "Both the subject matter and the
style of the Surah indicate that it was sent down in the third stage
of the life of the Prophet (s) at Makkah" [Ref: Tahfim Al-Qur‘an]
Historical Context Present in the Surah
Within the ayats of Surah Al-Anbiya‘ are found numerous traces

of earlier prophets before Prophet Muhammad (s). These
examples help to emphasize and define Muhammad (s)'s role as
a messenger within the Qur'anic context. Additionally, the
incorporation of pre-existing Biblical and Judaic scriptures
integrate Muhammad's (s) prophetic mission into a larger
religious framework, thus broadening the horizons of both the
Qur'an as a text being divinely revealed. The Surah is
thematically and stylistically characteristic of the Second Makki
Period.
The ayats of the Surah identify the religious agency of

Muhammad (s) by relating him to preexisting figures in the
religion of Jews and Christians. So, there are common notional
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doctrines illustrating: Islamic eschatology embodied in the Day
of Judgment, the fates of the disbelievers and the believers, and
the mercy of God Almighty.
1. The Last Messenger has come. The judgment is coming

closer. All prophets were human beings.
2. Heaven and earth are created for a purpose. All Prophets

preached tawhid.
3. Everything is created for a term. The end will come

suddenly.
4. Allah (swt) cares for human day and night. Musa (a) and
Harun (a) received Allah (swt)'s message and now this
blessed reminder has come to you.
5. Prophet Ibrahim (a) argued against idolatry.
6. Almighty Allah blessed His Prophets and delivered them.
7. The righteous shall inherit the earth.
The basic theme of the Surah is Prophets and Prophethood as

indicated by the name itself. All Prophets were human beings.
They suffered at the hands of their enemies. The last prophet
Muhammad‘s (s) message was the same, the oneness or unity of
God Almighty. This Surah discusses the conflict between the
Prophet (s) and the chiefs of Makkah which was rampant at the
time of its revelation.
So, the chiefs of Makkah have been rebuked for their

conspiracies against the Prophet and warned of the evil
consequences of their wicked activities. It answers those
objections and doubts which were being put forward concerning
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his Prophet-hood, the doctrines of Monotheism (Tauhid) and the
Hereafter.
A large portion of the Surah deals with describing the lives of

many of the Prophets. Sixteen Prophets are mentioned in this
Surah [directly or indirectly]: Musa (a), Harun (a), Isa (a),
Zakariyyah (a), Yahyah (a), Yunus (a) [Jonah], Ismail (a), Idris
(a), Dhul-Kifl (a), Ayyub (a), Sulayman (a), Lut (a), Ishaq (a),
Yaqub (a), Ibrahim (a) and the Prophet Muhammad (s).
At the end of the Surah they have been told that the person
whom they considered to be a ―distress and affliction‖ had in
reality come to them as a blessing.
Ayats (1 - 10): The Day of Accountability is getting closer, but the

disbelievers are still heedless to admonition and dispute as to
how Rasool can be a human being?
Ayats (16 - 29): Prior nations were destroyed due to similar

iniquities. The creation of the heavens and earth is not a game. If
there were more than One God, the heavens and earth would
have been in a state of disorder. All Rasools were sent with the
same Message, ―There is no god but Almighty Allah, so worship
Him Alone.‖
Ayats (30 - 41): The skies and earth once were one mass, Allah
(swt) split them asunder, and He created all living things from
water. Allah (swt) has not granted immortality to any human
being. If Rasools are destined to die, how disbelievers are going
to live forever!
Ayats (42 - 50): Invented gods cannot even defend themselves,

how they will defend the unbelievers against Allah? Scale of
justice shall be set up on the Day of Judgment. Musa (a) was
given Al-Furqan (the criterion of right and wrong), so is this
Qur'an.
Ayats (51 - 75): Ibrahim (a) questioned the idol worshiping of his
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father and his people. Ibrahim (a) broke all their idols to show,
that the gods who cannot even defend themselves, how they can
be of any benefit to them. They decided to burn him alive but
Allah the Almighty commanded the fire to be cool and
comfortable for Ibrahim (a). Allah (swt) blessed Ibrahim (a) with
a son (Ishaq) and then a grandson (Ya'qub) and made each of
them Prophets.
Ayats (76 - 93): Allah (swt) accepted the prayer of Nuh (a)
against the unbelievers. Almighty Allah blessed Prophets Daud
(a) and Sulaiman (a) with wisdom, knowledge and kingdoms.
Allah (swt) accepted the Prophet Ayub's (a) prayer and removed
his affliction. Allah accepted the prayers and blessed Prophets
Ismaìl (a), Dhul Kifl (a), Yunus (a), Zakariyya (a) and also
blessed Maryam with Isa (a). Mankind is but one brotherhood.
Ayats (94 – 112): Whoever does good deeds out of belief in

his/her heart (being conscious about Supreme Almighty) – their
endeavor will not be rejected. Here is a scenario from the Day of
Judgment and the fate of the disbelievers and the believers. Allah
(swt) has sent Muhammad (s) as a blessing for all the worlds
(Humans, Jinns and others).
Virtue of the Surah
The Virtues of Surat Al-Anbiya'
Al-Bukhari recorded that Àbdur-Rahman bin Yazid said that

Àbdullah said, "Banu Isra'il, Al-Kahf, Maryam, Ta Ha and Al-
Anbiya' - they are among the earliest and most beautiful Surahs
and they are my treasure.'' [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
A tradition has been narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (s)

who said:
―Whoever recites Surah Al-‘Anbiya‘ Allah will take his reckoning
easy, (and also On the Day of Hereafter He will not reckon his
deeds strictly), and every prophet whose name has been
mentioned in the Qur‘an will greet him and shake his hands.‖
[Nur-uth-Thaqalayn, the Commentary, P. 412]
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Some key Characteristics of the Prophets of God
Almighty:
- All the Prophets were human beings. They used to eat

and drink like ordinary humans. They were not given everlasting
life [Ayats 8 and 34]
"And We did not make the prophets forms not eating food, nor
were they immortal [on earth]." [21:8]
- All the Prophets were given revelation of 'La ilaha illa

Allah' "And We sent not before you any messenger except that
We revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so
worship Me." [21:25]
- The Prophets were appointed leaders of their people.

"And We made them leaders guiding by Our command. And We
inspired to them the doing of good deeds, establishment of
prayer, and giving of zakah; and they were worshippers of Us."
[21:73]
- The Prophets were foremost in doing good deeds [in

trying to attain closeness to God] - "....And We inspired to them
the doing of good deeds..." [21:73] and "...Indeed, they used to
hasten to good deeds..." [21:90]
- All the Prophets were enjoined to establish Prayer and

Charity - "...establishment of prayer, and giving of zakah;.."
[21:73]
- Allah makes all the Prophets pious - "....and all [of them]
We made righteous." [21:73]
The Prophets pray to Allah Almighty with utmost eargeness and
fear. "...supplicate Us in hope and fear..." [21:90]
Dua of Ayyub (Job, A.S) after he was ill for many

years:
‫( أوي مسىي الضر وأوت أرحم الراحميه‬annee massaniya alddurru waanta

arhamu alrrahimeena)
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"Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of
all those who show mercy. (Al-Qur'an, Surah 21.Al-Anbiya,
Ayah: 83)
The drawing close to the end of times is mentioned in

the beginning and end of the Surah
The time of people's reckoning has drawn near, and yet they turn
aside in heedlessness." (21:1)
and the time for the fulfilment of the true promise of Allah draws
near, whereupon the eyes of those who disbelieved will stare in
fear, and they will say: "Woe to us, we were indeed heedless of
this; nay, we were wrongdoers." (21:97)
1. The main issue for the people to consider is the Message

of Allah rather than disputing about whether a human can
be a Rasool: The disbelievers dispute as to how a human
being can be a prophet yet the previous prophets were all
mortal men. God Almighty fulfilled His promise to them;
they were saved, as were those who believed in them but
many were destroyed for their disbelief. The disbelievers
ask for a sign, but Almighty Allah mentions that all the
cities and towns destroyed previously asked for and
received signs yet they did not believe.
2. The creation of heaven and earth is not a game: God

Almighty warns that the Day of Accountability is getting
closer, yet many people are heedless. They ridicule the
warnings and warners that come to them and continue to
play, their hearts preoccupied with worldly affairs.
Heaven and earth and all that lies between them were not
created to be a playground.
3. Falsehood is blown away by the truth, so woe to those who

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have created false Gods: Prior nations were destroyed
because of their immoralities. Other communities were
raised up in their place. They tried to escape when they
felt God Almighty‘s wrath upon them. They were told to go
back to their houses and play. They admitted their
wrongdoing and continued to do so until they were
extinguished, just like a fire. Does the false deity have the
power to raise the dead? There is proof and there is the
reminder (the Qur‘an) yet most people do not recognize
the truth and turn away.
4. Every soul will taste death: The skies and earth once were
one mass; Allah (swt) split them asunder and created the
different planets: Do the disbelievers not consider the
world around them? All living creatures have their origin
in water. The earth is covered with firm mountains and
broad pathways and the sky is a canopy. God Almighty
created the night and the day; the celestial bodies move in
their orbits. Every soul will taste death. Everyone is tested
and then they will return to Lord Almighty.
5. Allah (swt) has not granted immortality to any human

being: All the prophets were sent with the same message;
there is no deity but God Almighty, so worship Him alone.
Despite having received the true message people tell lies
against Almighty God. These evil doers are rewarded with
Hell. The previous messengers were ridiculed but in the
end those who ridiculed were overcome by what they
mocked. Invented gods cannot defend themselves so how
will they defend the disbelievers?
6. Prophet Musa (s) was given Al-Furqan, so is this the

Qur'an given to Muhammad (s): God Almighty says He
gave Musa (a) and his brother Harun (a) the scripture that
distinguishes between right and wrong. So, thus the
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Qur‘an send down by the God Almighty is also a blessed
message. Yet some people continue to deny it.
7. Prophet Ibrahim (s) was not an idol worshipper but an

idol breaker: Long ago right judgment was bestowed upon
Ibrahim (a). He questioned his father and his people
about their clear idolatry but they answered that they only
followed the ways of their ancestors. Ibrahim (a) said to
them that their true Lord was the Lord of the heavens and
the earth that had created them. He made plot against the
idols with the opportunity to destroy all the idols except
the largest one and he did it. When the people returned to
find the carnage, they remembered Ibrahim (a)‘s speech
of resistance, so they called him and questioned him.
When he was asked, he pointed them to the largest idol
that was left unmolested. Even though they admitted their
errors but then they were seized with pride and obstinacy.
They threw Ibrahim (a) into the midst of a fire but Allah
(swt) kept the fire cool. They planned to hurt Ibrahim (s)
but God Almighty made them the losers.
8. Mankind is but a single brotherhood: God Almighty calls

all the prophets a single community and says worship
Him alone. If a believer does righteous deeds the angels
will record it. Towards the end of time the people of Gog
and Magog will be let loose to swarm across the land. On
the Day of Judgment the eyes of the disbelievers will stare
in horror and say, "We were wrong". But the people
destined for Paradise will be kept far away from Hell; they
will not even hear a sound of it. This day of great terror
will not grieve them and the angels will greet them. Surely
this is great news for the believers.
9. Whoever will do good deeds provided he is a believer, his

endeavor shall not be rejected: Prophet Ibrahim (a) and
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his nephew Lut (a) were delivered from harm and sent to
a land that God had blessed for the entire world. Ibrahim
(a) having higher grades of piety was blessed with his
righteous son Ishaq (a) and his grandson Yaqub (a). In the
past Nuh (a) called out to God Almighty and God accepted
his prayer against the unbelievers. Prophet Nuh (a) and
the believers were saved from the great calamity (the
flood) but those who had denied the warnings were
drowned. Allah (swt) blessed Prophet Daud (a) and
Sulaiman (a) with wisdom. It was God Almighty who
made the mountains and the birds sing His praises with
Daud (a). It was also Allah (swt) who taught Daud (a) to
make coats of armour for protection in battle. God
Almighty harnessed the wind for Sulaiman (a) and made
some of the jinn subservient to him. It was Allah (swt)
who answered the du‘a of Ayyub (a) - Job, when he was in
afflicted with distress. God Almighty also mentioned the
names of Ismail (a), Idris (a), and Dhul- Kifl (a). They
were all steadfast and were admitted into Allah‘s mercy.
Allah (swt) talked about Yunus (a): Zun-nun -the man in
the whale. He was angry but admitted his wrong and God
Almighty saved him from his distress. Almighty Allah
blessed Zakariyyah (a) [Zachariah] and accepted his
prayer for a child. He was given Yahya (a) [John (the
Baptist)]. Allah (swt) reminded us of Maryam (a) who
guarded her chastity. Almighty God made her and her son
Isa (a) a sign for all people.
10. Muhammad (s) has been sent as a blessing for all the
worlds: Allah (swt) has sent Muhammad (s) as a blessing
for all the worlds (humans, jinns, and others) and has
been as the last reminder of the prophets and was told to
warn them (humankind) asking them to affirm their belief
that Almighty God is one.
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22. Surah Al-Hajj (The Hajj; The Pilgrimage; Pillar of
Islam; Pilgrim's Journey)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Hajj In Summarized Form

Surah Al-Hajj is the 103rd according to the order of revelation.

The Surah gets its title from the reference to the rite of
pilgrimage that was initiated by Ibrahim (a). It is discussed in the
27th ayah. The obligation of the pilgrimage to Makkah - The Hajj
comes mentioned from divine decrees, "And proclaim to the
people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot
and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass -
" [22:27]
There are two Ayats of prostration (telawat-e-sujood) in this

Surah: in 18 and 77. This Surah has 78 ayats in 10 Ruku‘
(Sections).
Commentators have differed about this Surah‘s period of

revelation, as it contains both the characteristics of both the
Makki and the Madani Surahs. We are of the opinion of that
some are sent down in the last stage of Makki life of Muhammad
(s) (1 - 24), the rest (25 - 78) were revealed during the first stage
of his Madani life. Some authorities consider this a Makki Surah,
but according to the majority it is Madani.
1. The Shaking of the Last Hour. Arguments for the

Resurrection from the stages of human creation and from
the rain that produces vegetation.
2. The marginal believers and their end.
205
3. The true believers shall be rewarded.
4. Pilgrimage to the House of Almighty Allah.
5. Respect of the Symbols of Allah (swt).
6. The permission of fighting back is granted to those to

whom wrong is done. The real purpose of Jihad.
7. Satan's enticements and Allah's (swt) especial protection

of His words.
8. The reward of those who migrate in the cause of Allah

(swt).
9. Allah's (swt) order prevails in the heaven and earth.
10. The Muslim community is chosen by Almighty Allah for a

special purpose.
Surah al-Hajj is addressed to: (1) The mushriks of Makkah, (2)

the wavering Muslims, and (3) the True Believers. This Surah
begins with the Day of Judgment and repudiates those who
worship idols, later describing them as powerless to even create a
fly.
When the companions of Prophet Muhammad (s) went to

Makkah for the 1st time from Yathrib (Madinah) after the Hijrah
(migration) – for hajj, they were debarred. So, Allah (swt) gave
permission to Muslim to wage war against musrikhs who don‘t
had the right and authority to take possession of Baitul Haram
(al-Ka‘bah) as it was built and made by Ibrahim (a) as a sacred
sanctuary for worshipping true Lord - divinely endorsed by
Almighty Allah.
The wavering Muslims were warned about their state of belief

and condition. Though they had embraced Islam but were not
206
prepared to endure any hardship in its way. They have been
admonished for this wavering attitude; it would be inevitable for
them to avert the punishments metaphysically ordained for them
The mushrikhs were warned for their ignorant worship of deities

in a forceful manner. They have been admonished time and
again for their creed of shirk (association against Lord Almighty)
which have led them reject the Divine Messenger Muhammad
(s). Thereby, the Surah reminds about the approaching end of
the world. It talks about prayers, humbleness and sacrifice,
respect of the Ka'bah, the House of Almighty Allah, and striving
to defend the truth. So, some advises upon different fields of life
are provided in the Surah – encouraging us to pray, give charity,
uphold trust in consideration to the divine instruction of
Almighty Allah.
Ayats (1 - 10): A scene from the Hour of Doom. Our Life in this
world cycles through the life in the Hereafter. People invoke
other deities besides Allah (swt), without knowledge and
guidance.
Ayats (11 - 22): Behaviour of those who are standing at the verge
of faith is not ethical. Allah (swt) always helps His Rasools. All
the dwellers of the heavens and the earth prostrate before
Almighty Allah. The disbelievers will have garments of fire,
boiling water to drink and maces of iron to lash them with.
Ayats (23 - 25): Allah (swt) has given equal rights to all believers
at Masjid-al-Haram, whether they are natives or foreigners.
Ayats (26 - 33): Allah (swt) identified the site of Sacred House to
Ibrahim (a), commanded him to build the Ka‗bah, then call
mankind to come for Hajj (Pilgrimage). Committing shirk is as
though he had fallen from the sky and his body is snatched away
by birds.
207
Ayats (34 - 38): It is not the meat or the blood of the sacrificed
animals that reaches Allah (swt), it is our piety that reaches Him.
Ayats (39 – 48): Permission is granted to the believers to fight in

self-defense, and for the cause of Allah (swt). Muhammad (s) was
reminded by Allah, "You are not the only one being denied, all
Prophets were denied before you." A day to our Rabb is equal to
one thousand years of our calculation.
Ayats (49 - 57): Acceptors of Truth shall be forgiven, while others

punished. Shaitan tampered with the wishes of all Rasools but
Allah (swt) nullified such interjection and on the Day of
Judgment, Allah (swt) Himself shall be the Judge for all.
Ayats (58 - 64): Those who migrated for the sake of Almighty
Allah shall be generously rewarded and Allah (swt) is the only
One who is real, all other deities are false.
Ayats (65 - 72): Almighty Allah is the One Who has given us life,
cause us to die and will bring us back to life for passing on His
Judgment. Lord Almighty will judge between ourselves
concerning those matters in which we would differ.
Ayats (73 – 78): So-called gods besides Allah (swt) have no

power to create even a creature like a fly. Almighty Allah named
the believers as Muslims in the prior Scriptures and also in this
(Qur'an).
Virtue of the Surah
Uqbah bin Amir narrated: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Surah
Al-Hajj has been esteemed by two prostrations?' He said: 'Yes,
and whoever does not prostrate for them, he should not recite
them.' [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 578]
Earthquake Prelude to Resurrection
(22:1) O mankind, fear the (wrath of) your Lord! Indeed, the
earthquake of the Hour (of Judgement) will be an awesome
208
thing.1
1. According to the early commentators, this earthquake will be a

prelude to Resurrection. This will probably take place when the
earth will begin to rotate in the reverse order, and the sun will
rise in the west. In a lengthy tradition reported by Ibn Jarir,
Tabarani and Ibn Abi Hatim from Abu Hurairah, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) has stated that when the first Trumpet will
be blown, there will be a general confusion. At the second all
people will die and at the third they will be brought back to life
and presented before Allah. At the first blowing of the Trumpet,
the earth will begin to rock like a boat which is beaten about by
huge waves, or like a hanging lamp which is moved from side to
side by a strong wind.
This condition has been depicted in the Qur‘an at several other
places. For instance (Surah Al-Waqiah, Ayat 6); (Surah Al-
Haqqa, Ayats 13-14); (Surah Al-Muzzammil, Ayats 14,17-18);
(Surah An-Naziat, Ayats 6-9) and (Surah Al-Zalzalah, Ayats
1-3)
According to other commentators, this earthquake will occur

when the dead will be brought back to life and presented before
their Lord. Though this is supported by some traditions, we
prefer the first interpretation (in spite of the fact that the
tradition reported by Abu Hurairah is weak) because that is
supported by clear ayats of the Qur‘an.
A tradition narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (s) indicates
that he said: ―Whoever recites Surah Al-Hajj, Allah will reward
him both the reward of pilgrimage and lesser pilgrimage of all
those who have done them in the past and all those who will do
them in the future.‖ [Tafsir-us-Safi, Burhan, and Majma„-
ul-Bayan]
Hajj is one of the best righteous deeds and acts of obedience: Abu
Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the
Prophet sallallaahu àlayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his
mention ) was asked: "What is the best deed?" He replied: "To
have faith in Allah and His Messenger." The enquirer asked:
"What next?" The Prophet sallallaahu àlayhi wa sallam (may
209
Allah exalt his mention ) said: "To perform jihad for the sake of
Allah." The enquirer asked: "What next?" The Prophet
sallallaahu àlayhi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention ) said:
"A valid and accepted Hajj." [Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-
Tirmithi, An-Nasaa‟i, and Ahmad]
The obligation of the Hajj will continue even after the occurrence
of the great trials at the end of time. In a hadith, the Prophet
sallallaahu àlayhi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention ) said:
"Hajj and ‗Umrah to this House will continue even after the
emergence of Ya‘jooj and Ma‘jooj (Gog and Magog)." [Al-
Albani: authentic]
When Allah will seize the souls of the believers at the end of time
to leave only the evil people to witness the Hour, Hajj will stop.
The Prophet sallallaahu àlayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his
mention ) said: "The (final) Hour will not come unless people
refrain from performing the Hajj." [Al-Albani: authentic]
Thus, it is obligatory on each Muslim who is physically and
financially able to hasten to perform the Hajj before he will be
unable to do so. The Prophet sallallaahu àlayhi wa sallam (may
Allah exalt his mention ) said: "Whoever intends to perform the
Hajj should hasten to it; for one could get sick, his mount could
be lost, or he could face poverty and need." [Saheeh Al-
Jaami']
Glad tidings for those who are unable to perform the

Hajj:
There is a reward equal to the reward of Hajj. It was narrated on
the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the
Prophet sallallaahu àlayhi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his
mention) said: "Whoever performs the Fajr (dawn prayer) in
congregation, then sits to remember Allah until the sun rises,
and then performs a two-rak‗ah (unit of prayer) prayer, his
reward will be equal to that of Hajj and ‗Umrah, completely,
completely, completely." [At-Tirmithi; Al-Albaani:
authentic]
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1. A scene from the Hour of Doom: The Surah begins with an

awesome opening that makes hearts tremble. It addresses
all mankind, calling on them to fear their Lord Almighty
and warning them against what may happen on the
eventful and terrible Day of Judgment. When the details
are given, we find them even more frightening. We have a
picture of every suckling mother completely unaware of
the child she is nursing: she looks but does not see, moves
but only aimlessly. Every pregnant female miscarries
because of the great shock that engulfs her. All people look
drunk, but they are not.
2. Human life cycle - life in this world and life in the

Hereafter: Humans should reflect on how life is initiated.
They should look at themselves, and at the earth around
them. There are numerous indications that tell them that
the whole thing is very close to them, but they pay little
heed to the significance of the indicators within
themselves and on earth. The One who originated life in
the first instance is the One who brings it back in the final
stage. They will then be given their reward for whatever
they did in this first life. Such resurrection is dictated by
the purpose of creation.
3. Behavior of those individuals who were standing at the

verge of faith is identified: This Surah paints a picture of a
type of person who weighs up faith against what profit or
loss he is likely to approach to faith as a business
transaction he/she conducts. How can we make faith a
commercial endeavour which is likely to result into chaos
of misery of hatred? Faith is the mainstay of a believer‘s
life. The world may be swayed and shaken, but the
believer grounds his/her position supported by this
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mainstay. Events may pull him/her in this or that
direction, but he/she remains firm in his/her resolve.
4. The fact that Allah (swt) always helps His Rasools: Allah
(swt) protects His messengers from Shaitan‘s wicked
scheming, just like He protects them from their
opponents‘ plots. In the Surah, God Almighty reassured
Muhammad (s) about His power to intervene when he
needs ensuring the failure of his enemies. The same power
intervened in the past to support earlier prophets and
messengers, and to punish those who denied and opposed
them. The unbelievers are directed to reflect on the doom
suffered by earlier communities; even though such
reflection benefits only hearts and minds that are open
and receptive. It is not only eyes that can be blind, for real
blindness is that of the heart.
5. Divine law granting equal rights to all believers in Masjid-

al-Haram, whether they are natives or foreigners: The
basis on which Masjid-al-Haram was founded when God
Almighty assigned its building to Ibrahim (a) and ordered
him to call on all people to visit it for pilgrimage.
Ibrahim‘s (a) instructions were very clear: that this masjid
must be established on the clear basis of Almighty Allah‘s
oneness, so as to prevent any form of associating partners
with Him from being practiced in or near it. It must be
kept open to all people, whether they reside nearby or
come from afar. None is to be denied entry, and none is to
claim its ownership.
6. Parable of doing Shirk is like getting snatched by the

flying birds: Someone who commits Shirk is like someone
who falls from the sky and his body is snatched away by
birds.
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7. The fact that it is not the blood or the flesh of a sacrificed
animal which reaches Allah but the piety of the individual
who is offering the sacrifice: Surah al-Hajj outlines some
of the rituals of pilgrimage and how it enhances people‘s
consciousness and constant remembrance of God
Almighty. It also stresses the need to protect the Sacred
Masjid against any aggression by those who try to turn
people away from it or change the basis on which it is
founded. Those who fulfill their duties of protecting the
purity of the faith are promised victory.
8. The first Commandment of Allah granting permission to

the believers to defend themselves and fight against the
unbelievers and mushrikin: The Surah speaks about the
unbelievers who turn people away from Almighty God‘s
path and from the Sacred Masjid in Makkah. They defied
the Prophet (s) and his Companions debarring their entry
into the Sacred Masjid-al-Haram at the Ka‘bah. So, Allah
(swt) ordained permission for taking arms to confront
those who are in oppression who has sought to prevent
people worshipping their true Lord.
9. On the Day of Judgment, Allah (swt) Himself will be the

Judge for all: On the Day when all dominion will belong to
God Almighty alone, the believers and those who deny
Almighty God‘s message will end up in contrasting
positions. All this is given within the context of Allah‘s
(swt) support of His messengers, protection of His
message and the reward He has in store for those who
believe and those who refuse to believe.
10. Allah's promise to those who migrate for His sake that He
will reward them generously: The community of believers
has an obligation to fulfill their duties as the leaders of
humanity. So, they should prepare themselves for their
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task with prayer, worship and good action, seeking God
Almighty‘s help and protection. Its ultimate rewards come
when one follows the footsteps of Ibrahim (a) who has
shunned associating with idols. Allah (swt) has set a
perfect legacy by presenting his history in various places
of the Qur‘an.
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23. Surah Al-Mu'minun (The Believers; Faithful and
submissive ones who understood the essence of faith)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Mu'minun In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah of the Surah,
"Certainly will the Believers have succeeded." [23:1] This
Surah is an early Makki Surah revealed about 6-7 years before
the Hijrah, and as the title suggests, it outlines the qualities
expected of true believer which are humility, prayer, zakat,
mindful of one‘s chastity, justness and abstinence from all kinds
of vanity. It has 118 ayats in 6 Ruku‘ (Section).
Both its style and theme indicate that it was revealed during the
middle stage of Prophethood at Makkah. Reading between the
lines one feels that a bitter conflict had begun between the
Prophet and the disbelievers of Makkah though the persecution
by them had not yet become tyrannical. It appears that the Surah
was sent down during the climax of the ―Famine‖ in Makkah
(ayats 75 - 76) which according to authentic traditions occurred
during the middle stage of Prophethood.
Moreover, according to a tradition related by ‗Urwah bin Zubair,

Hadarat Umar (ra) who had embraced Islam by that time said,
‗This Surah was revealed in my presence and I myself observed
the state of the Prophet (s) during its revelation. When the
revelation ended the Prophet Muhammad (s) remarked ‗On this
occasion ten such ayats have been sent down to me that the one
who measures up to them will most surely go to Paradise‘. Then
he recited the initial ayats of the Surah. [Ahmad & Tirmidhi]
215
1. The character of the Believers. Various stages of human
creation and Allah's signs in the samawat.
2. The Message of Prophet Nuh (a), his people's response

and then the flood.
3. Generations were raised after Prophet Nuh (a). Many

prophets were sent among them. Then came Prophet
Musa (a) and Harun (a) and then came Isa (a).
4. All prophets are one Ummah and preached the same

religion. Those who are affluent think that they are also
the righteous people, but the righteous are only those who
do the good deeds.
5. Everything in the heaven and earth belongs to Almighty

Allah.
6. Prophet's job is to continue presenting the message of

Allah (swt). This life is the only chance. The life has a
purpose.
Surah Al-Mu‘minun begins by stating the character of true

believers and assures that they will be the real successful people.
It draws attention to various stages of human creation, to many
other signs of samawat. Then it takes some of the stories of other
prophets and tells us that they also preached the same message.
The Surah deals with the fundamentals of faith (Aqidah),

Tawheed (Monotheism of Oneness of Almighty Lord), Risalah
(Messengership), Resurrection and the supreme Judgment of
God Almighty. With these themes in the Surah Allah (swt) drives
us to ponder over the creation of man through different stages in
the mother's womb, His creation of the heavens and the earth,
His sending down rains and growing plants, trees and fruits, and
His providing of domestic animals with various
216
benefits for man, all together with an emphasis on the fact that
man shall die and shall be raised up on the Day of Resurrection.
The accounts of Nuh (a), Hud (a), Musa (s) and Isa (a) are
depicted in short who delivered the same message of
monotheism, but were disbelieved and opposed by the people
they preached to, and that all of them were helped and rescued
by Allah (swt). A reference is also made to the similar unbelief
and opposition of the leaders of Makkah, who are rejecting the
message of Muhammad (s).
Ayats (1 - 22): Characteristics of true believers. The stage of

human creation is detailed with vivid illustrations. Allah (swt)
has made the heavens, vegetation, trees and animals for the
benefit of human beings.
Ayats (23 - 32): The Prophet Nuh (a) was sent to guide his
people, they disbelieved him, and as a result, Allah (swt)
drowned all disbelievers in great flood. After prophet Nuh (a),
Allah (swt) sent Hud (a) to guide his people.
Ayats (33 - 50): They called Hud (a) an imposter; as a result,

Allah (swt) destroyed them all in a mighty blast. After Hud (a),
Allah (swt) sent Rasools to other people, they also denied and
faced a similar punishment. Musa (a) was sent to Fir‗aun
(Pharaoh) and his chiefs; they also disbelieved and faced
destruction.
Ayats (51- 77): Allah (swt) has said: "In fact, your religion is one
religion; I am your Rabb, so fear Me, Alone." Allah has not
charged any soul with more than it can bear. End of disbelievers;
why are they not following the truth? Those who do not believe
in the Hereafter will stray from the Right Path.
Ayats (78 - 92): Almighty Allah has given us ears, eyes, and
hearts, but we seldom show gratitude. Even the disbelievers
recognize the existence of Almighty Allah. Allah (swt) has never
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begotten a son, nor is there any other god besides Him.
Ayats (93 - 118): Repel evil with good and seek refuge with Allah
(swt) against the temptations of Shaitan. The wrongdoers will
wish that they could be sent back to this world to adopt the Right
Way, but it will be too late. On the Day of Judgment, it will
appear as if the life of this world was less than a day. The
unbelievers will never attain salvation.
Virtue of the Surah
Importance of Surah al-Mu‟minun
Narrated Umar bin Al-Khattab [may Allah be pleased with him]:

"When revelation came to the Messenger of Allah (‫)ﷺ‬, one
could hear what sounded like the drone of bees before his face.
One day revelation was coming to him; he faced the Qiblah,
raised his hands and said: 'O Allah! Increase us, do not diminish
us. Favour us, do not withhold from us, make us pleased and be
pleased with us.' He (‫ )ﷺ‬said: 'Ten Ayah were revealed to me,
whoever abides by them shall enter Paradise (and they are):
'Successful indeed are the believers...' until the completion of
then Ayat (23:1-10)." [Jami` at-Tirmidhi: Vol. 5, Book 44,
Hadith 3173]
Qualities of the believers (1–11)
The first eleven ayats of Surah Al-Mu‘minun hence mention the

desired qualities of the believers; they are blessed and will attain
victory:
(1) [How] prosperous are the believers!
(2) Those who pray humbly,
(3) who shun idle talk,
(4) who pay the prescribed alms,
(5) who guard their chastity
(6) except with their stated spouses –– with these they are not to
blame,
(7) but anyone who seeks more than this is exceeding the limits–
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(8) who are faithful to their trusts and pledges
(9) and who keep up their prayers,
(10) will rightly be given
(11) Paradise as their own, there to remain.
Tranquillity of Al-Khushoo
The Arabic word 'Khushoo' encompasses the meanings of

calmness, serenity, tranquility, dignity, and humility.‖, while Ibn
Abbas explains 'Khashi'oon' to mean, with fear and tranquility.
Al-Khushoo is a necessary component of Salaah, however can be
very easily lost. In a hadith, Muhammad (s) said "The first thing
to be lifted up (taken away) from this Ummah will be al-
Khushoo; until you will see no one who has al-Khushoo." [Tafsir
ibn Kathir, Dar al-Sha'ab Edition, (6/414); At-Tabaree
(19:9); Saheeh at-Targheeb, hadith No: 543]
1. Characteristics of a true believers: In this world of God

Almighty, success is for one who is a true believer - one
who devotes fully to Almighty God and not to anybody
other than Him and who leads a God-oriented life.
Sincerity and seriousness of a believer increases to the
extent that wasting time in useless pursuits appears fatal
to him. Believers set aside a portion of his earnings in the
Name of God Almighty and with that they help the needy.
They exercise control over their sexual desires and give
free rein to them only within the limit prescribed by
Almighty God. They live their lives in this world as a
responsible person and never misappropriate whatever is
entrusted to them. Allah (swt) has kept ready the gardens
of Paradise for those people. After death they will be sent
into this new ‗world‘ so that they may savor its joys
forever.
219
2. Stages of human creation: The young human being grows
in the womb of his mother. The development of the
embryo in the mother‘s womb shows that the Creator of
this world is the most perfect Being. Our knowledge of
human creation compels us to believe that a second
creation is certainly possible. The vivid Qur‘anic
description of the various developmental stages of the
formation and birth of human beings is surprisingly
identical with modern scientific findings. This provides a
clear proof of the fact that the Qur‘an is the Book of God
Almighty.
3. The story of Prophet Nuh (a) and preceding prophets after

him: Prophet Nuh (a) admonished his community for a
long time, but they were not ready to accept his call. When
the limit of human effort has been reached, divine action
begins; it is time for reckoning, not advice. Almighty God‘s
retribution appeared in the shape of a storm which
drowned his entire community with the exception of some
believers. A few who had faith in Nuh (a) entered the ark,
Allah (swt) saved them from the grim consequences of the
Flood which would have been their fate had they rejected
the truth. After being delivered in the ark, the generation
of believers in Nuh (a) flourished, but with the passage of
centuries, they plunged into the same evils in which their
predecessors had indulged.
4. Guidance to repel evil with good and to seek the

protection of Allah against the temptations of Shaitan: In
the Makki period of Islam when the Quraysh rejected
Prophet Muhammad (s), so God Almighty sent famine on
them for several years. In accordance with Almighty God‘s
scheme, when a community adopts an arrogant attitude
and does not accept good advice, He gives a warning
220
punishment in order to soften their hearts and make them
pay attention to the Truth. On the Day of Judgment
consequence of disbelieving is facing penultimate
punishment of fire in hell.
5. Refuge for the believers who are thankful to their Lord

Almighty: Humans are small creatures. Compared to
them, the samawat is so large that it strikes terror into
them. These sun, moon and stars have been made to cater
to all of our needs. For example, one is able to domesticate
a variety of animals and put them to various uses. The
cow‘s belly, for instance, is a wonderful factory that gives
out a valuable commodity – like milk. Humanity‘s
recognition of their Kind and Merciful God Almighty
through gratification would yield success from Him.
6. Polytheists‘ unwariness towards their life where reality

turns into chaos: Those who devote their life to this world
are not interested in any discourse about God Almighty or
the Hereafter. They ignore all such talk and are lost in
worldly pursuits. With the onset of Almighty Allah‘s
retribution, such people forget their recklessness and
arrogance and start pleading humbly. In their self-
indulgence - they want truth to be subservient to their
desires. The truth appears strange to them, and they are,
therefore, unable to recognize the real position of the
preacher and they try to prove him wrong. The samawat
appears to be in perfect harmony, whereas the world of
human beings is in confusion everywhere. That is because
the samawat is running on the basis of truth (laws of
nature).
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24. Surah An-Nur (The Light; The Clarity of
Illumination; Apparent to the Senses; The One Who
Enlightens)
Concise Tafseer of Surah An-Nur In Summarized Form

This Surah was revealed at Madinah, and contains important

injunctions on the personal and social conduct of the believer,
with emphasis on family life. The title of the Surah is acquired
from a parable from ayah 35 in which Allah (swt) described as
the light of the heavens and the earth wherein He has entitled
guidance to those who seeks it out of His Mercy. The Surah has
64 ayats in 9 Ruku (Section).
There is a difference of opinion about the timing in which this

Surah was revealed. The general agreement of scholars is that
this Surah was revealed shortly before or after the Battle of the
Trench in 5 AH. Surah An-Nur got revealed in conjunction and
as sequel to the Surah Al-Ahzab. Ayats 28 to 73 of Surah Al-
Ahzab were concerning the marriage of our beloved prophet
Muhammad (s) with Zainab (rh). This Surah got reveled to repair
the cracks that had appeared, due to rumour of slandering our
mother Aisha (rh).
1. Punishment of adultery. Rules of testimony in the case of

adultery.
2. The false rumours against Syidah 'Aisha (rh).
3. Beware of those who slander pious chaste women.
4. Rules about entering others homes, proper dress, help
222
those who are single to get married.
5. The light of Almighty Allah and the struggle between light

and darkness.
6. Everything in the heaven and earth glorifies Allah (swt).
7. Believers must obey Allah (swt) and His messenger. Lord

Almighty's promise to the Believers to establish them in
the land.
8. Rules of privacy for men and women, at home and

outside.
9. Especial respect of the Prophet and Believers' duties

towards him.
The false charge against our Mother Aisha (rh) was the occasion
of this Surah‘s revelation. After the victory at Badr, Islam has
spread progressively and gained strength day by day.
Disbelievers have realized the power of Islam with small
numbers, even though they were 10 fold in strength and number;
they couldn‘t able to defeat Muslims in the battlefield due to
their moral front. So, they chose to attack Muslim on the moral
front. They decided to vilify Muhammad (s) amongst Muslims.
The first opportunity came when Muhammad (s) married Zainab

(rh) – daughter of Jahsh. She was the first cousin who was
married to his adopted son Zaid bin Harithah. Malicious slander
was spread by hypocrites, Jews and Mushrikhs both inside and
outside of Muslim community. Cunning fictions were spread like,
―One day Muhammad (s) happened to see the wife of his adopted
son and fell in love with her; he maneuvered her divorce and
married her.‖
Zainab (rh) was never a stranger to Muhammad (s), he knew her

from her childhood as she was the daughter of his real paternal
223
aunt, Umaimah – daughter of Abdul Muttalib. He persuaded her
to marry Zaid (ra) but they could not pull on together.
The second slander happened to Aisha (rh) while she was

returning along with the others from the Campaign of against
Bani al-Muttaliq. This one is the main background of the Surah.
The main culprit of the slander was Abdullah bin Ubayy.
Aisha (rh) was left behind while returning to Madinah by the

outrage remarks made by Abdullah bin Ubayy. On the way
Muhammad (s) halted before entering Al-Madinah and camped
there for the night. When Aisha (rh) came out of the camp to
ease herself off, she noticed her necklace being fallen somewhere,
while in going to search it thereof, the caravan left her not
noticing her presence. So she stayed just there where she was left
in the hope that she would be picked up, but she fell asleep.
In the morning Safwan bin Mu‘attal Sulami passed that way.

When he recognized Aisha (rh), and modestly took her in the
camel to catch the departed caravan. They have managed to
overtaken the caravan by noon. Apparently it was not known that
she was left behind in the camp. But Abdullah bin Ubayy,
foremost slanderer, started rumouring slander against Safwan
and Aisha (rh). So, Almighty Allah revealed the true facts about
Aisha (rh) in Surah An-Nur. The Qur‘an proved her innocence
and exposed the hypocrisy of hypocrites and admonished
believers for not showing good moral in the time of slander.
This Surah and ayats 28 to 73 of Surah 33: Al-Ahzab (The

Confederates), of which this is the sequel - were sent down to
strengthen the moral front, which at that time was the main
target of the attack. Ayats 28-73 of Al-Ahzab were sent down
concerning the Prophet‘s marriage with Zainab (rh), and on the
occasion of the second attack the slander about Aisha (rh) - this
Surah was sent down to repair the cracks that had appeared in
the unity of the Muslim Community.
224
In Surah Al-Ahzab, Lord Almighty sent the following instructions
to strengthen and safeguard the moral front, and to counteract
the storm of propaganda that was raised on the occasion of the
marriage of Zainab (rh). On the occasion of the second attack,
Surah An-Nur was sent down to keep pure and strengthen the
moral fibre of the Muslim society, which had been shaken by the
enormity of the slander.
This Surah contains many rules for the development of a society

based on righteousness and morality. It talks about male-female
relations, rules of proper dress for Muslim women, rules for the
punishment of adultery and punishment of those who accuse
others of adultery or fornication. Thus, the Surah establishes
regulations for marriage, modesty, appropriate household
behaviour, and the manners and necessity of obedience to
Prophet Muhammad (s).
Surah An-Nur flows effortlessly from prescribing mandatory

punishments to gently inviting us to reflect on the signs Lord
Almighty has placed for us throughout the samawat.
Ayats (1 - 10): This ayats have the instructions concerning the

punishments for rape or fornication, claiming false witness, and
also the matter detailing li'an (accusing wife when there is no
other witness in a case of adultery).
Ayats (11 - 20): slander against a wife of the Prophet (s). Allah
(swt) declared the Prophet's wife to be innocent.
Ayats (21 - 26): Almighty Allah commanded the believers not to

follow Shaitan and not take part in false accusations and
slanders.
Ayats (27 - 34): Etiquette for entering the houses other than
one‘s own. The required behaviour of a believer in mixed traffic
and gatherings of males and females are outlined. Allah (swt)
instructed to help single people to get married when they are in
need. Allah (swt) instructed to grant liberty to those slaves who
225
seek to buy their freedom.
Ayats (35 - 40): Almighty Allah is the Light of the heavens and
the earth. Allah (swt)'s Light is found in the places of worship
which are built for His remembrance by His devotees. Deeds of
unbelievers are like a mirage in a sandy desert.
Ayats (41 - 50): Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies and
praises Almighty Allah. Allah (swt) has created every living
creature from water. Those who claim to be the believers but do
not demonstrate their belief through actions are not true
believers.
Ayats (51 - 57): True believers are those who, when called
towards Almighty Allah and His Rasool, say: "We hear and we
obey."
Ayats (58 - 61): Etiquette of seeking permission to enter the

room of married couple. The etiquette of eating at houses other
than one‘s own is outlined.
Ayats (62 - 64): Requirement to attend meetings which require

collective action.
Virtue of the Surah
Allah is the Nur of this heaven and samawat
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of
His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within
glass, the glass as if it were a gleaming [white] star lit from [the
oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west,
whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by
fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills.
And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is
Knowing of all things. (Surah 24.AnNur Ayah: 35)
God is the Light of the heavens and the earth, in other words, He
illumines both of them with the sun and the moon. The likeness
226
of His Light, that is, the description of it [as it resides] in the
heart of a believer, is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in
a glass — this [glass] is the [case for the] lantern and the misbāh
is the torch, that is, the wick that is lit; al-mishkāt is a recess that
does not penetrate [to the other side], in other words, the tube
inside the lantern, the glass, with the light inside it [is], as it were
a glittering star, that is, a light-giving [star] (read dirrī‘un or
durrī‘un, derived from ad-dar‗, ‗to repel‘, because it repels
darkness; or read durriyyun, derived from ad-durr, ‗pearls‘)
kindled, is this lamp (read past tense tawaqqada; a variant
reading has the imperfect tense of awqada, in the passive voice:
yūqadu; another reading has tūqadu, in which case the reference
is to al-zujāja, ‗the glass‘) from, the oil of, a Blessed Tree, an olive
neither of the east nor of the west, but in between the two, so that
no harmful cold or heat affects it; whose oil would almost glow
forth [of itself], though no fire touched it, because of [the extent
of] its purity. Light, by Him, upon light, by fire; the light of God
is His guidance of the believer, light upon the light of faith.
God guides to His Light, that is, [to] the religion of Islam, whom
He will. And God strikes, He illustrates, similitudes for men, by
approximating [such similitudes] to their comprehension, so that
they might take heed and believe; and God is Knower of all
things, including [knowledge of] how to strike similitudes.
[Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Surah An Nur, Ayat 35 (One of the
Beauties of Allah)]
1. Compulsory Punishments for rape, fornication and

adultery and for bearing false witness: Allah (swt) has sent
this Surah down from on high and contains
commandments that are obligatory. This emphatic
opening is followed by an explanation of the mandatory
punishment of flogging for a person who commits
fornication. The people are advised not to let compassion
keep them from enforcing this rule. And when the
punishment is administered, it should be witnessed by
others so that is serves as a psychological deterrent for
227
those who have similar tendencies. Believers should not
marry a fornicator or fornicatress just as they would not
marry a polytheist. Illegal sexual intercourse is a severe
crime; however anyone who makes false accusations - are
liable for punishment. If couples accuse each other of
adultery they can be exempted from punishment by taking
prescribed oaths attesting to their good behaviour.
2. Slander against the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (s),

Almighty Allah declared her as innocent by cautioning
those who were involved in that scandal: Having outlined
the rules about accusing women of illegal sexual
intercourse, God Almighty mentions the evil incident
regarding the slander against Aisha (rh), the wife of
Prophet Muhammad (s). It contains a lesson for
humankind; and all who took part in it will be punished
accordingly, some will receive a severe punishment.
Nobody gave Aisha (rh) the benefit of the doubt and
nobody produced witnesses. Still many people passed on
the gossip. Allah (swt) asks why they did not hesitate to
repeat a monstrous slander and warns the believers never
to do this again.
3. Regulations relating to entering houses other than ones‘

own: Allah (swt) tells the believers not to enter homes
other than their own unless they have been granted
permission. However there is no harm in entering
uninhabited places if there is a good reason to do so.
4. Regulations relating to mixed gatherings of males and

females: Men are told to lower their gazes and guard their
modesty and then women are exhorted to do the same
including not revealing their charms, beauty or
adornments to any men except those who are not
strangers to them such as - husband, father, sons,
228
brothers, father-in-law, stepsons and nephews. Women
should also not draw attention to themselves in such a
way that will tempt another person to sin. Only exception
is there for elderly women if they want to lay aside their
outer garments, there is no blame on them, provided they
are not doing wanton display of their natural beauty.
5. Allah's commandment to singles about getting married:

Men and women are encouraged to marry. However they
should abstain from sexual relations until God Almighty
provides them with the means to marry.
6. Allah's commandment to help slaves or who are in

oppression in getting their freedom: A slave wishing to
buy his or her freedom should be encouraged and aided
with some of the wealth God Almighty has provided. One
should not force any slave girl into prostitution. The fate
of earlier communities demonstrates what happens to
those who deviate from Allah‘s laws.
7. The parable of Allah being the Light of this earth and

samawat: God Almighty is the light of the heavens and the
earth. Everything that has formed into existence
illuminates from the light that He has provided believers
to perceive things out from their mind by observing the
samawat, without it there is nothing but darkness. The
parable of it is like a lamp in a niche of a lantern. It burns
brightly but the light becomes even brighter when it
enclosed in a crystal; so bright that it shines light like a
radiant star in the sky. The light is fuelled from the oil of
an olive tree, often called a blessed tree. It is an olive tree
that grows in a central position able to get the light of the
sun throughout the day. For this reason, the oil is pure
and burns as if it has no need for the fire that keeps it
alight. It is light upon light, the light of the pure oil and
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the light of the fire. The bright light that fills the heart of
the believer glows like nothing else in this vast samawat. It
is light upon light, upon light.
8. The places where Allah‘s radiant light glows: The light

Allah (swt) mentions can be found in the houses and
masjids that have been built for Almighty God‘s
remembrance. God Almighty is remembered and
honoured there and His name is glorified throughout the
day. Those people are not distracted by commerce because
they fear the Day of Judgment. They perform the prayer,
give the obligatory charity and remember that they will be
called to account.
9. The fact that Almighty Allah has created every living

creature from water: The deeds of the unbelievers will
disappear like a mirage in the desert. Lord Almighty‘s
reckoning will be swift. The state of a disbeliever is like
darkness in a bottomless ocean. If Almighty Lord does not
give light there is no light at all. Everything in the heavens
and the earth glorify Almighty Allah in its own way. Each
knowing how to pray and exalt Him, and Allah (swt) is
well aware of all that they do. Our Lord controls the
heavens and earth, drives the clouds, and sends the hail,
diverting it from whomever he wishes. He alternates the
night and the day, and has created every living thing from
water.
10. True believers are those who, when called towards Allah
and His Rasool, say: "We hear and we obey.": The
believers are those who do not incur Allah‘s displeasure
will get the eventual success. If they obey Prophet
Muhammad (s) will be guided for his/her duty is just to
uphold the message clearly. Establish the prayer, pay the
obligatory charity and obey the Messenger (s) and they
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will be given mercy.
11. Regulations relating to: a) entering the room of a married

couple; b) eating at houses other than one's own: One
should ask permission before entering at three times:
before the dawn prayer, at the midday rest and after the
‗Isha (night time) prayer. There is no blame laid on the
blind, the lame or the sick who wish to eat and mingle
with people, and there is no prohibition on eating at the
houses of members of ones‘ extended family or close
friends. Allah (swt) sends clear revelations and He guides
those who seek His guidance.
12. Allah's commandment for attending meetings which are

called for discussions and decisions about taking collective
actions: With of Prophet Muhammad (s), we are taught
code of conduct in a meeting - to ask permission to leave
when we are in important consultation. Allah (swt)
addressed us to treat Prophet Muhammad (s) with all the
respect due to his lofty station. Some hypocrites declare
their belief but then turn their backs. The believers on the
other hand, hear and obey. Only those who do not incur
God‘s displeasure will be successful. One who establish
the prayer, pay the obligatory charity and obey the
Messenger (s) - will be entitled to mercy.
13. Without God Almighty‘s Favour and Mercy we all would

be subjected to immediate punishments: It is most
commonly believed that it means if not for the mercy of
Allah (swt) and the fact that He bestows favours upon
humankind our lives would be much more difficult. We
would perhaps be punished or even destroyed. Following
in Shaitan‘s footsteps only leads to indecency and evil.
Those who are blessed by Almighty God should not swear
of not helping others, and those who accuse chaste women
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are cursed in this life and will face a severe punishment.
In the end the corrupt will associate with other corrupt
people while good people will be with other like mined
people. It is the good people who will find forgiveness and
generous provision.
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25. Surah Al Furqan (The Criterion; The Evidence; The
right and wrong Discriminators; The Proof of al-
Qur‟an)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al Furqan In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah of it, ―The Surah
begins with the phrase, "Blessed is He who sent down the
Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a
warner -" [25:1] and it is also used at the end of the Surah as the
first Ayah after the Ayah of Sajdah (prostration - [25:61]).‖
Though it is symbolic like the name of other Surahs, the subject

matter has close connection to the name. The name, ―al-furqan‖
refers to the Qur‘an itself, the word means the Criterion that
judges what is good and what is evil. The Surah has 77 ayats in 6
Ruku‘ (Sections). The ayah number 60 has Sajda-e-Tilawat.
This is a Makki Surah revealed around the middle period in

Makkah, about 6-7 years before the Hijrah. Judging from the
mood of style and subject of the Surah, Surah Al-Mu‘minun (23),
and this Surah was also revealed during the third stage of
Prophet Muhammad‘s (s) stay at Makkah. It was revealed eight
years before Surah An-Nisa (tradition related by Ibn Jarir and
Imam Razi).
1. Prophet Muhammad (s) came as a Warner for the whole

world. The evil of Shirk. The objections of those who
denied the Prophet (s) and his message.
2. The Punishment of those who deny Almighty Allah and

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His message.
3. Non-believers' demand to see the angels or Allah. Non-

believers say why the whole Qur'an was not sent down at
once.
4. Examples of the people of Prophets Musa (a)

(Moses),Harun (a) (Aaron), Nuh (a)(Noah) and 'Ad,
Thamud and the People of al-Rass (probably a town in
Yamamah).
5. Examples from the natural world: shadows, night and day,

winds of rain, oceans with two different types of waters,
creation of human beings, creation of the heaven and
earth in six days.
6. The character and qualities of the most faithful servants of

Allah (swt).
The Surah emphasizes (25:68–70) that there is no sin, however

great, that cannot be forgiven if sincerely repented, showing faith
and working with righteous deeds.
The al-Furqan includes the Taurah (Torah), given that "We sent
Musa The Book, and appointed his brother Aaron with him as
minister" (Surah 25, ayah 35). In a similar way at ayah 53 of
Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah (swt) says: "And remember We
gaveMusa the Scripture and the Criterion (Between right and
wrong): There was a chance for you to be guided aright."
The Surah deals with the doubts and objections that were being
raised against the Qur'an, the Prophethood of Muhammad (s)
and his teachings by the disbelievers of Makkah.
So this Surah includes subjects and topics with appropriate

answers to those objections are given and the people are warned
about the consequences of rejecting the Truth.
234
At the end of the Surah, a clear picture of the moral superiority of
the Believers has been depicted as in the beginning of Surah Al-
Mu'minun, as if to say, 'Here is the criterion for distinguishing
the genuine from the counterfeit. This is the noble character of
those people who have believed in and followed the teachings of
Prophet Muhammad (s) and this is the kind of people that he is
trying to train. You may yourselves compare and contrast this
type of people with those Arabs, who have not as yet accepted the
Message, and who are upholding "ignorance" and exerting their
utmost to defeat the Truth. Now you may judge for yourselves as
to which you would like to choose."
Ayats (1 - 9): Blessed is Allah Who revealed this al-Qur'an, the

criterion to distinguish right from wrong. Wrongdoers are those
who reject the truth and disbelieve a Rasool because he is a
human being.
Ayats (10 - 20): Those who deny the Hour and life after death
will be cast in the blazing fire. On the Day of Judgment, those
deities, whom the Mushrikhs invoke, will deny any claim of
divinity. And Allah (swt) will hold the Mushriks responsible for
their Shirk.
Ayats (21 - 34): The unbelievers who ask for angels today will ask
for a stone barrier between them and the angels of punishment.
Disbelievers shall regret on the Day of Judgment for not
adopting the Right Way. Allah (swt) explains the wisdom behind
revealing the Qur'an in piecemeal rather than all at once.
Ayats (35 - 44): All nations which rejected Allah's revelations and
His Rasools were utterly destroyed. Those who have taken their
desires as their gods are nothing but animals.
Ayats (45 - 60): Almighty Allah has made the night a mantle,
sleep to rest, and the day to work. One should not make appease
with the unbelievers while confronting the truth; rather one
235
should make Jihad against them with the Qur'an. The believer
should put trust in Ever-Living (Allah), Who will never die.
Ayats (61 - 77): Outlines the Characteristics of the True Servants

(believers) of Allah (swt).
The Virtue of the Surah
(25:53) And He it is Who has joined the two seas: one sweet and
palatable and the other saltish and bitter; and He has set a
barrier and an insurmountable obstruction between the two that
keeps them apart.
Notes: This phenomenon has been perceived in many places in

the sea and on the land that sweet water and bitter water has
existed side by side. Turkish Admiral Syedi Ali Rais, in his book
Mirat-al-Mamalik, written in the 16th century, has mentioned a
place in the Persian Gulf, where springs of sweet waver exist
under the bitter waters of the sea, where he could get drinking
water for his fleet. From the same springs The American Oil
Company at first obtained water in the Persian Gulf before they
dug up wells near Dhahran for the supply of the drinking water.
Near Bahrain also there exist springs of sweet water at the sea
bed from which people have been taking water until quite
recently. Besides this apparent meaning which gives a rational
proof of Allah‘s being the One and the only Lord of the universe,
the verse contains a subtle suggestion as well: When Allah wills,
He can raise up a righteous community from among a large
wicked society just as He can cause springs of palatable and
sweet water to gush out from under the salty waters of the sea.
[Tahfim al-Qur‟an]
1. The Qur'an is the criterion to distinguish right from

wrong: Blessed is Allah the Almighty who has sent down
the criterion of what is right and what is wrong (the
Qur‘an) to his Prophet (s) in order that he may warn the
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world. God is the One who controls the heavens and the
earth; He has no offspring or partners. He does not share
control in any way. He has created all things and
determined them with precision. Yet the unbelievers have
taken other gods who are unable to create, have no power
over life and death and cannot harm or help in anyway.
Prophet Muhammad (s) is told by God Almighty to reply
that the Qur‘an is sent down by He who knows the secrets
of the heavens and the earth.
2. A fire is prepared for the Disbelievers: Wrongdoers are

those who reject the Truth, disbelieve the Rasool, and
deny the Day of Judgment and life after death. They (the
disbelievers) ask what sort of messenger eats food and
walks about in the markets; why is he not accompanied by
an angel or has treasure or even a garden of his own? The
wrongdoers then declare that Muhammad (s) is affected
by magic. They use their own imagination to discredit
Muhammad (s). Blessed is God Almighty who could if He
willed give Muhammad (s) any number of special things,
even more special then the things the disbelievers ask
about such as gardens under which rivers flow and palaces
too. When they see the Hellfire in the distance they will
hear its fury and roaring and will then be flung into it
pleading for death.
3. On the Day of Judgment those deities whom the

mushrikhs invoke beside Allah (swt) will deny any claim
of divinity and the mushrikhs will be held responsible for
their shirk: On the Day of Judgement, Almighty God will
gather all of humankind with the deities. The deities will
be asked if they tried to mislead the people and they will
answer that they most certainly did not. Disbelievers
punishment will not be ward off as the deities will deny
them. Allah (swt) reminds Prophet Muhammad (s) that all
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the prophets ate food and walked in the markets and
streets and that some people have been created to be a
trial for others. Those who ask why they do not see
Almighty God or angels - do not really believe in a day
when they will stand before their real Almighty who
formed them into shape initially. They are insolent and
arrogant. The Day they see the angels will not be a good
day for them. The angels will forbid them to cross the
barrier and their deeds will be turned to dust and
scattered in the wind.
4. On the Day of Judgment the disbelievers shall regret not

adopting the Right Path: The Day the clouds are torn
apart will be a hard day for the disbelievers. They will bite
their hands in regret and wish they had chosen better
companions, finally acknowledging Shaitan as a
treacherous enemy. Prophet Muhammad (s) will decry the
people who took the Qur‘an as nonsense and God
Almighty replies that every messenger had a wicked
enemy.
5. The wisdom behind sending the Qur'an through a

piecemeal revelation is explained: The disbelievers of
Makkhah ask why the Qur‘an was not sent down all at one
time and Allah (swt) answers that it was sent gradually to
strengthen the Prophet (s)‘s heart. Prophet Muhammad
(s) is told that Almighty God will help in answering any
arguments put to him. Those who are the furthest away
from the right path will fall on their faces into Hell.
6. The Power of Almighty Allah: Allah (swt) sent

Muhammad (s) as a bearer of good news and a warning,
thus humankind should put their trust in the Living
Almighty God who never dies. Almighty Lord has created
the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six
238
days and established Himself above them upon His
throne. He has created the stars, the sun and the moon so
that some people would choose to be grateful. It is Allah
(swt) who lengthens the shade; the night is a rest and the
day a type of resurrection. He is the One who brings the
wind, and sends down water from the sky to bring life to a
dead land and quenches the thirst of humankind and
animals. Almighty has informed Prophet Muhammad
(s)that He has created two seas, one salty and bitter the
other sweet and fresh; He created humankind from water.
How could some of this people worship something other
than Him knowingly!
7. Allah's commandment to do Jihad with the Qur'an with

those who rejected the revelations: Musa (a) was given the
scripture and he and his brother Harun (a) went to those
who denied Almighty God‘s signs, they disbelieved and
were destroyed. Likewise Nuh (a)‘s people were drowned.
Almighty God also destroyed the people of ‗Aad, Thamud,
the Companions of the Rass, and many other generations.
All were given warnings which they denied, and it led to
their utter destruction.
8. Characteristics of true believers are described: The

believers walk with humility, address ignorant people with
words of peace, and spend the night worshipping their
Lord and asking to be kept safe from the fires of Hell.
They are neither extravagant nor stingy and they never
invoke any deity but Almighty God. They do not kill except
for a just reason, and they do not commit adultery or
fornication. Allah (swt) is able to change the bad deeds
into good for those who repent and become righteous. The
believers do not bear false witness; they pass by frivolity
with dignity and take head of God‘s signs and revelations.
These are the ones whose patience will be rewarded with
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Paradise, where they will be welcomed with greetings and
salutations and shall live forever.
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26. Surah Ash-Shu'ara (The Poets)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ash-Shu'ara In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the 224th ayah which means –
the poet. It has 227 ayats with 11 Ruku‘ (Section). This Surah
contains second largest number of ayats after Surah Al-Baqarah.
Another name of the Surah is, ―Ta Sin Mim‖ which is called as
Muqatta‘at (meaning, "disconnected" or "mysterious").
Out of the 114 Surahs of the Qur‘an, 29 Surahs are figuring with
this type beginning just after the Bismillah. The letters are also
known as fawātiḥ (‫ )ف اتح‬or "openers" as they form the opening
ayah of their respective Surahs. Allah (swt) did not reveal any
meaning for these letters; however, many theories have been
suggested by the scholars of Islam.
The Surah was revealed during the middle stage of Prophet

Muhammad‘s (s) stay in Makkah about 6-7 years before the
Hijrah. According to Ibn Abbas (ra), Surah 26: ash-Shu‘ara was
revealed after Surah 20: Ta Ha and Surah 56: al-Waqi‘ah (Tafsir
Ruh al Ma‘ani).
At that time disbelievers of Makkah were persistently refusing to

accept the message of Islam. They used to say sarcastically that
only fools, youth or the destitute had embraced Islam.
1. Allah (swt) has power to bring down the mightiest sign,

but here is a test for people. This wonderful creation is a
sign itself for those who want to learn.
241
2. Signs were shown to Pharaoh.
3. Pharaoh's magicians and Prophet Musa (a).
4. The exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. The sea splitting

and giving the way.
5. Prophet Ibrahim's (a) struggle against idolatry.
6. Prophet Nuh (a) and his people.
7. The 'Ad and the Prophet Hud (a).
8. The Thamud and the Prophet Salih (a).
9. Prophet Lut (a).
10. Prophet Shu'aib (a).
11. The Qur'an is the message from the Lord of the worlds. It
is neither from devils nor do they have any clue of this
message. It is not poetry of the poets. It is a serious
message with eternal consequences.
The Surah begins with words of consolation to the prophet

Muhammad (s), ―Why do you fret for their sake? If these people
have not believed in you, it is not because they are blind not to
any sign, rather they are obstinate.‖
A major portion of the Surah narrates the histories of several

Prophets of the past, and the lessons to be drawn from their lives
and teachings. The non-believers were asking for signs to prove
that the Qur'an was the word of Allah. Lord Almighty
mentioned many signs both in nature and in history. Stories of
many prophets are also mentioned to indicate that all prophets
presented basically the same message.
The story of Musa (a), Ibrahim (a), Nuh (a), Hud (a), Salih (a),
242
Lut (a) and Shu‘aib (a) [the Biblical JETHRO] has been narrated in
this Surah to comfort Rasulullah (s) and to admonish the
mushrikhs (Kuffar) that the mentality of the disbeliever has been
the same throughout the ages. The disbeliever‘s arguments,
objections, and the excuses for not believing have been similar in
the past, and so has been their ultimate fate – severe
punishments on this earth from Allah (swt).
Ayats (1 - 9): Dedication of the Prophet Muhammad (s) to the

guidance of mankind.
Ayats (10 - 33): The assignment of Musa (a) as a Rasool and his
dialogue with Fir‗aun (Pharaoh). Musa (a) presents miracles of
his sign as Prophet.
Ayats (34 - 51): Pharaoh took the Prophet Musa (a)'s miracles as
magic and summoned the magicians to compete. After
witnessing a miracle, all the magicians embraced Islam.
Ayats (52 - 68): Deliverance of the Children of Israel and the

destruction of Pharaoh and his chiefs.
Ayats (69 - 104): The story of the Prophet Ibrahim (a) and his
arguments against idol worshipping people. Allah (swt) included
the prayer for this life and the life Hereafter of the Prophet
Ibrahim (a). The mushrikhs and their gods both will be toppled
into hell.
Ayats (105 - 122): The story of the Prophet Nuh (a), his dialogue
with his people; they disbelieved; Nuh (a)‘s prayer to Almighty
Allah. Nuh (a) and believers were rescued and others
drowned.
Ayats (123 - 140): The story of the Prophet Hud (a), his address
to his people; they disbelieved and as a result faced destruction.
Ayats (141 - 159): The story of the Prophet Salih (a), his address
243
to his people; they disbelieved and as a result faced destruction.
Ayats (160 - 175): The story of the Prophet Lut (a), his address to
his people; they disbelieved and as a result faced destruction.
Ayats (176 - 191): The story of the Prophet Shu'aib (a), his
address to his people; they disbelieved and as a result faced
destruction.
Ayats (192 - 207): The Qur'an is revealed in plain Arabic by Allah

through angel Gabriel (Jibril a); those people who do not want to
believe will not believe. The Qur'an is not brought down by
shaitans; it is neither in their interest nor in their power.
Shaitans descend on slandering sinners, who listen to hearsay
and are liars.
Virtue of the Surah
―One who reads this Surah will not get sunk and his home will
be save from burglary and fire; and one who writes this Surah
on a paper and mixes it with water and drinks it, all his
diseases may be healed by Allah. [Majma„ ul-Bayan, Fakhr-
i-Razi, Qurtabi, Tibyan, and Ruh-ul-Ma„ani]
The Qur'an was mentioned in

the Previous Scriptures
Allah says: this Qur'an was mentioned and referred to in the
previous Scriptures that were left behind by their Prophets who
foretold it in ancient times and more recently. Allah took a
covenant from them that they would follow it, and the last of
them stood and addressed his people with the good news of
Ahmad:
(And (remember) when Ìsa, son of Maryam, said: "O Children

of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you, confirming the
Tawrah before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to
come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.) (61:6) Zubur here
refers to Books; Zubur is the plural of Az-Zabur, which also the
244
name is used to refer to the Book given to Dawud. Allah says:
(And everything they have done is noted in the Az-Zubur.)

(54:52), meaning, it is recorded against them in the books of the
angels. Then Allah says:
(Is it not a sign to them that the learned scholars of the Children
of Israel knew it) (26:197) meaning, is it not sufficient witness to
the truth for them that the scholars of the Children of Israel
found this Qur'an mentioned in the Scriptures which they study
The meaning is: the fair-minded among them admitted that the
attributes of Muhammad and his mission and his Ummah were
mentioned in their Books, as was stated by those among them
who believed, such as Àbdullah bin Salam, Salman Al-Farisi and
others who met the Prophet . Allah said:
(Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither
read nor write ...) (7:157) [Tafsir ibn Kathir]
1. Prophet Muhammad (s) should not fret himself to death

with grief for the people who disbelief: God Almighty
could have sent the disbelievers with physical sign of
miracle, but in the past they turn away from every
revelation. They just need to look around to see Almighty
God‘s creation; a sign that He is Mighty and Merciful.
Prophet Muhammad (s) is worrying himself to death over
people who refuse to believe but the Qur‘an has come to
make things clear to eyes.
2. Story of Musa (a) and Pharaoh and deliverance of the

children of Israel: Musa (a) was sent to the people of
Pharaoh but feared he would be rejected because of his
speech. Allah (swt) reassured him by making Harun (a)
his helper. Musa (a) asked that the Israelites be released
from bondage. Pharaoh reminded Musa (a) of his time in
245
Egypt and called him ungrateful. Musa (a) demonstrated
the miracles Almighty Allah allowed him to perform. He
threw his staff which became a snake and from his robes
he drew his hand, shining and white. He was called a
sorcerer and Pharaoh and his advisers arranged a
competition with their sorcerers. At the assembly the
sorcerers threw their ropes, but Musa (a)‘s staff devoured
their illusions. The sorcerers prostrated to Lord Almighty.
Allah (swt) inspired Musa (a) to flee at night with all the
Israelites. Pharaoh sent an army to prevent their
emigration. By sunrise Pharaoh‘s people had the Israelites
trapped at the edge of the Red Sea. Musa (a) struck the sea
with his staff and the waves parted allowing them to
escape. The pursuers were drowned.
3. Story of Ibrahim and his arguments against idol

worshipping people: Ibrahim (a) asked his father and his
people about their idol worship. He pointed out that idols
could not benefit or harm them, but his people replied
that they followed the practice of their ancestors. Ibrahim
(a) denounced them all and pledged his allegiance to
Almighty Allah, the one who guides him, sustains him,
cures him and will resurrect him. Ibrahim (a) supplication
to Allah (swt) that join him with the righteous, give him
honour amongst later generations and grant him repose in
the Gardens of Paradise; he also asked that his father be
forgiven. Children and wealth will not avail on that Day.
Only those who come before God with a pure heart will
benefit.
4. The fact that the mushrikhs and their gods will both be
toppled into hell: Paradise will be brought close to the
righteous and Hell will be visible to those who have gone
astray. They will be asked about what they worshipped
apart from Almighty God and will be flung into Hell with
246
their idols including all the armies of Iblis (Satan). They
will argue with one another and wish longingly to return
to their worldly life for another chance. This story reveals
a great lesson. Almighty Lord Allah is Mighty and
Merciful.
5. Stories of Prophets Nuh (a), Hud (a), Salih (a), Lut (a),
Shu'aib (a) and their people: The people of Nuh also
rejected their Messenger. He was gentle and mild, and
asked for no payment, but they considered him and those
who followed him to be poor and worthless. Nuh (a) said
he would never drive away a believer; he was nothing but
a warner. They asked him to desist or he would be stoned.
Nuh (a) called out to Almighty Lord asking for a decisive
judgment. Allah (swt) saved Nuh (a) and the believers in a
ship, the others were drowned. The people of Ad
disbelieved in their Messenger Hud (a). He asked them to
fear the Almighty One and requested no payment. They
built strong, tall buildings as if they expected to live
forever and were cruel tyrants. Hud (a) reminded them
that God Almighty provided them with their sustenance.
Hud‘s (a) people replied that they had no fear of torment
and such talk was nothing but an ancient myth. Allah
(swt) utterly destroyed them. The people of Thamud
denied their Messenger. When Salih (a) asked them to
fear Allah (swt) they accused him of being affected by
magic. He asked for no reward and reminded them of
their provisions from Almighty Allah, and told them to
stay away from transgressors, but it was not enough, they
wanted a sign. Salih (a) brought forth a she-camel who
was to share their water; each drinking on alternate days.
The people were warned not to hurt her, but they
hamstrung her. In the morning they were full of regret
because the punishment fell upon them. The people of Lut
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(a) also disbelieved. He asked them for no reward and
warned them to fear God Almighty. Lut (a) admonished
them and cautioned them not to partake in unnatural acts.
They responded by threatening Lut (a) with expulsion. Lut
(a) asked Almighty God to save him and his family and He
did; all except his wife who was destroyed with the rest. A
rain of destruction poured down on those who had been
forewarned. Shuaib‘s (a) people disbelieved even though
he was a trustworthy Messenger who asked for no reward.
He warned his people to weigh with correct scales, to give
full measure, and not spread corruption, but they accused
him of being bewitched. They called him a liar and asked
him to cause fragments of the sky to fall upon them if he
was truthful. Due to their stubborn denial the torment
seized them, a scourge from the dark clouds. Most do not
learn the lesson and become believers. Lord Almighty is
Mighty and Merciful.
6. The fact that the Qur'an is revealed in the Arabic language

and is not brought by shaitans; as it is neither in their
interest nor in their power to do so: This Qur‘an comes
from Almighty Allah, brought down to Prophet
Muhammad (s) through the Angel Gabriel, as a warning to
the people in plain Arabic language. The former scriptures
foretold this, why is that not sufficient proof? If it was
revealed to a non-Arab who recited to them in Arabic they
would still not believe. The guilty one‘s hearts results into
unbelief. They will not believe until they see the torment,
and at that time they will ask for respite. Past enjoyment
is no protection from the torment. The jinn shaitan did
not bring down this Qur‘an.
7. The fact that shaitans descend on those slandering sinners

who listen to hearsay and are liars: The devils descend
upon the liars and only the lost follow the poets; except
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the poets who believe and are righteous. One should not
worship anything other than God Almighty. Prophet
Muhammad (s) was told to warn his close kin and show
kindness to the believers. If they disobey then you are not
accountable for their actions.
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27. Surah An-Naml (The Ants)
Concise Tafseer of Surah An-Naml In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears with the phrase wad-in-naml in

the ayah 18 which mean valley of the ants, whose conversations
were understood by Sulaiman (a). It is also called Sulaiman, and
Ta, Seen. Similar to Surah 13 (The Thunder) or Surah 29 (The
Spider), Ants do hold a privileged status among animals in Islam
on account of the story of Sulaiman (a).
Hadith literature tells of Muhammad (s) forbidding Muslims to

kill the ant, bee, hoopoe, or shrike; it is no coincidence that they
are all featured in Surah 27 and that Surah 16 is entitled The Bee.
Phrase: /bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim/ is repeated two times in
it, one of them is at the beginning of the Surah and the other one
is in ayah 30 at the onset of Sulaiman‘s (a) letter to Saba‘, the
Queen.
There is a requirement for prostration ((telawat-e-sujood) in 25th

ayah of An-Naml, but the sajdah should be performed after
reading the ayah #26 (when the sujood meaning is complete).
The Surah has 93 ayats and 7 Ruku‘ (Section).
Revelation
This Surah is a Makki Surah. It was probably revealed soon after

the previous Surah. It was revealed in the middle of Makki
period. The subject matter and the style bear full resemblance
with that period. There are well supported traditions, according
to Ibn Abbas and Jabir bin Zaid, ―First the Surah As-Shu‘ara was
sent down, then the Surah An-Naml and the Al-Qasas.‖
Tafsir al-Jalalayn notes that some exceptions exist: ayats 52-55
250
are from the period of Madinah; ayah 85 was revealed during the
Hijrah to Madinah.
1. The Qur'an is from the All Wise and All-knower. How

Prophet Musa (a) did received the message of Almighty
Allah. Allah (swt) gave Musa (a) many signs but Pharaoh
and his people denied them.
2. The knowledge and power that Allah (swt) bestowed on

Prophets Daud (a) [David] and Sulaiman (a) [Solomon].
What kind of character they had.
3. Queen of Saba' and her submission to Prophet Sulaiman

(a).
4. The response of Thamud to Prophet Salih's (a) message.

Also the example of the people among whom Prophet Lut
(a) was sent.
5. The contrast between the tawhid and shirk. Almighty

Allah or the so-called gods of Shirk.
6. The surety of Resurrection.
7. The coming of the Day of Judgment.
Surah An Naml starts with a combination of the letters ta and

seen. They are two letters from amongst various combinations of
fourteen letters that open 29 Surah‘s of the Qur‘an known as
Huroof Muqatta‘at. Allah (swt) did not reveal any specific
meaning attached to them but scholars analyzed those with
Prophetic commentary from Muhammad (s) which performs as a
secret code of security from the Lord Himself.
251
The Surah opens with a description of the Qur‘an as joyful news
for the believers and a severe warning for the non-believers. The
theme of the Surah is divine guidance in history. Allah (swt) sent
His Prophets to different people. Some accepted them and were
guided, while others denied them and they saw the consequences
of their denial.
Surah tells stories of the prophets Musa (a), Suaiman (a), Salih
(a), and Lut (a) to emphasize the message of tawhid in Jewish
and Arabian prophets. The miracles of Musa (a), described in the
Book of Exodus, are mentioned in opposition to the arrogance
and kufr of Pharaoh. So, this Surah was likely revealed to address
the role of the "Children of Israel" among the believers in
Makkah, to emphasize and mention the piety of past prophets,
and to distinguish the present Qur'anic message from past
traditions.
The story of Sulaiman (a) is most detailed: he converted Bilqis to

the "true religion" after a hoopoe reported to him that she was a
sun-worshipping queen. The Surah details about Sulaiman (a)
speaking with the birds, such as hoopoe and some insects like
ants, and the attendance of some jinns in the army and court of
Sulaiman (a), and, finally, bringing the throne of Saba‘ (Sheba)
from Yemen to Syria in a short moment.
There are descriptions of the Day of Judgment and the Surah

ends by reiterating the beginning ayats—the Qur‘an is good news
for the believers but a warning to others. The signs of the Last
Day include the appearance of a beast (dabbah) from the earth.
Ayats (1 - 14): The Qur'an is a Guide and Good News to the

Believers. The story of the Prophet Musa's (a) selection as a
Rasool. Nine signs were shown to Fir‗aun (Pharaoh) but he still
disbelieved and incurred Allah‘s (swt) punishment.
Ayats (15 - 19): Story of the Prophet Sulaiman (a), to whom

Almighty Allah gave rule over jinns, men, birds and winds.
252
Ayats (20 - 44): The hoopoe brought him the news about the
Queen of Saba‘ (Sheba). Allah (swt) included the Letter of King
Sulaiman (a) to the Queen of Sheba. Queen of Sheba
communicated to Sulaiman (a) through her ambassadors. A man
who had the 'Knowledge of the Book' brought the Throne of the
Queen to king Sulaiman (a) in twinkling of an eye. Queen of
Sheba and her people embraced Islam.
Ayats (45 - 58): Story of the Prophet Salih (a) and his address to
his people. Salih's (a) people plotted to kill him, but Allah (swt)
saved him and destroyed the disbelievers. The Prophet Lut (a)
admonished his people but they paid no heed so they faced the
scourge of Almighty Allah.
Ayats (59 - 66): Praise to Almighty Allah and peace be on His

Rasools. Just think, is there any god besides Allah (swt) Who has
created everything in the samawat, answers the oppressed or
guides to the Right Way?
Ayats (67 - 82): The disbelievers doubt Almighty Allah's power of

creation. The Qur'an clarifies those matters in which the
Israelites differ and A sign from the signs of doomsday.
Ayats (83 - 93): One should not deny Allah's revelations without
gaining his/her comprehensive knowledge. A scene from
Doomsday is depicted with vivid details. Those who accept
guidance, do so to their own good and those who go astray, do so
to their own peril.
Virtue of the Surah
Snippet of Daud (a) and Sulaiman‟s (a) History
And Solomon succeeded David [1] and said: "O people, we have
been taught the speech of birds [2] and we have been endowed
with all kinds of things. [2] Surely this is a conspicuous favour
(from Allah)."
1. Succession here does not mean inheritance of wealth and

253
properties, but the succession to the Prophet David (peace be
upon him) in the prophethood and vicegerency. For the wealth
and possessions, if at all transferred, could not be transferred to
the Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) only, because Prophet
David (peace be upon him) had other children also. Therefore,
this verse cannot be cited to refute the Hadith reported from the
Prophet (peace be upon him), saying, ―The inheritance left by us,
the Prophets, is not divided as such. Whatever we leave behind is
charity.‖ (Bukhari) And, ―There is no heir to a Prophet. Whatever
he leaves behind is divided among the needy and the indigent of
the Muslims.‖ (Musnad Ahmad).
The Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) was the youngest son
of the Prophet David (peace be upon him). His Hebrew name
Solomon is a synonym of Salim (rightminded, affable). He
succeeded the Prophet David (peace be upon him) in 965 B.C.
and ruled his kingdom for forty years, till 926 B.C. (For other
details of his life and works. Our commentators have greatly
exaggerated the vastness of his kingdom, and have held that he
ruled over a large part of the world. The fact, however, is that his
kingdom comprised only the present Palestine and Transjordan
and a part of Syria.
2. There is no mention in the Bible that the Prophet Solomon

(peace be upon him) had been taught speech of the birds and
animals, though the Israelite traditions contain a reference to it.
That is, ―Allah has bestowed on us all sorts of things.‖ This,
however, should not be understood literally; it only means the
abundance of the wealth and the means of life granted by Allah.
This was not said proudly by Prophet Solomon (peace be upon
him) but only to express his gratitude to Allah for His grace and
bounty and favors.
It is confirmed by the Bible that Prophet Solomon had developed

sea trade on a large scale. (I Kings, 10: 22). On the one side, his
trade ships sailed from Ezion-geber, through the Red Sea,
towards Yaman and other southern and eastern lands, and on
the other, his naval fleet called Thar-shish, sailed on the
Mediterranean to the western countries. The great furnace which
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he had built at Eziongeber for melting and molding ores
extracted from the copper and iron mines in the Arabah in
Edom, has been confirmed by modem archaeological researches
as well. This molten iron and copper was used in building ships
besides being put to other uses. The Quran refers to this when it
says: And We made a fountain of molten copper to flow for him
(Solomon). (Surah Saba, Ayat 12)
As regards to the subjection of the wind, it may mean that Allah,

by His special favor, had so arranged that the wind, and sea
voyages in those days depended entirely on wind, was always
favorable for Prophet Solomon‘s fleet. But if we take the literal
meaning of verse 81: It blew at his command, there will be no
harm, for Allah is able to give such powers to any of His servants
He pleases.
[Nur-uth-Thaqalayn, Vol. 4, P. 74] [Courtesy: Tafhimul
Qur'an]
1. The Qur'an is a guide and good news to the believers: God

Almighty says that this scripture is a guide for the
believers. It is joyful news for those who pray, give charity,
and believe in the Hereafter. One the other hand those
that do not believe wander blindly believing that their
lives will have no lasting consequences.
2. Prophet Musa's (a) nine miracles were shown to Pharaoh

and his people: While travelling with his family Musa (a)
sees a fire. He walks towards the light telling his family
that he will return with either news or burning sticks with
which to make their own warming fire. When He reaches
the fire, Almighty God calls out to him and introduces
Himself. God Almighty orders Musa (a) to throw down his
staff; he complies but runs away in fright when the staff
begins to move like a snake. Almighty Allah tells him to
stop and that the messengers should not be afraid when in
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God‘s presence because - He is merciful and forgiving.
God Almighty then tells Musa (a) to put his hand inside
his cloak and when he withdraws it, it will be shinning
white. Almighty God explains that these are two from the
nine signs that will be given to Pharaoh to convince him to
submit to the One God. Pharaoh and his advisers call the
signs sorcery. They knew the signs were miracles yet
denied them and thus came to a very bad end.
3. Story of Prophet Sulaiman (a) and the Queen of Sheba:

When Allah (swt) gave knowledge to Daud (a) and
Sulaiman (a) they praised Him. They understood the
language of the birds. Sulaiman (a) inherited the Kingdom
of his father Daud (a). Sulaiman‘s (a) soldiers marched in
rows, jinn, humans and birds. When the armies marched
through the valley of the ants, one ant directed the others
so that they would not be crushed. Sulaiman (a)
understood and smiled, and beseeched Almighty God to
give him the strength and ability to be grateful, the ability
to perform good deeds that He loves, and to be with the
righteous. Sulaiman (a) inspected the birds but could not
find the hoopoe. The hoopoe returned saying that he had
been in Sheba where he found a woman leading the
people. She had a magnificent throne but they all
worshipped the sun instead of God Almighty. Sulaiman
(a) sent the hoopoe with a letter for the Queen of Saba‘
(Sheba). She read the letter to her counselors. It was an
invitation to submit to the will of Almighty Allah. So and
his army had not invaded the city so she decided to send a
gift. When the gift arrived, Sulaiman (a) said that they
could not give him anything that Almighty God had not
already provided for him. Sulaiman (a) sent them away
with a threat to invade their city. Sheba decided to come
in person, and whilst waiting Sulaiman (a) asked his own
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counselors if someone was able to bring him Sheba‘s
magnificent throne. One of the man of knowlege was able
to produce the throne within the blink of an eye. When
Sheba arrived, she was asked if what she saw was her
throne and although it was disguised she said it looked as
if it was. When Sheba was asked to enter the palace, she
thought she was about to wade through water and lifted
her skirt; however the floor was made of shinning smooth
glass. When she saw for herself what Almighty God had
given Sulaiman (a) and how majestic his position was, she
submitted to the command of God Almighty and
acknowledged that he was a noble Prophet.
4. Stories of Prophets Salih (a) and Lut (a) and their people:
Salih (a) called the people of Thamud to worship One
Almighty God, but they split into rival factions. One group
said that Salih (a) and his followers were an evil omen.
The leaders of some families took an oath that they would
together kill Salih (a) and his family. They planned a
deceitful plan, but God Almighty also planned a plan. The
outcome was that their plan came to nothing and they
were destroyed, and their desolate houses are a sign for
those who think. The true believers were saved. Lut (a)
was sent to his people to ask them why they openly
committed homosexual acts even though they knew it to
be wrong. They had no answer except to try to expel Lut
(a) and his followers from the town. So Almighty Allah
saved Lut (a) and all his family; except his wife who was
destined to be one of those who stayed behind. An evil
rain of stones pelted down on those who chose to ignore
the warning.
5. The disbelievers actually doubt Allah's power of creation:

The unbelievers who say they have heard ancient tales
257
about the dead being raised and do not believe it. They
must therefore travel throughout the land see for
themselves what has happened to those who did not heed
the warnings of a Hereafter. Allah (swt) is bountiful even
though most people are ungrateful. Who created the
heavens and the earth and all that is in them, or another
deity? Clearly it is God Almighty who made rivers flow
and firmly fixed the mountains and other wondrous
things. Why then do they worship something other than
Almighty God? Who answers the calls of the distressed
and removes the burdens of the suffering? Allah (swt) is
the One who is above all that they associate with Him.
There is no one with knowledge of the unseen except
Almighty God. It is He who knows when the dead will be
raised.
6. A sign from the signs, and a scene from the scenes of

Doomsday: A day will come when the disbelievers will be
led before Lord Almighty in groups. The verdict will be
given but they will not speak. Almighty Lord sent signs for
those who believe and those who think. When the trumpet
sounds many will be terrified; the firm mountains will
pass away like clouds. On that Day, a good deed will keep
a person safe, but an evil deed will
see them flung into the Fire.
7. Those who accept guidance do so to their own good and

those who reject and go astray, do so to their own peril:
Muhammad (s) says that he has been commanded to
submit to Almighty Allah, to worship Him and recite the
Qur‘an. Muhammad (s) is only a warner; all praise
belongs only to Lord Almighty, and He is never unaware.
The Qur‘an is guidance and a mercy. Allah (swt) will be
the judge and Prophet Muhammad (s) should not grieve
258
over the people who will not heed his warning. Instead he
should put his trust in Almighty God because he is on the
straight path. He cannot make the deaf or dead to hear;
he cannot lead the blind.
8. When Allah Almighty bless someone with a blessing in

this world he/she should supplicate earnestly with the
following dua: "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your
favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my
parents and to do righteousness of which You approve.
And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your
righteous servants." (27:19)
259
28. Surah Al Qasas (The Story; The Narration; The
Narrative)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al Qasas In Summarized Form

According to Ibn Kathir's commentary, the Surah takes its name

from the 25 ayah in which the word Al-Qasas occurs. Lexically,
―qasas‖ means to relate events in their proper sequence. The
word, thus, from the view-point of the meaning too, the story of
the Prophet Musa (a) has been related in detail. The Surah has
88 yats in 9 Ruku‘ (Section).
Revelation
As already mentioned, Surah 26: ash-Shu‘ara‘ (The Poets), Surah

27: an-Naml (The Ants) and Surah 28: al-Qasas (The Story) were
sent down one after the other (according to Ibn Abbas and Jabir
Zaid). The language, the style and the theme also show that the
period of the revelation of these three Surahs is nearly the same.
Another reason for their close resemblance is that the different
parts of the story of Prophet Musa (a) are mentioned in these
Surahs together to make up a complete story. These Surahs are
revealed during the middle stage of the prophet Muhammad (s)‘s
residence at Makkah.
1. Story of Musa (a) and Pharaoh is related. Pharaoh was

persecuting the Israelites. Allah (swt) wished to show his
favour to the oppressed people. Birth of Musa (a) and
then his growing up in Pharaoh's own palace.
2. Musa (a)'s encounter with an Egyptian and his escape to

Madyan.
3. Musa (a)'s marriage in Madyan.

260
4. Musa (a) receives Prophethood and especial signs from
Allah (swt). His appearance before Pharaoh. Pharaoh's
denial and then Allah's punishment for him and his
armies.
5. The Prophet relating these stories by inspiration from

Almighty Allah and for a purpose.
6. Allah's guidance is continuous.
7. The message of Islam is tauhid.
8. The story of Qaroon: his character and his end.
9. Allah's promise for the Believers.
The Surah twenty-eight begins with the combination of letters -

ta, sin, mim, like the Surah number ash-Shu‘ara. These three are
amongst various combinations of fourteen letters that open 29
Surah‘s of the Qur‘an known as Huroof Muqatta‘at. Allah (swt)
did not reveal any specific meaning attached to them but
scholars analyzed those with Prophetic commentary from
Muhammad (s) which performs as a secret code of security from
the Lord Himself.
The basic theme of this Surah is the prophet-hood. Some aspects

of the life of Prophet Musa (a) are mentioned to show the
similarity between him and Prophet Muhammad (s). This Surah
and the two preceding it go together to tell the complete story of
Prophet Musa (a).
This Surah features in its longest section the story of Prophet

Musa (a) before his conversation with Almighty Allah at the
mountain. It takes us back to the scene where he was going to be
killed because the armies of Pharaoh were going to come in and
261
slaughter everybody, and his mother had thrown him into the
river. From there, his entire life story leading up to the mountain
is described though this Surah does also cover how he challenges
the Pharaoh and how that transpires, and we learn details of that
as well, but primarily the emphasis is everything leading up to
the mountain.
Just after the middle of the Surah Al-Qasas, Allah (swt)

introduced us with the character Qaroon (korah), who was one of
Musa‘s (a) people but he rebelled against them. Just as Fir‘oun
(Pharoah) is a symbol of arrogance; Qaroon represents the
symbol of materialism. He was the alternative version of Musa
(a); Allah (swt) had given him such treasures that their very keys
were a heavy burden to a band of strong men. But Allah (swt)
sent his wrath on Qaroon for his haughtiness over his wealth,
caused the earth to swallow him together with his dwellings.
There are also answers here to the questions and doubts that
were raised by some non-believers. Allah (swt) contrasted these
events with the group of unlettered Quraysh who say we need to
be impressed like the Pharaoh was impressed, and they don‘t
realize that they are calling themselves Pharaoh in doing so.
Their objection can be paraphrased as, ―He is telling us all these
amazing things that happened with Musa (a), we don‘t see a stick
turning into a snake, and we don‘t see water parting. So why
should we be impressed with Muhammad? Why does he not
show us impressive things like Musa was able to show the
Pharaoh?‖ So, Prophet Muhammad (s) is reminded that he
cannot make the people believe but nevertheless he must remain
steadfast in his mission.
Ayats (1 - 13): Story of the Prophet Musa (a). Fir‗aun (Pharaoh)

plotted to kill the sons of the Israelites to save his kingship, while
Allah planned to bring up one of them in Pharaoh‘s own
household.
Ayats (14 - 21): Musa's (a) youth, his folly of killing a man, and
262
his escape from Pharaoh's retribution.
Ayats (22 - 28): Musa (a) come to Madyan, acceptance of an

eight or ten years term of employment, and marriage.
Ayats (29 - 42): Musa (a)‘s arrival at Mount Tur, seeing a fire,
conversation with Lord Almighty, his appointment as a Rasool to
Pharaoh and his chiefs. Pharaoh and his chiefs disbelieved; as a
result Allah (swt) destroyed them but saved the Children of
Israel.
Ayats (43 - 50): Information about the destruction of prior

generations is given to teach a lesson.
Ayats (51 - 60): Truth has been conveyed; the true people of the
book believe in it. Righteous Jews and Christians can recognize
the truth of the Qur'an and feel that they were Muslims even
before hearing it. Prophets cannot give guidance; it is Almighty
Allah who gives guidance.
Ayats (61 - 75): On the Day of Judgment, the disbelievers will

wish that they had accepted Guidance. Allah (swt) has not
allowed the Mushrikhs to assign His powers to whomever they
want.
Ayats (76 - 82): Story of Qaroon, the rich man, who was from the
people of Musa (a) but he rebelled against the guidance of
Almighty Allah.
Ayats (83 - 88): Revelation of the Qur'an is the mercy of

Almighty Allah, let no one turn you away from it.
Virtue of the Surah
The Prophet Muhammad (s) in a tradition said: ―The one who

recites Surah Al-Qasas will be given ten rewards as many as the
number of all those who assented Musa (a) and those who
rejected him, and there is no angel in the heavens and the earth
but he will attest to his rightfulness in Hereafter.‖ [Majma„-ul-
263
Bayan, the commentary]
Secrets of The Huroof Muqatta‟at (Disjoined Letters) in

Ahadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
About one-quarter of the Quranic Surahs (29 Chapters) are

preceded by mysterious letter-symbols called Huroof Muqatta‘at
(disjoinedletters) or occasionally called Fawatih (openers)
because they appear at the beginning of the relevant Surahs
(chapters of the Qur‘an).
It is related that Abu Bakr as Siddiq said:
For every book there is a secret and all of its secrets are in the
Quràn
in the opening letters of the chapters
Al Hasan said:
―The Quran has knowledge of everything and the knowledge of
the Quran is in the Huroof, which are the letters in the beginning
of the chapters.
And Ibn Abbas said:
―The beginning opening letters of the chapters are taken from the
names of Allah.
Abu Aliyyah agreed and said:
―There is not a letter except it is a key for one of the names of
Allah.‖
And he quoted from Ibn Abbas:
―Without a doubt, the opening of the chapters using the huroof is
Allah`s Greatest Name.‖
As far as the Huroof that occurs in the beginning of the chapters,
there are 29 which are:
ُ ٌ‫ ا‬ALif Lam Meem,
‫ اٌ ّر‬ALif Lam Meem Ra,
‫ اٌ ّص‬Alif Lam Meem Sad,
‫ اٌ ر‬Alif Lam Ra,
ُ‫ ح‬Ha Meem,
‫ حُ ع س ق‬Ha Meem Ayn Sin Qaf,
‫ وه ي عص‬Kaf Haa Ya Ayn Sad,
‫ ي س‬Ya Seen
‫ طه‬Ta Haa,
264
‫ طس‬Ta Seen,
ُ‫ ط س‬Ta Seen Meem,
‫ ق‬Qaf, and
ْ Noon.
Opinions about Huroof Muqatta‘at (Disjoined Letters)

It numbers 14 letters and they are what are called illumination. It
is half of the Arabic alphabet by count the scholars differ in its
interpretation, it is reported that:
• Ibn Abbas said, ―The scholars are unable to grasp its
meanings.‖
• Ash-Sh‘abi said, ―It is the secret of Allah, so don‘t seek it.
[Means unless you are granted it from Allah]
Secret of Huroof Muqatta‘at in Surahs (Chapters) of Quran
a. Three Surahs (Chapters) are pre-fixed with only one letter:
1. Surah ‫ ص‬Sadh (The Letter ‫― ص‬Sadh‖) chapter 38 with‫ص‬
Sadh
2.Surah ‫ ق‬Qaf (The Letter ‫― ق‬Qaf‖) chapter 50 with ‫ ق‬Qaf
3. Surah Al Qalam (The Pen) chapter 68 with ْ Noon
b. The combination of two letters occurs in 10 surahs:

Three of them occur only once each:
1. ‫ طه‬Ta Haa, Ch. 20 – Surah Taha (Ta Ha) (Prophet
Muhammad‘s (s) Name)
2. ‫ طس‬Ta Seen, Ch. 27 – Surah An Naml (The Ant)
3. ‫ ي س‬Ya Seen, Ch. 36–Surah YaSeen (YaSeen) (Prophet
ُ‫ ح‬Ha Meem, occurs in seven consecutive Surahs 40-46:

1. Ch. 40 – Surah Ghafir (The Forgiver)
2. Ch. 41 – Surah Fassilat (Explained in Detail)
3. Ch. 42 – Surah Ash Shura (The Consultation)
4. Ch. 43 – Surah Az Zukhruf (The Ornaments of Gold)
5. Ch. 44 – Surah Ad Dukhan (The Smoke)
6. Ch. 45 – Surah Al Jathiya (The Crouching)
7. Ch. 46 – Surah Al Ahqaf (The Wind-Curved Sandhills)
c. There are three combinations of three letters, each occurring

in 13 surahs.
265
ُ ٌ‫ ا‬Alif Lam Meem, occurs in six surahs
1. Ch. 2 – Surah Al Baqara (The Cow)
2. Ch. 3 – Surah ‗Ali ‗Imran (Family of ‗Imran)
3. Ch. 29 – Surah al ‗Ankabut (The Spider)
4. Ch. 30 – Surah Ar Rum (The Romans),
5. Ch. 31 – Surah Luqman (Luqman)
6. Ch. 32 – Surah As Sajda (The Prostration)
‫ اٌ ر‬Alif Laam Ra, occurs in Five consecutive Surahs 10 – 15:

1. Ch. 10 – Surah Yunus (Jonah),
2. Ch. 11 – Surah Hud (Hud)
3. Ch. 12 – Surah Yusuf (Joseph)
4. Ch. 14 – Surah Ibrahim (Abraham)
5. Ch. 15 – Surah Al Hijr (The Rocky Tract)
ُ‫ ط س‬Ta Seen Meem, occurs in two Surahs:

Ch. 26 – Surah Ash Shu‘ara (The Poets)
Ch. 28 – Surah Al Qasas (The Stories)
d. Combination of four letters occurs twice:

‫ اٌ ّص‬Alif Lam Meem Sadh, Ch. 7 – Surah al A‘raf (The Heights)
‫ اٌ ّر‬Alif Lam Meem Ra, Ch. 13 – Surah Ar Ra‘d(The Thunder)
e. Combination of five letters occurs twice:

‫ وه ي عص‬Kahf Haa Ya Ayn Sadh, Ch. 19 – Surah Maryam (Mary)
‫ حّ ع سك‬Ha Meem Ayn Seen Qaf, Ch. 42 – Surah Ash Shura (the
Consultation)
Surah Ash-Shura chapter 42 has a double combination of

abbreviated letters one set of two letters followed by one set of
three letters.
ُ‫ ح‬Ha Meem – Ch. 42:1 – Surah Ash Shura (The Consultation)
‫‗ ع سك‬Ayn Seen Qaf, Ch. 42:2 – Surah Ash Shura (The
Consultation)
[Courtesy:http://www.nurmuhammad.com/pbuh/?p=2
230]
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1. The promise of Allah (swt) to His slaves is fulfilled without
doubt.
2. The story of Pharaoh who plotted to kill all the male

children of the Israelites. How Allah (swt) saved Musa (a)
and arranged for him to be brought up in Pharaoh's own
household.
3. Youth of Prophet Musa (a), his folly of killing a man, his

escape to Madyan, his marriage, his seeing a fire at Mount
Tur, and his assignment as a Rasool to Pharaoh.
4. The stories of prior generations are related in The Qur'an

as an eye opener for the disbelievers to learn a lesson.
Prophet Muhammad (s) does not narrate from himself.
Allah (swt) tells Prophet Muhammad (s) that he was not
present there on the mountain when He gave Musa (a) the
law, nor was he among the people of Madyan. Prophet
Muhammad (s) was also not there when God Almighty
spoke to Musa (a) on the side of Mount Sinai.
5. Unbiased Jews and Christians; when they hear The

Qur'an, can recognize the Truth and feel that they were
Muslims even before hearing it.
6. The Prophets cannot give guidance; it is Almighty Who

gives guidance.
7. The fact that on the Day of Judgment, disbelievers will

wish that they had accepted guidance and became
Muslims.
8. Almighty Allah has not allowed the mushrikhs to assign

His powers to whom they want.
9. The story of Qaroon, the legendary rich man who thought

the treasure and wealth he had was of his own knowledge
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and abilities. So, God Almighty caused the earth to
swallow him and his house.
10. Allah's (swt) commandment that the revelation of The

Qur'an is His mercy; a believer should let no one turn
away from it.
11. The home of the Hereafter is for those who seek neither
glory nor spread corruption. The best outcome is for those
who are mindful of God. Those who come to God
Almighty on the Day of Judgment with good deeds will be
rewarded with what is better.
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29. Surah Al „Ankabut (The Spider)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al „Ankabut In Summarized
Form

The Surah takes its name from the description of the spider‘s
house building skills, ―Al-‘Ankabut - The Spider‖ from ayah 41.
The title is derived from the ayah, which likens the false gods
whom people seek, to the spider‘s cobweb - the weakest of
dwellings. Other Surahs having names of animals are Al-Baqarah
(The Cow), Al-Fil (The Elephant), An-Naml (That Ant), And An-
Nahl (The Bee). This Surah has 7 Ruku‘ (Section) with 69 ayats.
The Surah deals with the life in the Hereafter, and reminds man
that the life of this world is but a pastime, whereas the life in the
Hereafter is the true life. Believers are reminded to be steadfast
in prayer.
Revelation
There are some different opinions about the time this Surah was
revealed. But general consensus is, Surah Al-‗Ankabut was
revealed shortly before the Muslims migration to Habash
(Abyssinia) during which the persecution of Muslims went to
extremes.
Some commentators are of the opinion, since the Surah has the
mention of hypocrites – first ten ayats of the Surah were revealed
in Madinah as hypocrisy appeared from there and rest is of
Makkah. But the facts of hypocrisy mentioned in this Surah came
from the extreme torture by the disbelievers, which subjected
Muslims to fall prey to weak faith.
Some commentators are of the opinion that this Surah was the
last Surah revealed at Makkah – since this Surah exhorts
Muslims to migrate. But this opinion compared to the subject
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matter of the Surah, the migration of Muslims also occurred
before they did to Madinah. So, based on internal evidence of
many traditions – this Surah was not the last Surah which got
revealed in Makkah.
1. Tests and trials are part of faith.
2. Examples of Prophets Nuh (a) and Ibrahim (a).
3. Example of Prophet Lut (a).
4. Example of Prophet Shu'aib (a). References to the people

of 'Ad, Thamud, Qaroon and Pharaoh. Message of Prophet
Musa (a). Spider web of Shirk.
5. Give the message of Allah (swt) in the best way.
6. Warnings to the non-believers.
7. The truth will succeed. Almighty Allah guides the steps of

those who follow the right path.
The Surah begins with three separate Arabic letters. Alif, Lam,
Meem. These three are amongst various combinations of
fourteen letters that open 29 Surahs of the Qur‘an known as
Huroof Muqatta‘at.
Allah (swt) did not reveal any specific meaning attached to them
but scholars analyzed those with Prophetic commentary from
the Lord Himself.
Like all the Surahs of Makkah, it discusses belief, the

fundamentals of faith and the Oneness of God Almighty. It is
believed that this Surah was revealed to strengthen and
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encourage the new Muslims who were, at the time, suffering
severe abuse and oppression. A clear link is established between
all the messages and the message of Prophet Muhammad (s).
The Surah teaches a believer to build strong faith, just to say, ―I

believe‖ is not enough – one has to pass to the test and trials in
order to prove his/her believe. Early Muslims had to go through
different stages of trials and tribulations for accepting the truth.
The disbelievers of Makkah persecuted the believers to give up
their faith. But Allah (swt) reminded the believers that faith
means to overcome hardships.
This Surah has the stories of prophets who have gone through
hardships. The Surah relates other past prophets‘ people
condition which is akin to the condition of prophet Muhammad‘s
(a) companions - Nuh (a), Ibrahim (a), Lut (a), Shuaib (a), Hud
(a), Salih (a), and Musa (a) endured hardships but they did not
give up.
Ayats (1 – 13): Allah (swt) tests the believers to see, who is

truthful and who is a liar? Be kind to your parents but do not
obey them in the matter of shirk. Those who say, "Follow us, we
will bear your burden," are liars.
Ayats (14 – 22): Nuh (a) admonished his people for 950 years
not to commit shirk. Likewise, Ibrahim (a) admonished his
people not to commit shirk.
Ayats (23 – 30): The people of Ibrahim (a) even tried to burn
him alive but Almighty Allah saved him. Lut (a) (his nephew) is
the only one who affirmed his belief with him. Lut (a) was
appointed as a Rasool towards the nation of homosexuals.
Ayats (31 - 44): The qawm of Lut (a) rejected Allah's guidance; as
a result Allah (swt) destroyed them all. Likewise the Nations of
'Ad, Thamud, Madyan and Fir‗aun (Pharaoh) rejected the
Rasools of Almighty Allah, which resulted in their destruction.
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The parables of those who take protectors other than Lord
Almighty dwell in the flimsiest house of spiders-web.
Ayats (45 – 51): Salah (Prayer) keeps one away from shameful
deeds and Do not argue with the People of the Book except in
good taste.
Ayats (52 - 63): Those who believe in falsehood and disbelieve

Allah shall be the losers. How many creatures are there who do
not carry their provisions with them? Allah (swt) provides them
as He provides us.
Ayats (64 - 69): The life of this world is nothing but pastime, the
real life is the life Hereafter. Those who strive in the cause of
Almighty God, He guides them to the straight Way.
Virtue of the Surah
There is a noble tradition from the Prophet Muhammad (s)

which narrates:
―Whoever recites Surah ‗Ankabut will have ten good rewards as
the number of all believers and hypocrites.‖ [Majma„-ul-
Bayan]
Huruf-i-Muqatta„at: Farahi‟s Theory - Qur'anic Exegesis
More than one-fourth of the Qur'anic Surahs begin with certain

abbreviated letters called Huruf-i-Muqatta'at. These letters are
actually the names of the respective surahs, as is evident from
the Qur'an. Many Ahadith as well as the pre-Islamic Arabic
literature endorse this view. However, there remains the
question of why the Surahs are called so. Many scholars have
attempted to answer the question but what they have come up
with is not very satisfactory. Farahi (d: 1930 AD) has presented
an explanation which might hold the key to the problem. We
shall briefly discuss his theory. Those who are aware of the
history of the Arabic alphabet know that it has been derived from
the Hebrew alphabet, which itself has its roots in the alphabet
272
used in ancient Arabia. Farahi is of the view that the letters of
this parent alphabet as English and Hindi do not represent
phonetic sounds only, but as the Chinese alphabet symbolise
certain meanings and objects and usually assume the shape of
the objects and meanings they convey. He goes on to assert that
it was these letters which the early Egyptians adopted and after
adapting them according to their own concepts founded the
hieroglyphic script from them. The remnants of this script can be
seen in the tables of the Egyptian Pyramids.
The science which deciphers the meanings of these letters is now

extinct. However, there are some letters whose meanings have
persisted to this day, and the way they are written also somewhat
resembles their ancient forms. For example, it is known about
the Arabic letter Alif that it is used to mean a cow and was
represented by a cow's head. The letter Ba in Hebrew is called
Beth and means Bayt (house) as well. The Hebrew
pronunciationof Jim is Gimel which means Jamal (camel). Ta
stands for a serpent and is written in a serpent's shape also. Mim
represents a water wave and also has a similar configuration.
Farahi presents Surah Nun in support of his theory. The letter

Nun still denotes its ancient meaning of fish. In this Surah, the
Prophet Jonah (a) has been addressed as Sahibu'l-H~ut that is
he who is swallowed by a whale. Farahi opines that it is because
of this reference that the Surah is called Nun. He goes on to say
that if one keeps in consideration the example given above, it is
quite likely that the abbreviated letters by which other Surahs
commence are placed at the beginning of the Surahs to symbolise
a relation between the topics of a particular Surah and their own
ancient connotations.
Some other names of the Qur'anic Surahs reinforce Farahi's

theory. Surah Taha, for example, begins with the letter Ta which
represents a serpent, as has been indicated before. After a brief
introduction the tale of Musa (a) and his staff which is
transformed into a snake has been depicted in it. Other Surahs as
Tasin and Tasin Mim, which begin with the letter Ta, also
portray this miraculous episode.
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Surah Baqarah, which begins with the letter Alif, is another
example which further strengthens Farahi's claims. It has been
indicated before that the letter Alif had the meaning of a cow
associated with it and is represented by a cow's head. Surah
Baqarah, as we all know, contains the anecdote of a cow and its
sacrifice.
Another aspect of the Surahs which begin with the same letter is
a similarity in their topics and even in their style and
construction. For example, all Surahs which begin with Alif
basically deal with Tawhid (monotheism). It would be
appropriate here to point out that the letter Alif also stood for
Allah, the One and Alone.
We have presented here Farahi's theory only because it is

substantiated to some extent with sound arguments. It must be
conceded that the theory needs to be developed and verified still
further if it is to be accepted as the only logical explanation of
why the Qur'anic Surahs are so named.(Adapted from Islahi's
'Tadabbur-i-Qur'an') [Courtesy Link:
http://www.almawrid.org/index.php/articles/view/hur
uf-i-muqattaat-farahis-theory]
1. Almighty Allah tests the Believers to see who is truthful

and who is a liar: The believer‘s faith is assessed by Allah
(swt) with thorough examination of truth to their belief.
The people who came before them were tested and it is
how God Almighty separates the liars from those who are
truthful. It is not enough to claim belief; belief imposes
certain duties. The evil doers will not escape, because God
Almighty knows everything. Those who believe and
behave righteously do so for their own benefit. Lord
Almighty does not need a person to behave well; He is free
from all needs.
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2. Be kind to parents but do not obey them in matters of
shirk (associating anyone else with Allah): Almighty God
demands that the believers be good to their parents.
However, they should not obey them if they try to make
them worship something other than God Almighty. One
needs to remember that one day he/she will return to God
Almighty and only those with true faith will be among the
righteous of the past who has succeeded to attain nearness
to Almighty Allah.
3. Those who say - "Follow us, we will bear your burden on

the Day of Judgment," are liars: There are people who
waver in their belief whenever they are faced with
difficulties; but then when they are in a position of ease,
they make boastful claims about their belief. Their faith is
easily shaken and God Almighty is well aware of who truly
believes and who is a hypocrite. The disbelievers
encourage disbelief. So, they tell the shaky believers that
they would carry their load of burden in the Day of
Judgment. Allah (swt) informed that they won‘t be able to
carry their own burdens with proper balance with the one
of others they made stray from the right path.
4. Nuh (a) was spreading his message amongst his people for
nearly one thousand years: The Prophet Nuh (a)
admonished his people for 950 years not to commit shirk.
But they were still doing evil when the flood overtook
them. Those saved in the ark are a sign for all those who
came after them.
5. The Prophet Ibrahim (a) admonished his people not to

commit shirk, for which they tried to burn him alive, but
Almighty Allah saved him: Ibrahim (a) tried to warn his
people against idol worship and told them to seek their
provision from Lord Almighty. He warned them with
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stories from their own past and with logical arguments
about the power and mercy of God Almighty. Their only
response was to be succumbed to idol worship and call for
Ibrahim‘s (a) death. Ibrahim (a) walked out of the fire
which meant to kill him and shunned away from them
rejecting idol worship as fire will be their eternal abode.
Lut (a) witnessed this event and then reaffirmed his faith.
Ibrahim (a) was father to a long line of prophets beginning
with his son Ishaq (a) [Isaac] and then with his grandson
Yaqub (a) [Jacob].
6. The story of Lut (a): Lut (a) tried to counsel his people
asking them to stop their immoral practices, their acts of
highway robbery, and corruption. They hardly responded
except by telling Lut (a) to bring on the punishment. Lut
(a) prayed to God Almighty for help. When the angels
brought the news of a son to Ibrahim (a) they also told
him that they were charged with destroying the town Lut
(a) was living in. Ibrahim (a) feared for his cousin and the
angels said they planned to save Lut (a) along with his
followers. When the angels in the form of guests visited
Lut (a), he was anxious because he could do nothing to
protect them from the unruly and evil townspeople. The
angels were aware of Lut (a)‘s grief. They revealed their
identity and told him why they had come and that he and
his household would be safe from Almighty God‘s
torment. His wife however would not be amongst those
saved. The ruins of the town were left so that people who
think would understand.
7. The Nations of 'Ad, Thamud, Madyan and Pharaoh

rejected the Rasools of Allah, as a result Allah destroyed
them all: The people of Madyan denied Shuaib (a). Allah
(swt) therefore sent an earthquake that overtook them in
the night. The people of Ad and Thamud were also
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destroyed. Shaitan played on their arrogance and made
their deeds seem fair and thus diverted them from the
right path. They were capable of seeing through his tricks.
Musa (a) along his brother Harun (a) went to Pharaoh,
Qaroon and Haman with clear undeniable signs but they
too were arrogant and refused to believe. They could not
however outrun Almighty God‘s punishment. Lord
Almighty Allah was not unjust; they were unjust to
themselves.
8. Parables of those who take protectors other than Almighty

Allah, are that of the dwelling of a spider and the fact that
the weakest of all the dwellings is the dwelling of a spider:
Those who seek protection from something other than
Almighty God are like spiders who think they are safe in
their flimsy cobweb homes. Allah (swt) knows what they
call on besides Him and even when given examples they
fail to understand. These parables are for the wise, and for
the believers they are a sign. Prophet Muhammad (s) is
told to recite from the Qur‘an and to establish the prayer
because remembrance of Almighty Allah which will keep
people away from shameful deeds and wrongdoings.
9. The signs that make things clear: If one asks the

disbelievers who created the heavens and the earth, or
who sends down the rain, they would answer, God
Almighty. Why then do they continue to deny the signs?
Why do they not use their common sense? This life is
nothing but a diversion, an amusement for a short time. It
is the Hereafter that is the real life. When a person gets
into trouble they call upon Almighty Allah but when he
saves them they forget that they should be grateful and
begin to thank others for their rescue.
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30. Surah Ar Rum (The Romans; The Constantinople;
The Byzantine)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ar Rum In Summarized Form

This Surah was revealed in Makkah. It was sent down about 5

years after Prophet Muhammad (s) have received prophethood.
The name of the Surah appears in the 2nd ayah in which words
ghubibatir rum occurred. The title is taken from the prophecy of
Roman victory over the Persians, despite the fact that the
Persians were in a far superior position. The Surah has 60 ayats
in 6 Ruku‘ (Sections).
The Arabic term, ―Ar-Rum‖ translates to English as ―Rome‖.

Today we may refer to the Italian capital city for understanding,
but the tern has been used to mean to direct attention to, ―the
Roman Empire‖. In the time of Muhammad (s), the place was
referred to the Byzantine Greeks (Eastern Roman Empire). The
term "Byzantine" is a modern designation to describe the Eastern
Roman Empire, particularly after the major political
restructuring of the seventh and eighth century. The Arabs,
therefore, naturally called them "the Rum", their territory "the
land of the Rum" and the Mediterranean "the Sea of the Rum".
Revelation
This is a Makki Surah and it was revealed about 5 years after the
Prophethood. The period of the revelation of this Surah is
determined absolutely by the historical event mentioned at the
outset of this Surah. It says: ―The Romans have been defeated in
the neighbouring land.‖
In those days the Byzantine occupied territories adjacent to

Arabia were Jordan, Syria and Palestine and in these territories
the Romans were completely overpowered by the Persians in 615
C.E. Therefore it can be said with absolute certainty that this
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Surah was sent down in the same year and this was the year in
which the migration to Abyssinia took place.
Topics discussed in Ruku‘ (Section
1. The defeat of the Romans and then later their victory is

foretold.
2. Creation and Resurrection belong to Almighty Allah.

Glorify Allah (swt) at different times of the day.
3. The signs of Allah (swt) in nature.
4. The true religion corresponds and enhances the nature.

Teachings of the religion of nature: tawhid, care of the
family and relatives, economic justice and charity.
5. Corruption caused by human beings. Evidence of

corruption in history. Evidence of resurrection in nature.
6. The Day of Resurrection.
The Surah number thirty begins with the combination of letters -

Alif Laam Meem. These three are amongst various combinations
of fourteen letters that open 29 Surah‘s of the Qur‘an known as
The Surah opens with a reference to the defeat of the Byzantines

(also known as the Roman Empire) at the hands of the Persians
(613–14 CE) in Syria, and the subsequent victory of the
Byzantines in 624 CE. This defeat posed a significant theological
and sociological problem for the early Muslim community
because the Byzantines were Christians and considered
monotheists while the state that defeated them was considered
279
dualists because the official religion was Zoroastrianism. The
Surah is in part a response to the non-Muslim of MAkkah, who
took this victory as a sign that the traditional polytheistic
practices would win out over monotheism. In the third and
fourth ayats, the Muslim community is promised that the
Byzantines will reverse their defeat into a victory "in a few years'
time".
"The Romans were vanquished in the closer region, and

they, after being vanquished, will prevail within a certain
number of years. To God belongs the command before
and after. And that Day ones who believe will be glad with
the help of God. He helps whom He wills. And He is The
Almighty, The Compassionate."[Quran 30:2–5
(Translated by Laleh Bakhtiar)]
This victory did eventually come during Heraclius' campaign of

622. Muslims cite the fulfilled prophecy of the Roman victory
over the Persians as an example of the miraculous nature of the
Qur‘an.
The Surah urges people to reflect on their own creation and the
heavens and earth. Almighty God‘s power to give life to a barren
land is an indication both of His ability to raise the dead and of
His mercy to mankind. The disbelievers are warned to accept
faith before it is too late, and Prophet Muhammad (s) is urged to
persevere and to ignore the bullying of the disbelievers.
The Surah reminds us that Allah (swt) is in control of everything.

Those who are short sighted they see only what is apparent but
they do not realize that there is a Creator and Master of this
whole samawat and it is He who is governing everything. Final
decision is in Almighty Allah's hand. The Akhirah will take place
and the truth will prevail. So, mention is made of the five daily
prayers. The believer is asked to endure with patience and
fortitude, as Almighty Allah‘s promise is true.
280
Ayats (1 - 10): The Romans' (Christians) defeat at the hands of
Persia (Pagans) was taken as a sign of the Muslims' defeat at the
hands of Arab unbelievers, so Almighty Allah gave good tidings
for the Roman victory as well as the Muslim victory in a few
years.
Ayats (11 - 19): It is Allah (swt) Who originates creation and then
repeats it and to Him everyone will be brought for final
Judgment.
Ayats (20 - 27): The creation of Man, his consort, heavens, earth,
language, colors, sleep, quest for work, lightening, rain and
growth of vegetation - all are the signs from Allah (swt).
Ayats (28 - 40): The wrongdoers are led by their own appetites
without real knowledge. True faith, and the nature of sects.
When an affliction befalls people, they call upon Almighty Allah,
but when He relieves them, lo! They start committing shirk.
Commandment has provided to give one's relatives their due and
likewise to the poor and the travellers in need.
Ayats (41 - 53): Mischief in the land is the result of Man's own
misdeeds, which is how Allah (swt) lets them taste the fruit of
their deeds. Allah (swt) sent His Rasools for the guidance of
people; some believed while others rejected. Almighty Allah
subjected the guilty to His retribution and helped the Believers.
Allah (swt) said: "O Prophet, you cannot make the dead to hear
you."
Ayats (44 - 60): It is Allah (swt) Who has created us and shall
bring us to justice on the Day of Judgment.
Virtue of the Surah
A tradition narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (s), he has

said:
―Whoever recites Surah Ar-Room, will be rewarded ten rewards
as the number of every angel who glorifies Allah between the
heaven, and the earth, and whatever he has lost in that day and
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night will be recompensed.‖ [Majma„-ul-Bayan, at the
beginning of Surah Ar-Room]
Scientific References
"In the nearest land, but they, after their defeat, will overcome."
(30:3)
Indeed, after around seven years following the revelation of these

verses, against all the odds, the Byzantine Empire defeated the
Persians and the lost territories were returned to them. In
the verse, God describes the geographical location as ‗adna al-
ardh.‘ The word ‗adna‘ can be translated as the ‗nearest‘ or the
‗lowest‘ land. Classic Islamic scholars opted to interpret the word
to concord to the first meaning of ‗nearest‘. However, recent
geological studies have shown that the lowest point on Earth [dry
land], is indeed the region where the main battles took place -
around the Dead Sea. It is now established that there is no land
point on Earth with a lower altitude than the shoreline of the
Dead Sea [which is approx 418m below sea level].
Is it a mere coincidence that region described by God as ‗adna al-
ardh‘ – is actually the lowest point on Earth?
Modern usage of the term Rum
There are differing opinions among Islamic scholars regarding

the identity of Rumm in the modern day. Various books have
been written on the topic and the relevance of the identity of
Rum in Islamic eschatology caused much debate to take place
regarding the issue.
Musa Cerantonio, in his book 'Which Nation does Rum in the

Aḥadith of the Last Days refer to?', suggests that the title of Rum
was passed from the Roman Empire based in Italy to the
Byzantine Empire, then to the Ottoman Empire when the
Ottomans defeated the Byzantines, and openly proclaimed to be
the inheritors of Rome and its leader Mehmed II called himself
the Caesar of Rome (Qaysar al-Rum), and the title of Rum was
then passed to the successors of Rum, the modern Republic of
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Turkey. The book argues that the definition of Rum has never
been defined by ethnicity, geography or religion but that Rum
was always understood to be a political term and that it was only
by conquest and succession that a nation would become the
inheritors of the title of Rum.
According to Imran N. Hosein, Rum - mentioned in the Qur‘an

refers to the Eastern Orthodox Church, which was located in the
Byzantine Empire, with Constantinople as its capital. He argues
that with the disappearance of the Byzantine Empire, the
headquarters of the Eastern Orthodox Church is now located in
Russia and hence is Rum today.
Rum in Geography
Later, because Muslim contact with the Byzantine Empire most

often took place in Asia Minor (the heartland of the state from
the seventh century onward), the term Rum became fixed there
geographically and remained even after the conquest by the
Seljuk Turks so their territory was called the land of the Seljuks
of Rum or the Sultanate of Rum. But as the Mediterranean was
"the Sea of the Rum"- so all peoples on its north coast were called
sweepingly "the Rum".
1. The Roman's (Christian's of Byzantine) defeat at the

hands of Persians (pagans) was considered by the people
of Makkah a sign of the Muslim's defeat at the hands of
Arab unbelievers. Since the Byzantines at that time were
Christians, and the Persians were Magians, the
unbelievers in Makkah exploited the event, drumming up
the victory of polytheism over monotheism, and seeing in
this Persian victory an omen for their own victory over the
believers.
2. Prophecy of the Roman's victory against Persians heralds

a victory for the people of the Scriptures, the Byzantines,
283
within a few years. It says that this victory will bring
much joy to the Muslims because they love the believers of
any divine religion to gain the upper hand.
3. Within 30 years or so after the revelation of Surah ar-Rum

- the Muslims had defeated both the Persian and Roman
armies occupying many towns and cities.
4. Allah (swt) has originated the creation and He will

resurrect the dead for final judgment. If we ponder over
the samawat, the soul within us from Lord Almighty,
people‘s situations and the wonders of nature – we would
surely find ourselves in the confines of time, place and
event, and operative rules of the samawat, history, present
and future being regulated by a divine being Almighty
Allah - Who is the past, present and future of humanity.
5. The spread of corruption on land and sea with by people

resulted into sins which are the reasons behind their
misfortunes and problems. If one reflect on the ends met
by past communities of unbelievers who associated
partners with God Almighty. Their faith turned them into
sects and rivals of each other; eventually lured them to do
shirk.
6. Creation of Man, his Consort, Heaven, Earth, Language,

Colors, Sleep, Quest for work, Lightening, Rain and
Growth of vegetation are all signs from Lord Almighty.
7. Wrongdoers are those who are led by their own appetite

without real knowledge. Their alleged deities can never
provide sustenance, initiate or terminate life. Such people
who wrong their own soul enjoy Almighty God‘s mercy
and when they are afflicted by hardship, as well as in
situations of affluence and poverty they are not sure of the
real cause of it.
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8. Commandment to give relatives their due and take care of
the poor and travellers in need.
9. Allah (swt) told the Prophet (s): "O Prophet! You cannot
make the dead hear you." He was told always to remain
confident that Allah‘s promise will be fulfilled. Hence, he
must not let himself be disturbed by those who lack faith.
So, he was directed to follow the religion of pure human
nature before a day comes when everyone will be
rewarded for their doings.
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31. Surah Luqman (Lokmaan; The Wise; Wise One)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Luqman In Summarized Form

Surah Luqman is named after a very wise man. This is an early

Makki Surah, revealed perhaps before the Surah al'Ankabut. The
Surah has 34 ayats and 4 Ruku‘ (Section). It is among the six
Surahs which start with Alif-Laam-Mim.
Revelation
An examination of the subject matter shows that it was sent

down in the period when persecution to suppress and thwart the
invitation to Islam had begun. Every sort of plotting had started
being employed for this purpose. This is borne out by the ayah
no.14 in which the young reverts to Islam have been told that
although the rights of the parents are the uppermost after Lord
Almighty they should not listen to them if they prevented them
from accepting Islam or compelled them to revert to the creed of
polytheism (Shirk). The same thing has been said in Surah 29:
al-‗Ankabut (The Spider) which indicates that both these Surahs
were sent down in the same period.
A study of the style and subject matter of the two Surahs on the
whole however shows that Surah Luqman was sent down earlier
for one does not see any sign of the antagonism in its
background, though contrary to this while studying Surah 29: al-
‗Ankabut (The Spider) one can clearly feel that the Muslims were
being severely persecuted during the period of its revelation.
1. Qur'an is a book of guidance and mercy for all people.
2. The wise man, Luqman‘ advises.
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3. Signs of tawhid in the heaven and earth. Shirk or
polytheism has no basis.
4. In crisis people turn to the Real Almighty God. Let not the
things of this world deceive you. All knowledge belongs to
Almighty Allah.
As said earlier, Surah Luqman starts with the letters - Alif Laam
Meem. These three letters are amongst various combinations of
fourteen letters that open 29 Surah‘s of the Qur‘an known as
This Surah is named after the sage Luqman, whose advice to his
son features in ayats 13 to 19. It opens with a description of the
believers and strongly condemns those who attempt to lead
others astray. In this Surah Tawhid is emphasized and Shirk and
its ideas are critically examined. It tells us that those who are
following Shirk they are only blindly following their forefathers.
The true wisdom is to believe in Allah. The advices of Luqman
are also given here to support the same principles.
The disbelievers are warned about the consequences of their
actions and Prophet Muhammad (s) is told not to be saddened by
their actions.
Ayats (1 – 11): The Qur'an is the Book of Wisdom, a Guide and a

Blessing for the Righteous.
Ayats (12 - 13): Luqman advised his son not to commit Shirk.
Ayats (14 - 19): Rights of the mother and parents. One must obey
his/her parents but not in the matters of Shirk. Luqman‘s advice
about the moral behavior and interaction are depicted here.
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Ayats (20 - 30): Main reason for being misguided is being
blinded by following one's forefathers. If all the trees were pens
and the oceans were ink, Almighty Allah's words could not be put
into writing. Allah (swt) is the only reality; all others whom
people invoke besides Him are false.
Ayats (31 - 34): O mankind, fear that Day when no father shall
avail his son nor a son his father. Let not the Shaitan deceive you
concerning this fact.
Virtue of the Surah
Who was Luqman?
The tafsir written by the scholar Ibn Kathir places Luqman in

Nubia or Ethiopia and portrays him as a carpenter and a slave.
He states that while Luqman was a "righteous servant" of Allah,
he was not a prophet. One tale recounted in Ibn Kathir's writings
involves Luqman's master ordering him to slaughter a sheep and
to bring its worst parts to him. Luqman slaughtered the sheep
and took its heart and tongue to his master. The master was
confused upon receiving them, but Luqman stated that "There is
nothing better than these if they are good, and there is nothing
worse than these if they are bad", demonstrating his perception
and wisdom.
Other Islamic traditions portray Luqman as an Arab poet and

wise man from the people of Ad who lived in Al-Ahqaf, near
modern-day Yemen.
A large number of stories demonstrating Luqman's sharp mind

have made their way into Islamic tradition, including his
attempts to gain a woman's love. Over time, a large number of
proverbs have been attributed to him, rendering him a sort of
Arabic Aesop figure. One saying attributed to Luqman has him
crediting his success in life to "truthful speech, fulfilling the trust,
and leaving what does not concern me.‖
Ibn Abu Hatim said: I was told by my father after Al-‗Abbas Ibn
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Al-Walid after Zaid Ibn Yahya Ibn ‗Ubaid Al-Khuza‘i after Sa‘id
Ibn Bashir that Qatadah said: Allah Almighty enabled Luqman to
choose between Prophethood and wisdom and he (Luqman)
preferred wisdom to Prophethood. Then, Gabriel came while he
was asleep and poured the wisdom over him. And, he began to
pronounce it the next morning.
Many from among our earlier scholars, foremost among whom

were Mujahid, Sa‘id Ibn Al-Musayyb and Ibn ‗Abbas (May Allah
be pleased with him), were of the viewpoint that Allah‘s
Statement that reads: “And indeed We bestowed upon
Luqman Al- Hikmah (wisdom),” means: discretion and
religious understanding. He was not a Prophet and nothing had
been revealed to him Al- Wahi (Divine Inspiration).
Huruf-e-Muqatta‟at
(The disjointed letters in Qura‘n) by: M. Rashid Hai

The 29 Surah(verses) of Qura‘n start with some disjointed letters
called ‗huruf-e-muqatta‘at‘ – disjointed letters. Some of these
muqatta‘at comprises of simply 1 letter, some of 2 letters, some 3
letters, some 4 letters and a few comprises 5 letters. The Surah
starting with these muqatta‘at are listed below:
There are 3 Surah that start with simply one muqatta (singular of
muqatta‘at)
1- Surah 38, Suad: Suad
2- Surah 50, Quaf: Quaf
3- Surah 68, Al-Qalam: Noon
There are 9 surah that start with 2 muqatta‘at
1- Surah 20, Ta-Ha: Ta Ha
2- Surah 27, Al-namal: Ta Seen
3- Surah 36, Ya-Sin: Ya Seen
4- Surah 40, Al-momin: ha Meem
5- Surah 41, Al-hameem Sejda: ha Meem
6- Surah 43, Al-Zukhruf: ha Meem
7- Surah 44, Al-Dukhan: ha Meem
8- Surah 45, Al-Jaseya: ha Meem
9- Surah 46, Al-Ahqaf: ha Meem
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There are 13 sura that start with 3 muqatta‘at
1- Surah 2, Al-Baqra: Alif Laam Meem
2- Surah 3, Ale-Imran: Alif Laam Meem
3- Surah 10, Yunus: Alif Laam Ra
4- Surah 11, Hud: Alif Laam Ra
5- Surah 12, Yusuf: Alif Laam Ra
6- Surah 14, Ibrahim: Alif Laam Ra
7- Surah 15, Al-Hijr: Alif Laam Ra
8- Surah 26, Al-Sho‟ara: Ta Sin Meem
9- Surah 28, Al-Qasas: Ta Sin Meem
10- Surah 29, Al-ankaboot: Alif Laam Meem
11- Surah 30, Al-Room: Alif Laam Meem
12- Surah 31, Luqman: Alif Laam Meem
13- Surah 32, Al-Sejda: Alif Laam Meem
Following 2 start with 4 muqatta‘at

1- Surah 7, al-A‟araaf: Alif Laam Meem Suad
2- Surah 13, al-Ra'd: Alif Laam Meem Ra
And following 2 start with 5 muqatta‘at

1- Surah 19, Maryam: Kaf Ha Ya Ain Suad
2- Surah 42, al-Shuraa: ha Meem; Ain Seen Quaf
The 14 letters used as muqattaat are as follows:

‫ ل – ا‬- ‫ و‬- ‫ ر‬- ‫ ک‬- ‫ ە‬- ‫ ي‬- ‫ ع‬- ‫ ص‬- ‫ ط‬- ‫ س‬- ‫ ق‬- ٌ- ‫ح‬
1) Some one has coined a phrase by joining these words:

‫سز نحكيى َصه قطعب‬
"A secret of a sage who explained it in piecemeal."
This phrase can be considered as a key to the fawateh of the
Qur'an
2) A shi'ite has joined the 14 letters and formed a phrase:

‫صزاطعهيحقهًُسكه‬
"Ali is on the path of truth and we are also on the same path ".
3) A sunnite formed the following phrase as a counter:

‫صح طزيقك يع انسُة‬
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"Follow the path of Sunnah.‖
A large number of scholarly books have been written over the

centuries on the possible meanings and probable significance of
these disjointed letters the muqatta‘at. Opinions have been
numerous but without a final conclusion. There is no reliable
report of Hazrat Muhammad SWA having used such expressions
in his ordinary speech, or his having thrown light on its usage in
the Qur'an. And, more importantly, none of his Companions
seemed to have asked him about it. This apparent lack of
inquisitiveness is cited as proof that such abbreviations were well
known to the Arabs of the time and were in vogue long before the
advent of Islam. However the use of such letters faded away from
Arabic literature with the passage of time.
These letters- the muqatta‘at fall into the category of

‗mutashabihat‘ and what Qur‘an says about ‗mutashabihat in
surah Aal-e-Imran verse 5-7: ― Nothing in the earth or the
heavens is hidden from Allah, It is He Who shapes you in the
wombs of your mothers as He wills. There is no deity but He,
the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. It is He who sent down this Book
for you. There are two kinds of verses in this Book: muhkamat‘:
they are the essence of the Book, and others, ‗mutashabihat‘.
Those who are perverse of heart, always go after the
‗mutashabihat‘ in pursuit of mischief and try to interpret them
arbitrarily, whereas, in fact none save Allah knows their real
meaning. In contrast to them, those who possess sound
knowledge, say, :We believe in them because all of them are
from our Lord‖. And the fact is that only the people of insight
can learn lessons from such things‖.[1]
There is not a single saheeh (authentic) hadith that could provide

the meanings, details or explanations of these disjointed letters-
the muqatta‘at. ―Allah knows the best‖ could only be the most
proper refrence regarding these letters. However there is a
saheeh hadith in which Allah‘s Rasool SWA says ‗ I don‘t say that
alif, laam, meem ia single word but alif is a letter, laam is a
letter and meem is aletter, and there is a ‗naikee‘ (good-deed) to
recite one letter and each naikee (good-deed) is rewarded ten
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times‘.[2]
Allāh states clearly in the text that the Qur‘ān is, ‗A Book whereof
the Verses are explained in detail – a Qur‘ān in Arabic for
people who know.‘ (Sūrat al-Fuṣṣilat /ha meem sejda – 41:3).
The Qur‘ān is referred to as a ‗clear proof‘ (6:157) ‗a manifest
light‘ (4:174; 42:52) and it has been ‗fully explained to mankind‘
(17:89; 18:54; 39:27) readers are also encouraged to ‗think
deeply‘ (47:24) about the text. In this particular verse, the Arabic
verb ‗‫ ‘ت دب ر‬is used: it means ‗to consider, reflect or meditate
upon‘. In other words, although Allāh has stated categorically
that the Qur‘ān is a comprehensively revealed, unambiguous
text, readers are encouraged to reflect on it. Hence, scholars have
put forward a number of views regarding the significance of the
muqatta‘at, their co-occurrence and placement.[3] Traditional
scholars have their opinions to account for their(muqatta‘at)
meaning as follows:[4]
Opinion-1: These letters contain the names of Allah SWT.

Contradicting this opinion, scholars say that as per saheeh hadith
there are 99 names of Allah SWT and those names have no
relevance with these letters.
Hazrat Ibn Abbas RA has said that in these muqatta‘at the Ism-e-
Azam is hidden and ‗alif laam meem‘ is an Ism-e-Azam.
(Tafseer Ibn Kathir)
Opinion-2: These letters when joined together with different

combinations they emerge as Allah‘s name. For example when
alif, laam,meem and ha, meem are joined with noon, it makes Al-
Rahman. It makes sense in this case but no second name can be
made with any other set of combinations.
Opinion-3: These are the name of Rasool Allah SWA, while

referring to ‗Ta-ha‘ and ‗ya-seen‘. However this can also not be
taken as very correct, because Rasool Allah SWA himself told his
names as Muhammad, Ahmad, Mahi and Hashir (Saheeh
Bukhari).
Opinion-4: These letters represent different names of Qur‘an.

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Whereas Qur‘an has itself named as Al-kitab, Kitab-e-Mubeen,
Qur‘an, Qur‘an majeed, Qur‘an kareem, Qur‘an azeem, Firqan,
Al-zikr, Al-hadith and Ahsanul hadith.
Opinion-5: These letters are the names of different surahs. To

some extent it appears to be correct as ‗Suad‘, Quaf, Taha,
Yaseen are also the names of surahs. Sura ‗Al-Qalam‘ is also
called surah ‗noon‘.
Abdul Rehman bin Zaid bin Aslam is also of this opinion. Allama
Abul Qasim Mehmood bin Umar Zamhashiri in his tafseer has
written that a number of scholars are also in agreement with this
opinion. (Tafseer Ibn Kathir)
Opinion-6: These letters refer to entire Islamic system. For

example, ‗alif‘ stands for Allah, ‗laam‘ stands for Jibraeel
(Gabriel) and ‗meem‘ stands for Muhammad SWA. But this logic
does not seem to be applicable to other letters.
Opinion-7: These letters are challenges to infidels that you

people also start your writings and literature with such letters
but look and realize the difference between your literature and
Qur‘an and that you and all your companions together cannot
present even a single sura like in Qur‘an. Imam Bezavi stands
with this opinion. But this opinion does not seem to be logical
because when the meanings of these letters are not clear then
how these letters could be termed as challenge.
Opinion-8: By counting and summing up the numerical values,

through the science of numerology, of these letters the time for
the dooms day and the age of the humanity can be determined.
This opinion also does not hold ground, as at the first instance to
have faith on numerology is against shariah, and secondly the
humans can never, whatsoever; determine the time the Day of
Judgment will occur. Even Rasool Allah SWA was told about the
timings of this day by Allah SWT.
Opinion-9: These letters stand for words or phrases related to

Allah and His attributes and only the prophet Hazrat
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Muhammad SWA knows their meanings and details. It means
that these letters depict the private conversations between Allah
SWT and Hazrat Muhammad SWA. For this opinion it can be
said that ‗Allah knows the best‘.
Opinion-10: These letters are based upon hard facts and are the
secrets of Allah SWT. It is not possible for the mankind to
explore their realities and factualness. In these such attributes of
Allah SWT are hidden which are beyond human perceptions.
Opinion-11: These letters were used to attract the attention of

the Prophet and later his audience. (Marhoom Dr. Israr Ahmad
of Tanzeem-e-Islami was of this view.)
Opinion-12: Imam Fakhar uddin Al Razi (1149 – 1209) opined

that Arabs used to name things after such letters (for example,
'money' as '‫'ع‬, clouds as '‫'غ‬, and fish as 'ْ').[5]
Opinion-13: These letters are the abbreviations of the names of

‗katib-e-wahi‘ (the companions of Rasool Allah SWA to whom he
SWA used to dictates the ‗wahi‘ – the qur‘anic revealations.
This opinion is also presumptuous and has no authentic basis.

There were not less than 42 ‗katib-e-wahi‘ whereas there are only
14 different muqatta‘at. Moreover the Qur'an was dictated by the
Prophet and the ‗katibs‘ wrote under his direct supervision of
Hazrat Muhammad SWA and they had no more connection with
the text nor there was any reason to permanently relate the text
with their names.
Modern Research
One suggestion offered by an Qur'anic scholar Dr. Hashim Amir

Ali (1903 – 1987) From Hyderabad India deserves consideration.
According to him:
―A simple explanation, but one which has not been offered by a
single commentator, is that each and every one of these 29
openings, without exception, are vocatives or forms of address to
the Prophet similar to ―Ta Ha!‖ (S. 20), ―Ya –Sin!‖ (S. 36), ―O
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thou, who is ordained!‖ (S. 73) or ―O thou, on whom has fallen
the mantle!‖ (S. 74): their general sense can be conveyed by
replacing them with ―O Muhammad!‘‘
The following facts go to prove or support the above thesis
(a) Every one of these 9 instances occur in the beginnings of the

Surahs and have, in fact, been referred to in early commentaries
as al-Fawatih, or ‗openings‘ of the Surahs. It is therefore, logical
to regard them as forms of address. This assumptionis confirmed
by the fact that the text which follows the ‗Fawatih‘ in each of the
29 cases, without exception, is couched in the second person,
singular.
(b) Only with one or two exceptions the immediately following

words consist of one or more of the following four reassuring
statements so often addressed to the Prophet in the Qur‘an:
i. That the Qur‘anic message is Truth manifest
ii. That the Addressee is ordained by the Divine and not by any
other agency;
iii. That the righteous will accept the Message:
the Addressee must not consider his mission in vain and
iv. That failure to convince the hard-hearted must not daunt the
Addressee.
(c) The fact that these letter-openings do not affect the meaning
of the text that follows supports the thesis that they are mere
vocatives.
(d) The thesis is also supported by the fact that, by far the
majority of the Surahs beginning with such openings, 25 out of
29, were revealed during the period when ostracized by people,
the Prophet was sorely in need of reassurance.
This solution does not offer the actual words or meanings which
these letters in each case represent. But that is of secondary or
even negligible importance. Vocation, particles, forms of address,
terms of esteem or appreciation, sobriquets, aliases all these
need have no specific meaning attached to them since they do
295
not affect the sense of the message that follows. It is enough to
know that they are only forms of address to Muhammad varying
according to the circumstances and contents of the message.
Perhaps Muhammad himself understood the words which the
letters in each case represented but was too modest to repeat
them to the scribes; perhaps he merely felt their appreciative
import but was too sincere to replace the feeling with words. In
any case this solution does away with the innumerable far-
fetched conjectures each of which has been discountenanced by
the exponents of others and have together contradicted the claim
of the Qur‘an that its contents are clear and explicit to all who
have approach to it. (The message of Quran -1974-by Dr
Hasim Amir Ali)
In 1974, an Egyptian biochemist named Rashad Khalifa claimed

to have discovered a mathematical code in the Qur'an based on
these initials and the number 19, which is mentioned
in Sura 74:30 (―the hell fire ‗saqar‘ is guarded by 19 angles‖) of
the Quran. According to his claims, these initials, which prefix 29
chapters of the Qur'an, occur throughout their respective
chapters in multiples of nineteen. He has noted other
mathematical phenomena throughout the Quran, all related to
what he describes as the "mathematical miracle of the Qur'an."
Amin Ahsan Islahi (1904-1997), a renowned exegete of the

Quran, has mentioned that since Arabs once used such letters in
their poetry, it was only appropriate for Quran to use that same
style. He agrees with Razi and mentions that since these letters
are names for Surahs, they are proper nouns. As such, they do
not necessarily refer to other matters. At the same time, he cites
research from Hamiduddin Farahi (1863-1930), a Quranic
scholar from the Indian subcontinent, on how these letters must
be appropriately chosen according to the content and theme of
the surahs. Farahi links these letters back to Hebrew alphabet
and suggest that those letters not only represented phonetic
sounds but also had symbolic meanings, and Quran perhaps uses
the same meanings when choosing the letters for surahs. For
instance, in support of his opinion, he presents the letter Nun
(ْ), which symbolizes fish and Surah Nun mentions Prophet
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Younus 'companion of the fish'. Similarly, the letter Ta or Tuay
(‫ )ط‬represents a serpent and all the Surahs that begin with this
letter mention the story of Prophet Musa and the serpents.[6]
Western scholars have only occasionally attempted to explain

them. In 1996, Keith Massey[7] proposed new evidence for an
older theory that the muqatta‘at the "Mystery Letters" were the
initials or monograms of the scribes who originally transcribed
the suras . As evidence for this, he demonstrated that these
letters themselves occur in a specific order, suggesting a
hierarchy of importance. This idea has not yet gained wide
acceptance. Other explanations have similarly failed to
satisfactorily explain these letters.[8]
Ibn Kathir in his ‗tafseer‘ while commenting upon these

muqatta‘at says: ‗If Hazrat Muhammad SWA has described some
meanings to these letters, then it is final and
unquestionable. If Rasool Allah SWA has not explained any
meanings to these letters then we should also refrain in giving
any meanings to these letters and will have to believe that these
are the letters from Allah SWT.
For us as mulims and true believers it should be our firm belief

that these letters the muqatta‘at are revealed from Allah SWT,
further neither these letters are extraneously nor carelessly
introduced in Qur‘an, but are based upon absolute realities. It
should be particularly noted that it is neither obligatory for us to
know the meanings and details of these letters nor it is a matter
of shariah.
References
1- English translation of ‗Tafheem ul Qur‘an‘ by Syed Abul Aala
Maududi
2- Tafseer Ibn Kathir
3- Al-huroof Muqattaat by Dr. Zakir A Naik
4- Tafseer ‗Taisurul Quran‘ by Abdul Rahman Kelani
5- ‗Renaissance‘ (july 2003) – A monthly publication of Al-
Mawrid
297
6- ‗Renaissance‘ (july 2003) – A monthly publication of Al-
Mawrid
7- Massey, Keith (1996) - "A New Investigation into the Mystery
Letters‖ of the Quran" in 'Arabica', Vol. 43 No. 3. pp. 497–501.
8- wikipedia.com [Courtesy:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/qurani-duaain/huruf-e-
muqattaat/10150653461116868/]
1. Commandment to obey the parents, rights become invalid

when they ask to commit shirk: God Almighty commands
us to be kind towards our parents, it is our mothers who
carried us in the wombs with great difficulty and fed us for
two years when we are so helpless to maintain our selves.
Almighty tells us to show gratitude towards them and to
obey them at all circumstances, but stresses to not to obey
the parents if they ask us to commit shirk. Associating
others with Lord Almihty Allah is the greatest sin.
2. Wise counsels of Luqman: Luqman advises his son to lead

a moral and upstanding life and tells him how; establish
the prayer, enjoin the good, forbid the evil and bear the
trials and afflictions of life with patience. Nothing can
escape Almighty God‘s knowledge says Luqman to his son.
Even if it is as small as a mustard seed or hidden inside a
rock or is a minute speck in a vast samawat, God Almighty
can see it clearly and is able to expose it. Luqman's advise
to his son not to commit Shirk (to associate anyone else
with Allah (swt) in worship). Luqman also advised his son
not to turn his nose up at people contemptuously; not to
walk about the land arrogantly for Lord Almighty does not
like the boastful. Thus walk at a moderate pace and talk in
a low voice because Lord Almighty does not like harsh
voices like the braying of donkeys.
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3. Misguidance in blind following of one's forefathers: Allah
(swt) asks us whether we see or not that everything in the
heavens and earth is for the benefit of humankind. It is
self-evident but there are still those who would argue
about it. When they are told to follow God Almighty‘s
guidance they respond by saying that they will not but will
instead follow the path trodden by their forefathers. They
say this even when Shaitan is inviting them to step into
the Fire.
4. If all trees were pens and oceans an ink, Almighty Allah's

words could not be put to writing: If all the trees on earth
were pens, and the oceans were ink, replenished by seven
more oceans, the writing of Almighty God‘s Words (signs
and creations) would not be exhausted. It is as easy for
Lord Almighty to create and resurrect every living being as
it is to create and resurrect a single soul. Our Lord is All-
Hearing and All-Seeing.
5. One should need to be aware of Shaitan‘s delusion: Allah

(swt) is the only reality; all others to whom people invoke
besides Him are false. We humans don‘t know what will
happen the next moment; God knows all this and is aware
of everything. The ships sail through the ocean by the
grace of Lord Almighty. Surely there are signs in this for
any grateful person. When the waves loom over them they
call out to Almighty Allah with sincere devotion but when
He brings them safely to land some falter between belief
and disbelief.
6. A truthful promise to the believers: Those who believe and

do righteous deeds will stay in Gardens of bliss. It is a
truthful promise for He is Mighty and Wise. Almighty
Allah created the heavens without visible pillars, set the
mountains upon the earth firmly so that they will not shift
299
and spread the animals of all sorts throughout the earth.
He sends rain from the sky that causes all sorts of
vegetable life to grow. The Qur'an is the Book of wisdom
and a blessing for the righteous. It is guidance and a
mercy for those who lead a God-conscious life and with
the Hereafter as their main focus. These are the ones who
will be successful.
7. Advice to the youth: God says that He gave wisdom to

Luqman so that he would be grateful. Whoever is grateful
and gives thanks to God does so for his own welfare.
Those who are ungrateful and deny God‘s favours upon
them should understand that Lord Almighty has no need
of their thanks. Luqman counsels his son saying do not
attribute partners to Almighty Allah, it is a terrible error.
Almighty Allah mentions in the end of the Surah, "And
fear that Day when no father shall avail his son nor a son
his father." [31:33]
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32. Surah As-Sajdah (The Prostration; Bowing forehead
in the ground to Lord Almighty; A state that receives
Vital Energies)
Concise Tafseer of Surah As-Sajdah In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah Sajdah - "The Prostration", is taken from

the fifteenth ayah, which mentions those who "... fall prostrate
and hymn the praise of their Lord". There is a Sajda-e-Tilawat in
Ayah 15 of this Surah. This ayah is one of fifteen places in the
Qur‘an where the worshippers should bow down, or prostrate
during recitation. Alternative names of the Surah include Alif
Lam Mim Tanzil ("Alif, Lam, Mim, The Revelation"). The Surah
Revelation
According to the traditions coming from Muhammad (s), the

Surah was revealed during the Makki phase of the prophet-hood.
Some scholars argue, based on attaching occasions of
revelations, that several ayats (some say ayats 16–20, some say
only 18–20, some say only 16) are from Madani phase, but the
arguments are not widely accepted. For example, Mahmud al-
Alusi opines that the close connection between these ayats and
the preceding ones means that they are likely from the same
period.
1. The Qur'an is from the Lord of the Worlds. Allah (swt)

created this whole samawat. He created human beings,
but some human beings deny the resurrection.
2. The difference between the Believers and non-Believers.
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3. The Mission of Prophet Musa (a). Take lessons from the
history of other nations. Signs of resurrection in nature.
Like the previous Surah Luqman, Surah As-Sajdah also starts

with the letters - Alif Laam Meem. It is one of six Surahs that
begin with this particular combination of letters. These three
letters are amongst various combinations of fourteen letters that
open 29 Surah‘s of the Qur‘an known as Huroof Muqatta‘at.
Allah (swt) did not reveal any specific meaning attached to them
but scholars analyzed those with Prophetic commentary from
the Lord Himself.
The Surah reasserts the fact that the Qur‘an is a direct revelation
from Almighty Allah, and goes on to describe His power of
creation, and Might. The beginning of the Surah emphasizes the
truth of the Qur‘an and at the end of Surah - Prophet
Muhammad (s) is told to pay no attention to those who cannot
see the significance of Almighty God‘s signs. As it is a Makki
Surah its main theme is the Oneness of Lord Almighty.
The Surah discusses some of the doubts and arguments of the

non-believers against the principles of Tawhid, Risalah and
Akhirah. It invites human beings to think and reflect on their
own selves and on the nature surrounding them. Everything
points that there is a Wise and Powerful Creator for this
samawat. He has not created this entire phenomenon in vain.
The creation has a purpose.
Ayats (1 – 11): The Qur'an, which contains no doubts, is revealed

to Muhammad (s), so that he may warn those people to whom no
Warner has come before.
Ayats (12 - 22): On the Day of Judgment, the unbelievers shall

believe but that belief will be of no benefit to them. There is a
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special reward for those who forsake their beds and invoke their
Rabb with fear and hope and spend in charity.
Ayats (23 - 30): The Qur'an is similar to the Book which was
given to the Prophet Musa (a).
Virtue of the Surah
Our beloved Prophet ‫َّللاُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلَّم‬

َّ ‫صلَّى‬
َ has Said:" The person who
reads Tabarakallathi - Biyadihil - Mulk and Alif - lam 'meem
Tanzeel between Maghrib and Esha : The reward ( for the
reading these two Surahs ) will be as though he ( the reader ) had
stood awake during ( the night of ) Laylatul - Qadr " (Ibn
Mardawayh , Ruhul Ma'aani)
The Prophet would not sleep until he recited Surah as Sajdah.

[at-Tirmidhi 5/165; Hakim 2/412 & Dhahabi in Sahih al
Jamiea (22/789)]
Jabir Radiyallahu ‗anhu narrates that Nabi Sallallahu ‗alaihi

wasallam did not use to sleep until he recited Alif Lam Mim
Sajdah, (Surah 32) and Tabarakalladhl biyadihil mulk (Surah
67). [Tirmidhi]

and I was commanded to prostrate, but I
refused and am doomed to Hell.‘ (Sahih Muslim, Book

#001, Hadith #0144)

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as hasan by al-Mundhiri and al-Nawawi. The fifteen aayat are
(interpretation of the meanings):
Sajdah # 1: Surah Al A‘raf (7) Ayah 206: ―Those who are near to
thy Lord, disdain not to do Him worship: They celebrate His
praises, and bow down before Him.‖
Sajdah # 2: Surah Al Ra‘d (13) Ayah 15: ―Whatever beings there

are in the heavens and the earth does prostrate themselves to
Allah (acknowledging subjection), - with good-will or in spite of
themselves: so do their shadows in the morning and evenings.‖
Sajdah # 3: Surah Al Nahl (16) Ayah 50: ―They all revere their
Lord, high above them, and they do all that they are
commanded.‖
Sajdah # 4: Surah Al Isra‘ (17) Ayah 109: ―They fall down on their
faces in tears, and it increases their (earnest) humility.‖
Sajdah # 5: Surah Maryam (19) Ayah 58: ―Those were some of

the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His Grace, - of the
posterity of Adam, and of those who We carried (in the Ark) with
Noah, and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel of those whom
We guided and chose. Whenever the Signs of (Allah) Most
Gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in
prostrate adoration and in tears.‖
Sajdah # 6: Surah Al Hajj (22) Ayah 18: ―Seest thou not that to
Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and
on earth,- the sun, the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the
animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great
number are (also) such as are fit for Punishment: and such as
Allah shall disgrace, - None can raise to honour: for Allah carries
out all that He wills.‖
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Sajdah # 7: Surah Al Hajj (22) Ayah 77: ―O ye who believe! bow
down, prostrate yourselves, and adore your Lord; and do good;
that ye may prosper.‖
Sajdah # 8: Surah Al Furqan (25) Ayah 60: ―When it is said to

them, ―Adore ye (Allah) Most Gracious!‖, they say, ―And what is
(Allah) Most Gracious? Shall we adore that which thou
commandest us?‖ And it increases their flight (from the Truth).‖
Sajdah # 9: Surah Al Naml (27) Ayah 26: ―God!- there is no god

but He!- Lord of the Throne Supreme!‖
Sajdah # 10: Surah Al Sajdah (32) Ayah 15: ―Only those believe in
Our Signs, who, when they are recited to them, fall down in
adoration, and celebrate the praises of their Lord, nor are they
(ever) puffed up with pride.‖
Sajdah # 11: Surah Sad (38) Ayah 24: ―(David) said: ―He has
undoubtedly wronged thee in demanding thy (single) ewe to be
added to his (flock of) ewes: truly many are the partners (in
business) who wrong each other: Not so do those who believe
and work deeds of righteousness, and how few are they?‖ …and
David gathered that We had tried him: he asked forgiveness of
his Lord, fell down, bowing (in prostration), and turned (to Allah
in repentance).‖
Sajdah # 12: Surah Fussilat (41) Ayah 38: ―But if the

(Unbelievers) are arrogant, (no matter): for in the presence of
thy Lord are those who celebrate His praises by night and by day.
And they never flag (nor feel themselves above it).‖
Sajdah # 13: Surah Al Najm (53) Ayah 62: ―But fall ye down in
prostration to Allah, and adore (Him)!‖
Sajdah # 14: Surah Al Inshiqaq (84) Ayah 21: ―And when the
Quran is read to them, they fall not prostrate,‖
Sajdah # 15: Surah Al Alaq (96) Ayah 19: ―Nay, heed him not: But
bow down in adoration, and bring thyself the closer (to Allah)!‖
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There is a special reward for those who forsake their
beds and invoke their Rabb with fear and hope, and
spend in charity.
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the
Messenger of Allah said: Allah says: "I have prepared for My
righteous servants what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and it
has never crossed the mind of man.''(32:17) Abu Hurayrah said:
"Recite, if you wish: "No person knows what is kept hidden for
them of delights of eyes." It was also recorded by Muslim and At-
Tirmidhi. At-Tirmidhi said, "It is Hasan Sahih.''
In another version of Bukhari: "and no body has ever even

imagined of. All that is reserved, besides which, all that you have
seen is nothing.''
It was also reported from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased
with him that the Prophet said: "Whoever enters Paradise, will
enjoy a life of luxury and never feel deprivation, his clothes will
never wear out, and his youth will never fade. In Paradise there is
what no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and has never
crossed the mind of man." This was recorded by Muslim.
1. The Qur'an a book beyond Doubt: There is no doubt that

this Book, the Qur‘an, is from God Almighty, the Lord of
all the worlds. People try to say that Muhammad (s) has
made it up, or forged it but that is not true. It is a Book of
truth from Almighty Allah to Prophet Muhammad (s) in
order that he may warn his people. No warner has come to
them before and from this Book they will receive
guidance.
2. Disbelievers at the day of Judgment: If it had been

Almighty God‘s will He could have given guidance to every
soul. On the Day of Judgment, the disbelievers shall
believe but that belief will be of no benefit to them. They
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ignored the meeting planned for Judgment Day and now
you will be ignored by God. Disbelievers will taste the
punishment for all of eternity. But God‘s word will be
fulfilled and Hell will be filled with jinn and humankind.
3. The Qur'an is similar to the Book which was given to the

Musa (a) (Moses): Allah (swt) told us in the Qur‘an that it
meets same criteria as the Book He gave to Prophet Musa
(a) as a guide for the Children of Israel. When they were
patient and believed in His signs, He raised leaders from
among them who guided according to their Book. And on
the Day of Judgment God Almighty will decide the
matters over which they differed.
4. Unwariness of human mind being unaware of Divine

Almighty Being: Lord Almighty knows everything that is
hidden and everything that is openly revealed. He is
Almighty and He is Merciful, the One who perfected
everything. He created the beginning of humankind with
the creation of Adam from clay. He then made his
descendants from an extract of fluid (semen). He then
fashioned him in perfect proportions and breathed life
into him, giving him hearing, and sight, and a mind. Even
so humankind is seldom grateful.
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33. Surah Al-Ahzab (The Allies; The Clans; The
Coalition; The Combined Forces; The Conferates)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Ahzab In Summarized
Form

This Surah is a Madani Surah revealed in the 5th year of Hijrah.

In this year, The Jews of Madinah, pagans of Makkah and the
hypocrites hidden amongst the Muslims united to fight against
the Muslims. This battle was designed by the different groups, so
that was called, ―The Battle of Clans.‖ Since Muslims dug a ditch
in order to defend them; so this battle became known as, ―The
Battle of Ditch‖. The Surah has 73 ayats and 9 Ruku‘ (Section).
Revelation
This Surah discusses 3 important events:- the Battle of the

Trench which took place in the Shawwal 5 AH; raid on Bani
Quraizah happened in Dhul-Qa‘dah, 5 AH; Prophet‘s (s)
marriage with Zainab (rh) was contracted in the same month of 5
AH too. These timing of events nicely determine the period when
the Surah got revealed.
Background History of the Surah
After the setback of the Battle of Uhud (3 AH), the pagan Arabs
morale boosted up, Jews and hypocrites started to entertain their
hope of destroying Islam completely soon.
Bani Asad of Najd started preparing to raid against Madinah,

hardly two months had passed. Muhammad (s) sent companions
to instruct them to Islam. Upon reaching Raji (place between
Rabigh and Jeddah) 4 companions were killed by Hudhail, other
two were sold to the enemy in Makkah (Khubaib bin Adi and
Zaid bin ad-Dathinnah radi‘allahu ‗anhum).
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In the same month of Safar, on the request of a chief of Bani
Amir, Prophet Muhammad (s) sent another deputation of 40
(according to others, 70) preachers, consisting of the Ansar
young men, to Najd. But they were also betrayed. The people of
Usayyah and Ri'l and Dhakwan, tribes of Bani Sulaim,
surrounded them suddenly at Bir Maunah and slew all of them.
Meanwhile the Jewish tribe of Bani an-Nadir of Madinah, getting
encouragement, continued to commit breaches of the treaties; so
much so that in Rabi'ul Awwal 4 AH, they plotted against the life
of Prophet Muhammad (s) himself.
After the Battle of Uhud, Muslims were deeply wounded by the

martyrdom of Hamzah (ra), uncle of Prophet Muhammad (s).
Quraysh retreated without taking advantage of the victory. They
would certainly regret their folly when they would halt and
consider the whole matter coolly on the way, and would return to
attack Madinah again.
Then as soon as the Bani Asad started making Preparations for a

raid on Madinah, Prophet's (s) secret agents gave him timely
information about their intention. Muhammad (s) sent 150
strong men army under Abu Salamah (ra) [1st husband of Umm
Salamah (rh)] to punish them. They took Bani Asad by surprise;
in panic they fled leaving their possessions behind in the hands
of Muslims.
Bani Nadir plot was disclosed. They have been ordered to leave
Madinah within ten days, if they remain after that they would be
put to death. After ten days, although they were encouraged to
defy the order of Muhammad (s) by Abdullah bin Ubayy, no one
came to help them. So, they surrendered under one condition,
―every three of them would be allowed to carry whatever load
they could in camel.‖ Bani an-Nadir‘s gardens and fortresses and
other properties left in the hand of Muslims. And the people of
this treacherous tribe became scattered in Khyber, Wad il Qura
and Syria.
Then Bani Ghatafan was taken by surprise who were preparing

for a war against Madinah. He took 400 of the Muslims and
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overtook them at Dhat ar-Riqa. They fled from their houses and
took refuge in mountains.
At the end of the Battle of Uhud, Abu Sufyan challenged the

Prophet (s) and the Muslims, saying, "We shall again meet you in
combat at Badr next year." Muhammad (s) announced through a
Companion: "All right: we accept your challenge." In Sha‘ban 4
AH, he (s) went to Badr with 1500 Muslims. The other side, Abu
Sufyan left Makkah with an army of 2,000 men, but could not
have the courage to march beyond Marr-az-Zahran (modern,
Wadi Fatimah).
Prophet Muhammad (s) waited for him at Badr for eight days;
the Muslims during these days did profitable business with a
trading party. This incident helped more than restore the image
of strength of the Muslims that had been tarnished at Uhud. It
also made the whole of Arabia realize that the Quraysh alone
could no longer resist Muhammad (s).
Another event strengthened the image and position of the

Muslims further. Dumat al-Jandal (modern, Al-Jauf) was an
important place at the border between Arabia and Syria. When
the caravans of the Arabs, trading between Iraq in the south and
Syria and Egypt in the north, passed that way, they were
harassed and looted by the natives.
In Rabi al- Awwal of 5 AH, the Prophet (s) himself went to
punish them with an army of 1,000 men. They could not muster
up courage to come out and fight him and, therefore, fled the
place. This caused the whole of northern Arabia to dread the
power of Islam, and the tribes began to realize that the great
power emerging from Al-Madinah.
1. The custom of adoption and instructions about it.

Prophet Muhammad (s) is dearer to the believers than
their own selves.
2. The Battle of Ahzab and the way of the hypocrites.

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3. The excellent role model of the Prophet Muhammad (s).
4. The household of the Prophet, his pious wives.
5. Almighty Allah's rewards for the Believing men and

women. Prophet's (s) marriage with Zainab (rh). The
finality of the Prophet-hood.
6. Prophet Muhammad (s) is sent as a witness, a bearer of

glad tidings and Shining Lamp. The marriages of the
Prophet (s): certain privileges and restrictions.
7. Rules of conduct in domestic relations.
8. Rules of Hijab, Warnings to the hypocrites, the Last Hour.
9. Believers must speak right. The burden of trust assumed

by the human being.
Surah Al-Ahzab mentions what happened at the Battle of the

Trench to remind believers the mercy and power of Allah (swt).
Almighty Allah made the various tribes to leave Madinah who
attacked it earlier.
In the fifth year of Hijrah the Jews of Makkah, pagans of

Makkah, and the hypocrites hidden amongst the Muslims united
to fight against the Muslims. Then the Prophet (s) and his
followers dug a deep ditch around Madinah to defend against
their attack. As the battle was designed by different groups so it
was called ‗The Battle of Clans‘, and since the Muslims dug a
ditch in order to defend themselves, this battle became known as
‗The Battle of Ditch‘.
A perusal of the theme and the background shows that the Surah
is not a single discourse which was sent down in one piece but it
consists of several injunctions, commandments and discourses.
These were sent down one after the other in connection with the
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important events of the time and then were put together in one
Surah. Its following parts stand out clearly distinguished from
one another.
Since this Surah is a Madani Surah, it also contains instructions

regarding treatment of the Prophet (s) and his wives and warns
the hypocrites of their bad behavior. According to some scholars,
Madani ayats are concerned with the legal matters in a society
which forms Shariah. These Surahs generally contain rules and
regulations for the believers to follow.
The Surah deals with a number of social and political issues. It

talks about the practice of child-adoption, some marriage
customs, battle of Ahzab and Bani Quraizah, social issues related
to Hijab of Muslim women. It also talks about the hypocrites
and their conduct in the society.
Ayats (1 - 8): Allah (swt) told us to be conscious of him out fear

and hope and not to obey the unbelievers and hypocrites. By
word of mouth neither wives become mothers, nor do adopted
sons become real sons. The Prophet's wives are the believers'
mothers. Blood relations have greater claims than others in the
Book of Almighty Allah.
Ayats (9 - 20): Favours of Allah (swt) during the battle of Trench.

The hypocrite‘s attitude was observed by Allah (swt) during the
battle of Trench which was mentioned vividly. Those who
discourage others from participating in the fight against the
unbelievers and don't participate in such a war themselves have
no faith and all their deeds will be void.
Ayats (21 - 27): The life of Rasool of Allah Muhammad (s) is the
best model for us. Allah (swt) helped the Muslims gain victory
over the unbelievers and the Jewish tribes in Madinah and
Khaiber.
Ayats (28 - 34): Admonition to the wives of the Prophet

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Muhammad (s). The believers were told to maintain proper
conduct with Muhammad (s) and his household. The prophet's
wives are called the Mothers of the Believers and thus have to
follow certain rules and regulations as women who are "unlike
other women."
Ayats (35 - 40): It is not fitting for believers to have an option in

what has been decided by Almighty Allah and His Rasool. Allah
commanded the Prophet Muhammad (s) to marry the divorced
wife of his adopted son Zaid. Muhammad (s) is not the father of
any of the men but a Rasool and Seal of the Prophet-hood.
Ayats (41 - 52): The Prophet (s) is sent as a bearer of good news,
a Warner and a lamp spreading light. No women has to do Iddat
(waiting period for remarriage) is required if divorced before
sexual intimacy. Prophet Muhammad (s) was given special
permission to marry more than four wives.
After this commandment Allah (swt) ordained restriction on the
Prophet to marry or divorce any further.
Ayats (53 - 58): Do not enter the houses of the Prophet without
permission, and if invited, do not seek long conversation. Do not
marry the Rasool's wives after his death. Allah Himself and His
angels send blessings on the Prophet, O Believers invoke Allah's
blessings for him.
Ayats (59 - 68): Commandment of Hijab (dress code) for women.

The punishment for the hypocrites and scandal mongers as
specified by Almighty Allah. In Hell the unbelievers shall ask
double punishment for their leaders.
Ayats (69 - 73): O Believers! Fear Allah and always say the right
thing. The heavens, earth and mountains refuse to take Allah's
(swt) Trust but Man took it.
Virtue of the Surah
In the commentary of Majma‘ul Bayan it is narrated from the

Prophet Muhammad (s) that whoever recites Surah Al-Ahzab
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and also teaches it to his family members, he will be saved from
the torment of the grave. [Majma„-ul-Bayan, Vol. 8, P. 234]
Human Individuals Don't have two hearts at the same

time
Allah has never put two hearts within one person's body;[1] nor
has He made your wives, whom you compare to your mothers'
backs (to divorce them),[2] your true mothers; nor has He made
those whom you adopt as sons your own sons.[3] These are only
words that you utter with your mouths. But Allah proclaims the
Truth and directs you to the Right Path. (33:4)
1. That is, one and the same person cannot be a believer and a
hypocrite, truthful and false, wicked and righteous, at one and
the same time. He does not have two hearts in this chest that one
should have sincerity in it and the other fearlessness of God.
Therefore, a man can have only one kind of character at a time:
either he will be a believer or a hypocrite, a disbeliever or a
Muslim. Now if you call a believer a hypocrite, or a hypocrite a
believer, it will not change the reality. The true character of the
person will inevitably remain the same.
2. Zihar is a term in Arabic. In old days when an Arab; in the heat

of a domestic quarrel, would say to his wife: ―Your back for me is
as the back of my mother,‖ it was thought that the woman was no
longer lawful for him because he had compared her to his
mother. About this Allah says: ―A woman does not become a
man‘s mother just because he has called her his mother or
compared her to his mother. His mother is the
woman who bore him. Only his calling his wife his mother
cannot change the reality.‖
3. This is what is intended to be said. The two preceding

sentences are meant to support and emphasize this same point.
[Tafhimul Qur‟an]
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1. The order to have taqwa of Allah (swt) with fear and hope,
and not to obey the unbelievers and the hypocrites.
2. Among the pillars of Iman is depending on Allah (swt)

and turning to him in submission in all times and all
situations.
3. Almighty Allah stated laws to abolish the evil and

unbelievable tradition of Jahiliyah have no room in Islam
and Islam warns of them.
4. Believing a wife can be like a mother in relationship is

haram and of the Jahiliyah.
5. It is haram to adopt by attributing the child to you or to

other than his real father. But one can take care of them
and give them their real name.
6. Prophet's wives are declared to be the mothers of all
believers.
7. Blood relations have greater claims than others in the

Book of Allah.
8. One who claims he/she has two hearts is a liar.
9. Allah (swt) does not make a person accountable for

mistakes or what they do unintentionally.
10. Non-participants are declared to have no faith at all and

that all their deeds are void.
11. The life of Prophet Muhammad (s) is declared to be a

model for all believers.
12. Admonition to the wives of the Prophet Muhammad (s).
13. It is not befitting for the believers to have options in what

315
has been decided by Allah and His Rasool Muhammad (s).
14. Almighty Allah's commandment Muhammad (s) to marry

the divorced wife of his adopted son.
15. The Prophet Muhammad (s) is not the father of any of the
men but a Rasool and Seal of the Prophethood.
16. The Prophet Muhammad (s) is given special permission to

marry more than four wives along with restriction of
neither to marry any more nor to exchange any present
wife after this commandment.
17. Etiquettes concerning the visits to the Prophet's

household. Believing muslimat (female believers) were
told to maintain good appearance with jilbab so that they
don‘t show their beauty to foreign men.
18. Allah (swt) Himself and His angels send blessings on the
Prophet (s), and the believers are commanded to do the
same.
19. The trust of Allah was presented to the heavens, the earth
and the mountains: they refused to take that
responsibility but the human took it.
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34. Surah Saba‟ (The Sabaeans)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Saba‟ In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah ―sabayin‖ appears in the ayats fifteen to

twenty-one which refers to the Region of Saba, in Yemen where
the community of Sheba is punished for their ingratitude.
Reference is made in the Surah to the Prophets Dawud (a) and
Sulaiman (a), and their superior knowledge of things unknown to
us, and their conquest of evil, through wisdom and power. The
Surah has 54 ayats and 6 Ruku‘ (Section).
Revelation
This is a Makki Surah revealed to the Prophet (s) sometime in

the early or middle of Makki period about 7- 8 years before the
Hijrah. All Surahs revealed in Makkah tend to concentrate on the
fundamentals of faith and pay particular attention to belief in the
Day of Judgment and the Hereafter.
Some commentators of the Qur‘an, including Ahmad ibn Ajiba,

Mahmud al-Alusi, Ibn al-Jawzi, and Al-Qurtubi opined that the
sixth ayah was an exception and was revealed in the Madani
period.
1. The Day of Judgment will surely come.
2. Allah's (swt) favours on Prophets Daud (a) [David] and

Sulaiman (a) [Solomon]. Almighty Allah's judgment on
the people of Saba'.
3. Shirk will be of no use on the Day of Judgment. Prophet

Muhammad (s) is sent for all people.
317
4. The wrong leaders will leave their followers on the Day of
Judgment, the discussion of their mutual recrimination.
5. Material riches do not necessarily bring anyone closer to

Allah (swt).
6. The truth will prosper.
The Surah began with the phrase Alhamdulillah ("Praise be to

Almighty Allah"), one of the five Surahs where this word do
occur - the others are Al Fatiḥah, Al-An'am, Al-Kahf and Fatir.
The Surah answers some of the objections raised by the non-
believers about Tawhid, Risalah and Akhirah. These responses
were mostly in the form of absurd allegations, taunts and
mockery. These objections have been answered sometimes by
citing them and sometimes without citing them while the
discourse itself shows which objection is being answered at a
particular place. The answers mostly take the form of instruction
and admonition and argument but at some places the
disbelievers have been warned also of the evil consequences of
their stubbornness. In this connection the Surah speaks about
Prophets Daud (a) and Sulaiman (a) and the Sabaeans to remind
people about the consequences of evils as well as righteousness.
On the one hand, there were the Prophets Daud (a) and
Sulaiman (a) had been blessed by God Almighty with great
powers, such grandeur and glory as had been granted to hardly
any people before them. In spite of this they were not proud and
arrogant but remained grateful servants of their Lord. They were
never rebellious. On the other hand, there were the people of
Saba who when blessed by Almighty God became proud and
were consequently so thoroughly destroyed and dispersed as to
be remembered only in myths and legends.
The rest of the Surah discusses various topics, including the

nature of Iblis (the Devil), challenges to those who reject the
message of Islam, warnings of the consequences which will come
318
to them in the Day of Judgment, as well as the nature of
Muhammad's (s) mission.
Ayats (1 – 9): The Hour is surely going to come and the Day of
Judgment shall be established to reward the believers and
punish those who discredit Allah's revelations. Those who do not
believe in the Hereafter are doomed.
Ayats (10 - 21): The mountains and birds used to sing Allah's
(swt) Rhymes with the Prophet Daud (a). Almighty Allah
subjected the winds and jinns to Sulaiman (a). Claim of people
that Jinns know the unseen, is wrong. The people of Saba'
rejected Allah's (swt) blessings and disbelieved in the Hereafter,
so Almighty Allah made them merely a tale of the past.
Ayats (22 - 30): No intercession before Almighty Allah can avail

anyone except for whom He permits it. The Prophet Muhammad
(s) is for the entire mankind.
Ayats (31 - 36): Those who disbelieve in the Qur'an and prior
scriptures will have yokes placed around their necks before being
tossed into hell.
Ayats (37 - 45): Wealth and children are not the indications of
Allah's (swt) pleasure. It is belief that brings one close to
Almighty Allah not the wealth or children. Whatever we spend in
charity, Allah (swt) will pay us back. About the prophet and the
Qur‘an, unbeliever states, ―We are more [than the believers] in
wealth and children, and we are not to be punished.‖
Ayats (46 - 54): The unbelievers are asked to ponder upon their
wrong statements – the Truth has come, falsehood neither
originates nor restores anything. On the Day of
Judgment the unbelievers will want to believe but it will be of no
avail to them.
Virtue of the Surah

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The Story of Saba'
The Story of Saba', as told in,
 Indeed there was for Saba‘ (Sheba) a sign in their

dwelling-place – two gardens on the right hand and on the
left; (and it was said to them:) ―Eat of the provision of your
Lord, and be grateful to Him.‖ A fair land and an Oft-
Forgiving Lord!
 But they turned away (from the obedience of Allah), so

We sent against them Sail Al-‗Arim (flood released from the
dam), and We converted their two gardens into gardens
producing bitter bad fruit, and tamarisks, and some few
lote-trees.
 Like this We requited them because they were

ungrateful disbelievers. And never do We requite in such a
way except those who are ungrateful (disbelievers).
 And We placed, between them and the towns which We
had blessed, towns easy to be seen, and We made the stages
(of journey) between them easy (saying): ―Travel in them
safely both by night and day.‖
 But they said: ―Our Lord! Make the stages between our
journey longer,‖ and they wronged themselves; so We made
 them as tales (in the land), and We dispersed them all

totally. Verily, in this are indeed signs for every steadfast,
grateful (person). [Surah Saba' (34:15-19)]
It is the story of how people invited devastation and destruction

upon themselves when, after receiving abundance from Allah,
they denied His Graces. The name Saba' pertains to the tribes
inhabiting Yemen and Syria at that time, to whom Allah sent
many prophets. As long as they were righteous and followed the
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Straight Path, they enjoyed happiness and ease.
According to scholars of genealogy, among them being

Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, the name of Saba‘ is Àbd Shams Ibn
Yashjub Ibn Ya`rub Ibn Qahtan. He was the first to take captives
and he was very generous to the people. As-Suhaili said: It is said
that he was the first person to be crowned, and some scholars
said he was Muslim and that he composed poetry in which he
brought good news of the advent of Prophet Muhammad
(S.A.W.S.). This last saying was attributed to Ibn Didya in his
book titled [At-Tanwir fi Maulid Al-Bashir An- Nadhir]
Imam Ahmed said: I have been told by Abu Àbdur Rahman,

after Àbdullah Ibn Luhai` ah, after Àbdullah Ibn Da`lah: I
heard Àbdullah Ibn Al-Àbbas saying: A man asked Allah‘s
Messenger (S.A.W.S.) about Saba‘, whether it was a man, a
woman, or a name of a land? He (S.A.W.S.) said:
“Verily, he was a man to whom ten sons were born. Six
of them inhabited the Yemen and four Sham (Syria).
Those in Yemen were: Madhhaj, Kindah, Al-Azd, Al-
Ash àriyun, Anmar and Himyar. And those who
inhabited Syria were: Laghm, Judham, Àmilah and
Ghassan.” The Questioner was Farwah Ibn Musaik Al-Ghatifi.
This means that the term Saba‘ covers all these tribes; among
them also were At- Tababi àh (Sing. Tubba) in the Yemen. Bilqis
was from among the Himyar kings who ruled the Yemen. They
lived in happiness and ease, with abundance of sustenance:
fruits, plants, etc., and they were righteous people who followed
the straight path, but when they denied the Grace of Allah they
inevitably incurred upon themselves and their peoples
destruction and devastation.
Muhammad Ibn Ishaq narrating from Wahb Ibn Munabah said:

Allah the Almighty sent them thirteen Prophets. And, As-Sadi
claimed that Allah the Almighty sent them twelve thousand
Prophets. Allah knows best!
The main point is, they replaced guidance with misguidance and
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prostrated before the sun instead of Allah the Almighty. This
practice was seen during the era of Bilqis and her ancestors and
continued till Allah sent over them a flood released from the
dam. Allah the Almighty says:
―But they turned away (from the obedience of Allah), so We sent
against them Sail Al-Àrim (flood released from the dam), and
We converted their two gardens into gardens producing bitter
bad fruit, and tamarisks, and some few lote trees. Like this We
requited them because they were ungrateful disbelievers. And
never do We requite in such a way except those who are
ungrateful (disbelievers)‖ (Saba‟, 34:16,17)
Many scholars mentioned that the Dam of Ma‘rab was built to

keep water behind two great mountains, and when the water
rose, the people began to plant orchards and fruit trees and many
kinds of vegetables. It is said that the building of the dam was
started by Saba‘ Ibn Ya` rub but he died before completing it. So,
the tribe of Himyar perfected it and it was of the space of one
square league. People were living in happiness and abundance.
Qatada and others said: ―The woman (from among them) would
go putting a basket on her head, and it would be filled with fresh,
ripe fruits, and they said that the air they breathed was so clean
and pure that neither flies, nor harmful germs were found in
their land.‖ Allah the Almighty says:
―Indeed there was for Saba‘ (Sheba) a sign in their dwelling
place – two gardens on the right hand and on the left; and it
was said to them: Eat of the provision of your Lord, and be
grateful to Him. A fair land and an Oft-Forgiving Lord!‖
(Saba‟, 34:15)
―And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: If you give
thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I
will give you more (of My Blessings); but if you are thankless
(i.e. disbelievers), verily My punishment is indeed severe‖
(Ibrahim, 14:7)
They worshipped other than Allah the Almighty and dealt with
His Grace arrogantly. Allah had made the stages of their journey
easy and they used to travel safely by night and day, but they
asked Allah to make the stages between their journeys longer and
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severer. Thus, they asked for the good to be turned into what is
bad like the Children of Israel who asked Allah the Almighty to
turn Manna and quails into herbs, cucumbers, Fum (wheat or
garlic), lentils and onions. They were deprived of that great
blessing and comprehensive grace; their land was destroyed and
they themselves were scattered all over the globe. Allah the
Almighty says:
―But they turned away (from the obedience of Allah), so We sent
against them Sail Al-Àrim (flood released from the dam)‖
(Saba‟, 34:16)
Many scholars said that Allah the Almighty sent mice or rats on
the bases of the dam, and though they tried to get rid of the rats
by bringing cats to eat them up, it was in vain. The bases became
very weak and finally the dam collapsed and the water drowned
everything. Their good fruit trees turned into – as explained by
Allah the Almighty – bad ones: “And We converted their
two gardens into gardens producing bitter bad fruit,
and tamarisks and some few lote-trees.”
Allah the All Mighty sends His severe punishment to only those
who disbelieve in Him and belie His Messengers, disobey His
Orders, and violate His Boundaries. Allah says:
―So We made them as tales (in the land), and We dispersed them
all totally‖ (Saba, 34:19)
After the destruction of their gardens, properties and land, they

needed to move away. Thus, they got scattered in different parts
of the land as some of them moved to the Hejaz, and Khuza‘ah
moved to Makkah. Some of them also moved to Al-Madinah Al-
Munawwarah, and they were the first to inhabit it. Then, they
were followed by three tribes from the Jews: the Banu Qainuqa‘,
Banu Quraizah, and Banu An-Nadir. The Jews made coalitions
with the Aus and Khazraj and lived there (till the time of Prophet
Muhammad (S.A.W.S)). Some of them moved to Sham (Syria)
and afterwards they converted to Christianity. These were
Ghassan, Amilah, Bahra‘, Lukham, Judham, Tanukh, Taghlub,
and others.
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Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, in his The Prophet‟s Biography
[Kitab As-Sirah], said that the first to quit Yemen before the Sail
Al-‗Arim (the flood released from the dam) was Amr Ibn ‗Amir
Al-Lukhami. Lukhami was the son of ‗Adyi Ibn Al-Harith Ibn
Murrah Ibn Azd Ibn Zaid Ibn Muha‘ Ibn ‗Amr Ibn ‗Uraib Ibn
Yashjub Ibn Zaid Ibn Kahlan Ibn Saba‘.
Ibn Ishaq said that he was told by Abu Zaid Al-Ansari that Amr
Ibn ‗Amir Al-Lukhami saw a rat digging beneath the dam of
Ma‘rab and realized that the dam would not stand long.
However, he tricked his people by ordering his youngest son to

slap him on the face before the people. The son did as he was
ordered and ‗Amr said: ―I will never live in a place where my
youngest son slapped me on the face.‖ And he offered to sell his
property. The noblemen of Yemen seized the opportunity of
‗Amr‘s rage and bought all his property. Hence, he moved along
with his children and their offspring. The Azd said: ―We will not
leave ‗Amr Ibn ‗Amir,‖ so they sold their properties and
accompanied him in his fleeing (without knowing his real
intentions). They arrived at the land of Àk who fought against
them. Finally, they departed from the land of ‗Ak and dispersed
in the lands. Ibn Jafnah Ibn ‗Amr Ibn ‗Amir went to Sham
(Syria), Al-Aus and Al-Khazraj went to Yathrib (Al-Madinah Al-
Munawwarah), Khuza‘ah went to Marran, Azd As-Sarah went to
As-Sarah, and Azd ‗Amman went to ‗Amman.
Then Allah the Almighty sent the flood against the dam and it
collapsed. The Glorious Qur‘an bears witness to this incident.
As narrated by As-Sadi and later stated by Muhammad Ibn
Ishaq, ‗Amr Ibn Àmir was a priest. Others said that his wife was
Tarifah Bint Al-Khair Al-Himyariyah and that she was a
priestess. It was she who foretold the destruction of their country
as they saw an indication in the rat, and hence they moved away.
Allah knows best! His whole story was mentioned in the Exegesis
on the authority of Ìkriamh after Ibn Abu Hatim. However, not
all the people of Saba‘ moved from Yemen after the collapsing of
the dam, but the majority stayed there. Only the people of the
Dam (Ma‘rab) went away and dispersed in the land.
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It is stated in the Hadith, that was narrated by Àbdullah Ibn
Àbbas, that the majority of the Yemenites did not move from
Yemen. Only four tribes quitted but six tribes stayed. They
continued to live there and kept their rule – for about seventy
years – till they were deprived of their own self-rule by the army
sent by the Negus under the command of Abraha and Aryat.
Then, it was regained by Saif Ibn Dhi Yazan AI-Himyari shortly
before Prophet Muhammad‘s birth. Then, Allah‘s Prophet (Peace
be upon him) sent to Yemen Àli Ibn Abu Talib and Khalid Ibn
Al-Walid, then Abu Musa Al- Ashàri and Muàdh Ibn Jabal to
invite the people to embrace Islam. Al- Aswad Al-Ànsi seized
the Yemen and drove out the deputies of Allah‘s Messenger
(S.A.W.S). During the era of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, Al-Aswad Al-
Ànsi was killed and the Muslims had the upper hand in Yemen.
1. The Day of Resurrection is sure to come for Almighty

Allah's Judgment to reward the believers and punish the
disbelievers.
2. Those who do not believe in the hereafter are doomed.
3. The mountains and birds used to sing Allah's praises with

the Prophet Dawud (a). Almighty God made iron pliable
for Daud (a) and commanded him to make chain mail and
armour from it.
4. Almighty Allah subjected the winds and Jinns to the

Prophet Sulaiman (a). The jinn worked for Sulaiman (a)
making palaces, statues, water fountains and other
amazing things. If they disobeyed, Lord almighty
punished them severely.
5. Intercession before Almighty Allah can not avail anyone

except for whom He permits.
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6. Muhammad (s) is sent as a Rasool for the whole of
mankind.
7. Wealth and children are a test to whom they are given.
8. Whatever one spends in charity, Allah (swt) will provide

blessings in full both here and hereafter.
9. The truth has come; falsehood neither originates nor

restores anything.
10. On the Day of Judgment disbelievers will wish that they

were believers.
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35. Surah Fatir (The Originator; The Creator; The
Origantor of Creation)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Fatir In Summarized Form

This Surah is also named, ―Al Malayika‖ – the angels. Both words
(Al Fatir and Al Malyika) appear in the 1st ayah. ―Fatir‖ is one of
the attributes of Allah (swt) which means, ―the originator‖. This
In this Surah Allah (swt) warns the non-believers on their
negative attitude towards Islam and Prophet Muhammad (s).
The basic message is also explained to them.
Revelation
This is a Makki Surah. The internal evidence found in the style of

the Surah suggests revealed sometimes in the middle period of
Prophet's (s) residence in Makkah. At that time the antagonism
had grown quite strong to frustrate the mission of Prophet
Muhammad (s).
1. Almighty Allah's creative power and His angels. None can

stop the mercy of Allah (swt). Be aware of Shaitan.
2. The success of the truth over falsehood will surely come.
3. Almighty Allah has power to remove men and bring

another group in their place. Every people had a Warner.
4. The true believers in the sight of Allah (swt).
5. Almighty Allah's plan cannot be changed or altered. Allah

(swt) gives time to people to repent.
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Allah (swt) mentions the wings of the angels in the first ayah. His
power is confirmed and contrasted with the powerlessness of
idols. The polytheists of Makkah claimed these to be Allah‘s
daughters and so they worshipped them in the form of statues.
Angels are a creation of Allah (swt), and have been employed by
Him; to perform various tasks but they have no power of their
own.
Although Surah Fatir was primarily addressed to the disbelievers

of Makkah, it stands as an open invitation to all generations of
people, of all times, to look around carefully and use their
intellect to understand that there is no basis for ―shirk‖
(associating partners with Allah) and that there is no being
besides Allah, which might possess divine attributes and powers.
Thus, in this Surah Allah (swt) warns the non-believers on their
negative attitude towards Islam and Prophet Muhammad (s).
Ayats (1 - 7): None can withhold or award blessings besides Allah

(swt). Shaitan is the enemy of human: so they better consider
him as such.
Ayats (8 - 14): That person, who considers his evil deeds to be

good, cannot be guided to the Right Path. Let all those who are
seeking honour know that real honour is in the obedience of
Almighty Allah. Allah (swt) has created water, day, night, the sun
and the moon, all for man's benefit. Deities besides Almighty
Allah can neither hear, nor response. They do not own even
equal to a thread of a date-stone.
Ayats (15 - 26): Mankind is in need of Almighty Allah, while

He is not in need of any one. The living and the dead are not
alike. One cannot make those who are buried in the grave hear
him/her.
Ayats (27 - 37): Those who recite the Qur'an, establish Salah
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(prayer) and give charity may hope for Allah's (swt) blessings
and rewards. A painful punishment in the hellfire forever has
been prepared for the disbelievers.
Ayats (38 - 45): Almighty Allah has not sent any Book which has
a provision of Shirk (worshipping anyone else besides Almighty
Allah). Plotting evil recoils none but the author of it. If Allah
(swt) was to punish people for their wrong doings, He would
have not left even an animal around.
Virtue of the Surah
Abu Hamza al-Thumal recorded from a parchment containing a

speech on asceticism given by Imam Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-
Abidin in which the following verse from Surah Fatir was
referenced: (35:28)"Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants
who have knowledge: for Allah is Exalted in Might, Oft-
Forgiving." Concerning this ayah, Zayn al-Abidin comments that
the knowledge by Allah, and the deeds are nothing but two
harmonious matters. The one who recognizes Allah fears him,
and the fear urges him to the deeds in obedience to Allah; the
heads of knowledge follow him, recognize Allah, and strive to do
good deeds. [Kitab al-Kafi]
Excuse of Not Being able to do Taubah
They will cry out in Hell and say: ―Our Lord, let us out so that we
may act righteously, different from what we did before.‖ (They
will be told): ―Did we not grant you an age long enough for
anyone to take heed if he had wanted to take heed? 1 Besides,
there came a warner to you. So have a taste of the torment now.
None may come to the help of the wrong-doers.‖ (35:37)
1. This implies every such age of life in which a person may be

able to distinguish between good and evil, truth and falsehood, if
he likes to, and turn to right guidance instead of deviation, if
he/she wishes. If a person has died before attaining such an age,
he/she will not be called to any account according to this ayah.
However, the one who has attained this age will certainly be held
329
answerable for his actions. Then, as long as he/she lives after
attaining this age and gets more and more opportunities for
choosing and adopting the right path, his/her responsibility also
will increase accordingly; so much so that the one who does not
adopt right guidance even in old age will have no chance left for
making any excuse. This same thing has been reported by Abu
Hurairah and Sahl bin Saad as-Saidi in a Hadith, saying: The one
who lives a short life has an excuse to offer, but there is no room
for making an excuse for him/her who lives for 60 years or
more.‖ (Bukhari Ahmad, Nasai, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi
Hatim)
1. The many blessings of Allah upon His creatures in this

world: Allah (swt) sends down rain from the sky and from
it the earth brings forth fruits and vegetables and plant
life. The mountains are made up of streaks and tracts of
various hues and colors. Humankind and animals are also
made up of different colours, shades and hues. Those who
have knowledge stand in awe of God Almighty. Those who
recite from the Book, establish the prayer and give
generously from what God Almighty has provided them
with should expect a reward that does not perish.
2. The greatest of blessing is the sending the Revelation to

the Messenger: The Qur‘an is the truth and it confirms the
scriptures that came before it. Lord Almighty has given
the Qur‘an as an inheritance for those He has chosen. The
believers will enter Paradise and they will praise God.
However, those who reject the truth will be in the Hellfire
where they will never find relief. They will cry out to be
given another chance but they have already had many
chances.
3. Shaitan is men‘s enemy, so one should take him as such:

by Allah told (swt) Prophet Muhammad (s) not to be upset
330
if the people call him a liar and deny him. Many
messengers before him were treated in this way. Then
Almighty Allah addresses the people saying that His
promise is true and warning them not to be deceived by
Shaitan who is the great Deceiver. Shaitan is the enemy of
men, so one should treat him as an enemy. He only wants
us to follow him into the Fire.
4. Real honour is in being obedient to Almighty Allah: All

praises belong to Allah (swt). He is the one who created
the heaven and the earth. He also created angels, with
two, four, or six pairs of wings, to be His messengers.
Almighty God creates whatever He pleases. When He
wants to give blessings no one can withhold them but if
He wants to withhold His blessings no one is able to
release them. Almighty Allah graces us with the
sustenance of food provision when we require out of His
mercy we cannot create them but seek for them. Why
should we be deluded about this matter?
5. Mankind is in need of Allah while He is not in need of

anyone: Humankind needs God Almighty but He does not
need us. He is free of all wants or needs. If Allah (swt) so
desired He could destroy us and replace us with a new
creation. No one can carry another person‘s burden.
Prophet Muhammad (s) is only able to warn those who
already fear their Lord and establish the prayer. Those
who purify themselves do so for their own benefit, not to
benefit Lord Almighty.
6. No one can make those who are buried in the grave hear
him/her: The seeing and the blind are not the same, nor
are darkness and light, or heat and shade. The living and
the dead are not equal. Prophet Muhammad (s) is a
warner who has been sent with the truth. Every
331
community was sent a warner, and many of them were
called liars even though they came with clear signs,
scriptures and enlightening revelations.
7. Almighty Allah has not sent any Book which has a

provision of shirk (worshipping anyone else besides
Allah): Allah (swt) who created humankind; first from
dust and then from a drop of fluid. He made us into pairs,
and no female conceives or gives birth without His
knowledge. And no person grows old or has his/her life
cut short except that it is in accordance with what is
written in Almighty God‘s record. There are two bodies of
water but they are not alike. One is sweet and pleasant to
drink but the other is salty and bitter. From both of those
two bodies of water we can extract food and ornaments.
And the ships move through them. Allah (swt) makes the
night and the day and they merge into each other, and the
sun and the moon rise and fall at appointed times. The
things one worship other than God Almighty cannot even
control something as small as the skin on a date stone. If
they invoke them they would not hear and if they heard
they would not respond. And on the Day of Judgment
theywill deny them.
8. Plotting evil recoils none but the author of it: Evil plots
only entrap the plotters. All power belongs to Lord
Almighty and a severe torment belongs to those who plot
and plan. Their plans will come to nothing. Muhammad
(s) is told he would not be able to guide the people whose
evil deeds are made alluring to them. The truth is that God
Almighty chooses who will be guided and who will be left
to wander in the dark, so better not feel regret. Allah (swt)
is aware of everything they do. He is the one who revives
the earth with winds and clouds after it has been dead; in
much the same way the Resurrection will take place.
332
9. If Almighty Allah was to punish people for their wrong
doing, He would have not left even an animal around
them: Disbelievers of Makkah swore that if a warner came
to them they would have believed. The warner did come
but they treated him with hostility. Are they waiting for
the same end as the end that came to previous more
superior nations? Allah‘s (swt) methods have not changed.
If God Almighty were to punish the people for their sins,
there would not be a single person left on the planet. But
He gives them respite, and on the Day of Resurrection
mankind will be brought to account. Each person will be
rewarded or punished according to what they did.
10. The person who considers his/her evil deeds to be good

deeds cannot be guided to the right path: Allah (swt)
knows the unseen and all our secrets. We forget that He
made us vicegerent on this planet. We are a representative
of God Almighty and should act accordingly. Those who
deny the truth will bear the consequences. Have we
thought about those who invoke others besides Lord
Almighty? What have they created? Do they have a Book?
No, they do not; their promises are delusions. It is Lord
Almighty who holds the heavens and the earth together. If
they should slip no one could hold them in place except
Almighty Allah.
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36. Surah Ya Sin
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ya Sin In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah with Arabic
letters, ―‫( ‖يس‬yā sīn) which called as Muqatta‘at (meaning,
"disconnected" or "mysterious"). Out of the 114 Surahs of the
Qur‘an, 29 Surahs are figuring with this type beginning just after
the Bismillah. The letters are also known as fawātiḥ (‫ )ف اتح‬or
"openers" as they form the opening ayah of their respective
Surahs. The Surah has 83 ayats and 5 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah explains some of the basic beliefs of Islam, especially

the belief in life after death and the Akhirah.
Revelation
A study of the style shows that it was either sent down during the
last stage of the middle Makki period, or it is one of those Surahs
which were sent down during the last stage of the Prophet‘s stay
at Makkah.
1. The truth of the Qur'an and the truth of Prophet

Muhammad (s).
2. Allah's messengers were sent to other people. The

response of those to whom the prophets were sent and the
result of their denial.
3. Allah's (swt) signs in nature to remind about the day of

Resurrection.
4. The scenes of the day of Resurrection.
334
5. Reminders about death and the Day of Judgment.
Like all Makki Surahs, Surah Ya Sin focuses primarily on the

belief in the Oneness of God Almighty and the consequences of
either believing or disbelieving in that basic principle. There are
three main themes of this Surah: Tawhid, the oneness of God;
Risala, that Muhammad is a messenger sent by God to guide His
creations through divine revelation; and the reality of Akhirah,
the Last Judgment.
The Surah focuses on establishing the Qur'an as a divine source,

and it warns of the fate of those who mock Almighty God's
revelations and are stubborn. The Surah tells of the punishments
that plagued past generations of nonbelievers as a warning to
present and future generations. Additionally, the Surah reiterates
Almighty Allah's sovereignty as exemplified by His creations
through signs from nature.
Various signs of Allah, in nature, including scientific facts, which

were only recently discovered, unknown to man during the time
of the Prophet Muhammad (s) are indicated. Surah Ya Sin has
many short ayats and its recitation with short pauses is very
emotional.
Ayats (1 - 12): The Qur'an is revealed by Allah (swt) to warn

people. The Prophet (s) is told that he could warn only those
people who have the fear of Almighty Allah.
Ayats (13 – 32): The example of three Prophets who were sent to
a town; all the people denied them except one man who came
from across the town. Almighty Allah blessed the man who
believed with Paradise and destroyed the disbelievers.
Ayats (33 - 50): Allah (swt) has created all things in pairs. The
day, night, sun and moon; all are being regulated by Almighty
335
Allah. The depiction of disbeliever's attitude towards spending in
the way of Allah is noted.
Ayats (51 - 67): A scene from the Day of Judgment. Allah's

greeting to the residents of Paradise. How Almighty Allah will
address to the criminal sinners is mentioned. On the Day of
Judgment, hands and feet shall testify.
Ayats (68 - 83): The Qur'an is to warn those who are alive and to
establish charge against the disbelievers. Allah (swt), who has
created man, shall give him life again for accountability on the
Day of Judgment.
Virtue of the Surah
Ya Sin is also one of the names of the Prophet Muhammad (s), as

reported in a saying of Ali (ra), ―I heard the Messenger of Allah
say, ‗ Verily Allah has named me by seven names in the Qur‘an:-
Muhammad (3:144; 33:40; 47:2; 48:29), Ahmad (61:6), Ta Ha
[20:1], Ya Sin (36:1), al-Muzzammil (the enshrouded one; 73:1),
al-Muddassir (cloaked one; 74:1), and Abdullah (servant of
Allah; 72:19). [Tafsir al-Jalalayn]
Narrated Anas: that the Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said: "Indeed
for everything there is a heart, and the Qur'an's heart is Ya Sin.
Whoever recites Ya Sin, then for its recitation, Allah writes for
him that he recited the Qur'an ten times." [Tirmidhi, Vol. 5,
Book 42, Hadith 2887]
Ma‘qil ibn Yasar (radiyallahu‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah

(sallallahu‘alayhi wasallam) said: ―Surah Yasin is the heart of the
Qur‘an. When anyone who intends the Akhira recites it Allah will
forgive him. Recite it upon your deceased.‖ [Sunan Abi
Dawud - Imam Hakim has classified this tradition as
sahih (authentic); Mustadrak Hakim vol.1 pg.565 – see
al-Targhib vol.2 pg.376]
Sayyiduna Jundub ibn ‗Abdullah (radiyallahu‘anhu) narrates

that Rasulullah (sallallahu‘alayhi wasallam) said, ―Whoever
336
recites Surah Yasin at night seeking the pleasure of Allah, His
sins will be forgiven.‖ Muwatta Imam Malik, Sahih ibn Hibban
vol.6 pg.312 (see al-Targhib vol.2 pg.377) A similar narration is
reported by Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu‘anhu) and has
been recorded by Imam Abu Ya‘ala in his Musnad. Hafiz Ibn
Kathir has classified its chain of narrators as good (jayyid).
[Tafsir ibn Kathir vol.3 pg.570]
Jundub ibn Abdullah narrates that the Messenger of Allah said,

"Whoever recites Surah Ya Sin in the night seeking the pleasure
of Allah will be forgiven." [Saheeh ibn Hibban no. 2574]
Imam Ahmad has narrated in his Musnad from Safwan that, ‗The
scholars use to say that when it is recited by the deceased, Allah
creates ease for him/her.‘ [See Tafsir ibn Kathir vol.3
pg.571]
Who are the Messengers to Antioch in Surat Ya Sin

36:13-15?
"Recite to them, as a case in point, the story of the people of the

town when the Messengers came to them. We sent to them two
Messengers and they rejected both of them as liars. Then We
strengthened them with a third (Messenger). They said: 'We have
been sent to you as Messengers.' The people of the town said:
'You are only human beings like ourselves, and the Merciful Lord
has revealed nothing. You are simply lying.' " (Surat Ya Sin
36:13-15)
"The town" has not been clearly defined in the Qur'an nor in any
authentic Hadith. The identity of the messengers or the time
when they sent is also not known through any authentic Hadith.
The people of Àd had said the same about the Prophet Hud:
"This person is no more than a human being like yourselves, for
he eats of what you eat and drinks of what you drink. Now if you
submit to a human being like yourselves, you will indeed be the
losers. ―(AI-Mu'minun: 33-34)
The people of Thamud also said the same about the 'Prophet
337
Salih: `Shall we follow a man from among ourselves?" (AI-
Qamar: 24). And the same thing happened with almost every
Prophet that the disbelievers said: "You are no more than a
human being like ourselves," and the Prophets always replied: It
is true that we are no more than human beings like you, but
Allah SWT shows His favour to anyone of His servants He
pleases." (Ibrahim: 10-11)
Ibn Ishaq cites Ibn Abbas, according to what had been narrated
through Ka‘ab Al-Ahbar, and Wahb Ibn Munabbah: "It is
Antioch city, which had a king named Antiochus Ibn Antiochus
Ibn Antiochus, and he used to worship idols. Then Allah SWT
sent him three messengers called: Sadiq, Sadouq and Shalom.
But the king belied them. This was also narrated by Buraida Ibn
Al-Khasib, ‗Ikrimah, Qatadah, and Az-Zuhri, all said "it was
Antioch" (Ibn Kathir)
Ibn Kathir goes on to say "And from what has preceded, and
according to many of our salaf, this village is Antioch, and that
these three were messengers of 'Isa (pbuh)", but he raises these
objections: 1) the simple reading is that these were Messengers of
Allah's SWT, not of Isa' (pbuh) 2) in this verse the messengers
are rejected and the town punished, which doesn't appear to
have happened to Antioch after the time of the 'Isa (pbuh). 3)
After the revelation of the Torah, Allah SWT required believers
not only to warn idolaters, but to fight them (which we don't see
by the disciples).
Also it can be noted that during 'Isa's (pbuh) time, the Romans
controlled Antioch, and there had been no Seleucid king there
since 65 BCE. Unlike the city in our ayah, Antioch eagerly
accepted the message of Christianity and thrived as a city.
Further ahaddith provide additional details:
Salmah Ibn Al-Fadl reported that Muhammad Ibn Ishaq told
him when they were discussing Ya-Sin chapter 36 of the Noble
Qur'an and through a chain of narrators; Ibn Abbas, from Ka'ab,
from Wahb Ibn Munabbah, say that it was a man from Antioch
people, and his name was Habib, his craft was weaving silk, and
he was a sick man; leprosy spread in his body. He lived in a
338
house nearby the city doors where he conducted his trading
business; he was a charitable righteous person. He used to earn
his living, split his earnings, gives half of it to his children and
the rest to charity. There used to live a Pharaoh in this same city
of Habib, and his name was Antiochus Ibn Antiochus. He used to
worship idols; he was a polytheist. Allah SWT sent his three
messengers for this Pharaoh; they were called Sadik, Masdouk
and Shalom. Allah SWT sent the first two messengers and when
the Pharaoh belied them Allah re-enforced them with a third.
(Mohamed Ibn Isacc Narration)
Al-Rbee‘ Ibn Anas narrated from Abul-‗Aliya about Allah's SWT

saying " tell them the example of the peoples of the town when
the messengers were sent to them, and when we sent them two
whom they denied, then we reinforced them with a third
messenger " chapter 36.13: To strengthen the proof of their
denial for the messengers Allah SWT sent a third. When they
approached the village people, they called them to monotheism,
but they denied them, so they approached a man who lived in a
farm, he then asked them who are you? They answered that they
are Allah's SWT messengers, they are sent for the people of this
village to invite them to monotheism, so he asked them: are you
getting paid for doing this? They said no. So he threw what he
had in his hand and accompanied them. He then approached the
city people and said: "O my people! Follow those who have been
sent! Minded (of the truth)? Nay, but ye are froward folk. Follow
those who ask of you no fee, and who are rightly guided" (Al-
Rabee‟ Ibn Anas)
Some historical details:

During the times of the Seleucid kings, who all styled themselves
with the title Antiochus, there was a monotheistic "missionary"
movement headed by the Jewish High Priest Shimon Ha Saddik -
grandson of the High Priest Yehoshua - and his children also
called Onias and Shimon with the honorary titles Saddik and
Sadok. Seleucus I Nicator made the Jews citizens in those cities
which he built in Asia, and in the lower Syria, and in the
metropolis itself, Antioch. He granted them privileges equal to
those of the Macedonians and Greeks, honours that lasted well
339
into Roman times. His grandson married the Bernice, the
daughter of Ptolemy II. Thus Antiochus III the Great was the
first Seleucid king that could be called a "Pharaoh" (his grandson
Antiochus IV actually conquered Egypt). His son, Seleucus IV
Philopator defrayed all the expenses connected with the
sanctuary and was friendly to the Jews. He invited the High
Priests to teach in Antioch and other cities in the kingdom. All of
these High Priests followed the teachings of their ancestor,
Yehoshua the High Priest who lived during the time of the
Prophet Zecharias (pbuh).
Conclusion: It is possible that both the early and later

commentaries are correct. These are not the disciples 'Isa (pbuh)
but the "disciples" of the High Priest Yehoshua, which is the
same name as Jesus. All of these High Priest bore the title of
their ancestors Saddik and Sadok. Under the patronage of the
Antiochus III the Great, who was Antiochus son of Antiochus son
of Antiochus and a "Pharaoh", and his son Seleucus IV
Philopator, the Jewish High Priests were invited to preach
monotheism in the Seleucid kingdom. They invited the High
Priests Onias III (185-175 BCE, murdered 170 BCE in Daphne,
near Antioch), Simon/Jason (175-172 BCE, died in Sparta), and
Onias/Menelaus (171-161 BCE, executed in Antioch). These High
Priest were known for their silk robes. (Menahot 109a) Although
invited to speak in Antioch, the population would not abandon
idol worship. Even the king was more interested in their tax
revenue than their preaching. Twelve years after Antiochus V
Eupator executed Menelaus, in 148 BCE, the city of Antioch
suffered a great earthquake that did immense damage and
flattened the town. [Courtesy:
https:/www.facebook.com/notes/ben-
abrahamson/who-are-the-messengers-to-antioch-in-
surat-ya-sin-3613-15/200593079966740/]
1. The Qur‘an is revealed by Allah (swt) to warn people and

establish a charge-sheet against the disbelievers: Almighty
God swears by the wise Qur‘an that Prophet Muhammad
340
(s) is indeed a messenger on the straight path sent to warn
those who are unaware. The Qur‘an is full of wisdom, and
those who do not follow its guidance are indeed
unfortunate. However only those who believe in God
Almighty and fear His punishment will take heed of the
warning. Almighty Allah keeps a clear record of
everything.
2. Everything here on this samawat is created and regulated

by Allah (swt): Almighty Allah gives life to the lifeless
earth. There is produce and springs of fresh water. They
have not produced these things themselves so why are
they not grateful. All glory is for God Almighty who
created all species in pairs, and humankind itself and
many other things that humankind knows nothing about.
It is Almighty Allah who strips away the daylight
transitioning day into night. The sun runs on a fixed
course and the moon waxes and wanes according to
Almighty God‘s command. The sun does not reach the
moon and the night does not overtake the day as Lord
Almighty has determined the course on which they run.
3. Scenes from the Day of Judgment: The people will ask

who has raised us from our sleeping place (generally
agreed to be the grave) and they will be told that this is the
promise made to them by the Most Merciful (God
Almighty) and what the messengers warned about. It will
be but one single blast and lo and behold, all of
humankind will be brought before God Almighty. On that
Day no one will be wronged, everyone will be
recompensed for what they did; all will be repaid for their
deeds.
4. Allah's greetings to the residents of Paradise: The people

of Paradise will be rewarded handsomely; they will be
341
with their spouses seated on couches in the shade. They
will have therein all kinds of fruits and whatever they wish
for. And in addition to this their Lord will greet them with
"peace".
5. Allah's address to the criminal sinners: After

distinguishing disbelievers from the ranks of the believers
on the Day of Judgment God Almighty will address, "Did I
not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not to
worship Shaitan – for he is a clear enemy to you. And that
you worship [only] Me?" This is a straight path, says
Almighty God and he (Satan) has led great numbers of
you astray, could you not use your reason to see this? The
disbelievers are told to enter Hellfire because of what they
denied and refused to believe and because they refused to
heed Almighty God‘s commands. Almighty Allah will seal
their mouths but their hands and feet will speak and bear
witness to all.
6. All human beings shall be raised back to life again on the

Day of Judgment for accountability of their deeds:
Humankind seems to forget their origin so Almighty God
reminds us that we were created from a drop of fluid. Yet
even then they dispute openly asking who could give life
back to bones after they have decayed? Almighty God says
that the One who gave them life in the first place will bring
them back; it is only He who has knowledge of every act of
creation. It is He who produced fire so that humankind
can benefit from it; it is He who created the heavens and
the earth so is it not then easy for Him to bring back the
people? Of course it is! When God wills something to be,
He says "Be" and it is. All glory belongs to Almighty Allah,
who controls everything and it is to Him that humankind
will be resurrected.
342
7. The Qur‘an is a warning, a gauge between right and
wrong: Allah (swt) could have left humankind without
guidance but because of His mercy he did not. They could
have been left blind without the means to see, or
deformed without the means to move either forward or
backward but He did not. Prophet Muhammad (s) is not a
poet; he was not given mere poetry; rather, he was given a
clear book of guidance, the Qur‘an. Out of the many
blessings Lord Almighty has bestowed upon us: livestock.
He created it for our general use, to be used as a means of
transportation, for food and milk, and for other benefits.
Instead of giving thanks to Lord Almighty for this
blessing, the disbelievers have taken other deities besides
Him for worship and even call upon them for help but
they cannot help! The Qur'an does not benefit except
those who are alive, "To warn whoever is alive and justify
the word against the disbelievers." (36:70)
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37. Surah As-Saffat (Those who set the ranks; Those
Lined Up; Those Ranged in Rows; The Rangers)
Concise Tafseer of Surah As-Saffat In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, "By those lined
up in rows." (37:1). This Surah is the first Surah in the Qur‘an
which begins with an oath by Saaffat, a group of angels who are
in array to perform the command of Allah (swt). Three groups
are mentioned in the form of an oath confirming Almighty
Allah‘s Oneness. The first are angels standing in rows, the second
are the angels that reprimand and thirdly those angels that recite
Allah‘s (swt) words. The Surah has 182 ayats in 5 Ruku‘
(Section).
Revelation
The subject matter shows that this Surah was probably sent
down in the middle or last stage of the middle of Makki period.
This was the time when the Prophet (s) and his companions (ra)
were passing through very difficult and unfavourable
circumstances.
1. The Lord of the heaven and earth is one God. The mockers
at the Prophet of God Almighty will one day see the truth.
The Day of Judgment will dawn suddenly.
2. The guilty shall be punished and virtuous will be

rewarded.
3. Allah delivered Prophet Nuh (a) from his enemies.

Prophet Ibrahim's (a) encounter with idolatry. The test of
Prophet Ibrahim (a). His willingness to sacrifice his son.
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4. How Allah (swt) delivered Prophets Musa (a), Harun (a),
Ilyas (a) and Lut (a) and punished their enemies.
5. How Prophet Yunus (a) was delivered from the belly of the
whale. Angels are not Almighty Allah's daughters; they are
Allah's (swt) servants. Allah's messengers will succeed.
The disbelievers of Makkah are warned of their mockery and

derision to Almighty God‘s message of Monotheism (Tawhid)
and the Hereafter, and their refusal to acknowledge the Prophet
Muhammad (s). The Surah affirms his Prophet-hood and refutes
pagan beliefs. The Oneness of Almighty Allah, and the certainty
of the Day of Judgment is stressed to provide warnings to the
non-believer.
The Surah deals with the subject of angels and jinns, and the
stories of Prophets - Nuh (a), Ibrahim (a), Musa (a), Harun (a),
Ilyas (a) and Yunus (a), to show us how peace and victory came
by these Prophets, against their conflict against evil.
In the end the disbelievers have been plainly warned that the
Prophet, whom they are mocking and ridiculing, will overwhelm
them in spite of their power and wealth and they will find the
army of Lord Almighty encamping in the very courtyards of their
houses.
Ayats (1 – 21): Almighty Allah testifies that He is the one

Almighty and that shaitans do not have an access to the exalted
assembly of angels. Life in the Hereafter and the Day of
Judgment are real.
Ayats (22 - 74): A scene from the Day of Judgment and a treat for
the wrongdoers. A dialogue between the followers and the
leaders is included here. A scene from the scenes of Paradise is
depicted here. An example of conversation of a resident of
Paradise is presented. A scene from the scenes of Hell has been
345
vividly portrait.
Ayats (75 - 113): The Prophet Nuh (a) prayed and Almighty Allah
responded to his prayers. The story of the Prophet Ibrahim (a),
"The Friend of Allah" is here. The Prophet Ibrahim (a) was asked
to offer his only son in sacrifice as a test and he fulfilled it.
Ayats (114 - 138): Allah bestowed His favours on Prophets Musa

(a) and Harun (a). Ilyas (a) [Elias] was one of the Rasools of
Almighty Allah. Lut (a) was also a Rasool of Allah (swt).
Ayats (139 - 182): Story of the Prophet Yunus (a) [Jonah].

Describing his fall in the ocean and how Allah (swt) saved him by
making him swallowed by a big fish. Mushrik's claim of Angels
being daughters of Allah and Jinns having blood relations with
Allah are utterly false. Almighty Allah has promised to help His
Rasools and His devotees.
Virtue of the Surah
Angels in Ranks Obeying the Command of Allah
(37:1) By those who range themselves in rows;

(37:2) by those who reprove severely,
(37:3) and those who recite the Exhortation;1
1. The majority of the commentators agree that all these three

groups imply the groups of the angels, and the same explanation
of it has been reported from Abdullah bin Masud, Ibn Abbas,
Qatadah, Masruq Said bin Jubair, Ikrimah, Mujahid, Suddi, Ibn
Zaid and Rabi bin Anas. Some commentators have given other
commentaries also, but this commentary is more in keeping with
the context. The words ―range in ranks‖ refers to the fact that all
the angels who arc administering the affairs of the universe, are
the humble servants of Allah, and are ever ready to carry out any
service and implement any of His commands. This theme has
been further repeated in [(ayah - 37:165: Verily we range our-
selves in rows (as humble servants)], where the angels say with
regard to themselves: ―We are the ranged servants (of Allah).‖
346
As for ―drive away with strength‖, some commentators think that
it refers to those angels who drive the clouds and arrange the
rainfall. Although this meaning is not incorrect either, the
meaning which is more relevant to the following context is that
among these angels there is also a group of those, who scold and
curse the disobedient people and the culprits, and this scolding
and cursing is not merely verbal but it rains on human beings in
the form of natural disasters and calamities.
―To recite the reminder‖ implies that among these angels there
are also those, who perform the service of admonition in order to
draw the people‘s attention to the truth. This, they do by bringing
about natural calamities from which the heedful take heed, and
by bringing down the teachings to the Prophets, and in the form
of revelations with which the pious men are blessed through
them. [Tafhimul Qur‟an]
An-Nasa'i recorded that Àbdullah bin Ùmar, may Allah be

pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah used to
command us to make our prayers short and he used to recite As-
Saffat when he lead us in prayer.'' This was recorded by An-
Nasa'i only. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
1. Allah Himself testifies that men‘s Lord is one and the

shaitans do not have any access to the exalted assembly of
angels: Allah (swt) Himself verifies His Oneness that He is
the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is in-
between including every point from which the sun rises.
God Almighty has fortified the sky closest to the earth
with celestial bodies that guard against the devils who try
to eavesdrop on the conversations of the angels. They are
attacked from all sides with flaming meteors.
2. Life in the hereafter and the Day of Judgment are real:

The happiness and bliss that Almighty God‘s true servants
will experience in the gardens of delight is described,
347
including flowing rivers of wine and beautiful
companions. The inhabitants of Paradise will converse
with each other. One person will ask about a friend who
did not believe and will be able to see him in the midst of
the Fire. To contrast the difference between Paradise and
Hell, Almighty Allah asks what is better this (the Gardens
of Delight) or the Zaqqum tree? This tree growing devils‘
heads in the midst of the Fire will be the food of those in
Hell together with scalding water to drink. The
disbelievers made fun of a tree growing in a fire but it will
become their reality because they followed their
forefathers into disbelief even though they were warned.
3. Dialogue between the followers and the leaders who

mislead them: The angels are ordered to gather the
disbelievers and wrongdoers together and drive them
towards Hell. Along the way they will be questioned about
why they did not help each other towards the truth. The
disbelievers will accuse their deities who are also being
ushered along but they will deny any power over the
disbelievers. It does not matter because on this day they
will be partners in the punishment meted out. They
denied Lord Almighty and the message and will get what
they deserve.
4. Prayer of the Prophet Nuh (a) and Almighty Allah's

response: Prophet Nuh (a) is given as an example of how
well Allah (swt) rewards the righteous. Nuh (a) was a
believer and Almighty God saved him and his people from
great distress. The non-believers were warned but they
made the wrong choice, then they were drowned.
5. The Story of the Prophet Ibrahim: Prophet Ibrahim (a)

was a man of faith. One day, he asked his father and his
people why they worshipped false gods. When his people
348
were going for the festival, Ibrahim (a) said he felt ill and
stayed behind. He went to their temple and asked the
carved gods questions - why do you not eat; why do you
not speak. They did not reply so he pushed them over.
Ibrahim‘s (a) people were angry and intended to burn him
in fire but God Almighty had a different plan and kept him
safe. Prophet Ibrahim (a) left trusting Almighty Allah to
guide him to a better place. He asked for more, a righteous
son which Almighty God provided. When the boy (Ismail)
was old enough to work with his father, Ibrahim (a) had a
troubling dream in which he was called upon to sacrifice
Ismail (a). He told his son about it, and they both were
willing to submit to Almighty God‘s will. When Ibrahim
(a) put Ismail upon the stone but Allah (swt) called out for
him to stop. It was a test and Ibrahim (a) passed it due to
his complete submission to Almighty God‘s command.
Ibrahim (a) is remembered by the following generations
as a righteous man. He was given news of another
righteous son called Ishaq - Isaac. The story of Ibrahim (a)
and the dream of him sacrificing his son is a demonstra-
tion that the Prophets are tested the most.
6. Risalat (Prophethood) of Musa, Haroon, Ilyas and Lut

(‗alaihimus salam): God Almighty favoured and supported
Prophet Musa (a) and his brother Harun (a). They too
were delivered from distress and guided on the straight
path. Almighty God gave them the Taurat (Torah).
Prophet Ilyas (a) was one of those devoted to Almighty
Allah. He questioned his people about the false god Ba‘l
but they ignored him and faced the consequences. Lut (a)
was another Prophet who was delivered from harm along
with his whole family, except his wife; she was left to face
the punishment with the wrongdoers. Their city is a
constant reminder but many people do not take heed.
349
7. Story of Prophet Yunus a (Jonah): Prophet Yunus (a) fled
from his disbelieving people to an overloaded ship where
they drew lots in order to stay on board. Being swallowed
by a whale was his just punishment but he was delivered
from harm because he had been one of Almighty God‘s
devoted believers. He was cast ashore and Allah (swt)
protected him from the elements and a serious illness.
God Almighty then provided him with a large nation who
believed in him and they were permitted to live out their
lives.
8. Allah has promised to help His Rasools and His devotees:

The Prophet was instructed to question the disbelievers of
Makkah about whether they considered their own creation
to be more difficult or the creation of the heavens, earth
and all creation in the samawat. Previously the
disbelievers asked for a Messenger and said they would
follow the guidance, yet when the best Messenger and the
best revelation are sent to them they resort to disbelief.
But they will come to know and understand. Allah (swt)
assures Prophet Muhammad (s) that he will see their
downfall as sure as they will see his victory. Almighty God
is far above what they attribute to Him.
9. Superstitions regarding angels and jinns being denied by

Allah (swt): Many people from Makkah claimed that the
angels were the daughters of Lord Almighty. Allah (swt)
refutes this superstition. Next they claim that Lord
Almighty is akin to the jinn. How could this be possible
when the jinn themselves have to appear before Allah
(swt) and account for their deeds? Almighty Allah is far
above these superstitions and only those destined for the
Hellfire would believe such things.
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38. Surah Sad
Concise Tafseer of Surah Saad In Summarized Form

The Surah takes its name from the letter 'Sad' which is in the first
ayah, "Sad. By the Qur'an containing reminder..." (38:1). This
type of letter is called as Muqatta‘at (meaning, "disconnected" or
"mysterious"). Out of the 114 Surahs of the Qur‘an, 29 Surahs
are figuring with this type beginning just after the Bismillah. The
letters are also known as fawātiḥ (‫ )ف اتح‬or "openers" as they form
the opening ayah of their respective Surahs.
There is a requirement for prostration ((telawat-e-sujood) in

ayah 24 of Surah Saad. The Surah has 88 ayats and 5 Ruku‘
(Section).
Revelation
This Surah was sent down when Muhammad (s) started calling
people to Islam in Makkah according to some traditions. If this
true it was revealed in the 4th year of Prophethood. To some
other traditions this Surah was revealed after Umar (ra)
embraced Islam which happened after the migration to Habash
in about 5th year of Prophethood. Another chain of traditions
indicate that it was send down during the last illness of Abu
Talib, uncle of the Prophet, i.e. 10th or 11th year of Prophethood.
1. Warnings to the disbelievers. The arguments of the

disbelievers against the Qur'an and the Prophet (s). The
defeat of the disbelievers.
2. Remember Almighty Allah's servant Prophet Daud (a) -

David. Allah's (swt) blessings upon him. He was tested
and he turned to Almighty Allah.
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3. Allah's (swt) blessings upon Prophet Sulaiman (a) -
Solomon. He was also tested, but he repented and was
forgiven by Almighty Allah.
4. Allah (swt) tested Prophet Ayub (s) - Job and he was

rewarded for his patience. Remember Almighty Allah's
servants: Ibrahim (a) - Abraham, Ishaq (a) - Isaac, Yaqub
(a) - Jacob, Ismail (a) - Ishmael, al-Yasa‗(a) - Elisha and
Zulkifl (a) - Ezekeil. The warnings for the wicked.
5. There is only one God Almighty. The great message. Allah

(swt) created Adam (a), but Iblis became his enemy. He
vowed to mislead human beings. Almighty Allah's curse
came upon him and upon those who follow him.
The Surah talks about the basic message of all the Prophets and
Messengers of Allah (the Lord Almighty). They came to preach
Tawhid. The Prophets suffered and went through a lot of
hardship in presenting Allah's message. Their enemies attacked
them and persecuted them, but then finally it was the truth that
prevailed and falsehood was defeated. Power and riches all come
Making the dialogue between the Prophet and the disbelievers

the basis, God Almighty says that the actual reason with those
people for their denial is not any defect in the message of Islam
but their own arrogance, jealousy and insistence on following the
blind. They are not prepared to believe in a man from their own
clan as a Prophet of Almighty God and follow
him. They want to persist in the ideas of ignorance which they
have found their ancestors following. And when a person exposes
this ignorance and presents the truth before them, they are
alarmed and regard it as an oddity, rather as a novel and
impossible thing.
Then describing nine of the Prophets, one after the other, Nuh
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(a), Ibrahim (a), Lut (a), Musa (a), Harun (a), Ilyas (a), Ayyub (a)
and Yunus (a) with greater details of the story of the Prophets
Daud (a) and Sulaiman (a); God Almighty has emphasized the
point that His Law of Justice is impartial and objective, that only
the right attitude of man is acceptable to Him, that He calls to
account and punishes every wrongdoer.
In conclusion, mention has been made of the story of Adam (a)

and Shaitan (Iblis), which is meant to tell the disbelieving
Quraysh that the same arrogance and vanity which was
preventing them from bowing before Muhammad (s) had
prevented Shaitan also from bowing before Adam (a). Satan felt
jealous of the high rank Almighty Allah had given to Adam (a)
and became accursed when he disobeyed His Command.
Ayats (1 - 14): The Qur'an is full of admonition. Unbelievers are

in sheer arrogance for calling the Prophets, liars.
Ayats (15 - 26): The story of the Prophet Daud (a) with whom
mountains and birds used to sing the rhymes of Almighty Allah.
Here includes the story of the two petitioners who came to Daud
(a) for a decision.
Ayats (27 - 40): Allah (swt) has not created the heavens and the
earth in vain. The story of Sulaiman's (a) inspection of steeds to
be used in Jihad. The Prophet Sulaiman's (a) prayer of granting
him a kingdom, similar of which may not be granted to anyone
else.
Ayats (41 - 64): The story of Ayub (a) - Job, his sickness and
relief. The Qur'an is but a reminder about the reward of Paradise
and punishment of the hellfire.
Ayats (65 – 88): The mission of a Rasool is to warn people and

declare that there is no divinity except Almighty Allah. Mention
of the story of the creation of (a) Adam and disobedience of
Iblees (Shaitan).
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Virtue of the Surah
A tradition narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (s) that he

said: Whoever recites Surah Saad, will Allah give him reward
as much as the weight of every mountain that Allah had
subjected it for David (as), and He protects him from persisting
in committing sins whether minor or major. [Majma„-ul-
Bayan]
Secret of Huroof Muqatta‟at in Surahs (Chapters) of

Quran
a. Three Surahs (Chapters) are pre-fixed with only one

letter:
1. Surah ‫ ص‬Sadh (The Letter ‫― ص‬Sadh‖) chapter 38 with ‫ص‬
Sadh
2.Surah ‫ ق‬Qaf (The Letter ‫― ق‬Qaf‖) chapter 50 with ‫ ق‬Qaf
3. Surah Al Qalam (The Pen) chapter 68 with‫ ن‬Noon
b. The combination of two letters occurs in 10 surahs:
Three of them occur only once each:

1. ‫ طه‬Ta Haa, Ch. 20 – Surah Taha (Ta Ha) (Prophet
2. ‫ طس‬Ta Seen, Ch. 27 – Surah An Naml (The Ant)
3. ‫ يس‬Ya Seen, Ch. 36–Surah YaSeen (YaSeen) (Prophet
‫ حم‬Ha Meem, occurs in seven consecutive Surahs 40-

46:
1. Ch. 40 – Surah Ghafir (The Forgiver)

2. Ch. 41 – Surah Fassilat (Explained in Detail)
3. Ch. 42 – Surah Ash Shura (The Consultation)
4. Ch. 43 – Surah Az Zukhruf (The Ornaments of Gold)
5. Ch. 44 – Surah Ad Dukhan (The Smoke)
6. Ch. 45 – Surah Al Jathiya (The Crouching)
7. Ch. 46 – Surah Al Ahqaf (The Wind-Curved Sandhills)
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c. Thereare three combinations of three letters, each
occurring in 13 surahs.
‫ الم‬Alif Lam Meem, occurs in six surahs

1. Ch. 2 – Surah Al Baqara (The Cow)
2. Ch. 3 – Surah ‗Ali ‗Imran (Family of ‗Imran)
3. Ch. 29 – Surah al ‗Ankabut (The Spider)
4. Ch. 30 – Surah Ar Rum (The Romans),
5. Ch. 31 – Surah Luqman (Luqman)
6. Ch. 32 – Surah As Sajda (The Prostration)
‫ الر‬Alif Laam Ra, occurs in Five consecutive Surahs 10

– 15:
1. Ch. 10 – Surah Yunus (Jonah),
2. Ch. 11 – Surah Hud (Hud)
3. Ch. 12 – Surah Yusuf (Joseph)
4. Ch. 14 – Surah Ibrahim (Abraham)
5. Ch. 15 – Surah Al Hijr (The Rocky Tract)
‫ طسم‬Ta Seen Meem, occurs in twoSurahs:

Ch. 26 – Surah Ash Shu‘ara (The Poets)
Ch. 28 – Surah Al Qasas (The Stories)
d. Combination of four letters occurs twice:
‫ المص‬Alif Lam Meem Sadh, Ch. 7 – Surah al A‘raf (The
Heights)
‫ المر‬Alif Lam Meem Ra, Ch. 13 – Surah Ar Ra‘d(The
Thunder)
e. Combination of five letters occurs twice:

‫ كهيعص‬Kahf Haa Ya Ayn Sadh, Ch. 19 – Surah Maryam
(Mary)
‫ حمعسق‬Ha Meem Ayn Seen Qaf, Ch. 42 – Surah Ash
Shura (the Consultation)
SurahAl-Shura chapter 42 has a double combination of

abbreviated letters oneset of two letters followed by one
set of three letters.
355
‫ حم‬Ha Meem – Ch. 42:1 – Surah Ash Shura (The
Consultation)
‫„ عسق‬Ayn Seen Qaf, Ch. 42:2 – Surah Ash Shura (The

Consultation)
[Courtesy Link:
http://www.nurmuhammad.com/pbuh/?p=2230]
1. Al-Qur'an is full of admonition. The disbelievers are in

sheer arrogance for calling the Prophet a liar: Almighty
God swears an oath by the Qur‘an, the book that serves a
reminder to all of humankind. Those who disbelieve are
occupied with nothing but arrogance and defiance.
Almighty Allah has destroyed many generations before
them for such arrogance and every one of them cried out
in despair but it was too late. A warner has come to them
(to disbelievers of Makkah) from among themselves but
they do not accept this, and call him a liar or a magician.
The people of Nuh (a), and Aad and Pharaoh denied their
messengers. The people of Thamud, and Lut (a) and
Madyan formed alliances against their messengers. They
all called their messengers liars; Almighty God‘s
punishment was justified.
2. Story of the Prophet Daud (a): The mountains and birds

used to sing the rhymes of Almighty Allah with the His
chosen servant Daud (a). Allah (swt) strengthened his
kingdom and gave him wisdom, sound judgment and
discerning speech. There is a story of two litigants who
climbed over a wall alarming Daud (a) in his prayer
chamber. They asked him to judge between them. Daud
(a) passed judgment and realized that he had been put
into this position as a test from God Almighty. He sought
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forgiveness for any errors, such as fear and suspicion of
the two men at the outset, and any mistakes in judgment
he might have made, such as not being impartial in his
judgment. Almighty Allah forgave Daud (a) and reminded
that he was a vicegerent on earth, who should rule with
justice and not follow his own desires.
3. Story of the Prophet Sulaiman (a): Allah (swt) gave David

a son, Sulaiman; he was an excellent servant to Almighty
God. He became obsessed with his beautiful racehorses
and became distracted from remembering Almighty Allah.
He realized his mistake and sent the horses from his sight.
(Some scholars say that he slaughtered them). Sulaiman
(a) was tested and he became so ill that he was like a
walking skeleton. Sulaimon (a) repented and turned back
to God Almighty. Allah (swt) gave him power over the
wind and the jinn which Sulaiman (a) of his Kingdom,
made du‘a not to give this power to anyone after him.
4. Story of Ayyub (a), his sickness, patience and relief: Ayyub

(a) [Job] called out in distress to Almighty because
Shaitan had afflicted him with suffering. Allah (swt) gave
him cool water and restored and multiplied the family
members that had deserted him. God Almighty relieved
Ayyub (a) of the oath he made to beat his wife by
instructing him to strike her with blades of grass.
5. The mission of the Prophet: Prophet Muhammad (s) is

here to convey that he is only a warner and that there is no
deity but Lord Almighty. The Prophet is here to tell the
people that the Qur‘an is a reminder and that he does not
ask for any payment. This is a reminder, the gates of
Paradise will open to the righteous and their provision will
never end. In contrast, the rebellious and wrongdoers will
burn in Hell with other punishments of various kinds.
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6. Story of Adam (a) and disobedience of Iblis (Shaitan):
Lord Almighty told the angels that He was going to make a
human being out of clay and that when he was done they
should bow down before it. They all bowed except Shaitan
(Iblis). Shaitan thought himself better than Adam (a)
because he was made from fire rather than clay, so God
Almighty banished and cursed him until the Day of
Judgment. Shaitan asked for respite until that Day and he
was granted. He swore to God Almighty that he would use
the time to mislead all human beings except the ones that
are sincerely devoted to Him. Almighty Allah told Shaitan
to listen to the truth; He intended to fill Hell with Shaitan
and all of his followers.
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39. Surah Az-Zumar (The Troops; The Groups; The
Throngs)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Az-Zumar In Summarized
Form

The mention of the Surah name, ―Az-Zumar‖ appears in ayats 71

and 73. The mention of this word – zumar – in the whole Qur‘an
occurs only here. The title refers to the groups of believers and
non-believers that will be formed on the Day of Judgment. The
Revelation
This is a Makki Surah. Ayah 10 is abundant evidence this Surah

was revealed before the Hijrah of Abyssinia (Habash). Some
traditions provide the explanation that this ayah was sent down
in respect of Ja‘far bin Abi Talib and his companions when they
make their mind to emigrate to Habash (Ruh al-Maani, vol.
XXII, p. 226)
Background Reasons for Revelation
The entire Surah was sent down in a time when the environment
was filled with tyranny and persecution. And that time was
before the emigration to Habash. The Believers were told not to
despair and lose heart. Giving up Tauhid and accepting Shirk has
terrible consequence. In order to return to the mercy of Rabb one
must avoid wrong way of life and avoids Shirk, if it is difficult for
them to practice their religion in one place, they can migrate
from the land. The unbelievers are told that they can do whatever
they wish, but they cannot turn the Believers away from the path
of faith.
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1. To Almighty Allah belongs the pure and sincere religion.
The principle of Tauhid and its benefits. The evil of Shirk
and its consequences.
2. The reward of those who are steadfast in their faith.
3. The perfect guidance of the Qur'an. It is straight without

any crookedness.
4. Allah (swt) is sufficient for the Prophet Muhammad (s).

The rejecters will be abased.
5. The futility of Shirk and its evil consequences.
6. Almighty Allah's mercy is available for all.
7. Ye ignorant people, do you invite me to worship someone

other than Allah? The Judgment of Allah (swt).
8. The reward of Believers and the punishment of the

unbelievers.
Surah Az-Zumar is also one of the Surahs of the Makki period,

the majority of Surahs revealed in the Makki period dealt with
the fundamentals of faith and this one is no exception. This
Surah contrasts the believers with those who ascribe partners
with God. People are free to choose, we are told, however
choosing the right path before it is too late is urgently
recommended.
The people of Makkah who were the first recipients of this

magnificent revelation, believed in Allah as the creator of the
world but they had appointed various idols as partners of
Almighty Allah, and believed them to be the masters of their
destiny. They couldn‘t accept the message of Tauhid, even
though it was being presented to them in the Qur‘an, which
was their own language.
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Tauhid brings the blessings of Almighty Allah, while Shirk has
terrible consequences. The Believers are told not to despair and
lose heart. If it is difficult for them to practice their religion in
one place, they can migrate from that land. The unbelievers are
told that they can do whatever they wish, but they cannot turn
the Believers away from the path of faith.
Ayats (1 - 9): The mushrikhs try to justify their worship of saints

saying that it may bring them closer to Allah. On the Day of
Judgment, no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another.
Ayats (10 - 21): Believers who cannot practice their faith (Islam)
should migrate to other places where they can do so. The real
losers are those who shall lose their souls and their families on
the Day of Judgment. No one can rescue the one against whom
the sentence of punishment has been decreed.
Ayats (22 - 31): The Qur'an is consistent in its ayats though it

repeats its teachings in different ways. Allah (swt) has cited every
kind of parable in the Qur'an so that people may learn a lesson.
Ayats (32 - 41): Who can be wicked than the one who invents a
lie against Almighty Allah? If Allah (swt) intends to harm one, no
one can save him/her and if He intends to bestow His blessings
on someone, no one can withhold it.
Ayats (42 - 52): It is Almighty Allah Who recalls the souls of

people upon their death and of the living people during their
sleep. If the wrong doers possess all the treasures of the earth
and much more besides it, they will gladly offer it as a ransom to
redeem themselves on the Day of Judgment.
Ayats (53 - 63): Those who have transgressed against their souls
should not despair of Almighty Allah's mercy; they should repent
while they can.
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Ayats (64 - 70): Worship Allah (swt) and be among His thankful
servants and On the Day of Judgment, the Book of Deeds will be
laid open and justice will be done with all fairness.
Ayats (71 - 75): After Judgment, unbelievers will be driven to

Hell and the righteous will be led to Paradise.
Virtue of the Surah
Aishah (rh) reports. "The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬would not sleep until he

recited Surat Bani Isra'il and Az-Zumar." [Tirmidhi Vol. 5,
―One who recites Surah al-Zumar shall not lose hope of Divine
Mercy and shall be recompensed the rewards of the God
fearing.‖ [Majma‟ al-Bayan, the opening of the Surah]
An-Nasa'i recorded that À'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,

said, "The Messenger of Allah used to fast until we would say,
`He does not want to break fast,' and he would not fast until we
would say, `He does not want to fast.' And he used to recite Bani
Isra'il (Al-Isra') and Az-Zumar every night.'' [Tafsir Ibn
Kathir]
1. The mushrikhs try to justify their worship of saints saying

- ―It brings us closer to Allah‖: The religion acceptable to
Lord Almighty is that none be associated with Him in both
worship and obedience. Those who justify their actions
saying we only worship others to make them closer to
Almighty God will be judged by Lord Himself and find
that He does not guide those who lie and disbelieve. If
Lord Almighty intended to have offspring, He could have
chosen anyone from the creation, but he is far too exalted
for such a thing. He created the heavens and the earth for
a purpose; the night and the day wrap over one another
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and the sun and the moon run in their orbits for a
specified time. He created humankind from a single cell –
firstly Adam (a) and then his wife Hawa (a) - Eve.
Almighty Allah created livestock in pairs and creates
people in their mother‘s wombs one after the other in
threefold darkness (the stomach, the uterus, and the
amniotic membrane). Almighty God has control; there is
no deity but Him. How could we turn away?
2. On the Day of Judgment no one shall bear the burden of

others: When adversity touches humankind, they call
upon their Lord, but when He bestows blessings, they turn
away and forget Him. Almighty God does not need the
disbelievers, and He does not like ingratitude. He likes to
see gratitude, and no soul will ever bear another‘s burden.
When we would return to Almighty Allah for our account,
He will tell us the truth about what we did in this life.
3. The real losers are those who lose their souls and families
on the Day of Judgment: The losers are those who lose
themselves and their families on the Day of Judgment;
they will be under layers of fire. Those who shun the
worship of false gods are the people of understanding, and
they will have dwellings built for them in gardens under
which rivers flow. This is the promise of Almighty Allah.
4. Ignorant and knowledgeable people can never be equal:

This revelation - the Qur‘an, is from God Almighty, sent
down to Prophet Muhammad (s). Is the person who prays
in the night and fears the Hereafter like the person who
does not? Are those who know equal to those who do not
know? Those who do good will have a good reward.
Almighty God sends down rain, it brings forth vegetation
which later withers and dies at His command. This is a
reminder - every rise has a fall, therefore do not be
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charmed by this world and its glitter and forget God and
the Hereafter. Some walk in the light, others have hearts
that have hardened, and they have completely lost their
way. Al-Qur'an is consistent yet it repeats the teachings in
different ways. Allah (swt) has cited every kind of example
in Al-Qur'an so that people may learn a lesson.
5. Allah (swt) promises those who adopt taqwa and do good,

goodness in this world as well as the Hereafter: Many in
the past denied Lord Almighty, but the punishment came
upon them suddenly, and the punishment in the Hereafter
will be far worse. Everyone will die, and on the Day of
Resurrection, many will dispute with one another in
Almighty God‘s presence. Who is more unjust than the
person who lies about Almighty Allah? Hell is the abode of
the disbelievers, and the righteous will have whatever they
desire. They will be led to Paradise in groups. The gates
will be opened, and they will be greeted with words of
peace. They will praise God Almighty.
6. None except Allah can save those who have been doomed
to the Fire: The disbelievers threaten Prophet Muhammad
(s) with what they worship other than Lord Almighty. If
He allows a person to stray none can guide him, but if He
guides someone none can lead him astray. They say that
Almighty God created the heavens and the earth, so ask
them why do they invoke something other than Almighty
Allah! Can they remove harm; can they give or withhold
mercy!? Why worship something other than Almighty
Allah when we have been warned both now, and in the
past, about the danger of ascribing partners to God
Almighty. Our work will become worthless, and we will be
among the losers. On the Day of Resurrection, Lord
Almighty will roll up the heavens in His right hand, the
trumpet will sound, and everyone will fall down senseless
364
except those who Lord Almighty spares. The trumpet will
sound again causing everyone to stand upright. The earth
will shine, the book of deeds will be opened, and the
prophets and witnesses will be called. On the Day of
Judgment everyone's Book of Deeds shall be laid open and
justice shall be done with all fairness.
7. Those who have transgressed against their souls should

not despair of Allah's mercy; they should repent while
they can: When adversity touches a person, he calls on
Almighty Allah, but when he receives a blessing, he/she
attributes it to his own knowledge. It is a test, and people
in the past were tested in the same way. Today‘s
wrongdoers will be hit in the same way the people of the
past were hit by the evil effects of their deeds. One can
always turn back to Lord Almighty, so no one should
despair mercy of Him. He forgives all sins of those who
repent and correct themselves.
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40. Surah Al Mu'min (The Believer), also known as
Surah Al Ghafir (The Forgiver)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Az Zumar In Summarized
Form

The name of Surah Al-Mu‘min appears in the ayah 28 and the

word Al-Ghafir appears in ayah 3. The Surah starts with the
letter, ―‫ – ‖حم‬Ha and Mim. This type of letter is called as
Muqatta‘at (meaning, "disconnected" or "mysterious"). Out of
the 114 Surahs of the Qur‘an, 29 Surahs are figuring with this
type beginning just after the Bismillah. The letters are also
known as fawātiḥ (‫ )فَ َىاتِح‬or "openers" as they form the opening
ayah of their respective Surahs. This Surah has 85 ayats in 9
(Ruku‘) Sections.
Revelation
This is a Makki Surah. There are seven Surahs (al-Mu'min,

HaMim al-Sajdah, al-Shura, al-Zukhruf, al-Dukhan, al-Jathiyah,
al-Ahqaf) that begin with the word "HaMim". Thus these seven
Surahs are also called "al-Hawamim". All these are Makki
Surahs and they were revealed one after another after the
previous Surah al-Zumar, in the middle Makki period before the
Hijrah to Abyssinia.
This Surah was revealed after Surah Az-Zumar, and its present
position in the order of the Surahs in the Qur‘an is the same as
its chronological order.
There are clear indications in the subject matter of this Surah to

the conditions in which it was revealed. The disbelievers of
Makkah at that time were engaged in two kinds of the activities
against the Prophet Muhammad (s).
366
First, the disbelievers of Makkah were creating all kinds of
suspicion and misgiving in the minds of the people about the
teachings of the Qur‘an, the message of Islam and the Prophet.
Prophet (s) and the believers were sick of trying to answer them.
Second, they were also preparing the groundwork for the
assassination of the Prophet Muhammad (s). They were devising
one plot after the other.
Bukhari has related a tradition on the authority of Abdullah bin

Amr al-As (ra), saying that, one day when Prophet (s) was
offering his prayers in the precincts of the Ka‘bah, suddenly
Uqbah bin Abi Mu‘ait, rushed forward and putting a piece of
cloth round his neck started twisting it so as to strangle him to
death. Abu Bakr (ra), who happened to go there in time, pushed
him away. Abdullah (ra) says that when Abu Bakr (ra) was
struggling with man, he was saying words to the effect, ―Would
you kill a man only because he says: Allah is my Lord?‖ With a
little variation this event has also been mentioned in Ibn
Hisham, Nasa'i and Ibn Abi Hatim.
The story of a Believer from the people of Pharaoh has been cited
to answer the conspiracy of murder. The disbelievers were
warned to desist themselves from wrangling against the
revelation of Allah (swt). Hey would surely be doomed and face
the same fate of the nations of the past, worst punishment in the
hereafter awaiting. At that time, if they repent will be of no avail.
1. The Qur'an is from Allah (swt) who is both Merciful and

Severe in Punishment. Warnings to the nonbelievers and
comfort to the believers.
2. The failure of the disbelievers. The Day of Judgment

belongs to Almighty Allah.
3. A lesson from the history of Prophet Musa (a). Even the
367
mighty Pharaoh and his army could not help him against
the wrath of Almighty Allah.
4. A Believer from the Pharaoh's people declared his faith.

His conversation with his people.
5. The false leaders will take their people to hell.
6. Almighty Allah helps the Prophets and their followers.
7. The Glory of Almighty Allah. Almighty Lord has power

over life and death.
8. The fate of the unbelievers will be bad.
9. Take lessons from the past history. After the judgment

comes, repentance makes no difference.
There are seven Surahs (al-Mu'min, HaMim al-Sajdah, al-Shura,

al-Zukhruf, al-Dukhan, al-Jathiyah, al-Ahqaf) that begin with the
word "HaMim". Thus these seven Surahs are also called "al-
Hawamim". These are Surahs of Da'wah, inviting people to
believe in Almighty Allah, take advantage of the mercy of Allah
(swt). There is solace and comfort in these Surahs for the
Believers who were persecuted because of their faith and they are
given the good news that the truth will prevail.
The account of the person in question, known as the believer

among Pharaoh‘s people (mu‘min al Fir‘awn) may be found in
ayats 28 onwards. Besides the accounts of Musa (a), Nuh (a),
‗Ad, and Thamud, the Surah resurfaces the points of Divine
Unity, Resurrection, and Divine Wisdom.
In all the nations which came one after the other since the
creation of the world, Almighty Allah has sent His messengers
368
to guide the people to the truth but they all faced rejection from a
majority of the people. We human beings are so perceptive of
profit and loss in all areas of life. We don‘t do anything for free.
Even a child evaluates what he will gain out of any situation. So
how strange it is if we are not bothered about gaining any benefit
from our entire life? Lord Almighty has blessed each one of us
with unique talents and capabilities and to attain the highest
level of success we need to use these talents and live a productive
wholesome life.
Ayats (1 - 9): No one disputes the revelations of Almighty Allah

except the kuffar (unbelievers). The angels who bear the Throne
of Allah (swt) pray for those who repent and follow the Right
Way.
Ayats (10 - 20): A scene from the Day of Judgment. Furtive looks
and the secret thoughts of the unbelievers are depicted that cling
into the heart. Allah (swt) judges with truth, while those they
invoke besides Him judge not with anything.
Ayats (21 - 27): Those who denied the Prophets and Almighty
Allah's revelations were all destroyed. The Prophet Musa (a) was
sent to Fir‗aun (Pharaoh), Haman and Qarun. Pharaoh intended
to kill the Prophet Musa.
Ayats (28 - 37): An excellent speech of one of the relatives of

Pharaoh in favour of the Prophet Musa (a).
Ayats (38 - 50): The speech of one of relative of Pharaoh

continued here. He talked about this life and the hereafter,
paradise and hell. He also mention about shirk and its
baselessness. So, Allah (swt) saved that believer from the plots of
Pharaoh and destroyed the people of Pharaoh. Now, they are
presented before the fire of Hell morning and evening
(punishment of the graves).
Ayats (51 - 60): Allah (swt) does help His Rasools and the
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believers in this world's life and will help them in the life
hereafter. Our Rabb says: "Call on Me; I will answer your
prayers".
Ayats (61 - 68): No one has the right to be worshipped except

Almighty Allah, the Creator and the Rabb of the worlds.
Ayats (69 - 78): Those who argue about the revelations of

Allah (swt), will soon find out the Truth. Almighty Allah has sent
many Rasools before Muhammad (s); some are mentioned in the
Qur'an and some are not.
Ayats (79 - 85): Cattle are the signs of Allah (swt) for the people
of understanding. Belief after seeing the scourge of Allah (swt) is
of no avail to the disbelievers.
Virtue of the Surah
There are seven consecutive Qur‘anic ayats opening with Ha

Mim; and interestingly what is common to all of them is their
mentioning of the Prophet Musa. These Surahs are;
- Surah 40: al-Ghafir

- Surah 41: Fussilat
- Surah 42: Shurah
- Surah 43: Zukhruf
- Surah 44: Dukhan
- Surah 45: Jathiyah
- Surah 46: al-Ahqaaf
According to a Prophetic tradition Hawamim constitute the gist

of the Holy Qur‘an. The series is the crown of the Holy Qur‘an
and its fragrant flowers. God bestows His Bounties upon the
reciter of these Ayats as well as his neighbors, relatives, and
friends and Divine Throne ask for his forgiveness. [Tafsir
Nimuna]
According to a number of traditions and many a words of its

exeget, the first two letters of the opening of the Chapter in
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question are interpreted as Divine Names beginning with these
two letters. As per a tradition narrated from Imam Sadiq (as), the
twain letters in question are interpreted as Hamid
(―Praiseworthy‖) and Majid (―All-Glorious‖). [Ma‟ani al-
Akhbar by Saduq, p. 22]
“H” and “M” might as well allude to Divine Hakimiyya

(―Sovereignty‖) and Malikiyyat (―Lordship‖). It is narrated from
Ibn ‗Abbas that Ha Mim is one of the Most Beautiful Divine
Names. [Tafsir Qurtubi]
Al-Ghafir
The word is translated as "The Forgiver". It is derived from the

root gh-f-r (‫) فر‬. The basic meaning of the root is "to cover, to
shield, to protect", besides "to forgive".
The root gh-f-r has given rise to three names in the Qur'an:
Ghaffar, Ghaffur and Ghafir. However, only Ghaffar and Ghaffur
were included in the list of 99 names narrated by Tirmidhi. The
difference between Al-Ghaffar and Al-Ghafur has been explained
by various means. Traditionally, Al-Ghaffar is translated as "The
Forgiving". This type of forgiveness is a continuous and
repetitive action. No matter how many times a person may sin,
God can continually forgive him/her for his/her sins.
Al-Ghafur, on the other hand, is understood as forgiving a sin no

matter how large the sin may be. A way to make a distinction
between the two names is to consider Al-Ghaffar as dealing with
the quantity of sins, while Al-Ghafur deals with the quality of a
sin. In his book, Al-Maqsad Al-Asna fi Sharah Asma' Allahu al-
Husna (The best means in explaining God's Beautiful Names),
Imam Al Ghazali translates Al-Ghaffar as "The Very Forgiving
One" and Al-Ghafur as "The Most Forgiving One".
It has been transmitted from Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

that Ibn Umar reported that he heard the Prophet Muhammad
(s) say, "A Mumin will be brought close to his Rabb on the Day of
Resurrection and enveloping him in His Mercy, He will make
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him confess his sins by Saying, 'Do you remember (doing) this
sin and this sin?' He will reply, 'My Rabb, I remember.' Then He
will Say, 'I covered it up for you in the life of the world, and I
forgive it for you today.' Then the record of his good deeds will be
handed to him."
1. Angels make du‘a for the righteous who tries to believe:

The angels who carry and surround the Throne celebrate
the praise of their Lord Almighty Allah and ask for
forgiveness for the believers, and that they be admitted to
Paradise and kept safe from the Fire.
2. Signs and revelations that came from Almighty Allah:

Allah (swt) shows His signs such as sending water down to
sustain life, yet no one learns a lesson from this except
those who turn to Him. So be sincere no matter how
much the disbelievers dislike it. He is the Lord of the
Throne and sends revelations to whomever He wills. On
the Day of Judgment each soul will account for their
actions and no injustice will be done.
3. Allah knows the furtive looks and secret thoughts of the

disbelievers: This Book is sent down by God the Almighty,
the Forgiver of sins, the Accepter of repentance, and the
One Who Bestows blessings. None has the right to be
worshipped but Him. Only the disbelievers dispute His
revelation, so do not be deceived by their prosperity and
luxurious life. In the past, the people of Nuh (a) and other
communities tried to destroy their messengers and refute
the message. But it was God Almighty Who destroyed
them with a terrible punishment, condemning them to the
Fire.
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4. Story of the Prophet Musa (a), and an excellent speech of
one of the relatives of Fir'aon (Pharaoh): Musa (a) was
sent to Pharaoh, Haman, and Qarun with Almighty God‘s
authority but they called him a magician and a liar. They
rejected the truth and ordered the sons of the believers to
be killed. Finally, Pharaoh said he wanted to kill Musa (a)
himself. And Musa (a) sought refuge with God Almighty.
A believer among the relatives of Pharaoh advised him to
think carefully about why he would kill a man who might
be speaking the truth. Pharaoh knew Musa (a) was right
but lied and said he was only saying what he believed to be
right and that he was guiding to the right way. The
believing advisor warned his people against how previous
disbelieving nations were destroyed. He reminded them
about Yusuf (a) –Joseph, who came with clear signs, but
their doubt remained. Rejecting the truth with clear signs
is a despicable attitude, and God Almighty seals the heart
of the arrogant ones. The believing advisor urged people
to follow the right way. He said that this life was only
temporary while the home in the Hereafter was
permanent.
5. No one has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the

Creator and the Rabb of the world: Almighty Allah made
the night for rest and the day bright to make our day to
day activities easy. He is the Creator of all things; none
has the right to be worshipped except Him. Why then are
you deluded? The earth is a settlement place and the sky a
canopy. Lord Almighty has molded our form and
perfected it, then provided us with good things. He
created us from dust (referring to Adam a), then from a
sperm-drop, then developed us into a clinging clot, then
we are born from the womb of our mother, and He allows
us to grow to our full strength and maturity before we
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reach old age and the appointed term of our life, although
some of us may die sooner. Almighty Lord gives life and
death. He only says ‗Be‘ and it is. Almighty Allah says;
"Call me; I will answer your prayers."
6. Those who argue about the revelations of Allah will soon

find out the Truth: On the Day of Judgment, the people of
Pharaoh will enter the severest part of the Fire. They will
argue with each other about who led who to destruction
and beg for relief. They will be reminded about their
messengers and told their pleas would be in vain. Lord
Almighty supports the messengers and the believers.
Certainly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a
much greater creation than the creation of humankind.
Yet most people do not understand.
7. Almighty Allah has sent many Rasools before Muhammad

(s): Prophet Muhammad (s) is advised to be patient
because Almighty Allah‘s promise is true. There are stories
of the messengers he (s) knows and stories he does not
know. But all messengers could not bring a sign unless it
was by the permission of Lord Almighty. The people of the
past who were destroyed were mightier than us in
strength and numbers. Their power was of no avail. When
Lord Almighty‘s scourge overcame them, they cried out
that they now believe! But it was of no use to them.
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41. Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah, also known as Surah
Fussilat (Explained in Detail)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah/ Surah
Fussilat In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah is composed of two words, Ham-Mim and

As-Sajdah, which implies that it begins with Ha-Mim and in
which there is a ayah of Sajdah (prostration) in the Surah. The
other name appears in the third ayah. The Surah has Sajdah-e-
Tilawat from ayah 37, but the sajdah should be performed after
reading the ayah #38 (when the sujood meaning is complete).
Revelation
This Surah was revealed after Hamza (ra) embraced Islam &
before Umar (ra) embraced Islam during the early stages of
Prophet‘s life at Makkah after Prophet-hood – according to
authentic Traditions. (Ibn Hisham, vol. I, pp. 313-314)
Muhammad bin Ishaq, the earliest biographer of the Prophet

Muhammad (s), has related on the authority of Muhammad bin
Ka'b al-Qurzi, the famous follower of the Companions, that one
day some of the Quraysh chiefs were sitting in their assembly in
the Masjid al-Haram, while in another corner of the Mosque
there was the Prophet (s) sitting by himself.
This was the time when Hadrat Hamzah had already embraced
Islam and the people of the Quraysh were feeling upset at the
growing numbers of the Muslims. On this occasion, Utbah bin
Rabi'ah (the father-in-law of Abu Sufyan) said to the Quraysh
chiefs: "Gentlemen, if you like I would go and speak to
Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and put
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before him some proposals; maybe that he accepts one of them,
to which we may also agree, and so he stops opposing us."
They all agreed to this, and Utbah went and sat by the Prophet
(s). When the Prophet (s) turned to him, he said: "Nephew, you
know the high status that you enjoy in the community by virtue
of your ancestry and family relations, but you have put your
people to great trouble: you have created divisions among them
and you consider them to be fools: you talk ill of their religion
and gods, and say things as though all our forefathers were
pagans. Now listen to me and I shall make some suggestions.
Consider them well: maybe that you accept one of them." The
Prophet (s) said: "Abul Walid, say what you want to say and I
shall listen to you." He said, "Nephew, if by what you are doing,
you want wealth, we will give you enough of it so that you will be
the richest man among us; if you want to become an important
man, we will make you our chief and will never decide a matter
without you; if you want to be a king, we will accept you as our
king; and if you are visited by a jinn, whom you cannot get rid of
by your own power, we will arrange the best physicians and have
you treated at our own expense." 'Utbah went on speaking in this
strain and the Prophet (s) went on listening to him quietly.
Then he said, "Have you said, O Abul Walid, what you had to
say?" He replied that he had. The Prophet (s) said: "Well, now
listen to me.‖ Then pronouncing Bismilah ir Rehman-ir-Raihm
he began to recite this very Surah, and Utbah kept on listening to
it, putting his hands behind his back and leaning on them as he
listened.
Coming to the ayah of prostration (v. 38) the Prophet (s)

prostrated himself; then raising his head, said, "This was my
reply, O Abul Walid, now you may act as you please." Then
Utbah arose and walked back towards the chiefs, the people saw
him from afar, and said: "By God! Utbab's face is changed. He
does not look the same man that he was when he went from
here."
Then, when he came back and sat down, the people asked, "What
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have you heard?" He replied, "By God! I have heard something
the like of which I had never heard before. By God, it's neither
poetry, nor sorcery, nor magic. O chiefs of the Quraysh, listen to
what I say and leave this man to himself. I think what he recites
is going to have its effect. If the other Arabs overcome him, you
will be saved from raising your band against your brother, and
the others will deal with him. But if he overcame Arabia, his
sovereignty would be your sovereignty and his honour your
honour." Hearing this, the chiefs spoke out:" You too, O father of
Walid, have been bewitched by his tongue." Utbah replied, "I
have given you my opinion; now you may act as you please."
(Ibn Hisham, vol. I, pp. 313-314)
This story has been narrated by several other traditionists also
on the authority of Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah in different ways,
with a little variation in wording.
In some traditions it has also been related that when during the
recitation the Prophet (s) had come to ayah 13, viz."If they turn
away, say to them: I warn you of a thunderbolt the like of which
had visited the Ad and the Thamud," Utbah had spontaneously
placed his hand on the Prophet's (s) mouth, and said: "For God's
sake, have mercy on your people." Afterwards he justified his
action before the Quraysh chiefs, saying: "You know that
whatever Muhammad says is always fulfilled; therefore, I feared
lest a torment should descend on us." (For details, see Tafsir Ibn
Kathir, vol. IV, pp. 90- 91; Al Bidayah wan-Nihayah, vol. III, p.
62).
1. Invitation to the truth of the Qur'an. The Qur'an is a book

that explains everything.
2. Almighty Allah created the heaven and earth. Warnings to

those who turn away from Allah.
3. Those who deny Allah (swt), their own body will witness
against them.
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4. The disbelievers‘ plan to suppress the message of the
Qur'an will fail. Almighty Allah gives strength to the
Believers.
5. The best people are those who invite to Allah. The effect of
the revelation on the Believers. The signs of Allah (swt).
6. Allah (swt) gives time to people to repent. What good or

evil we do is for and against our own selves individually.
The truth will gradually succeed.
The subject matter of this Surah is Da'wah. It invites to the truth,

gives warnings to those who reject the truth, and tells us that the
appeal to the truth is within our nature. It tells us also that the
Believers receive strength from Almighty Allah's revelation. The
revelation gives life to those who were spiritually and morally
dead at one time. The Surah contains both good news and
warnings.
The people, who deny the true religion of Tauhid, should be

made to realize that even if their excuses can be accepted, that
they don‘t have time for the Qur‘an, or they find it too difficult to
understand, still they cannot say that they can‘t see any proof of
it. An endless variety of living creatures on the land, in the air
and under the oceans - all requiring specific food at specific
times and Allah ( swt) provides for them all, day and night
throughout their lives.
Almighty Allah has strongly forbidden ―takabbar‖ (feeling of

superiority) because the only one who is superior is Allah
Himself. No one else has the right to assume that he is better
than others. Quraysh were given examples of ‗Ad and Thamud.
‗Ad was destroyed by a strong chilly wind and Thamud was
destroyed with furious hurricane containing thunderbolts which
lasted for a few days. How terrible is the punishment for those
who think that they can bypass Allah‘s commands by making
excuses, and are deluded into a false satisfaction that by finding
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fault with the religion and religious people, they can find
justification for their own faults.
Anyone who has faith in Akhirah and accountability cannot sit

purposelessly, but will do all he/she can to prepare to look good
for that encounter with the Creator and King of the Worlds. The
hope of being accepted into Almighty Allah‘s Mercy and the fear
of possible rejection and humiliation in front of whole mankind
on that decisive Day has enough force to open our eyes.
Ayats (1 - 8): The Qur'an is a giver of good news and an

admonition. Response of the disbelievers included, woe to those
who deny the Hereafter and do not pay Zakah.
Ayats (9 - 18): The story of the creation of the earth, mountains,

seasons, skies and heavens. Warning has been provided to the
disbelievers and the example of Allah's scourge upon the nations
of ‗Ad and Thamud.
Ayats (19 - 25): On the Day of Judgment, people's own ears, eyes
and skins will bear witness against them relating to their
misdeeds.
Ayats (26 - 32): Those who do not listen to the Qur'an shall be
sternly punished and those who say our God is Allah and then
stay firm on it, angels are assigned for their protection.
Ayats (33 - 44): The best in speech is the one who calls people
towards Lord Almighty Allah, does good deeds and says: "I am a
Muslim." Repel evil with good. Examples of Allah‘s signs are
detailed. Nothing is said to Muhammad (s) which was not said
to the prior Prophets. The Qur'an is a guide and healing for the
believers.
Ayats (45 - 54): The Book given to the Prophet Musa (a) was
similar to the Qur'an. On the Day of Judgment all other gods to
whom people worship besides Allah (swt) shall vanish. Have any
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of us ever considered that if the Qur'an is really from Almighty
Allah and we deny it, what will happen to us.
Virtue of the Surah
According to a Prophetic tradition, ―One who recites HM sajdah,

God Almighty will bestow upon him ten good deeds for each of
its letters.‖ [Majma‟ al-Bayan]
According to another tradition, the Messenger of God (s) recited

the Surah every night before going to bed. [Tafsir Ruh al-
Ma‟ani]
There are seven consecutive Qur‘anic ayats opening with Ha
Mim; and interestingly what is common to all of them is their
mentioning of the Prophet Musa. These Surahs are;

- Surah 42: Shurah
- Surah 43: Zukhruf
- Surah 44: Dukhan
According to a Prophetic tradition Hawamim constitute the gist

of the Holy Qur‘an. The series is the crown of the Holy Qur‘an
and its fragrant flowers. God bestows His Bounties upon the
reciter of these Verses as well as his neighbors, relatives, and
friends and Divine Throne ask for his forgiveness. [Tafsir
Nimuna]
According to a number of traditions and many a words of its

exeget, the first two letters of the opening of the Chapter in
question are interpreted as Divine Names beginning with these
two letters. As per a tradition narrated from Imam Sadiq (as), the
twain letters in question are interpreted as Hamid
(―Praiseworthy‖) and Majid (―All-Glorious‖). [Ma‟ani al-
Akhbar by Saduq, p. 22]
380
“H” and “M” might as well allude to Divine Hakimiyya
(―Sovereignty‖) and Malikiyyat (―Lordship‖). It is narrated from
Ibn ‗Abbas that Ha Mim is one of the Most Beautiful Divine
Names. [Tafsir Qurtubi]
There are 15 sajdas in Quran, as comes in this Hadith:
Narrated Amr ibn al-'As: The Prophet (s) taught me fifteen

Hadith 1] They are in the following Ayat (in order):
Sajdah # 1: Surah Al A’raf (7) Ayah 206: “Those who are near to
thy Lord, disdain not to do Him worship: They celebrate His
praises, and bow down before Him.”
Sajdah # 2: Surah Al Ra’d (13) Ayah 15: “Whatever beings there

are in the heavens and the earth does prostrate themselves to
Allah (acknowledging subjection), - with good-will or in spite of
themselves: so do their shadows in the morning and evenings.”
Sajdah # 3: Surah Al Nahl (16) Ayah 50: “They all revere their
Lord, high above them, and they do all that they are
commanded.”
Sajdah # 4: Surah Al Isra’ (17) Ayah 109: “They fall down on

their faces in tears, and it increases their (earnest) humility.”
Sajdah # 5: Surah Maryam (19) Ayah 58: “Those were some of

the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His Grace, - of the
posterity of Adam, and of those who We carried (in the Ark)
with Noah, and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel of those
whom We guided and chose. Whenever the Signs of (Allah)
Most Gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in
prostrate adoration and in tears.”
381
Sajdah # 6: Surah Al Hajj (22) Ayah 18: “Seest thou not that to
Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens
and on earth,- the sun, the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the
animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great
number are (also) such as are fit for Punishment: and such as
Allah shall disgrace, - None can raise to honour: for Allah carries
out all that He wills.”
Sajdah # 7: Surah Al Hajj (22) Ayah 77: “O ye who believe! bow

down, prostrate yourselves, and adore your Lord; and do good;
that ye may prosper.”
Sajdah # 8: Surah Al Furqan (25) Ayah 60: “When it is said to
them, “Adore ye (Allah) Most Gracious!”, they say, “And what
is (Allah) Most Gracious? Shall we adore that which thou
commandest us?” And it increases their flight (from the Truth).”
Sajdah # 9: Surah Al Naml (27) Ayah 26: “God!- there is no god

but He!- Lord of the Throne Supreme!”
Sajdah # 10: Surah Al Sajdah (32) Ayah 15: “Only those believe
in Our Signs, who, when they are recited to them, fall down in
adoration, and celebrate the praises of their Lord, nor are they
(ever) puffed up with pride.”
Sajdah # 11: Surah Sad (38) Ayah 24: “(David) said: “He has
undoubtedly wronged thee in demanding thy (single) ewe to be
added to his (flock of) ewes: truly many are the partners (in
business) who wrong each other: Not so do those who believe
and work deeds of righteousness, and how few are they?” …and
David gathered that We had tried him: he asked forgiveness of
his Lord, fell down, bowing (in prostration), and turned (to
Allah in repentance).”
Sajdah # 12: Surah Fussilat (41) Ayah 38: “But if the

(Unbelievers) are arrogant, (no matter): for in the presence of thy
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Lord are those who celebrate His praises by night and by day.
And they never flag (nor feel themselves above it).”
Sajdah # 13: Surah Al Najm (53) Ayah 62: “But fall ye down in
prostration to Allah, and adore (Him)!”
Sajdah # 14: Surah Al Inshiqaq (84) Ayah 21: “And when the
Quran is read to them, they fall not prostrate,”
Sajdah # 15: Surah Al Alaq (96) Ayah 19: “Nay, heed him not:
But bow down in adoration, and bring thyself the closer (to
Allah)!”

a stressed (confirmed) sunnah (‫ )ِؤو دة س ٕة‬that is highly
same Sura and when he reached the verse of Sajdah he said, "O
day). Added Ibn Ùmar "Allah has not made
the prostration of recitation compulsory but if we wish we can do
it."[Sahih al-Bukhari Book 17, Hadith 11]

down in prostration, the Satan goes into seclusion and weeps and
says: Alas, and in the narration of Abu Kuraib the words are:
Woe unto me, the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate,
and he prostrated and Paradise was entitled to him and I was
commanded to prostrate, but I refused and am doomed to Hell.
[Sahih Muslim Book 1, Hadith 151]
Courtesy:https://islam.stackexchange.com/questions/2
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267/how-many-sajdas-are-in-quran
1. The Qur'an is revealed to give admonition.
2. Woe to those who deny the Hereafter and do not pay

Zakah (charity).
3. Story of the creation of earth, mountains, seas, skies and

heavens.
4. Example of Almighty Allah's scourge upon the nations of

'Ad and Thamud.
5. On the Day of Judgment, man's own ears, eyes and skin
will bear witness against him relating to his misdeeds.
6. Those who say their God is Allah (swt) and stay firm on it,
have angels assigned for their protection.
7. The best in speech is the one who calls people towards

Almighty Allah, does good deeds and says, "I am a
Muslim."
8. The message which is revealed to the Prophet Muhammad

(s) is the same message which was revealed to prior
Prophets.
9. The Qur'an is a guide and healing for the believers. It is

similar to the Book given to the Prophet Musa (a).
10. On the Day of Judgment, all those gods to whom people

worshiped besides Almighty Allah shall vanish.
11. Have we considered that if The Qur'an is really from

Almighty Allah and we deny it, what will happen to us!
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42. Surah Ash-Shura (The Consultation; Dialogue;
Discussion; Talk in the Meeting)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ash-Shura In Summarized
Form

The title is taken from Ayah 38, which calls for ―shura
baynahum‖ (mutual consent), which is the basic principle that
ought to characterize any community of believers. This is a
Makki Surah and it belongs to the seven HaMim Surahs. This
Surah Has 53 ayats in 5 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah concentrates on the fundamentals of faith, in this
case, Almighty Lord‘s all prevailing power and wisdom. Prophet
Muhammad (s) is reminded that he cannot force people to
believe and that he is only required to deliver the message.
Revelation
This Surah‘s period of revelation is not known from any

authentic traditions, but it appears to be send down after Hamim
As-Sajdah/Surah Fussilat, as it seems to be supplement to it in a
way.
To every person who first studies Surah 41: Fussilat carefully and
then goes through this Surah. They will see that, in that Surah
the Quraysh chiefs had been taken to tack for their deaf and
blind opposition. The chiefs of the people in Makkah were
unreasonably opposing Muhammad (s), who had every sense of
morality and nobility left in him. How serious he was in
everything he said, how rational was his standpoint and how
noble his character and conduct.
Immediately after that warning this Surah was sent down, which
did full justice to teaching and instruction, and made the truth of
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the Prophet‘s (s) message plain in such an impressive way that
anyone who had any element of the love of the truth in him and
who had not been blinded by the errors of ignorance, could not
help being influenced by it.
1. Allah (swt) revealed His message to His Prophets. The

purpose of revelation is to warn people about the Day of
Judgment. Had Almighty Allah willed, He would have
forced all people into one Ummah, but the wrong-doers
will see the consequences of their deeds.
2. The judgment is in the hand of Allah (swt). He gave the

same religion to all His Prophets. Muslims must invite
people to Almighty Lord.
3. Allah (swt) deals justly with all people. Almighty Allah

accepts the repentance. Allah's (swt) mercy is manifest in
the samawat.
4. Believers should avoid sins, be patient, work with each

other in consultation and practice forgiveness.
5. The Prophet guides to the right path, the path of Almighty

Allah.
The Surah stresses the authenticity of the Divine revelation to the

Prophet Muhammad (s), and through him, to all mankind to
propagate the message of Islam.
Whatever calamity befalls man is the doing of his own self. Allah
(swt) is Ever-Forgiving and surely all things will ultimately
return to Him. Those who act righteously will enjoy eternal bliss,
while the wrongdoers and unbelievers will suffer everlasting
torment, in the Hereafter.
386
Due to our ever increasing involvement with the world and its
affairs, we fail to realize the true worth of Allah Almighty. It was
for this purpose that since the beginning of time Allah (swt) sent
down His chosen Messengers, one after the other, and sent to
them His revelations, according to which they called people to
the way of their Creator and Master. If we truly grasp this reality
and act accordingly, there will be no arrogance. We will know
just how tiny and powerless we are, so how can we oppress
anybody else when we know that the All-Mighty King is watching
us.
The fact is that no matter how many different gods or theories we

might invent in this world, and create countless groups on their
basis; there are going to be only two groups in the hereafter: one
in Paradise and the other in Hell-Fire. That is why Allah (swt)
sent the Qur‘an to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s), in order
to give warning to us about the day of recompense, when all of us
will be gathered and our reports will be handed out to us,
according to which it will be decided which group we belong to.
All the Prophets had come to this world with the same message
of Tauhid. The spirit of our religion is to submit ourselves to the
will of one Almighty Lord Allah. Paradise is the place in which all
our dreams will come true and all our wishes will be granted. It is
foolishness to expect this world to become a paradise. Most
people keep mourning about all that they have been deprived of.
The more they have, the more is their dissatisfaction.
After everything has been so clearly explained in the Qur‘an, if

someone persists in denying its truth then Almighty Allah will
not guide that person. Whom Allah (swt) leaves to go astray,
none can do much in hope to find any other support. In the
illusion of this world and its glitter and glamour, it might be hard
to imagine the hereafter – so thus the disbelievers constantly
used to blame the Prophet (s) that he was a liar or a magician
and challenged him that how could the Qur‘an be a message from
Almighty Allah. What they failed to realize was that if Almighty
Allah could create this whole samawat and create such a variety
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of living creatures, created man and inspired it with life, then
why could He not inspire his words to His Chosen Last
Messenger Muhammad (s).
If Almighty Allah wanted He would have made all people into

one Ummah, but He has given freedom to people to make their
own choice by their free will. Allah (swt) will judge all people on
the Judgment Day. In the Surah it is also mentioned that the
followers of this message are those who avoid major sins and
who manage their affairs with mutual consultation.
Ayats (1 – 9): The heavens might have broken apart from above
those who elevate Almighty Allah's creatures to His rank, if the
angels were not begging forgiveness for the residents of earth.
Ayats (10 - 19): Islam is the same Deen (way of life) which was
enjoined on Nuh (a) - Noah, Ibrahim (a) - Abraham, Musa (a) -
Moses and Isa (a) - Jesus. They were all ordered to establish
Deen-al-Islam and not to create division (sects) in it.
Ayats (20 - 29): Allah (swt) says one who desires the harvest in
the Hereafter shall be given many folds, but one who desires the
life of this world only shall be given a portion here but shall have
no share in the Hereafter.
Ayats (30 - 43): Whatever afflictions befall upon people are the
result of their own misdeeds. True believers are those who
establish Salah, give charity and defend themselves when
oppressed.
Ayats (44 – 53): The real losers are those who will lose on the
Day of Resurrection. It is Almighty Allah Who gives daughters
and sons as He pleases. It is not vouchsafed for any human being
that Allah (swt) should speak to him face to face.
Virtue of the Surah
According to a tradition narrated from the Noble Prophet (s):

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―One who recites Surah ash-Shura is among those on whom
angels send down Divine Mercy and for whom they ask
forgiveness‖. [Majma‟ al-Bayan, opening of this Surah]
From amongst the twenty-nine Surahs opening with detached

letters, the longest series of detached letters is attested in this
Surah. The first ayats are:‖ ُ‫ ‖ع سك ;ح‬The detached letters in ayah
2 allude to the Divine Beauteous Names: the All-Wise (hakim),
the All-Glorious (majid), the Omniscient (‗alim), the All-Hearing
(sami‘), the Omnipotent (qadir) making reference to Divine
Favors and Bounties bestowed upon His Messenger Muhammad
(s).
Detached letters are to be attested elsewhere in the Surah. The

ones mentioned in the first and the second Surahs, numbering
five, are the most detailed of all. The detached letters HM open
seven Qur‘anic Surahs. [Majma‟ al-Bayan 40 - 46]
Narrated 'Aisha:(the mother of the faithful believers) Al-Harith

bin Hisham asked Allah's Messenger (s) "O Allah's Messenger
(s)! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?" Allah's
Messenger (s) replied, "Sometimes it is (revealed) like the
ringing of a bell, this form of Inspiration is the hardest of all and
then this state passes off after I have grasped what is inspired.
Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me
and I grasp whatever he says." 'Aisha added: Verily I saw the
Prophet (s) being inspired divinely on a very cold day and
noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration
was over). [Sahih al-Bukhari Book 1, Hadith 2]
Huruf-i-Muqatta„at: Farahi‟s Theory - Qur'anic Exegesis
More than one-fourth of the Qur'anic Surahs begin with certain

abbreviated letters called Huruf-i-Muqatta'at. These letters are
actually the names of the respective surahs, as is evident from
the Qur'an. Many Ahadith as well as the pre-Islamic Arabic
literature endorse this view. However, there remains the
question of why the surahs are called so. Many scholars have
attempted to answer the question but what they have come up
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with is not very satisfactory. Farahi (d:1930 AD) has presented
an explanation which might hold the key to the problem. We
shall briefly discuss his theory.
Those who are aware of the history of the Arabic alphabet know
that it has been derived from the Hebrew alphabet, which itself
has its roots in the alphabet used in ancient Arabia. Farahi is of
the view that the letters of this parent alphabet as English and
Hindi do not represent phonetic sounds only, but as the Chinese
alphabet symbolise certain meanings and objects and usually
assume the shape of the objects and meanings they convey. He
goes on to assert that it was these letters which the early
Egyptians adopted and after adapting them according to their
own concepts founded the hieroglyphic script from them. The
remnants of this script can be seen in the tables of the Egyptian
Pyramids.
The science which deciphers the meanings of these letters is now

extinct. However, there are some letters whose meanings have
persisted to this day, and the way they are written also somewhat
resembles their ancient forms. For example, it is known about
the Arabic letter Alif that it is used to mean a cow and was
represented by a cow's head. The letter Ba in Hebrew is called
Beth and means Bayt (house) as well. The Hebrew pronunciation
of Jim is Gimel which means Jamal (camel). Ta stands for a
serpent and is written in a serpent's shape also. Mim represents a
water wave and also has a similar configuration.
Farahi presents Surah Nun in support of his theory. The letter

Nun still denotes its ancient meaning of fish. In this Surah, the
Prophet Jonah (sws) has been addressed as Sahibu'l-H~ut that
ishe who is swallowed by a whale. Farahi opines that it is because
of this reference that the Surah is called Nun. He goes on to say
that if one keeps in consideration the example given above, it is
quite likely that the abbreviated letters by which other Surahs
commence are placed at the beginning of the Surahs to symbolise
a relation between the topics of a particular Surah and their own
ancient connotations.
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Some other names of the Qur'anic Surahs reinforce Farahi's
theory. Surah Taha, for example, begins with the letter Ta which
represents a serpent, as has been indicated before. After a brief
introduction the tale of Moses (sws) and his staff which is
transformed into a snake has been depicted in it. Other Surahs as
Tasin and Tasin Mim, which begin with the letter Ta, also
portray this miraculous episode.
Surah Baqarah, which begins with the letter Alif, is another

example which further strengthens Farahi's claims. It has been
indicated before that the letter Alif had the meaning of a cow
associated with it and is represented by a cow's head. Surah
Baqarah, as we all know, contains the anecdote of a cow and its
sacrifice.
Another aspect of the Surahs which begin with the same letter is
a similarity in their topics and even in their style and
construction. For example, all Surahs which begin with Alif
basically deal with Tawhid (monotheism). It would be
appropriate here to point out that the letter Alif also stood for
Allah, the One and Alone.
We have presented here Farahi's theory only because it is

substantiated to some extent with sound arguments. It must be
conceded that the theory needs to be developed and verified still
further if it is to be accepted as the only logical explanation of
why the Qur'anic Surahs are so named. (Adapted from Islahi's
'Tadabbur-i-Qur'an') [Courtesy Link: http://www.al-
mawrid.org/index.php/articles/view/huruf-i-
muqattaat-farahis-theory]
1. Three ways of Revelation have been explained in (42:51) -

Inspiration, behind a Veil, or via a messenger Angel.
2. Hasad [jealousy] is the reason behind splitting into sects

(42:14)
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3. Virtue of noble intentions in seeking the abode of the
after-life (42:20)
4. Sin is the cause for evil and trials (42:30)
5. The Sunnah [practice] of Almighty Allah in Faraj [help] is

that it occurs after severe Bala [tests]. (42:28)
6. The Heaven might have broken apart from above those

who elevate Almighty Allah's creatures to His level if
angels were not begging for forgiveness for the residents
of Earth.
7. Islam is the same religion which was enjoined on Nuh (a),

Ibrahim (a), Musa (a), and Isa (a). They were all ordained
to establish Deen-al-Islam and they did not create
divisions in it.
8. Those who would desire the harvest in the Hereafter shall

be given manifold and those who would desire the life of
this earth only shall be given a portion here but shall have
no share in the Hereafter.
9. Whatever inflictions befall upon people, are the result of

their own misdeeds.
10. True believers are those who establish Salah, give charity
and defend themselves when oppressed.
11. The real losers are those who will lose on the Day of
Resurrection.
12. It is Almighty Allah who gives daughters and sons as He

pleases.
13. It is not vouchsafed for any human being that Allah (swt)
should speak to him face to face.
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43. Surah Az-Zukhruf (Golden Ornaments; The
Ornaments of Gold; The Luxury)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Az-Zukhruf In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah is found in the ayah 35, from where the
word, ―zukhruf‖ has been derived, "And gold ornament. But all
that is not but the enjoyment of worldly life. And the Hereafter
with your Lord is for the righteous." (43:35) - which indicates
that people are lured away from the truth, in pursuit of material
goods like gold and silver.
This is a Makki Surah and it is the fourth among the group of

Surahs that begin with the word Hamim. The Surah has 89 ayats
Revelation
The period of revelation of this Surah is not known from any

authentic tradition. But it appears that it was revealed in the
same time the Surahs Al-Mu‘min, As-Sajdah and As-Shura got
revealed. This series of Surahs started descending down when
the disbelievers of Makkah were planning to put an end to the
life of Muhammad (s). At the end of this Surah at ayats 79-80
Allah (swt) mentions it.
When the disbelievers of Makkah became more and more

antagonistic in their attitude and conduct, the Prophet (s)
prayed: O Allah, help me with a famine like the famine of Yusuf.
He thought that when the people would be afflicted with a
calamity, they would remember God Almighty, their hearts
would soften and they would accept the admonition. Allah (swt)
granted his prayer, and the whole land was overtaken by such a
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terrible famine that the people were sorely distressed.
At last, some of the Quraysh chiefs among whom Abdullah bin

Masud (ra) has particularly mentioned the name of Abu Sufyan
came to the Prophet (s) and requested him to pray to God to
deliver his people from the calamity. On this occasion Almighty
Allah sent down this Surah.
1. This revelation is given to people in Arabic so that they

may understand. The revelation is a mercy from Allah
(swt).
2. Shirk and blind following of ancestors are major problems

of non-believers.
3. Allah (swt) chooses the Prophets and Messengers

according to His wisdom. The worldly riches do not mean
much in the sight of Almighty Allah.
4. Those who forget Lord Almighty come under the influence

of the Shaitan.
5. Pharaoh's response to Prophet Musa (a). Almighty Allah's

punishment came against Pharaoh and his people.
6. Isa‘s (a) Message was also changed by some of his people.
7. The Believers will succeed in the Hereafter.
This Surah begins with a strong affirmation of the revelation.

Surah Az-Zukhruf tells us that the revelation is a mercy from
Almighty Allah. Allah (swt) chooses whosoever He wills to give
His revelation. The initial few ayats of the Surah emphasizes the
Scripture as being ―clear‖ and ―truly exalted and authoritative.‖
These ayats present a pronounced declaration of the truth and
394
certainty of the revelation and also include the first of the two
times that the word ―Qur‘an‖ is specifically used throughout the
Surah.
The word ‗Qur‘an‘ is only used 70 times throughout the entirety

of the Qur'an. ‗Qur‘an‘ is a verbal noun in Arabic meaning ‗to
recite.‘ As it appears in ayats 3 and 31 of this Surah, it is
confirming the Qur'an as an oral revelation, the spoken word of
God recited to Muhammad (s). The word ‗Qur‘an‘ instead of, for
example, the word ‗Kitab‘ (book), reveals not a written but a
recited, spoken and oral nature of the Qur'an.
In this Surah, a forceful criticism has been made to Quraysh and

to other creeds of Arab for their superstitions and ignorance.
Disbelievers admit that the Creator of earth, heavens, themselves
and their deities is Almighty Allah and they also admit that the
blessings they receive surrounding the earth is also from Allah
(swt) - yet they make association with Almighty Lord Himself in
Godhead. They believed angels are goddesses, so they curve them
as females and adorn them with female dresses and ornaments
and call them to fulfill their needs. Did they have answer to the
question as to how they knew that the angels were females?
Those who don‘t appreciate the guidance of Allah (swt) face a

terrible end. Almighty Allah gives us the example of Pharaoh who
made fun of Musa (a) when he presented to him the message of
Almighty Lord. Pharaoh‘s biggest hurdle that prevented him
from accepting the truth was his arrogance.
Next, Allah (swt) tells us about the Prophet Isa (a), who came to
the people of Bani Israel, with the same message of Tauhid that
they should submit to the worship of one Almighty Allah.
But various groups formed their own versions of the one true
religion. Thus they lost the true guidance. People‘s opinions
cannot change the fact that Lord Almighty is only one, He does
not have any partner, or son, or daughters.
When the disbelievers of Makkah were asked, ―In whose

authority you are associating with Almighty Allah, apart from the
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polytheism of yours?‖ They replied, ―The same has been the
practice since the time of our forefathers.‖ Their argument fails
to rational when the case of Ibrahim (a) is put forwarded for
argument. They pride themselves to be a descendant of Ibrahim
(a) yet they are imitating their forefathers blindly, whereas
prophet Ibrahim (a) rejected the elders and left home.
After criticizing the ignorance of the disbelievers who rejected
rational arguments, this Surah give answer, ―Allah (swt) has no
offspring, no separate gods for earth or heavens, no intercessor
to protect the disbelievers from Almighty Allah‘s punishment.
Allah (swt) is far above from having a child. He alone is the Ilah
of the whole samawat, and all others are His servants.‖
Surah Az-Zukhruf acts as a reminder to believers that the

goodness of God Almighty cannot be found within wealth and
material power. The Surah rejects the claim of disbelievers that
prophets, leaders and worthy figures should be marked by their
riches and thereby empowers them to refrain from temptations,
indulgences and distractions. The disbelievers were warned for
their mental affection to succumb to the ―mere enjoyments of
this life‖.
Ayats (1 - 15): The Qur'an is a transcript from the Mother Book

which is in Almighty Allah's keeping. Even the Mushrikhs
believe that the heavens, earth and all therein are created by
Allah (swt). Supplication before riding a conveyance is here in
the ruku‘.
Ayats (16 - 25): Some Mushriks regard the angels to be female

divinities, being the daughters of Allah.
Ayats (26 - 35): The Prophet Ibrahim (a) recognized the Oneness
of Almighty Allah and rejected Shirk (associating someone else
with Almighty Allah). If it were not that all mankind will become
one race of unbelievers, Allah (swt) would have given the
unbelievers houses made with genuine gold.
396
Ayats (36 - 45): One who turns away from the remembrance of
Almighty Allah, the Lord Almighty appoints a Shaitan to be his
intimate friend. One should hold fast to the Qur'an if one wants
to be rightly guided.
Ayats (46 - 56): The Prophet Musa (a) was sent to Fir‗aun
(Pharaoh) and his chiefs with signs but they ridiculed him and
the signs; as a result, Almighty Allah drowned them all.
Ayats (57 - 67): The Prophet Isa (a) – Jesus, was no more than a
mortal whom Allah (swt) favoured and made him an example for
the Children of Israel (Bani Israel).
Ayats (68 - 89): On the Day of Judgment believers will have no

fear or regret; they will be awarded paradise and made happy.
Prophet (s) was told to tell the Christians: if Allah (swt) had a son
- he would have been the first one to worship him.
Virtue of the Surah

―One who recites Surah al-Zukhruf is among those who are thus
addressed on the Day of Resurrection: ‗O My servants, you are
to entertain neither fear nor grief on this day as you shall be
admitted to Paradise.‘‖ [Majma‟ al-Bayan, the opening of
the Surah]
The following Surahs all have the letters, Ha-Meem as their

opening Ayah and interestingly what is common to all of them is
their mentioning of the Prophet Musa. These Surahs are:

- Surah 42: Shurah
- Surah 43: Zukhruf
- Surah 44: Dukhan
Narrated Abu Umamah (s) that the Messenger of Allah (s) said:
―No people go astray after having been guided, but they resort to
397
arguing.‖ Then the Messenger of Allah (s) recited this Ayah:
‗…They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay!
But they are quarrelsome people… (43:58)‘ [Jami` at-
Tirmidhi Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3253]
Narrated Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Prophet (s) said: ―A caller
will call out: ‗You shall have life and never die; you shall be
healthy and never be ill; you shall be young and never grow old;
you shall live in favor and never suffer difficult circumstances.‘
That is the saying of Allah Most High: This is Paradise, which
you have been made to inherit because of your deeds that you
used to do (43:72).‖ [Jami` at-Tirmidhi Vol. 5, Book 44,
Hadith 3246]
Ali ibn Rabiah (ra) says, ―I was present when a conveyance (A

horse or something) was brought to Hazrat Ali (ra) (in the period
of his khilafah). He recited Bismillah and put his leg in the
stirrup. After he had mounted he said Alhamdulillah and recited
this dua: Glorified be He Who hath sudued those unto us, and
we were not capable (Of subduing them); And lo! Unto our Lord
we are returning. (43:13-14)
(The ulama say that a conveyance could be a means of death.

Therefore subjugation of a conveyance with gratitude towards
Allah for His Mercy and death are mentioned together. After all,
a person has to return to Allah after death).
Ali (ra) then said Alhamdulillah three times, Allahu Akbar three
times, then recited: Glorified be Thou! Behold, I have wronged
myself. So forgive thou me. Indeed, none forgiveth sins but Thou.
Then [Sayyidina Ali (ra)] laughed (smiled). I said to him, ―What

is the reason for laughing, O Ameerul Mumineen?‖ He replied,
―Rasoolullah (s) also recited these duas in this manner and
thereafter laughed (smiled). I also inquired from Rasoolullah (s)
the reason for laughing (smiling) as you have asked me.
Rasoolullah (s) said, ―Allah Ta‘ala becomes happy when His
servants say, ‗No one can forgive me save You.‘ My servant
knows that no one forgives sins besides me. [Shama‟il
398
Muhammadiyah Book 34, Hadith 223; Mishkat]
1. Al-Qur'an is a transcript from the Mother-Book which is

in Allah's keeping.
2. This Surah has supplication for us before riding a

conveyance: Subhana-alladhi sakh-khara la-na hadha wa
ma kunna la-hu muqrinin. Wa inna ila Rabbi-na la
munqalibun - "Allah is pure, He has given control and
without His power we would not have any control Without
doubt we are to return to him. (Surah Zakhruf: 13-14)
3. Creed of the mushrikhs that angels are female divinities is

false.
4. An example of the Prophet Ibrahim (a) who recognized

the Oneness of Almighty Allah and rejected the shirk
using merely his common sense and observing His signs
from nature.
5. If it were not that all mankind will become one race of

unbelievers, Allah would (swt) have given the unbelievers
houses which were made with genuine gold.
6. Those who turn away from the remembrance of Almighty

Allah, Allah (swt) appoints a Shaitan to be his intimate
friend.
7. Hold fast to The Qur'an if you want to be rightly guided.
8. The Prophet Isa (a) - Jesus, was no more than a mortal

whom Allah (swt) favoured and made an example for the
children of Israel.
9. Prophet Muhammad was told to tell the Christians, "If
399
Allah had a son, I would have been the first one to worship
him."
400
44. Surah Ad-Dukhan (The Smoke; The Fume; The
Reek; The Burning Smolder; The Smoulder)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ad-Dukhan In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the ayah number 10, which
states that on the Day of Judgment, the sky will pour down
visible smoke, which will envelop all people. This is a Makki
Surah and it is fifth in the number of Surahs that begin with
HaMim. The Surah has 59 ayats in 3 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah relates the story of Musa and the plight of the people
of Pharaoh. Similar references are made to the people of Tubba,
the creation of firmaments and earth, and the Zaqqum tree of
Hell.
The Surah warns about the punishment of Lord Almighty. When

the punishment will come then no one can avert it. The division
between the righteous and wicked in the Hereafter will be the
final decision of Allah (swt).
Revelation
The period of revelation of this Surah also could not be

determined from any authentic tradition, but the internal
evidence of the subject matter shows that this one too was sent
down in the same period in which Surah Zukhruf and a few other
earlier Surahs had been revealed. However, this Surah was sent
down somewhat later.
It was the middle period of Prophet Muhammad‘s (s) stay at

Makkah after his prophethood. The disbelievers of Makkah
became more and more antagonistic in their attitude and
conduct, the Prophet (s) prayed:
401
O Allah, help me with a famine like the famine of Yusuf (Joseph).
He thought that when the people would be afflicted with a

calamity, they would remember God Almighty, their hearts
would soften and they would accept the admonition. Allah (swt)
granted his prayer, and the whole land was overtaken by such a
terrible famine that the people were sorely distressed.
At last, some of the Quraysh chiefs among whom Abdullah bin

Masud (ra) has particularly mentioned the name of Abu Sufyan
came to the Prophet Muhammad (s) and requested him to pray
to Allah to deliver his people from the calamity. On this occasion
Allah sent down this Surah.
1. The Qur'an is the book of warning.
2. The Day of Judgment is a certainty.
3. Almighty Allah will punish the wrongdoers and He shall

reward the righteous.
The Surah begins by Allah‘s swear by the Qur‘an, that He had

revealed it on a blessed night. The Surah relates the story of
Musa (a) and the plight of the people of Pharaoh. Similar
references are made to the people of Tubba, the creation of
firmaments and earth, and the Zaqqum tree of Hell.
The disbelievers Of Makkah at that time were given warning,

―The Hour of decision for sending Rasool has come to guide
them to the way of the righteous. The particular Hour of sending
Book has their destinies, and this decision of Allah (swt) is not
weak, no one can change it to their likings. The only argument
that they have us the practice of shirk - the sins their forefathers
had been practicing heinously.‖
402
At that time famine was raging in Makkah. So, the Prophet (s)
was foretold that the people did not learn any lesson from the
calamity, so disbelievers are addressed, ―You are lying when you
say that you will believe as soon as the torment is removed from
you. We shall remove to see how sincerer are you in your
promise.‖ In this connection, reference of Pharaoh and his
people is made that those people also met with the same trial,
but after witnessing one sign after the other, they did not give up
their stubbornness till at last they met their doom.
The arrogant people think that they are free to do whatever they
think is right, because apparently there is no one to stop them.
They are trapped in this illusion of being the masters of their
own lives. Here Allah (swt) shows us the example of Pharaoh
who denied the Prophet Musa (a) and rejected the message of
Almighty Allah. So, Musa (a) was told to lead the people of Bani
Israel out of Egypt, during the night. Musa (a) was also warned
that the people of Pharaoh would try to capture them but, he
should not worry because Allah (swt) had decided to drown them
all. Almighty Allah destroyed Pharaoh along with all his armies,
and there was no one left to inherit all that grandeur which they
left behind.
The happiness of Paradise and the anguish of Hell are described,

and the Surah concludes with the statement that Qur‘an has been
revealed as a warning for the people. The Surah warns about the
punishment of Almighty Allah. When the punishment will come
then no one can avert it. The division between the righteous and
wicked in the Hereafter will be the final decision of Allah (swt).
Ayats (1 - 29): Almighty Allah revealed this Qur'an in the Blessed

Night (Laila-tul-Qadr) in which all matters is decided wisely by
His command. There is lessons to be learned from the story of
the Prophet Musa (a) and the people of Fir‗aun (Pharaoh).
Escape of Bani-Isra‘il and drowning of Pharaoh.
Ayats (30 - 42): Allah (swt) delivered the Children of Israel and
403
chose them over the nations of the world in spite of their
weaknesses; Day of Sorting Out is the time appointed for
resurrection.
Ayats (43 - 59): The mention of food and drink for the sinners in
hell. Some mentions of the food and entertainment for the
righteous in paradise.
Virtue of the Surah
What the name of Tubba stands for?
It is the royal title of the kings of Himyar in Yemen. Ibn Katheer

may Allah have mercy upon him said, ―The people of Himyar,
who are also known as Saba' (Sheba), used to call their king
Tubba‘...‖
He was mentioned in the Qur‘an in 44) Surah Ad-Dukhan: Allah,
The Exalted, says (what means): {Are they better or the people of
Tubba‘ and those before them? We destroyed them, (for) indeed,
they were criminals.} [Quran 44:37]
He was also mentioned in 50) Surah Qaaf: Allah, The Exalted,

says (what means): {The people of Nuh (Noah) denied before
them, and the companions of the well and Thamud, and ʻAad
and Pharaoh and the brothers of Lut, and the companions of the
thicket and the people of Tubbaʻ. All denied the messengers, so
My threat was justly fulfilled.} [Quran 50:12-14]
Al-Haafith Ibn Kathir may Allah have mercy upon him concluded
that Tubba‘ here referred to Tubba‘ Al-Awsat (Middle Tubba‘),
whose name was Asʻad Abu Kurayb. This King ruled for 326
years (before the advent of the Prophet of Allaah, sallallaahu
ʻalayhi wa sallam). Among the Himyarite Kings, he ruled the
longest. During his rule, he went on a conquest campaign,
invading many regions and annexing them to his domain ...
During his conquests, he passed by Madinah and fought its
people and then made peace with them and left with them a
scroll containing a poem saying that he believes in the Prophet
who would come and migrate to Madinah.
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The scroll was inherited by the inhabitants of Madinah until it
reached Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari may Allah be pleased with him in
whose house the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, stayed
when he migrated to Madinah. This Tubba‘ was the first to put a
cover over the Kaʻbah. When he returned to his people, he
invited them to believe in Allah and adhere to the true faith, and
so they did. However, after his death, they went astray and
reverted to idolatry and fire-worship. This brought down the
Divine wrath on them, the details of which are available in 34)
Surah Saba'.
There is mention that the Qur'an was revealed on Layl tul Qadr
[Night of Power] (44:3)
Mu'awiyah bin Abdullah bin Ja'far narrated that Abdullah bin
'Utbah bin Mas'ud told him that: "The Messenger of Allah (s)
recited 'Ha- Mim Ad-Dukhan' in Maghrib." [Sunan an-
Nasa'I; Book 11, Hadith 113]
Narrated Abu Hurairah: that the Messenger of Allah (s) said:

"Whoever recites Ha Mum Ad-Dukhan during night of Jumu‘ah,
he shall be forgiven." [Tirmidhee; Vol. 5, Book 42, Hadith
2889 (Da'eef - weak isnad)]
The hadith of Abu Hurairah (ra) in which the Prophet (s) is

reported to have said: ―Whoever recites Surah Dukhan on the
night of Jumuah, he will get up in the morning with his sins
forgiven‖ [Tafseer al Qurtubi Vol. 16 pg. 109 – Tirmidhi;
Tafseer Ibn Katheer vol. 4 pg. 137]
Abu Umamah (ra) narrates that the Prophet (s) said: Whoever
recites Ha meem Ad Dukhan on the night of Jumuah or on the
day of Jumuah, Allah will build a house for him in paradise.‖
[Tafseer al Qurtubi vol. 16 pg. 109 – Tabrani in Al
Kabeer]
Masruq ibn al-Ajda', ―We came upon 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud and
he said "O people! If somebody knows something, he can say it,
but if he does not know it, he should say, "Allah knows better,'
for it is a sign of having knowledge to say about something which
405
one does not know, 'Allah knows better.'
Allah said to His Prophet: 'Say (O Muhammad ! ) No wage do I

ask of You for this (Qur‘an) nor am I one of the pretenders (a
person who pretends things which do not exist).' (38.86) Now I
will tell you about Ad-Dukhan (the smoke), Allah's Apostle
invited the Quraysh to embrace Islam, but they delayed their
response. So he said, "O Allah! Help me against them by sending
on them seven years of famine similar to the seven years of
famine of Yusuf (Joseph)."
So the famine year overtook them and everything was destroyed

till they ate dead animals and skins. People started imagining to
see smoke between them and the sky because of severe hunger.
Allah said:
Then watch you for the Day that the sky will bring forth a kind of
smoke plainly visible, covering the people. . . This is painful
torment.' (44.10-11) (So they invoked Allah) "Our Lord! Remove
the punishment from us really we are believers." How can there
be an (effectual) reminder for them when an Apostle, explaining
things clearly, has already come to them? Then they had turned
away from him and said: 'One taught (by a human being), a
madman?' 'We shall indeed remove punishment for a while, but
truly, you will revert (to disbelief).' (44.12-15) Will the
punishment be removed on the Day of Resurrection?" 'Abdullah
added, "The punishment was removed from them for a while but
they reverted to disbelief, so Allah destroyed them on the Day of
Badr. Allah said: 'The day We shall seize you with a mighty grasp.
We will indeed (then) exact retribution." (44.16)
[Sahih Bukhari: Volume 6, Book 60, Number 333]
Masruq ibn al-Ajda', ―One day I went to Ibn Masud who said,
"When Quraysh delayed in embracing Islam, the Prophet I
invoked Allah to curse them, so they were afflicted with a
(famine) year because of which many of them died and they ate
the carcasses and Abu Sufyan came to the Prophet and said, 'O
Muhammad! You came to order people to keep good relation
with kith and kin and your nation is being destroyed, so invoke
Allah I? So the Prophet I recited the Noble ayats of Sirat-Ad-
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Dukhan: 'Then watch you For the day that The sky will Bring
forth a kind Of smoke Plainly visible.' (44.10) When the famine
was taken off, the people renegade once again as nonbelievers.
The statement of Allah, (in Sura "Ad-Dukhan"-44) refers to that:
'On the day when We shall seize You with a mighty grasp.'
(44.16) And that was what happened on the day of the battle of
Badr." Asbath added on the authority of Mansur, "Allah's Apostle
prayed for them and it rained heavily for seven days. So the
people complained of the excessive rain. The Prophet said, 'O
Allah! (Let it rain) around us and not on us.' So the clouds
dispersed over his head and it rained over the surroundings."
[Sahih Bukhari, Book 17: Volume 2, Number 133]
1. Allah (swt) has revealed this Qur‘an in the blessed night if

Al-Qadr in which all matters are decided wisely by
His command.
2. The Qur‘an by itself bear the clear testimony that it cannot

be composed by a man but Almighty Allah, Rabb of the
worlds.
3. There are lessons to be learnt from the story of the
Prophet Musa (a) and the people of Pharoah.
4. Allah (swt) delivered the children of Israel and chose them

over the nations of the world in spite of their weaknesses.
5. The Day of Resurrection is the time appointed for the

mankind to sort out their good works and misdeeds.
6. Food and drink for the sinners in Hell is bitter than the
righteous ones.
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45. Surah al-Jathiyah (The Kneeling Down; The
Crouching)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Jathiyah In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah takes its title from the ayah 28 where the
word, ―Jathiyah‖ occurs, which refers to the kneeling down of all
humanity before the Almighty Allah, on the Day of Judgment.
The Surah points out various signs to remind us that Allah has
subdued and subjected to mankind, whatever the firmaments
and earth contain, so that people may be grateful to Him. This is
a Makki Surah and it is the sixth in line which begin with
Muqaṭṭa‘at, HaMim. The Surah has 37 ayats and 4 Ruku‘
(Section)
Revelation
The revelation period of the Surah also has not known by any
authentic traditions; but its subject matter clearly shows that it
was revealed consecutively after Surah Ad-Dukhan, which is the
middle stage of the Prophet's residence at Makkah. The close
resemblance between the contents of the two Surahs makes them
a pair (twin Surahs).
1. Almighty Allah's signs are all over in the samawat and in

our own soul. Those who deny the revelation of Lord
Almighty will see punishment of Allah (swt).
2. Follow the clear path of truth.
3. Some people have made their desires their god. They also
deny the Hereafter.
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4. People will stand before Almighty Allah on their
knees. Their record of deeds will be presented to them.
The Surah warns those who deny the Divine truth. It talks about
human arrogance and sinfulness. The judgment of Allah (swt)
will cover all the people. The nations will stand before him in the
kneeling condition.
This Surah gives response to the disbelievers of Makkah who had

doubts and objections regarding Tauhid and the Hereafter. In
reference to Tauhid, this Surah begins with countless signs which
Lord Almighty made available in this world e.g. human body,
earth, heavenly sky, animals, day and night, rainfall, vegetation
and countless other creation in the samawat did not came into
existence by accident. Allah is All-Mighty, so it means that He
could have forced us into submission, He has all the power to do
that, but He is All-Wise and gave us a free will to choose between
right and wrong. Thus, Lord Almighty has given us intellect and
spread His signs all around us so that we should contemplate on
His creation. And understand that He is surely the only one who
has the right to be worshipped and obeyed.
In this very connection, a reference to Pharaoh and his people

has been made to imply that those people also had met with
precisely the same trial as the chiefs of the disbelieving Quraysh
are now afflicted. To them also a similar noble and honourable
Messenger had come; they also had seen those express pointers
and signs which clearly showed that he had been appointed by
Almighty Allah; they also had gone on witnessing one sign after
the other but they did not give up their stubbornness, till at last
they made up their mind to put an end to the Messenger's life,
and they met their doom, which has since become an object
lesson for the people for ever.
In response to the Hereafter Allah says: "It is utterly against

reason and justice that the good and the bad, the obedient and
the disobedient, the oppressor and the oppressed, should be
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made equal ultimately. No one has come to this world by his/her
own will and became alive, so he/she will not die unless the
death has been ordained by the Creator Himself. A time is
certainly coming when we all will be gathered together for
judgment. Some may not believe this due to their existing
ignorance, but in the appointed time everything will be exposed
in full view. The record will be presented before Almighty Allah
and our whole book of conduct will be laid open bearing evidence
against each of our deeds and misdeeds. One will certainly know
the repercussion of denying Hereafter and the cost of mockery.‖
Ayah 28 of the Surah describes that "every community will be
upon its knees" on the Judgment Day.
Ayats (1 - 11): Food for thought to those who are seeking the
signs of Almighty Allah. If they do not believe in Allah (swt) and
His revelations, then in what statement will they believe?
Ayats (12 - 21): Allah (swt) has subjected the seas and all that is
between the heavens and the earth for human beings. The
Israelites made sects in their religion after the knowledge had
come to them through Taurat (Torah). The wrongdoers are
protectors of one another while the protector of righteous is
Almighty Allah Himself.
Ayats (22 - 26): One who has made his/her own desires as his
god, Almighty Allah lets him/her go astray and sets a seal upon
their ears and heart.
Ayats (27 - 37): Almighty Allah's address to the disbelievers on

the Day of Judgment.
Virtue of the Surah
According to a Prophetic tradition, ―God Almighty will conceal

the defects of whoever recites Surah al-Jathiya and will turn his
fear into serenity.‖ [Majma‟ al-Bayan [Exegesis], the
opening of Surah 45]
410
opening Ayaat and interestingly what is common to all of them is
their mentioning of the Prophet Musa. These Surahs are;
- Surah 42: Shurah
- Surah 43: Zukhruf
- Surah 44: Dukhan
(45:8) who hears Allah's Signs being rehearsed to him, and yet
persists in his pride, as though he had not heard it. [9] Announce
to him, then, the tidings of a grievous chastisement.
9. In other words, there is a marked difference between the

person who listens to Allah‘s revelations sincerely with an open
mind and ponders over them seriously and the person who
listens to them resolved that he would deny them, and then
persists in the resolve already made without any serious thought.
If the first person does not believe in the revelations
immediately, it does not mean that he wants to remain an
unbeliever, but because he wants to have greater satisfaction.
Therefore, even if he is taking time to believe, it is just possible
that another revelation might enter his heart and he might
believe sincerely with full satisfaction. As for the other person, he
would never believe in any revelation whatsoever, for he has
already locked his heart up to every revelation of Allah. In this
state such people generally are involved as are characterized by
the following three qualities:
(1) They are liars; therefore, the truth does not appeal to them.
(2) They are wrongdoers; therefore, it is very hard for them to
believe in a teaching or guidance that may impose moral
restrictions on them.
(3) They are involved in the conceit that they know everything,
and that none can teach them anything; therefore, they do not
regard as worthy of attention and consideration Allah‘s
411
revelations that are recited to them, and it is all the same for
them whether they listen to them or not. [Tafhimul Qur‟an]
1. If the disbelievers do not believe in Almighty Allah and

His revelations then in what report will they believe!
2. Allah (swt) has subjected the seas and all that is between
the heavens and the earth for human beings.
3. Israelites made sects in their religion after the knowledge

has come to them through the Taurat (Torah).
4. Almighty Allah is the protector of righteous people.
5. Those who that make their own desires as their god, Allah
(swt) will let them go astray and set a seal upon their
respective ears and hearts.
6. Almighty Allah's address to the disbelievers on the Day of

Judgment.
412
46. Surah Al-Ahqaf (The Wind Curved Sand Dunes; The
Sandhills; The Sand Dunes; The Winding Sand Tracts)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Ahqaf In Summarized
Form

The Surah Al-Ahqaf takes its title from the ayah 21 that refers to
the long tract of winding sands, which characterized the regions
of Yemen in between Hadhramaut and Oman. These places were
inhabited by the ‗Ad people. Prophet Hud (a) was sent to the ‗Ad
people and they were destroyed for their disbelief. The Surah has
35 ayats in 4 Ruku‘ (Section).
Surah Al-Ahqaf is the last Surah of the HaMim series. This type
of letter is called as Muqatta‘at (meaning, "disconnected" or
"mysterious"). Out of the 114 Surahs of the Qur‘an, 29 Surahs are
figuring with this type beginning just after the Bismillah. The
Revelation
This Surah was revealed according to historical event that has

been mentioned in ayats 29-32 while Prophet Muhammad (s)
had halted at Makkah during his return journey from Ta'if to
Makkah. This incident of the visit of the jinn and their going back
after listening to the Qur'an had occurred, according to all
authentic historical traditions he had gone to Ta'if three years
before the Hijrah (according to agreed traditions of the Hadith
and biographical literature). Therefore it is determined that this
Surah was sent down towards the end of the 10th year or in the
early part of the 11th year of the Prophet-hood.
1. Allah (swt) sent down the Qur'an and He has created the
413
2. heaven and earth. The gods of Shirk have created nothing.
Is there any proof for Shirk? The truth of this revelation is
manifest.
3. The Qur'an verifies the previous revelations.
4. The fate of 'Ad.
5. Warnings to those who deny the truth. A group of Jinn

accept the message. Be patient in giving the message of
Almighty Allah.
This Surah gives warning to those who deny the truth. When
Almighty Allah‘s punishment comes – neither the sea, nor the
dry land can serve as protections. In this Surah each of the
misconceptions of the disbelievers are refuted in a brief but
rational way. Their erroneous belief of this world, life and
hereafter is the proof of their deviation from the truth.
Disbelievers have been warned for rejecting the invitation of the
Qur‘an and Prophet-hood of Muhammad (s).
The Surah emphasizes on one‘s duties towards one‘s parents.

Ayats 15 to 17 instruct Muslims to be virtuous (ihsan) towards
their parents and not to disobey them. A passage in ayah 15 notes
that a mother works hard for a period of "thirty months", bearing
and nursing her child; the explicit mention of "thirty months"
has implications for the calculation of the fetal viability threshold
in Islamic law.
There is a reference in this Surah to the people of ‗Ad and Allah‘s

(swt) punishment for their sins. Ayats 21 to 25 contain the story
of the prophet Hud (a), who was sent to the people of ʿAd "by the
sand dunes" (Arabic: fi al-Ahqaf, hence the name of the Surah).
The people rejected his message and were then punished by a
storm that destroyed them.
The next ayats warn the polytheists of Quraysh - who opposed

414
Muhammad's (s) message of Islam - that they could also be
destroyed just as the people of ʿAd had been destroyed.
The last ayah of 35 is addressed to Muhammad (s) and instructs

him to be patient in the face of rejections of his message, just as
the previous prophets of Islam were patient. Those who reject
the teachings of Islam, do so to their own destruction. There is
always hope for repentance and amendment in this world. The
result of showing arrogance and prejudice instead of
understanding the truth would only prepare us for our doom.
Ayats (1 – 10) Allah (swt) created the heavens, earth and all that
lies between them to manifest the truth. Those deities to whom
Mushrikhs invoke are not even aware that they are being
invoked. The Qur'an is the word of Almighty Allah, not of the
Prophet (s). The Prophet Muhammad (s) is but a plain Warner.
Ayats (11 – 20): The Qur'an conforms the revelation of the

Taurat (Torah) given to the Prophet Musa (a) Moses. Those who
treat their parents with kindness shall be rewarded and those
who rebuke their parents shall be punished.
Ayats (21 - 26): Nation of ‗Ad rejected Almighty Allah's message,

and as a result, they faced destruction.
Ayats (27 - 35): No deity can save people from the wrath of Allah
(swt). A group of jinns embraced Islam after hearing the Qur'an
and became the preachers to their folk. Prophet Muhammad (s)
and the believers are told Keep on passing the message of
Almighty Allah and bear the disbelievers with patience.
Virtue of the Surah

opening Ayaat and interestingly what is common to all of them is
their mentioning of the Prophet Musa. These Surahs are;
415
- Surah 42: Shurah
- Surah 43: Zukhruf
- Surah 44: Dukhan
Fetal Viability
Ayah 15 of the Surah Al-Ahqaf talks about the period of gestation

and breastfeeding, saying that "His mother bears him with
hardship and she brings him forth with hardship, and the
bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty months ...".
Another ayah in the Qur‘an, Chapter 2, ayah 233 speaks of
mothers nursing their children for two full years. Some Islamic
jurists interpret the six-month time difference between the
durations found in these two ayats as being the threshold of fetal
viability in Islamic law. [McGuirl, J.; Campbell, D. (2016).
"Understanding the role of religious views in the
discussion about resuscitation at the threshold of
viability"]
1. Those deities to whom mushrikhs invoke are not even

aware they are being invoked.
2. Al-Qur‘an is the word of Allah (swt), not of Prophet

Muhammad (s).
3. The Prophet is but a plain Warner.
4. The Qur‘an confirms the revelation sent to Musa (a) – at-

Taurat (The Torah)
5. Those who treat their parents with kindness shall be

rewarded and those who rebuke their parents shall be
punished.
416
6. No deity can save people from the wrath of Almighty
Allah.
7. After listening to Al-Qur‘an a group of Jinns embraced

Islam.
8. Muhammad (s) was told to pass the message of Allah

(swt) and bear with the disbelievers patiently.
9. The prayers of a 40 year old monotheistic father for his

parents and his children: ―rabbi awziʿ'nī an ashkura
niʿ'mataka allatī anʿamta ʿalayya waʿalā wālidayya wa-an
aʿmala ṣāliḥan tarḍāhu wa-aṣliḥ lī fī dhurriyyatī innī tub'tu
ilayka wa-innī mina l-mus'limīna‖ [My Lord! Inspire me to
give thanks for Your blessing with which You have blessed
me and my parents, and that I may do righteous deeds
which may please You, and invest my descendants with
righteousness. Indeed I have turned to you in penitence,
and I am one of the muslims.] - (46:15)
417
47. Surah Muhammad (The Praised One) also Surah Al-
Qital (Fighting)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Muhammad In Summarized
Form

The title is taken from the direct mentioning of the Nabi (‫نَـبِي‬,
Prophet) Muhammad in the 2nd ayah of the Surah. It also has
the name of Al-Qiṫāl (‫الـ ِقـ َتـال‬, the fight), due to the context of the
Surah. This Surah has 38 ayats and 4 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah enjoins upon the believers to pray to Allah for
forgiveness, and warns us that the life of this world is but a
pastime, while the eternal life is in the hereafter.
The hostile attitude of the hypocrites towards Muslims is also

dealt with. Allah knows what is hidden in the hearts of every
individual, and this would be brought forth on the Day of
Judgment.
Revelation
The content of the Surah testify that it was revealed after the
Hijrah to Madinah and after the revelation of Surah al-Hajj and
Al-Baqarah in which fighting was enjoined.
This is a Surah which was revealed after the victory of Muslims
in the Battle of Badr. It highlights the main events and the
miracles that took place during the battle.
1. Those who believe in Muhammad (s), their sins are

removed and their condition will improve. The opponents
of the truth will perish.
2. Good News for the believers: The prophet (s) was asked to
pray for the believers.
418
3. Those who will turn away from the truth, Allah (swt) will
seal their hearts and eyes to be blind from receiving
hedayah (guidance).
4. The real success. Do not be intimidated, stand firm and
struggle for the cause of Allah (swt).
The Surah talks about the real struggle that will take place
between the truth and falsehood. In this struggle the truth will be
victorious, and the falsehood and its votaries will be utterly
defeated. The separation will take place between those who
believe and those who deny the truth.
This Surah prepares the believers with instructions for war. This
is why the name of the Surah is al-Qital. Disbelievers of Makkah
(Quraysh) were not prepared to leave them alone. They were
adamant to stop spreading the message of Islam. Allah (swt)
permitted the Muslims to fight in Surah al-Hajj ayah-39, and
then enjoined fighting in Surah Al-Baqarah ayah-190. But it was
for those conditions.
Believers who have accepted the truth were told to confront the
disbelievers in war. If they struggle in the cause of Allah (swt),
they have been assured of best rewards both in this world and
the hereafter.
Then the discourse turns towards hypocrites who were sincerely

trying to be Muslim. They were confounded by the ordainment of
Qital. So, they conspired with the disbelievers to save themselves
from the hazards of war but Allah (swt) warned them that their
acts & deeds would not be accepted.
In conclusion, the Muslims are invited to spend their wealth in

the cause of Allah (swt). Although Muslims were economically
weak at that time, they had been warned not to adopt miserly
attitude – that would only harm themselves. Allah (swt) is free of
all needs. If one group of men avoids the duty of doing struggle
419
in the cause of Allah (swt), the Almighty will remove them from
their places and bring another group in their place.
Ayats (1 – 11): Almighty Allah voids the deeds of the disbelievers.

In case of war, thoroughly subdue the unbelievers before taking
prisoners of war. If one helps the cause of Allah (swt), Almighty
Allah will help and protect him/her.
Ayats (12 - 19): The believers do not follow their own desires.
Parable of paradise and hell is presented. The hypocrites are
those on whose hearts, Allah (swt) has set a seal.
Ayats (20 - 28): The promise of obedience (belief in heart) and
good talk which is not followed by action is cursed by Almighty
Allah.
Ayats (29 - 38): Almighty Allah put the believers to test in order
to know the valiant and the resolute. In case of war, Allah (swt) is
on the side of the believers. One should not be stingy if asked to
give in the cause of Almighty Allah.
Virtue of the Surah
It is said by the Prophet Muhammad (s) in the commentary of

Majma‘ul Bayan that the one who recites this Surah will have his
thirst quenched by the drink from the rivers of Jannah.
According to a Prophetic tradition, ―One who recites Surah
Muhammad, God will provide him with the streams of
Paradise.‖ [Majma‟ al-Bayan, vol. 9, Surah Muhammad]
Battle of Badr:
This battle is also known as ‗Ghazwa Badr‘.
The Battle of Badr was fought on took place during Ramadan, in

2nd year of Hijrah. It was fought against the people of Makkah
who belonged to the tribe of Quraysh. Its purpose was to protect
and foster Islam.
420
In the battle, there were 313 Muslims with a total of 6 armored
soldiers, 8 swords, 70 camels and 2 horses; whereas, the non-
Muslim army was 1000 in number. They were well equipped
with 600 Armoured soldiers all carrying weapons. They had 700
camels and 300 horses.
The Muslim army included Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A), Hazrat Umar
(R.A), Hazrat Ali (R.A) and many other great personalities.
The non-Muslims reached the Badr and occupied all the

important places with resources, whereas the Muslims had
occupied the left over places with no well of water. However, the
Almighty Allah showed a miracle of rain at night from which the
Muslim army collected enough water for them.
There was also a fierce wind that blew at night. This wind blew
away all the tents of non-Muslims while they were enjoying
gambling as it seemed to them a definite victory and the end of
Muslims.
1. Allah (swt) nullifies the deeds of disbelievers: Those who

disbelieve and try to prevent others from believing, Lord
Almighty will make their good deeds worthless. However,
those who do good and believe in what was revealed to
Muhammad (s), the truth from Almighty Allah, God
Almighty will remove from them their misdeeds and
improve their condition. Those who disbelieve follow
falsehood whilst those who believe follow the truth.
2. Disbelievers should be subdued in war before taking them
as prisoners of war: When one meets disbelievers in the
battlefield, one should strike their necks and securely bind
those who are left. After the battle he may release them,
either by grace or by ransom. God Almighty could have
taken vengeance Himself, but He ordered an armed
struggle to test some of us against others. Those killed in
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Lord Almighty‘s cause will never lose their good deeds. He
will guide them, improve their condition and admit them
into the Paradise.
3. Those who help the cause of Lord Almighty, Allah (swt)
will help and protect them: Allah (swt) will support the
believers and make them steadfast; as for the disbelievers,
they will find misery and wasted deeds. They disliked
what Almighty God revealed so their deeds are
worthless. As they travel through the land they see what
happened to the disbelievers from the past nations. God
Almighty utterly destroyed them, and a similar fate awaits
these disbelievers. Almighty Lord protects the believers,
but the disbelievers have no protector whatsoever. In the
descriptions of Paradise, the righteous are promised rivers
of pure water, milk, wine, and clear honey. They will also
have fruit of every kind and forgiveness from their Lord.
These people are nothing like those who are in the Fire
drinking down scalding water that burns their intestines.
4. True believers do not follow their own desires in the
matter of religion: Those who believe and do good deeds
will be admitted to Gardens under which rivers flow. The
disbelievers may take their pleasures from this world, but
the Fire will be their eternal home. Almighty God
destroyed many cities that were stronger in might than
the disbelievers of Makkah. They had no helper to help
them when the scourge of Almighty Lord came suddenly.
Can the one who follows clear guidance be compared to
the person who commits foul deeds and follows his own
desires!?
5. Allah (swt) test the believers to know their valiance and
resolution: Almighty Lord knows everything His servants
does, and so those who believes will be put to the test until
He makes evident those amongst us who strive for God‘s
cause and the patient ones. Indeed, those who disbelieved
and turned people away from the path of Allah (swt), and
422
who disputed with Prophet Muhammad (s) even after the
guidance had been made clear to them cannot harm God
Almighty in any way. And their deeds will become
worthless. The life of this world is trivial as compared to
the Hereafter. Believers are asked to have tawakkul of
Lord Almighty with hope and fear, which will be rewarded
nonetheless, He never asks us to give up all our
possessions. So, In the case of war Allah (swt) is on the
side of true believers. One should not be miserly if one is
asked to give in the cause of Allah (swt). Those who
begrudge what Almighty God asks only harm themselves
because He is free of all needs; it is us who are needy. If
we refuse and turn away, Almighty Allah will replace us
with people who do not act like us.
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48. Surah Al-Fath (The Victory; The Triumph; The
Achievement of Success)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al Fath In Summarized Form

This Surah takes its name from the first ayah, ―Indeed, We have
granted you a clear triumph... [O Muhammad] a clear conquest."
(48:1) – it is in direct reference to the Treaty which was signed
through cooperation between the opposing forces and without
bloodshed. The reason this treaty, and therefore Surah, is called
a "clear triumph" is largely believed to be because of its peaceful
nature.
The Hudaybiyyah Treaty was mainly agreed on a 10-year period

of peace between the Prophet (s) and his followers, and the
pagan Arabs of Makkah, thereby enabling the believers to enter
Al-Masjid al-Haram (The Sacred Masjid) at Makkah. The Surah
has 4 Ruku‘ (Section) with 29 ayats.
Revelation
This is a Madani Surah. It was revealed in Dhul-Qidah, 6 AH;

when Prophet Muhammad (s) and Muslims were returning from
Hudaibiyyah after concluding The Treaty of Hudaibiyyah with
the disbelievers of Makkah.
1. The victory that came through the Treaty of Peace at

Hudaibiyyah.
2. The hypocrites and their false excuses.
3. Allah (swt) is pleased with Believers who are with the
Prophet. Allah‘s promises are for the Believers.
4. Ultimate triumph of Islam.
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The Surah should be read with the background history to

comprehend the ayats in totality. One day in 6 AH, Muhammad
(s) saw a dream that he went to Makkah with his Companions
and had performed Umrah. In ayah 27, Allah (swt) confirms the
dream as true, ―You will surely enter Masjid al-Haram in safety
with your heads shaved and shortened without any fear.‖
Therefore, the prophet (s) informed his Companions of his

dream and began to make preparations for the journey. He made
announcement in public about his Umrah among the tribes of
the suburbs. About 1400 Companions joined him for the high
dangerous journey.
The Surah talks about the moral and physical victory of Islam
over the forces of unbelief. The hypocrites and disbelievers will
be disappointed with this victory.
Prophet Muhammad (s) and his companions intended to reach

the Masjid in Makkah to perform the minor pilgrimage called
Umrah but were prevented from doing so by the people of
Makkah. However, the people here got agreed to a peace treaty,
and Prophet Muhammad (s) agreed to turn back to Madinah and
perform Umrah the next year. By revealing this Surah, Almighty
Allah declared the treaty to be a manifest victory.
The general atmosphere of this Surah gives the impression that

the Muslim community has matured over the past three
years. They are no longer being put to the tests mentioned in the
previous Surah and are growing increasingly strong.
Throughout the Surah, Prophet Muhammad (s) is assured that
the treaty is a great breakthrough. The hypocrites and idolaters
are condemned, and the Surah concludes with praise for the
believers.

425
Ayats (1 - 10): Allah (swt) granted the Muslims a manifest victory
through the treaty of Hudaibiyah. Swearing allegiance to the
Prophet Muhammad (s) is considered swearing allegiance to
Almighty Allah.
Ayas (11 17): Bedouin Arabs who did not go with the Prophet (s)
for war between Islam and Kufr are condemned for lagging
behind. Only the blind, lame and sick are exempt from war.
Ayats (18 - 26): Allah (swt) was well pleased with those who
swore allegiance to the Prophet (s) before the treaty of
Hudaibiyah. Had there not been believers in Makkah, Almighty
Allah would have allowed the Muslims to press against the
Quraysh for oppression.
Ayats (27 - 19): Vision to conquer Makkah is shown to the

Prophet Muhammad (s) and characteristics of Muhammad (s)
and his followers have been vividly depicted in the last ayah of
the Surah.
Virtue of the Surah
Upon the revelation of Surah al-Fath, the Prophet remarked,

'Tonight there has been revealed to me a Surah which is dearer to
me than that on which the sun shines (i.e. the world). [Sahih
Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61 Virtues of the Qur'an,
Number 532]
When consulted to broker peace during a later war, Sahl ibn

Hunaif said, 'Blame yourselves! I remember how, on the day of
Al-Hudaibiyyah, if we had been allowed to choose fighting, we
would have fought (the pagans). At that time 'Umar came (to
the Prophet) and said, "Aren't we on the right (path) and they
(pagans) in the wrong? Won't our killed persons go to Paradise,
and theirs in the Fire?" The Prophet replied, "Yes."
Umar further said, "Then why should we let our religion be

degraded and return before Allah has settled the matter between
426
us?" The Prophet said, "O the son of Al-Khattab! No doubt, I am
Allah's Messenger and Allah will never neglect me." So Umar left
the place angrily and he was so impatient that he went to Abu
Bakr and said, "O Abu Bakr! Aren't we on the right (path) and
they (pagans) on the wrong?" Abu Bakr said, "O the son of Al-
Khattab! He is Allah's Messenger, and Allah will never neglect
him." Then Surah Al-Fath (The Victory) was revealed." [Sahih
Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60 Prophetic Commentary on
the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet), Number 367]
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mughaffal: I saw Allah's Messenger on

the day of the Conquest of Makkah over his she-camel, reciting
Surat-al-Fath in a vibrant quivering tone. [Sahih Bukhari,
Volume 5, Book 59: Military Expeditions led by the
Prophet (Al-Maghaazi), Number 578]
According to a Prophetic tradition, ―One who recites the Surah is

on a par with one who served in the Noble Prophet‘s (s) army
upon the conquest of Makkah.‖
It is narrated in another tradition that such person, ―is like one
who was beneath the tree in Hudaybiyyah and gave him his
pledge.‖ [Majma‟ al-Bayan, vol. 9, p. 108]
1. Through the treaty of Hudaibiyyah Allah (swt) granted the

Muslims a manifest victory: Almighty Allah has bestowed
a manifest victory with treaty of Hudaibiyyah to Prophet
Muhammad (s). He has been given a glorious victory,
complete forgiveness, blessings, and assured guidance. All
because of his complete and unwavering trust in God
Almighty. The believers have been given great blessings in
the form of tranquility into their hearts and they were
promised more favours in the hereafter. Forgiveness of
sins and admittance to Paradise is the ultimate goal and
true success.
2. Success for the believers in swearing allegiance with
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Muhammad (s) under the tree: Allah (swt) was well
pleased with Muslims when they swore allegiance to
Muhammad (s), they were told that they, eventually,
swore allegiance with Allah (swt). They placed their right
hand on top of the Prophet‘s (s) hand, and it was as if they
placed their hands in trust of Lord Almighty which was
above their hands. Anyone who breaks the pledge breaks
it at his own peril. However, the one who keeps the pledge
will be given a great reward.
3. In a war between Islam and kufr (disbelief) choosing to
disobey to participate results in punishment by Allah
(swt): The Bedouin (desert Arabs) who refused to
accompany Prophet Muhammad (s) was addressed by
Allah (swt) because they expected defeat at the hands of
the Makkah. They ruined their reputation of integrity in
character by making this kind of assumptions. Prophet
Muhammad (s) is told of the rich war booty the believers
would soon acquire, and God warns him not to allow the
Bedouin, who previously refused to accompany him, to
join him on the next expeditions. However, soon they will
have another chance to fight, by facing a mighty enemy. At
that time if they obey, they will be rewarded, but if they
turn away, they will be punished. The blind, the lame, and
the sick will face no such punishment. Those who obey
will be admitted to gardens with flowing streams, but
those who choose not to will be severely punished.
4. A vision to conquer Makkah was shown to the Prophet (s)
and this Surah is a reflection of it: Almighty Lord will
fulfill Prophet Muhammad‘s (s) vision of entering
Makkah; the believers will perform Umrah. God Almighty
knows what we do not know and will grant a speedy
victory. He has sent Prophet Muhammad (s) with
guidance and the religion of truth above all false religions.
Those who turned the believers away from Makkah were
guilty of gross misconduct. There were believing men and
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women among the people of Makkah and had the fighting
taken place they may have been killed. Almighty Allah left
them in their fury and ignorance and protected the
believers. Lord Almighty says that when the believers,
under the tree, swore their allegiance to the Prophet (s),
He was pleased. He knew what was in their hearts and He
gave them tranquility and a speedy victory with this
revelation of Surah Al-Fath.
5. One can clearly picture out in his/her mind the
characteristics of the Muhammad (s) and his followers by
reading the Surah: Muhammad (s) is the Messenger of
Lord Almighty. Those with him are harsh with the
disbelievers and compassionate with one another. One
will know them when he/she see them bowing down,
prostrating in prayer. They seek Almighty Lord‘s bounty
and pleasure, and their faces (foreheads) show the marks
of their prostrations. In at-Taurah (the Torah) and Injeel
(the Gospel), they are described as a seed that sprouts,
strengthens and stands firmly on its stem, delighting the
sower. The disbelievers are enraged by them. Almighty
Allah promises a great reward to those who believe and do
righteous deeds.
429
49. Surah Al-Hujuraat (The Private Apartments; The
Chambers)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al Hujuraat In Summarized
Form
‫ بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم‬: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious,
the Most Merciful
This is a Madani Surah. The name of the Surah appears in the

ayah 4. It is one of the three Surahs that start with, “O you who
believe!”; the other two are Surah Al-Maidah and Surah Al-
Mumtahanah. The Surah has 18 ayats in 2 Ruku’ (Section).
Revelation
This Surah is a collection of instructions and commandments

sent down on different occasions. Hadith relate that those were
sent down during the final stage of Prophet Muhammad’s (s) life
at Madinah. For example, ayah 4 was sent down concerning Bani
Tamim stated by the commentators. This deputation had visited
prophet (s) in 9 AH in Madinah according to all biographical
books of his life. They, upon arriving, started calling
Muhammad (s) outside of his wives’ apartments (hujuraat).
Likewise, large number of hadith confirm that ayah 6 was sent

down concerning Walid bin Uqbah who was sent by the prophet
to collect Zakat from the Bani al-Mustaliq, and it is well known
that Walid bin Uqbah had become a Muslim on the conquest of
Makkah.
Topics discussed in the Ruku‘ (Section)
1. Respecting Prophet Muhammad (s). How to deal reports

with one another. Relations among the believers.
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2. Group harmony and solidarity require moral and ethical
teachings. Relations with groups and tribes are explained.
Faith is a favour of Allah (swt) to the Believers.
The purpose of the Surah is to give Muslims teachings about

social manners. A person needs to learn these manners to
become a true believer. It has comprehensive guidelines to make
a peaceful and harmonious society.
In the first five ayats, Muslims are taught about the manners
they would observe with Allah (swt) and His Rasool Muhammad
(s). They are given the instruction that it is not right - to believe
in information without basis and to act without careful thoughts.
If information is received about a person, a group or a
community, the source of information should be carefully
evaluated for reliability. It should be tested and examined to see
whether the news is authentic to take proper action on it.
Guidance is provided towards attitudes that Muslims should
adopt in cases where groups of Muslims have conflict with each
other.
Muslims are exhorted to safeguard themselves from the

collective evil of corrupt life, such as mocking, taunting each
other, calling others through offensive names, creating
suspicions, spying into other people‘s affairs, and backbiting –
which spoils mutual relationships. All of these evils are declared
unlawful and forbidden.
In the end, men are told that true Faith is not what comes from
mouth verbally rather it is about believing in the last Messenger
(s) and Allah (swt), accomplishing it in the practical life by
sincere effort and spending wealth in the cause of Allah (swt).
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Ayats (1 - 10): Almighty Allah's commandment to lower one's voice in
the presence of the Prophet Muhammad (s). Allah (swt) told us to
make peace between the believers if they fall into fighting among
themselves.
Ayats (11 - 18): Etiquette of moral behavior in accordance to

Sunnah of Islam is mentioned. Mankind is created from a single
male and a female and noblest is he who is the most righteous.
Allah (swt) says in ayah 15, ―The believers are only the ones who
have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but
strive with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah. It
is those who are the truthful.‖
Virtue of the Surah
Equality of mankind
Ayah 13 is one of the most famous ayats of the Qur‘an:
O mankind, surely We have created you from a male and a

female, and made you tribes and families that you may know
each other. Surely the noblest of you with Allah is the most
dutiful of you. Surely Allah is Knowing, Aware.
Commentators of the Qur‘an, including Abul A'la Maududi and

Sayyid Qutb argued that this ayah declares the equality of
mankind. Mankind is spread around the world and has different
nations and tribes in order to know each other, and no one is
superior on the basis of colour, race, or origin. According to the
ayah, only taqwa (piety, fear of God) makes one nobler before
God. According to the commentary of The Study Qur‘an, this
ayah marked a reform of the moral order in Arabia, where
previously one's worth had been determined by "lineage and
grandiose displays of valour and generosity" and where fear of
God had been seen as the opposite of nobility, to one which
focused on "the depth of faith and piety." [Courtesy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Hujurat]
432
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, "Al-Aqra' bin Habis arrived to
meet the Prophet (s)" - he said - "so Abu Bakr said: 'O Messenger
of Allah! Appoint him over his people.' 'Umar said: 'Do not
appoint him O Messenger of Allah!' They continued talking
before the Prophet (s) until they raised their voices. Abu Bakr
said to 'Umar: 'You only wanted to contradict me.' So ['Umar]
said: 'I did not want to contradict you.'" He said: "So this Ayah
was revealed: 'O you who believe! Do not raise your voices above
the voice of the Prophet (49:2).'" He said: "After that, when
'Umar spoke before the Prophet (s), his speech could not be
heard until he told him he could not understand him." He (one of
the narrators) said: "And Ibn Az-Zubair did not mention his
grandfather" meaning Abu Bakr." [Jami` at-Tirmidhi Book
47, Hadith 3576]
1. Investigate the news of a wicked (sinful) person: The

believers are told while receiving news and reports from
outside the community they should emphasize the need of
its authenticity. Almighty lord tells them, if an evil person
or a troublemaker brings them information they must
investigate it before acting on it. Rash action might lead to
an injustice being committed against a person or persons,
and as a result they may end up regretting it.
2. Collective brotherhood of Muslims: Within a community

there are usually practical measures with which to sort out
any differences that might arise. If these differences are
not dealt with properly they might undermine the
structure of the community.
3. Allah (swt) commanded the companions to lower their

voices in the presence of the Prophet (s): Those among the
companions (ra) who lower their voices and speak softly
whilst in Prophet Muhammad‘s (s) presence are the ones
who have passed the tests set by Lord Almighty and are
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indeed pious. They are the ones who will be forgiven and
blessed with a great reward. Prophet Muhammad (s) is
told that those whose voices are loud, and who stand
outside his private rooms shouting to be heard, lack
understanding and common sense. They do not use their
reasoning because if they did so, they would know that it
would be better for them to wait patiently. However,
Almighty Allah is Forgiving and He is Merciful.
4. The believers are instructed to make peace, if they fight

among themselves: If two groups of believers fight or take
up arms against one another, the Muslim community
should work to make peace between them. If one party
continues to act wrongfully or refuses reconciliation, the
believers must fight against the oppressors until they
submit to Almighty God‘s commandments. Allah (swt)
loves those who are just and fair.
5. Etiquettes of moral behavior: Believers are told to leave all

affairs in the hands of God Almighty and Prophet
Muhammad (s). This faith they have is beautiful and
unbelief is a sin. Wrongdoing and disobedience should be
abhorrent to them. Those who are on the straight path are
only guided due to Almighty Allah‘s grace and blessings.
One better not laugh at others to degrade them. They are
told to avoid being suspicious of each other, and not to spy
on one another. They should not speak badly of people
behind their backs, if they do; it is as if they were in fond
of eating the flesh of their dead brother‘s flesh.
6. Noblest is the one who is the most righteous: God
Almighty reminds the believers that they were created

from a single pair, male and female. Their origin has come
from the same single parenthood of ancestors and they are
only divided into tribes and nations so that they may get
434
to know one another. Only one thing determines a
person‘s worth in Almighty Allah‘s eyes, and that is piety.
7. True believer of the final Ummah is the one who believes

in Allah (swt), His final messenger Muhammad (s) and
make Jihad with his wealth and persevere in the Way of
Allah (swt): The desert Arabs say they are believers, but
they are not. They have submitted yes, but faith has not
yet entered their hearts. Nevertheless, they will be
rewarded for all their good deeds because God Almighty is
Forgiving and Merciful. God Almighty says, true believers
are those who believe in Him and Prophet Muhammad
with no doubt or hesitation. They are the ones who remain
steadfast, following Lord‘s guidelines in all situations.
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50. Surah Qaf (The Letter Qāf)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Qaf In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah is found in the first ayah which is ―qāf‖ -
‫ق‬: which called as Muqatta‘at (meaning, "disconnected" or
"mysterious"). Out of the 114 Surahs of the Qur‘an, 29 Surahs
are figuring with this type beginning just after the Bismillah. The
This is a Makki Surah. This and the following six Surahs belong
to the early Makki period. The Surah has 45 ayats and 3 Ruku‘
(Section).
Revelation
There is no authentic tradition to determine when exactly the

Surah Qaf got revealed, the subject matter of the Surah provides
us with the clue that that his Surah was revealed in the second
stage of Prophet Mohammad‘s (s) stay at Makkah, i.e. from the
3rd year of the Prophet-hood to the 5th year – when disbelievers
had become intense but had not become tyrannical yet.
1. The worldly nature, self-explain the creation of Allah (swt)

and points out to the Day of Resurrection.
2. Allah (swt) is closer to us than our jugular–veins (life-

vein). Discussion about the death, the end of the world,
and the Resurrection has been depicted.
3. The final judgment.
Subject Matter discussed in the Surah

436
This Surah emphasizes the theme of resurrection and the
ultimate success of those who have faith in Allah (swt) and His
final Prophet (s). When Muhammad (s) started preaching in
Makkah people got surprised by the news that they would be
resurrected after death and would be asked to give accounts of
their deeds. The Surah gives references of previous generations
of the disbelievers of Makkah and reassured the coming success
of the prophet (s).
The past nations which were destroyed - Prophet Nuh's (a)

society, the people with Lut (a), Thamud, the Pharoah, the nation
called 'Aad, and the people of Tubba. They all severely denied
their messengers whom came with the same message of Tawhid.
But they denied so Allah (swt) justly 'rewarded' them with
terrible punishments.
In the Surah, Allah (swt) has made us aware that our collection
of good and/or bad deeds is perfectly recorded by the angels on
our shoulders. And they are going to disclose it on the Day of
Resurrection. On the Judgment Day, men will come out of their
graves – when they will be called. Just like the young shoots of
vegetables sprout up from the earth after the first rain. It gives us
the indication of Almighty Allah‘s ability to bring dead to life
again. How powerless a man would become on the Day of
Judgment!
The greatest scientists have found a difficulty in understanding

the skeptical position when they contemplate its wonder and
mystery of the firmaments and the earth and all that lies between
them. With all the countless beautiful stars and planets and
lights in them, and laws of order, motion, and symmetry, that
responds to the highest mathematical abstractions without a
flaw. Here, we can understand the proof of the mission of the
great Messenger (s) itself.
The Surah reaffirms the certainty of the Last Day, and the
believers are enjoined to praise their Lord before sunrise and
before sunset and also at night, in prostration and prayers.
437
Finally, the Surah stresses, that the prophet‘s (s) task is to convey
the message of the Qur‘an.
Ayats (1 - 15): Life after death is a reality and there is nothing

strange about it.
Ayats (16 - 29): Almighty Allah has assigned two angels to each
person for noting down each single word that he/she utters.
Every stubborn disbeliever will be thrown into hell.
Ayats (30 - 35): Hell shall be asked, "Are you full." Hell will
answer, "Are there anymore?" Allah (swt) told Muhammad (s)
along with the believers to admonish the unbelievers with the
Qur'an and bear with them in patience and admonish.
Authentic traditions show that Prophet Muhammad (s) used to

recite this Surah generally in the Prayer on the Eid days. A
woman named Umm Hisham bin Harithah, who was a neighbor
of the Prophet (s), says that she was able to commit Surah Qāf to
memory only because she often heard it from the Prophet (s) in
the Jumu‘ah Khutbah. According to some other traditions he
often recited it in the Fajr Prayer.
From the book, ―Tafseer Ibn Kathir‖, Imam Ahmad recorded

that:
Umar bin Al-Khattab asked Abu Waqid Al-Laythi, "What did the
Prophet recite during the ''Ìd Prayer'' Abu Waqid said, "Surah
Qāf and Surat Iqtarabat [i.e. Surat Al-Qamar (54)]
Umm Hisham bin Harithah bin An-Nu'man said, "Our oven and
the oven of the Messenger of Allah (s) were the same for two
years, or for one year and part of a year. And I only learned
"Surah Qaf. By the Glorious Qur‘an" from the tongue
of the Messenger of Allah (s), who used to recited it every Friday
from the Minbar, when he addresses the people." [Sahih
438
Muslim Book 7, Hadith 65]
Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that (his father) 'Umar b. Khattab

asked Abu Waqid al-Laithi what the Messenger of Allah (s) used
to recite on 'Id-ul-Adha and 'Id-ul-Fitr. He said: He used to recite
in them:" Qaf. By the Glorious Qur'an" (Surah Qaf)," The Hour
drew near, and the moon was rent asunder" (Surah al-Qamar)"
Qutba b. Malik reported that he had heard the Messenger of

Allah (s) reciting in the Morning Prayer this: ―And the tall palm
trees having flower spikes piled one above another" (Al-Qur'an
(50:10). [Sahih Muslim Book 4, Hadith 187]
Lesson and Reflections
1. Life after death is not unreal, one should not think about
it as strange: Even though the disbelievers of Makkah did
say they believe in God but they did not wholeheartedly
believed in the hereafter. They denied the Prophet
Muhammad (s) as they could not digest the fact that one
of their own was warning them against their centuries old
beliefs and customs. They simply didn‘t want to believe in
this concept and tried to prove it as an impossible fantasy
as they had no idea of His magnificent power and all-
encompassing knowledge. Allah (swt) says on the Day of
Resurrection He will gather all of us, after getting
decomposed, from the dust wherever it might have blown
or sunk or washed away by some river or sea to make it
into a complete human being.
2. Allah (swt) has appointed two angels (one on the right,

other on the left) to each person for noting down his/her
deeds: God Almighty reminds us that He knows what goes
on in our hearts and minds. We also been informed that
our book of deeds is being compiled, in which all our
439
actions are being recorded with the minutest details, by
the two angels. It‘s not only our deeds but every single
word that we utter is being written down by them.
3. Every disbeliever will be thrown into hell, after which hell

will be asked, ―Are you full?‖ Hell will answer, ―Are there
any more.‖: The people of Nuh (a), Lut (a), Rass, Thamud,
Tubba, Ad, Pharaoh, and the Forest-Dwellers (to whom
Prophet Shuaib was send) all disbelieved their
messengers. The Ad and the Thamud were pre-Islamic
Arabian tribes who rejected the prophets sent to them.
Tubba is most likely a reference to a line of kings in
southern Arabia. The Qur‘an is guidance for humanity yet
only those benefit from its knowledge and inspiration who
truly recognize the great beauty and magnificence of the
Qur‘an. How merciful and kind is our Lord; He could have
thrown us all into the Fire!
4. One should give admonition to others with Al-Qur‘an and

have patience for his/her work: The fear of the hereafter
together with prayers and understanding the message of
Qur‘an can really make us change from within. And this is
what real character building is all about. And we should
remember that our duty is just to convey the right thing to
others in the most pleasant manner; and if they reject it
then it is their own choice.
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51. Surah Az-Zariyat (The Winds that Scatter; The
Scattering Winds; The Winnowing Winds)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Az-Zariyat In Summarized

Form

This is a Makki Surah. The name of the Surah appears in the first
ayah, "By those [winds] scattering [dust] dispersing" (51:1). This
Surah has 3 Ruku‘ (Section) and 60 ayats.
The Surah gives the good news of the emergence of a new

community. It also warns the opponents of the truth that their
time is about to end and the judgment of Allah is near.
Revelation
The style and subject matter of the Surah clearly shows that it
was sent down in the period when persecution had not yet
started in Makkah. Prophet Muhammad‘s (s) invitation was
resisted, opposed, denied and ridiculed with false accusations. It
seems the Surah was revealed in the same period the Surah Qaf
was revealed.
Topics discussed in the Ruku‘ (Section)
1. Falsehood is about to end. The righteous shall be

rewarded. The character of the righteous people.
2. Prophet Ibrahim (a) and his angel visitors. The fate of the
people of Prophet Lut (a). Prophet Musa (a) and the fate
of Pharaoh. People of 'Ad and Thamud and the people of
Prophet Nuh (a).
3. Hasten to the command of Allah (swt). Do not associate
anyone in the divinity of Allah (swt). Remind, the
reminding will help the Believers. The Judgment of Allah
(swt) is near.
441
The Surah mostly deals with the Hereafter, and in the end it
presents the invitation to Tawhid. It gives the good news of the
emergence of a new community. It also warns the opponent of
the truth that their time is about to end and the judgment of
Allah (swt) is near.
If people continue to take ignorance as a form of guidance that

would be disastrous for them, as it had been disastrous for the
nations of the past. So, mankind‘s life should not be based on
conjecture rather on sought out knowledge gifted by Allah (swt).
In the Surah, Allah (swt) talks about the guest of Ibrahim (a) who
were Angels. They gave him the good news of the birth of the
Prophet Ishaq (a) (Isaac). According to the Bible, the Prophet
Ibrahim (a) at that time was a hundred years old and Sarah was
ninety. But, the Angels real mission was to destroy the people of
Lut (a) by unleashing a shower of clay-stones.
In connection with that event, Allah (swt) also reminds us with

the fate of Pharaoh who denied the message of Musa (a). The
people of ‗Ad witnessed the fate of dry, hot wind, which reduce
them to rubble. The People of Thamud were given some respite,
then a sudden a thunderbolt strikes them as a punishment of
their disobedience. And the People of Nuh (a) were also
mentioned.
In the end of the Surah, Allah (swt) tells us that He gives

sustenance to everyone but He is not in need of it. People who
worship false gods provide sustenance to their deities, in order to
function as Godhead. So Allah (swt) instructed Prophet
Muhammad (s) to ignore those rebellious ignorant and to
continue his mission of giving invitation to the people who are in
need of.
Ayats (1 - 23): Surely the Day of Judgment shall come to pass,

442
only the perverse persons turn away from this truth.
Ayats (24 - 46): The story of the Prophet Ibrahim (a), when he
was given the good news of having a son. The same angels, who
gave good news to Ibrahim (a), annihilated the nation of
homosexuals. There is a lesson in the stories of Fir‗aun
(Pharaoh), ‗Ad, Thamud & people of Nuh (a).
Ayats (47 - 60): Almighty Allah, Who built the heavens and
spread out the earth, has assigned the Prophet Muhammad (s) to
be a Warner for mankind.
Prophet (s) did not prefer a particular type of lizard,

but did not forbid it to others despite his disgust
AbuzZubayr reported: I asked Jabir about (the eating) of the

lizard, whereupon he said: ‗Don‘t eat that, as he (the Prophet) felt
disgust.‘ He (the narrator) said that Umar ibn al-Khattab
remarked: ‗Allah‘s Apostle (peace be upon him) did not declare it
to be unlawful. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has (made it a
source) of benefit for more than one (persons). It is a common
diet of the shepherds. Had it been with me, I would have eaten
that.‘ [Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab; Jabir ibn
Abdullah/Sahih Muslim 908]
(51:1) By the winds which scatter dust,

(51:2) which carry clouds laden with water,1
1. All the commentators agree that adh-dhariyat implies the

winds that disperse and raise up the dust, and al-hamilati wiqran
implies the winds that lift up millions of tons of water vapors
from the oceans in the form of clouds. This same commentary
has been reported from Umar, Ali, Abdullah bin Abbas, Abdullah
bin Umar, and also from Mujahid, Saeed bin Jubair, Hasan
Basri, Qatadah, Suddi and other scholars.
(51:3) which then smoothly speed along,

443
(51:4) and execute the great task of apportioning (rainfall):1
1. The commentators have disputed the commentary of aljariyati

yusran and al-muqassimati amran. One group has preferred the
view, or held this meaning as admissible, that by these two also
are meant the winds; that is, the same very winds then transport
the clouds, and spreading over different parts of the earth,
distribute the water as and where required according to Allah‘s
command, The other group holds that al-jariyati yusran implies
fast moving boats, and al-muqassimati amran implies the angels
who distribute among the creatures their shares of the provisions
according to Allah‘s command. According to a tradition, Umar
explained this very meaning of these two sentences and said:
Had I not heard this from the Prophet (peace be upon him), I
would not have mentioned it.
On this very basis, Allama Alusi has expressed the opinion that it
is not permissible to take any other meaning of these sentences
than this, and those who have taken any other meaning, have
taken undue liberties. But Hafiz Ibn Kathir says that this
tradition has weak links of the transmitters and on its basis it
cannot be said with absolute certainty that the Prophet (peace be
upon him) might himself have given this commentary of these
sentences. There is no doubt that from a good number of the
companions and their immediate followers only this second
commentary has been reported, but a good number of the
commentators have given the first commentary also, and it fits in
better with the context. Shah Rafiuddin, Shah Abdul Qadir and
Maulana Mahmud-ul-Hasan also have preferred the first
meaning in their translations of the Quran. [Tafhimul Qur‟an]
1. Surely, the Judgment Day will come to pass, only the

perverse persons turn away from this truth: Almighty
Allah swears oaths by the winds that scatter dust far and
wide, by the clouds filled with rain, by the ships that sail
with ease, and by those angels who distribute Lord
Almighty‘s bounty by His command. Allah (swt) also
444
swears oath by the samawat of the sky and it connected
pathways. What God Almighty has promised is true and
the Day of Judgment will most definitely occur.
2. The same angels who gave good news to Ibrahim (a) that
he is about to have a son, annihilated the nation of
homosexuals: Prophet Muhammad (s) was asked whether
he has heard the story about Prophet Ibrahim‘s (a)
honoured guests. They came to Ibrahim (a) and they
greeted each other with words of peace. Ibrahim (a) and
his family served them a roasted calf but the guests did
not eat. When Ibrahim (a) noticed this, he became uneasy.
They noticed his anxiety and told him not to fear for they
came with good news. His wife hitherto barren was
carrying his son. They could not believe such news and
Ibrahim‘s (a) wife struck her own face in complete
amazement. The guests were angels, divine messengers,
and they also told Ibrahim (a) that they were going to a
city of criminals to destroy them with rocks made of clay.
3. There are lessons to be learnt from the obliterated nations

of the past – the people of Lut (a), The Pharaoh, The
people of ‗Ad and Thamud, and the People of Nuh (a),
mention in the Surah: When the angels went to the town
they could not find any believers except for one single
family, the family of Lut (a). God Almighty saved them all
except for Lut‘s wife; she perished with her people. The
story of Musa (a) has a sign to see and understand. He was
sent to Pharaoh with a clear message but Pharaoh and his
council turned their backs and rejected him calling him a
crazy person and a sorcerer. As a consequence of their
actions they were cast into the sea. In the people of ‗Ad
there is another sign. A wind was sent against them that
tore everything to shreds. The people of Thamud were
insolent, but for a time they were left to enjoy
themselves. They were soon overtaken by a blast
445
thatrendered them unable to stand up and defend
themselves. God uses the forces of nature to reign in and
punish the disobedient. The people of Nuh (a), who came
before them were also lost in evil.
4. Allah (swt), who built the heavens and spread out the
earth, has assigned the Prophet Muhammad (s) with a
task of warning mankind about the hereafter: God
Almighty constructed the skies and the vast expanse of the
samawat with His Power. He has spread out the earth and
made it perfect to sustain life. And He created everything
in pairs in order that human beings might learn a lesson,
think and ponder. So Prophet Muhammad must warn the
people to turn to God Almighty and to do so quickly
without hesitation. He must remind them not to worship
any deity but God Almighty Himself. All God‘s messengers
and prophets have been called either a sorcerer or a mad
person. Did the disbelievers of Makkah learn these words
from the previous disbelievers? Prophet Muhammad (s)
should go on reminding people because it will benefit
those who believe.
5. The reason behind the existence of human and jinn on

earth: Lord Almighty says that He created the jinn and
humankind in order that they should worship Him. This
short statement is one of the foundations of Islam and
answers the question, what is the purpose of life? God
requires nothing else from them, no provision or food of
any kind. It is Lord Almighty that is the Provider. He is
all-powerful, invincible. And in the light of this collective
truth, God concludes with a warning to the
wrongdoers. They will assuredly have their share of the
punishment that afflicted their predecessors; there is no
need for them to be impatient and try to hasten that
day. On the Day of Judgment, they will surely be punished
and there will be no escape.
446
52. Surah At-Tur (Mountain of Tur; The Mount; Mount
Sinai; Mount of Olives)
Concise Tafseer of Surah At Tur In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, ٌ‫" ا‬By the
mount" (52:1) in which God Almighty takes an oath by Mount
Tur. It is a mountain near the place that Lord Almighty spoke to
Prophet Musa (a) - Moses. The Surah has 49 ayats in 2 Ruku‘
(Section).
The Surah warns mankind that the punishment of Almighty

Allah shall surely come to pass, and no power can ward it off,
while the true believers shall enter Paradise. Prophet
Muhammad (s), and through him every true believer, is
counseled to warn people of the last Day.
Revelation
Internally the subject matter of the Surah gives evidence that it

was revealed at the same time of Muhammad‘s (s) life when the
Surah Az-Zariyat was revealed. It was most probably in the 5th
year of the prophet‘s (s) life at Makkah after prophet-hood.
During this time accusations and objections are raised by the
disbelievers, but they didn‘t start severe persecution yet.
1. Warnings about Allah‘s (swt) coming punishment for the

disbelievers. But surely there are rewards for the
believers.
2. Questions to the disbelievers about their false beliefs.
What are the evidences and proofs of these false beliefs?
447
Allah (swt) opens the Surah by swearing, ―At-Tur‖ - connoting
the Mount of Tur, the appointed place (miqat) where at-Taurat
(Torah) was divinely revealed to Prophet Musa (a). The mount of
Sinai is a sacred place and the Qur‘an depicts it as at-Tur ("the
Mount"). The Arabic phrase kitab mastur designates Scriptures
like the Taurat and the Qur‘an inscribed on thin pieces of paper
which were unrolled rather than rolled.
Allah (swt) also swore by bayt al-ma‗mur, According to
traditions, it is the place above Ka‗bah in the heavens where
angels circumambulate.
According to Hasan Basri, the inhabited House implies the

House of Allah, the Kabah, which is never without its visitors and
pilgrims at any time of the day and night. However, Ali, Ibn
Abbas, Ikrimah, Mujahid, Qatadah, Dahhak, Ibn Zaid and other
commentators have stated that it implies the Bait-al-mamur (the
inhabited House) which the Prophet (s) referred to in connection
with his Miraj (Ascension). One of these Kabahs was the one
against the wall of which the Prophet (s) had seen the Prophet
Ibrahim (a) reclining on the occasion of the Miraj; and with it the
Prophet Ibrahim (a) had a natural affinity, for he himself was the
founder of the Ka‘bah of the earth. (Tafseer Asbab Al-Nuzul by
Ali Ibn Ahmad Al-Wahidi)
This Surah speaks about the mission of Prophet Muhammad (s).
He was send by Allah (swt) to warn people about the
consequences of their denial of faith and deeds of injustice and
indecency.
Subject matter of its 1st section (ayats 1-28) is Hereafter. In Surah

Az-Zariyat arguments regarding possibility, necessity and
occurrence of the Hereafter were already discussed. However, by
swearing oath to some realities and signs Allah (swt) tell us that
it will surely happen, none has the power to prevent it. Then the
statement goes on to show the fate of those who deny and those
who adopted the way of righteousness.
In the 2nd section (ayats 29-49), Quraysh chiefs‘ attitude towards

the message of Prophet Muhammad (s) was condemned. They
called him a sorcerer, a madman, a poet - so that common people
448
should not pay much attention to his (s) message. They regard
him as a calamity who had suddenly descended on them, and
they openly wish to get rid of him. They accuse him for
producing the Qur‘an, and say that he fraudulently attributing it
to Allah (swt). They often say to him tauntingly that Allah (swt)
could not have appointed an ordinary man in the office of
prophet-hood.
In the end, Prophet Muhammad (s) has been enjoined to wait

patiently and hymn the praise of Allah (swt) in the morning as
well as in the night.
Ayats (1 - 28): Deniers of truth will be put in the fire of hell. The
reward for the righteous will be paradise in which they will show
gratitude for Allah's graciousness.
Ayats (29 – 49): The mission of the Prophet (s) and the response
to the disbelievers' arguments.
The Virtue of Surah At Tur
Malik narrated that Jubayr bin Mutìm said, "I heard the
Prophet reciting Surat At-Tur while praying Maghrib. Surely, I
have never heard a more beautiful voice or recitation than his
recitation.'' This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs using a
chain of narration that includes Malik. Al-Bukhari recorded that
Umm Salamah said, "I complained of being ill to the Messenger
of Allah, and he said, (Perform Tawaf (of the Ka`bah) behind the
crowd, while you are riding.) So, I performed Tawaf while the
Messenger of Allah was praying beside the House, reciting At-
Tur.'' [Tafseer Ibn Kathir]
Narrated Jubair bin Mutìm, "I heard the Prophet (s) reciting
Surat at-Tur in the Maghrib prayer, and when he reached the
Verse: 'Were they created by nothing, Or were they themselves
the creators, Or did they create the Heavens and the Earth?
Nay, but they have no firm belief Or do they own the treasures of
449
Your Lord? Or have they been given the authority to do as they
like...' (52.35-37) my heart was about to fly (when I realized this
firm argument)." [Sahih Al-Bukhari Book 65, Hadith
4854]
Narrated Um Salama, "I complained to Allah's Messenger (s)

that I was sick, so he said, "Perform the Tawaf (of Ka`ba at
Mecca) while riding behind the people (who are performing the
Tawaf on foot)." So I performed the Tawaf while Allah's
Messenger (s) was offering the prayer by the side of the Ka`ba
and was reciting: 'By the Mount (Saini) and by a Decree
Inscribed.'" [Sahi Al-Bukhari Book 65, Hadith 4853]
Lesson and Reflections
1. Deniers deny the bounty of Almighty Allah: The bounty

and reward of Allah (swt) upon the believers is that He
will re-unite them with their loved ones of his family and
children in Jannah. For showing gratitude for Almighty
Allah's graciousness the reward for the righteous will be
paradise while the deniers of truth will be put in hellfire.
2. When believers Taqwa of hope and fear gets assimilated:
Almighty Allah does not combine for the believers two
fears. If they were secure in this world, they will be in fear
in the after-life and if he was fearful in this world he will
be secure in the after-life. In essence, if the believers fears
for themselves, as to what will happen in the after-life as
opposed to the disbelievers who is content with this world
and absolutely not worried about the life to come.
450
53. Surah An-Najm (The Star; Luminary object that
directs Attention)
Concise Tafseer of Surah An-Najm In Summarized
Form

This Surah takes its name from the word ―Najm‖ in the 1st ayah,
"By the star when it descends," (53:1). Allah (swt) made an
oath by the star which disappears beneath the horizon when it
descends. It has 62 ayats in 3 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah talks about the eminence of the Prophet (saw) with his
Mi'raj and closeness to Almighty Allah. It warns the disbelievers
about the errors of their attitude towards the Qur'an and the
Prophet of Allah. Some of their wrong beliefs in the angels as
daughters of God, intercession of the angels etc. are also
mentioned. There is a tilawat-e-Sajdah in the last ayah number
62 of the Surah. Surah Najm is the dual counterpart of Surah At-
Tur, the previous Surah.
Revelation
According to a Tradition related by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da'ud

and Nasai, on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud, the
first Surah in which an ayah requiring the performance of a
sajdah (prostration) as sent down, is Surah An-Najm. The parts
of this Hadith which have been reported by Aswad bin Yazid,
Abu Ishaq and Zubair bin Mu'awiyah from Ibn Mas'ud (ra),
indicate that this is the first Surah of the Qur'an, which the
Prophet Muhammad (s) had publicly recited before an assembly
of the Quraysh (and according to Ibn Marduyah, in the Ka'bah)
in which both the believers and the disbelievers were present. At
the end, when he recited the ayah requiring the performance of a
sajdah and fell down in prostration, the whole assembly also fall
down in prostration with him, and even those chiefs of the
polytheists who were in the forefront of the opposition to the
Prophet (s) could not resist falling down in prostration.
451
Ibn Mas'ud (ra) says that he saw only one man, Umayyah bin
Khalaf, from among the disbelievers, who did not fall down in
prostration but took a little dust and rubbing it on his forehead
said that that was enough for him. Later, as Ibn Mas'ud relates,
he saw this man die in the state of disbelief.
Another eye witness of this incident is Muttalib bin Abi Wada'ah

(ra), who had not yet become a Muslim. Nasai and Musnad
Ahmad contain his own words to the effect: "When the Prophet
(s) recited the Surah An-Najm and performed the sajdah and the
whole assembly fell down in prostration along with him, I did not
perform the sajdah. Now to compensate for the same whenever I
recite this Surah I make sure never to abandon its performance."
Ibn Sad says that before this, in the Rajab of the 5th year of
Prophethood, a small group of the Companions had emigrated to
Abyssinia. Then, when in the Ramadan of the same year this
incident took place the news spread that the Prophet
Muhammad (s) had recited Surah An-Najm publicly in the
assembly of the Quraysh and the whole assembly, including the
believers as well as the disbelievers, had fallen down in
prostration with him. When the emigrants to Abyssinia heard
this news they formed the impression that the disbelievers of
Makkah had become Muslims. Thereupon, some of them
returned to Makkah in the Shawwal of the 5th year of
Prophethood, only to learn that the news was wrong and the
conflict between Islam and disbelief was raging as furiously as
before. Consequently, the second emigration to Abyssinia took
place, in which many more people left Makkah.
Thus, it becomes almost certain that this Surah was revealed in

the Ramadan of 5th year of Prophethood.
During the first five years of his appointment as a Prophet, the

Prophet Muhammad (s) had been extending invitation to
Almighty Allah's Religion by presenting the Divine Revelations
before the people only in private and restricted meetings and
452
assemblies. During this whole period he could never have a
chance to recite the Qur‘an before a common gathering openly,
mainly because of the strong opposition and resistance from the
disbelievers.
They were well aware of how magnetic and captivating was the
Prophet's (s) personality and his way of preaching and how
impressive were the Revelations of the Qur‘an. Therefore, they
tried their best to avoid hearing it themselves and to stop others
also from hearing it and to suppress his invitation by false
propaganda by spreading every kind of suspicion against him.
For this object, on the one hand, they were telling the people that
Muhammad (s) had gone astray and was now bent upon
misleading others as well; on the other hand, they would raise an
uproar whenever he tried to present the Qur‘an before the people
so that no one could know what it was for which he was being
branded as a misled and misguided person.
Such were the conditions when the Prophet (s) suddenly stood
up one day to make a speech in the sacred precincts of the
Ka'bah, where a large number of the Quraysh had gathered
together. Allah (swt) at that time made him deliver this
discourse, which we have now in the form of the Surah An-Najm.
Such was the intensity of the impression that when the Prophet
(s) started reciting it the opponents were so completely
overwhelmed that they could not think of raising any disorder,
and when at the conclusion he fell down in prostration, they too
fell down in prostration along with him. Later they felt great
remorse at the weakness they had involuntarily shown. The
people also started taunting them to the effect that whereas they
had been forbidding others to listen to the Qur‘an, that day not
only had they themselves listened to it, with complete absorption
but had even fallen down in prostration along with Muhammad
(s).
At last, they had to invent a story in order to get rid of the

people's taunt and ridicule. They said, "After he had recited
afara'ait-ul Lata wal Uzza wa Manat ath-thalitha-al ukhra, we
heard from Muhammad the words: tilk al-gharaniqa- tal-'ula, wa
453
anna shafa'at-u-hunna latarja: 'They are exalted goddesses:
indeed, their intercession may be expected.' From this we
understood that Muhammad had returned to our faith." As a
matter of fact, only a mad person could think that in the context
of this Surah the sentences they claimed to have heard could
have any place and relevance.
1. The Mi'raj experience of the Prophet Muhammad (s).

Gods or goddesses of the non-believers are mere
conjectures and names without any proof.
2. The angels are the servants of Allah (swt). They can‘t
work as intercessor against Allah (swt). He is most
forgiving, and expects righteousness from His servants.
3. Those who deny the truth they are standing against the
power and majesty of Allah (swt).
The Surah opens with the oath of star to assert the fact that
Muhammad (s) is neither deluded nor is he astray. He is a
messenger of the Almighty to whom the Qur‘an is revealed by
Allah (swt) through Jibrail (a) - (Gabriel), whom Muhammad (s)
saw at the time of the first revelation (mentioned in ayats 6-12)
and again saw him (mentioned in ayats 13-18) during his
ascension to heaven.
The Surah warns the disbelievers about their wrong attitude

towards Al-Qur‘an and the prophet of Allah (s). The claim of
polytheists of Makkah that their goddesses, Lat, Uzza and Manat
are daughters of Almighty Allah has been categorically dismissed
saying that these are nothing but mere names invented by them
and their forefathers.
Tafseer of ayah 20 of Surah An Naj:

―It was said that the ayah means: do you deem that your
worship of (the idols) al-Lat, al-'Uzza and Manat in the life
of the world will benefit you in the Hereafter. No, it will
454
surely not benefit you. As for al-Lat it was an idol which
was worshipped in Thaqif (by that tribe); al-'Uzza was a
tree in Batn al-Nakhlah which (the tribe of) Ghatafan
worshipped; while Manat was an idol in Makkah which
was worshipped beside Allah by (the tribes) Hudhayl and
Khuza'ah.‖ (Tanwir al Miqbas min Tafsir Ibn
Abbas, 53:20)
The Prophet (s) has been advised to turn away from those who
are showing indifference to the Message of Allah (swt) and to
leave them to themselves. So, as it all stands - the central theme
of this Surah is the Truth of revelation and Prophet-hood, proof
of Tawhid (Oneness of God) and His powers to do everything,
and rejection of Shirk (Polytheism) and the absurdity of beliefs in
false gods and goddesses.
The religion of Islam brought by Muhammad (s) is not new. The

basic principles are the same found in the Books given to
Ibrahim (a) and Musa (a). The destruction of ‗Ad, Thamud, and
Qawm (people) of Prophet Nuh (a) and Lut (a) did not happen
accidentally, Allah (swt) destroyed them in consequence of their
wickedness and rebellion. The disbelievers of Makkah were
exhibiting themselves in the same form of transgression.
In the end, Allah (swt) tells us that the Qur‘an is not the work of
fortunetellers or soothsayers. But it is like previous heavenly
scriptures a Reminder to the people in negligence. On the Day of
Judgment one should be rewarded according to his/her own
deeds. If someone refrains from major sins, Allah (swt) will
overlook his/her minor sins.
Ayats (1 - 25): The scene of the first revelation brought by angel

Jibrail (a) – Gabriel, to the Prophet Muhammad (s).
Almighty Allah gave him a tour of heavens, paradise and other
great signs. Thus, first ten ayats are a graphic description of the
process of revelation. Lat, Uzza and Manat (goddesses of Arabs)
are nothing but names invented by the pagan Arabs.
455
Ayats (26 - 32): The angels have no share in divinity, nor can
they intercede without permission of Allah (swt). Disbelievers
give the angels female names. Disbelievers have limited interests
and knowledge (of this world). One should not claim piety for
own selves, Allah (swt) knows who is God-fearing and pious.
Ayats (33 - 62): No soul shall bear the burden of another; there
shall be nothing for a person except what he strived for.
The Virtue of Surah At Tur
“By the stars when they set” [1]

There are three opinions regarding this ayah, the first is that
Allah swore by the stars when they set like the sun on the
horizon, the second is that Allah swore by the constellation
Pleiades (a seven star cluster) when it sets like the sun, and the
third is that Allah swore by the Qur'an when Gabriel takes it
down to Muhammad in instalments (nujuman), because the
word star in Arabic can also mean installments or something
given in parts so the ayah would then read ―by the installments of
the Qur‘an‖.
Once we consider why Allah is taking this oath, mentioned in the

next ayats, it becomes clear Allah is referring to both the stars
when they set and the Qur‘an coming down in installments. Even
if the Pleiades is meant because Allah uses the general name of
stars instead, the constellation in its role to guide at night would
represent all stars because Allah mentions the star Sirius by
name later in this Surah rather than generally. In the ayah Allah
refers to the ayats of the Qur‘an being given to the prophet (s)
with the descriptive imagery of the stars as they are setting like
the sun, He is tying the two pictures together, had Allah wanted
He could have stated the Qur‘an being sent down in more literal
and clear terms but chose this specific phrasing instead.
―Ibn 'Abbas (ra) said regarding the interpretation of Allah's

saying (By the Star when it setteth): '(By the Najm when it
setteth) He says: Allah swears by the Qur'an when Gabriel takes
456
it down to Muhammad in installments (nujuman): one, two,
three or four ayats at a time. There was a 20 years interval
between the first and last ayats. When this ayah was revealed,
'Utbah Ibn Abi Lahab heard that the Prophet (s) swore by the
revelation of the Qur'an in installment and so he said: ―Tell
Muhammad that I disbelieve in the installments of the Qur'an‖.
When the Prophet (s) was informed of this, he prayed: ―O Allah!
Set on him one of Your wild beasts‖. Later, Allah set on him a
lion near Harran that snatched him from among his friends and
took him to a place nearby. It tore him apart from head to foot
but did not eat him because of his impurity, just as the Prophet
(s) had prayed against him.‖ [Tanwir al Miqbas min Tafsir
Ibn Abbas, 53:1] [Courtesy: https://ghayb.com/tafsir-
surah-al-najm-53/]

as hasan by al-Mundhiri and al-Nawawi. They are in the
following Ayat (in order):
1. Al-'A`rāf (7):206
2. Ar-Ra`d (13):15
3. An-Naĥl (16):49, but the sajda should be performed

after reading the ayah #50 (when the sujood meaning
is complete).
4. Al-'Isrā' (17):107, but the sajda should be performed

is complete).
5. Maryam (19):58
457
6. Al-Ĥaj (22):18
7. Al-Ĥaj (22):77
9. An-Naml (27):25, but the sajda should be performed

is complete).
10. As-Sajdah (32):15
11. Şād (38):24
12. Fuşşilat (41):37, but the sajda should be performed

is complete).
13. An-Najm (53):62
15. Al-Àlaq (96):19

a stressed (confirmed) sunnah (‫ )ِؤو دة س ٕة‬that is highly

a Jumu‘ah on the pulpit and when he reached the ayah of Sajda
he got down from the pulpit and prostrated and the people also
prostrated. The next Jumu‘ah 'Umar bin Al-Khattab recited the
same Sura and when he reached the ayah
of Sajda he said, "O people! When we recite the ayats of Sajda
(during the sermon) whoever prostrates does the right thing, yet
it is no sin for the one who does not prostrate." And 'Umar did
not prostrate (that day). Added Ibn Ùmar "Allah has not made
the prostration of recitation compulsory but if we wish we can do
it." [Sahih al-Bukhari Book 17, Hadith 11]
458
1. Allah (swt) gave Prophet Muhammad (s) a tour to

heavens, paradise and shown him other great signs: The
disbelievers of Makkah were labeling the Qur‘an as a mere
fabrication, but God Almighty warns those who think
along these lines. Unlike common human beings, Prophet
Muhammad (s) was never influenced by his own desires to
such an extent that He could have done or said anything
which was against the truth. The oath of the stars and
their setting is also a proof, that just as stars have a fixed
orbit and they never deviate from their path, similarly the
Prophet (s) was firmly following the revelation from God
Almighty. Almighty Lord tells us that it was not a onetime
incident that Prophet Muhammad (s) saw Jibrail (a), and
therefore the deniers of truth cannot make this excuse
that maybe the Prophet was mistaken. He saw Jibrail (a),
another time when he was taken to the journey of the
heavens, which is commonly known as the incident of
"Miraj" or the "Night Journey." Lord Almighty made him
see many signs of His power, including Paradise and Hell,
so that when He spread Almighty God‘s message to people
and warned them about the realities of life and death, he
could speak from first-hand knowledge and experience.
459
2. Lat, Uzza, and Manat are nothing but invented names
which were worshipped by the pagans of Arabia at the
time of the advent of the Prophet (s): Laat, Uzza, and
Manat were the deities of ancient Arabia. Laat was
located in Taif, Uzza near Makkah, and Manat near
Madinah. According to popular belief, they were
daughters of god, and hence, worshipped.
3. Angels have no share in the Divinity, nor do they can

intercede on behalf of Almighty Lord: even Allah (swt)
tells us that angels can‘t intercede without the permission
of Him. Making deities of stone and worshipping them,
calling angels ‗daughters of God‘ and hoping to enter
Paradise on the basis of recommendations are all non-
serious beliefs that are a product of a mind that does not
fear God‘s wrath. There is no arguing with such people, as
they pay no attention to reason. The only possible way to
deal with them is to shun them.
4. Allah (swt) surely knows who is, ―pious‖ and the one who
is, ―of taqwa-(consciousness of Allah swt)‖: We must
always stay away from major sins as well as indecent
behaviour, except what is called "lamam" which means
small and momentary. For example, we happen to look at
something which we were not supposed to see. Then in
this case, we should immediately turn our gazes and ask
forgiveness from God Almighty. As we cannot be perfect
humans, we should always be positively hopeful of
Almighty God‘s forgiveness and never give up our struggle
of becoming the best representatives of Lord Almighty.
Then, Allah (swt) has reminded us that even if we become
successful in this struggle, we should never think of
ourselves as pure because after all, we are just humans
and only Lord Almighty truly knows what we truly are as a
worth.
460
5. No soul shall bear the burden of another. A person will get
nothing except what he/she has striven for: The
polytheists of Makkah and the Jews in Madinah
stubbornly resisted the teachings of Prophet Muhammad
(s) and refused to accept him as a prophet of Lord
Almighty. On the other hand, they called themselves
followers of Ibrahim (a) and Musa (a) respectively.
However, if they really knew what their prophets had
taught them, then it should not have been difficult for
them to recognize that Prophet Muhammad (s) was also
calling them to the same religion. They warned them
about accountability in the life after death. Did they not
know that they only get from this life what they strive for?
If all their investments are for this world and they don‘t
put in any efforts for the life to come, how can they expect
to be rewarded for things they did not do?
6. Allah (swt) alone is the One Who manages the affairs of

the samawat: Every event in this world arises from
supernatural causes and nobody but Lord Almighty is
capable of causing them to occur. Happiness, sorrow, life,
death, the procreative system, riches, and poverty - all
these are the feats of a superpower. He is the one who
gave us life and He is the one who will take it back, so
what should be our objective if not to spend this life for
Him? There is not much time left; we have to turn to
Almighty Allah while we still can, otherwise the Day of
Judgment is very close upon us. This Day is drawing near
and no one can save us from its torment except God
Almighty.
461
54. Surah Al-Qamar (The Moon)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Qamar In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, "The Hour has
come near, and the moon has split [in two]." (54:1). Here in this
ayah Allah (swt) mentions the miracle of Prophet Muhammad (s)
by splitting the moon. The Surah has 55 ayats and 3 Ruku‘
(Sections).
The theme of the Surah is explained by the most compelling

statements, which occurs four times, namely: We have made the
Qur‘an easy (to understand) and remember, but is there anyone
who would receive admonition?‖ [(54:17);
(54:22); (54:32); (54:40)] This ayah occurs four times, at the
end of each reference to a past story of sin and rejection of
warnings, by the people of Nuh (a), the tribes of ‗Ad and
Thamud, and the people of Lut (a), and of Pharaoh.
The incident of -‖splitting of the moon‖ (shaqq-al-Qamar) in the

Surah precisely determine the time of revelation. The
traditionalists and commentators are in agreement that this
incident took place at Mina in Makkah about five years before
the Prophet Muhammad‘s (s) migration (Hijra) to Madinah.
1. The Day of Judgment is near. References to Prophet Nuh

(a), and to the tribe of ‗Ad.
2. References to the Thamud tribe, Prophet Lut (a) and his
people.
3. Pharaoh and his arrogance. The disbelievers of Makkah
462
4. were told whether they think they are better or more
powerful than those nations. The wrong-doers did suffer
the consequences of their evil deeds.
The disbelievers of Makkah have been warned about their

stubbornness towards the message of the Prophet (s) in the
Surah. The amazing and wonderful phenomenon of the splitting
of the Moon was a manifest sign of the truth of the Resurrection
which would certainly occur.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Jubayr bin Mutìm said, "The

moon was split into two pieces during the time of Allah's
Prophet; a part of the moon was over one mountain and
another part over another mountain. So they said,
`Muhammad has taken us by his magic.' They then said,
Ìf he was able to take us by magic, he will not be able to
do so with all people.''' Only Imam Ahmad recorded this
Hadith with this chain of narration. Al-Bayhaqi used
another chain of narration in a similar Hadith he collected
in Ad-Dala'il. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
The great sphere of the Moon had split into two distinct parts in
front of their very eyes. The two parts had separated and receded
so much apart from each that, to the onlookers, one part had
appeared on one side of the mountain and the other on the other
side of it. Then the two had rejoined instantly. The disbelievers
persisted in their denial as they described it as magical illusion.
In summary, the Surah talks about the approaching Day of

Judgment. It describes some of the scenes of that Day. It covers
the theme of rejection, truth and punishment. There are
references to the flood that came at the time of Nuh (a), the
punishment of the people of ‗Ad, Thamud, People of Lut (a), the
Pharaoh and his people. It ends with good news for the Believers
who will be near their Lord in the gardens of bliss.

463
Ayats (1 - 22): The Day of Judgment is drawing near, yet the
unbelievers are not paying heed to the signs of Allah. We have
made the Qur'an easy to understand the admonition, so is there
any who would take the admonition?
Ayats (23 - 40): Story of Thamud and people of Lut (a) who
called their Prophets liars, to show how terrible was Almighty
Allah's scourge and how clear was His warning?
Ayats (41 - 44) People of Fir‗aun (Pharaoh) were seized for

disbelieving Almighty Allah's warning. The same warning has
come to us, will we not take admonition?
Virtue of the Surah
Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said, "The people of
Makkah asked the Prophet for a miracle and the moon was split
into two parts in Makkah. Allah said,
(The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft
asunder.)'' Muslim also collected this Hadith. Al-Bukhari
recorded that Anas bin Malik said, "The people of Makkah asked
the Messenger of Allah to produce a miracle, and he showed
them the splitting of the moon into two parts, until they saw (the
mount of) Hira' between them.'' This Hadith is recorded in the
Two Sahihs with various chains of narration. [Tafsir Ibn
Kathir]
The Hadith of Abu Waqid preceded, in which it is mentioned that

the Messenger of Allah (swt) would recite Surah Qaf (chapter 53)
and Iqtarabat As-Saàh (Al-Qamar, chapter 54), during (the Ìd
Prayers of) Al-Adha and Al-Fitr. The Prophet (s) used to recite
these two Surahs during major gatherings and occasions because
they contain Allah's promises and warnings, and information
about the origin of creation, Resurrection, Tawhid, the
affirmation of prophethood, and so forth among the great
objectives. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

464
1. The Judgment Day is drawing near yet the disbelievers are
not paying heed to the signs of Allah (swt): When Prophet
Muhammad (s) delivered the message of Lord Almighty to
the people of Makkah, most of them strongly rejected the
concept of resurrection. They refused to accept him as
being the Messenger of God Almighty and demanded that
if this world is really going to come to an end then there
should be some physical sign, some miracle that should be
shown to them as a proof. So five years before the Hijrah
(migration) of the Prophet to Madinah, God Almighty
made them witness a miracle. One night they saw the
moon split into two pieces and the two halves were so
separated that each one appeared on either side of the
mount Hira. After a moment the moon was again joined
together. One would think that after seeing such a
tremendous sign, they would have accepted the truth, but
it did not affect their attitude at all. They stubbornly said
that it was just some kind of magic and nothing else. The
splitting of the moon was not the only sign of Almighty
God‘s power; rather, the people of Makkah were also well
informed about the nations that had been destroyed
before them, because of rejecting Almighty God‘s message
that the Prophets had brought to them.
2. The people of Nuh (a), Thamud and Lut (a) and Pharaoh
respectively had called their prophets liars. As a
consequence they received great punishment form Allah
(swt), how clear was His warning?: The people of Nuh (a)
were so arrogant that they forgot their own
helplessness. Almighty Allah sent upon them a mighty
flood which drowned everything except the boat carrying
Prophet Nuh (a) and the few people who had believed in
God Almighty. People of ‗Ad were extremely powerful, not
only in skills but also in physical attributes; but when they
continually rejected the message of God Almighty, He sent
465
to them a severely cold wind which gave them a
humiliating punishment. Then the people of Thamud also
made the same error. They were also very proud of their
worldly success, and thought that Prophet Salih (a) was
just spreading some self-created stories or lies. Then they
demanded a miracle and God Almighty sent to them a
she-camel, about which they had been warned not to give
her any harm, but they killed it thinking that they could
get away with whatever they desired. Consequently, God
gave them a painful end. The people of Lut (a) were the
first people to indulge in homosexuality, and it had
blinded their senses to such an extent that when the
angels came to the Prophet‘s house in the guise of young
men, these people rushed to have them; nothing mattered
to them except the fulfillment of their lust. The same thing
happened to Pharaoh, when he thought himself to be
indestructible.
3. Allah (swt) have made al-Qur‘an easy to understand and

remember, one should take full use of it: A common
misunderstanding is that the Qur‘an is for scholars. Lord
Almighty is saying in such clear words that He has
Himself made it easy for us to understand and now it‘s up
to us to contemplate and receive its guidance. This is the
only book in the world which has been read by all sorts of
people. Even illiterate people can benefit from its clear
guidance. Along with simplicity, there is an amazing depth
in its words that stimulates the intellect of highly learned
people too.
4. People of Pharaoh were seized for disbelieving Allah‘s

(swt) warning. Same warning has come to the polytheists
of Makkah and us. Will we not take admonition?: Those
who persist in their disbelief and do not bother to read the
Qur‘an or follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (s),
should know that they are committing a terrible crime,
466
even if they are in an illusion of being "good people." In
this world, they made fun of the believers that they were
being overly concerned with the torment of Hell. Their
claim is that God Almighty is so merciful that He cannot
burn anyone, but Almighty God is warning them that this
fire will definitely touch those who made fun of it and
made no effort to save their souls from it.
5. Glad tidings has been given to the pious: At the end of this
Surah, Allah (swt) is showing us a glimpse of the splendid
gardens of delight, the beautiful Paradise, which He has
prepared so lovingly for the ones who remained faithful to
Him in the worldly life. These people willingly sacrificed
their egos and desires for the sake of God Almighty, so He
will give them this wonderful reward where all their
desires will be fulfilled eternally.
467
55. Surah Ar-Rahman (The Most Gracious; The Most
Merciful; The Most Beneficent; The All Merciful; The
Lord of Mercy)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ar-Rahman In Summarized
Form

Surah Ar-Rahman is one of the most beautiful Surahs in the

Qur‘an. It is named after one of the most beautiful Names of
Allah (swt). Its most peculiar feature is that it continually asks
the rhetorical question, ―Which of the favours of your master will
you both (Jinn & Man) deny?‖ This Surah shows examples of
Divine Grace and reiterates the importance of various Gifts of
Allah (swt). The Surah has 78 ayats in 3 Ruku‘ (Sections).
The commentators generally hold that it is a Makki Surah, but

there is also some opinion of it to be a Madani. Authentic
traditions, events and opinions suggest that it was revealed many
years before the migration (Hijrah) in Makkah.
1. Various bounties of Allah (swt)

2. Everything is finite, but Allah (swt) is infinite. Everyone
depends on Him. The warnings to the guilty.
3. The reward to the righteous.
The Surah begins with the name of Allah (swt). The Surah begins
with: Ar-Rahman, which can be roughly translated as, ―The
unimaginably, overwhelmingly Merciful (Surah 55:1)‖.
468
Ar-Rahman is the glorious name of Almighty Allah which reflects
His extraordinary compassion and mercy for His creatures; and
Surah Ar-Rahman is an expression of Almighty Lord‘s countless
blessings and favours on us, which are spread over this entire
samawat; and are not confined merely to this world but also go
far beyond these physical boundaries into the eternal life of the
hereafter.
This is the only Surah in the Qur‘an where both men and jinn are
addressed together. Allah‘s (swt) many blessings and favours are
mentioned in Surah Ar-Rahman. Humans and jinns are invited
to remember the favour‘s bestowed upon them by their Almighty
Lord. He asked 31 times, to men and jinn about which of the
favour we (men and jinn) would deny. We are warned of the bad
consequences that would follow us of being disobedient and
made us aware of the best results of being in obedience.
The five subjects which are discussed in the Surah:-

1. The Greatness of Al-Qur‘an
2. A list of Allah's other favours and blessings around us
3. The wrong-doers who will end up in hell fire on the
Judgment Day
4. Tour of Paradise (People of the right hand)
5. Tour of elite paradise (The foremost people)
The Surah ends with: Tabaraka ismu rabbika thee aljalali waal-
ikrami, which means, ―How Blessed is the name of your master,
full of majesty, bestowing honour. (Surah 55:78)‖. Allah has
provided us the meaning of the word, ―Rahman‖ quite
essentially.
Ayats (1 - 25): It is Almighty Allah Who created humans, taught

the Qur'an and taught them how to convey their feelings and
thoughts individually. Almighty Allah is the Rabb of the easts
and the wests and He puts the laws to regulate oceans, its
products and ships.
469
Ayats (26 - 45): All that exists will perish except Allah (swt), Who
is busy in mighty tasks all the time. No one can run away from
the jurisdiction of Almighty Allah. Sinners will be punished in
hell.
Ayats (46 - 78): Righteous will be rewarded in paradise with lush

gardens, springs, fruits, hurun ‗ayn and much more.
Virtue of the Surah
Surah Ar-Rahman encourages us to reflect on the concept of

Divine Mercy. Allah (swt) has given us various gifts. Life in this
world is a gift too — the trees, food, our surroundings, air, water,
healthy body and mind, family, friends, everything are gifts. We
take it all for granted, but at the end of it all, every such gift
matters.
The Prophet (s) went to the companions and recited Surah

ar Rahman but they were all quiet. He told them that he
went to the jinn and recited it to them and they were
responsive. And when he would recite the ayats 'And
which of the favours of the Lord will you deny' the jinn
would respond 'There is nothing among your bounties
that we can deny, all praise belong to Allah'. [Tirmidhi,
Ibn al Mundhir, Al Adhama & Hakim 2/474]
Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ud (ra) narrated that the Prophet (s)

said, ‗Everything has an adornment, and the adornment of
the Qur‘an is Surah ar Rahman‘ [Da'eef Jami' Al
Sagheer : 4729; Bayhaqi in Shuab al Eiman]
Ar-Rahman is known as the tides of Al-Qur‘an, which is literally

meaning the bride of Al-Qur‘an. Imam Baihaqi was narrated that
the Prophet of Muhammad (s) said,
‖ Everything has a bride, and the bride of Al-Qur‘an is Ar-
Rahman.‖
It is because of the beauty of the Surah which is contained
several times repetition of the ayah fabi ayyi aalaa‘i Rabbikuma
Tukadziban likened as the ornaments worn by the bride.
470
Ar-Rahman is a name of Allah (swt) means ―All the Graceful of
Earth and Hereafter.‖ It has special meaning until Allah (swt)
made it become one special Surah to be read. It is a remainder
Surah to all humankind about the forgotten of abundant
bounties that Allah (swt) given. The theme of this Surah is about
the biggest bounty of Allah (swt) which is Al-Qur‘an.
Thabathaba‘i said that Ar-Rahman contains about all creatures
of Allah (swt) which consist of the earth and the sky, the land and
the sea, human and demon, whereas Allah (swt) arranging all
those creatures into one cycle so it have benefit to all human and
demon both in the world and hereafter.
Tsawabul A‘mal explained that Rasulullah (s) said,
‖ Those who are reading Ar-Rahman, and when come to a
sentence fabiayyi aala‘i Robbikuma tukadzibaan and answered
with there is no one of Allah SWT were deniable by me, if he
read it at night and then he died, then he died as if as shaheed,
and when he read it at noon, the dead is considered as shaheed.‖
(Narrated by Ja‟far as-Sadiq)
It is mention that we are free to read Surah Ar-Rahman either

noon or night whereas both occasion are have the same rewards
when we are applied it.
1. Allah (swt) is the one who created men, and jinns; and
taught them al-Qur‘an as a mercy to their thoughts and
feelings: Men and Jinns are criticized for their lack of
gratitude towards Almighty Allah, who has showered
them with an abundance of blessings. Allah (swt) has
graciously provided s, palm trees, husked grain, fragrant
plants, fresh and salt water, pearls, and ships for the men
and jinn. In fact, from the time of old Allah (swt) taught
man how to communicate and even gave them the Qur'an
as the last revelation as their guide to stay in the path of
righteousness, "Which, then, of your Lord‘s blessings do
you both deny?".
471
2. The Rabb of two east and two west is Allah (swt). It is He
who made the laws to regulate the oceans, its fruits and
ships: The Earth is a unique exception in the samawat. All
factors conducive to human existence, survival, and
development have been provided in suitable proportions
and balanced manner. One of these is the system of ‗two
easts‘ and ‗two wests‘ on Earth. In winter, the horizons
from where the sun rises and sets are different from those
in summer.
3. All that exists will perish except Allah (swt): All that exists
on Earth will perish but the one and only God never dies.
Just as the creation of this samawat is a miracle of God
Almighty, similarly the end is also a sign of His power
because it shows that He is so Magnificent and Self-
Sufficient that He does not depend on His creation in any
way. He does not need anything. We are so weak in front
of Him. So, then how can we deny the Almighty Lord?
4. No one can run away or escape from the horizon and

jurisdictions of Allah (swt): Both human and jinn are
helpless in comparison to the power of God Almighty.
Almighty Lord‘s power is not something to take
lightly. The flames of fire and molten brass will be
unleashed on both the jinn and men, and they will not be
able to defend themselves. God Almighty challenges them
to how far can they run away from Him?
5. The evil end of the defiant unbelievers and the delight of

the pious in the Hereafter: Denial and arrogance are
always caused by the absence of the fear of God Almighty.
When the terrible moment of Doomsday arrives, the guilty
will shed their arrogance. The Truth which they were not
ready to accept, the criminals who rejected the truth from
God and led a disobedient life will be given their due
472
punishment. This terrible scene fills one with fear of
God‘s anger. In turn, this fear makes us humble. However,
our attitude towards God should be a combination of fear
and love. Fear makes us avoid sins while love inspires us
with hope and energy to do as much as we can for the
pleasure of God Almighty. This love is intensified when
God Almighty shows us the glimpses of the Paradise that
He has prepared for all those who fear the Day of
Judgment and act accordingly. Sinners will be punished in
hell and righteous will be awarded paradise with lash
gardens, springs, fruits, spouses of purity.
473
56. Surah Al-Waqiàh (The Inevitable Event; The
Occurrence; The Coming Event)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Waqiàh In Summarized
Form

This Surah takes its name from the first Ayah, "When the
Occurrence occurs," (56:1). The surah has 96 ayats in 3 Ruku‘
(Section).
Surah Al-Waqi‘ah talks about the resurrection that will definitely

take place. It invites human beings to think about themselves
and the things that they use daily and consider who created all
these things. The Surah summarizes the whole discussion
regarding reward and punishment mentioned from Surah Qaf
(50) to Surah Ar-Rahman (55).
Revelation
According to the majority of the Qur‘anic commentators, the

Surah is a Makki Surah. The Surah got revealed before Umar (ra)
affirmed his faith. It has established historically that he
embraced Islam after the first migration of Habash (modern-day
Eritrea and Ethiopia), in the fifth year of Prophet-hood.
According to the chronological order that Abdullah bin Abbas
(ra) has given of the Surahs, first Surah Ta Ha was sent down,
then Al-Waqi'ah and then Ash-Shuàra'(Suyuti: Al-Itqan). The
same sequence has been reported from Ikrimah [Baihaqi:
Dala'il an Nubuwwat].
Some commentators, although not in the majority, argue that

part of it was revealed during the Madani period. Some of such
commentators maintain that ayats 39–40 are the ayats that was
from the Madani period, while some say 81–82, and others say
83.
474
1. The inevitable reality of the Judgment Day will surely

occur. Men will be divided into three camps: the people of
the right hand, the people of the left hand, and the
foremost people in faith. The rewards of the believers.
2. The people of the left hand will bear the punishment.
Next, the arguments about the Tauhid and the Hereafter
(Akhirah) have been made.
3. Al-Qur‘an and its consistent message. Reminder about
death, divine judgment and the reward and punishment.
The same five subjects discussed in Surah Ar Rahman appear in

Surah Waqiah in reverse order.
6. Tour of elite paradise (The foremost people)
7. Tour of Paradise (People of the right hand)
8. The wrong-doers who will end up in hell fire on the
Judgment Day
9. A list of Allah's other favours and blessings around us
10. The Greatness of Al-Qur‘an
The focal point of the Surah is - Tauhid (Oneness of God),
retribution of the disbelievers‘ suspicions about the Qur‘an and
the hereafter. The fact that the resurrection will definitely take
place is undeniable.
The human beings will be categorized into in three different

groups on the Day of Resurrection. The faithful are of the two
types: one of those is the pioneers and are foremost in their faith
and they do struggle in the path of Allah (swt) diligently. And the
others are the companions of the right hand who are ordinary
believers and good-doers; and the last class is that of the
companions of the left hand who are disbelievers, hypocrites and
evildoers. The first and the second class would be rewarded with
475
Paradise which is an ideal place of living, and that is the place
where those people would enjoy all the blessings of Allah (swt).
The last class or the third class would be thrown into the Hell
which is the worst place of living and there they will be burnt,
tortured and punished.
Then, the Surah move on to discuss about the topic Tauhid and
Hereafter. In favour of both these concepts, detailed arguments
have been given. Humans are inspired to think about their own
body, their food, water they drink, and the fire on which they
cook their food. Aren‘t these all created by their lord sovereign
Allah (swt)! In the remaining ayats, the truth of revelation has
been highlighted and the objections of the disbelievers about the
Qur‘an have been refuted.
Ayats (1 - 38): Scene of Doomsday when mankind will be divided

into three groups. Here on this ruku‘ - the reward for the
foremost group, and the reward for the right-hand group are
mentioned.
Ayats (39 - 74): Here the punishment for the left-hand group has
been related up to ayah number 56. Then, the disbelievers have
been given admonition with the examples of creation.
Ayats (75 - 96): Testimony of Almighty Allah about the Qur'an.

Then, the Surah relates about the ending of the above 3 groups -
foremost group, right-hand group, and left-hand group.
Virtue of the Surah
Abu Ishaq reported from Ìkrimah from Ibn Àbbas that Abu
Bakr (radiyallahu‘anhu) said, "O Allah's Messenger! You are
becoming gray'' The Messenger replied,"(Hud (Surah 11), Al-
Waqiàh (56), Al-Mursalat (77), Àmma Yatasa'alun (78) and
Idha Ash-Shamsu Kuwwirat (81) have made me gray.)" - At-
Tirmidhi collected this Hadith and said, "Hasan Gharib.''
[Tafseer Ibn Kathir]
476
Sayyiduna ‗Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (radiyallahu‘anhu) reported
that Rasulullah (sallallahu‘alayhi wasallam) said: „SURAH
WAQI‟AH WILL BECOME A PROTECTION FROM POVERTY FOR THE
ONE WHO RECITES IT EVERY NIGHT‟. The narrator says: ‗Sayyiduna
Ibn Mas‘ud (radiyallahu‘anhu) would teach this Surah to his
daughters too.‘ Imam Busiri (rahimahullah) writes: ‗Abu Ya‘la
has recorded this with a chain whose narrators are all
reliable.‘ [Mukhtasar Ithafus sadatil Maharah, Hadith:
6556]
‗Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (radiyallahu‘anhu) reported The Prophet
(sallallahu‘alayhi wasallam) said, ‗Whoever recites Surah al-
Waqiah at night would never encounter poverty‘ [Ibn as-Sunni
620, Bayhaqi]
The Prophet (sallallahu‘alayhi wasallam) said, ‗Surah al-Waqiah
is the Surah of Wealth, so recite it and teach it to your children'
[Ibn Asakir]
Rasulullaah (sallallahu‘alayhi wasallam) said: Whoever recites
Surah Waaqiah every night will never be poor ever. [Tafsir Ibn
Kathir, Vol. 3, Pg 346.]
Jabir ibn Samra said, "The Prophet sallallahu‘alayhi wasallam
prayed like [how] you prayed today but he prayed lighter. He
would recite in Fajr, Surah al-Waqiah or similar [sized] Surahs."
[Musanaf Abdur Razzaq, Hakim - Saheeh]
1. The Day of Qiyamah (Resurrection) is a certain reality.
2. The people will be divided into three categories: the
people of the foremost in faith, the people of the right, and

the people of the left.
3. The foremost ones and the people of the right will be

awarded with Jannah. The foremost ones will be in better
position than the other one.
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4. The people of the left will be doomed to Jahannam.
5. Who creates offspring for men? None but Allah (swt).
6. Who causes the crops to grow when men have sown the
seeds? None but Allah (swt). The one who determines the
manner in which the crops grows. Allah (swt) can even
make the seed useless for growing of which men are
helpless.
7. Who is it that caused the water we drink to come out from

the clouds? No one but Allah (swt), who if wishes could
turn it bitter and salty. So, we should be grateful about
everything He has given us as sustenance.
8. Allah (swt) swears a mighty oath by the position of the

stars, that the Qur‘an is truly noble and well protected in
al-Lawh al-Mahfooz. The Qur‘an here is only touched the
angels. God Almighty asks us whether we would scorn and
deny a scripture in return for all that He provides for us!?
When a person is dying and his soul rises into his throat,
the angels are closer to us but we do not see them. Can
men prevent the Day of Reckoning from coming into
existence?
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57. Surah Al-Hadid (The Ferrum; The Iron; Rigid and
Magnetic Metal with Silvery-Grey Hue)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Hadid In Summarized
Form

The Surah‘s the name ―al-Hadid‖ appears in the 25th ayah of it.
The Surah was revealed in Madinah, and gets its title from the
reference to ‗iron‘, symbolizing strength, power, discipline, etc.
This Surah has 29 ayats and 4 Ruku‘ (Section).
This is an Al-Musabbihat surah because it begins with the

glorification of Allah. Allah Almighty has strengthened His
slaves by sending down Iron to them. Iron has many benefits for
humanity, including weapons for battle. Iron is a crucial building
block of steel and is even involved in nourishing plants and
helping carry oxygen in our blood. The Surah urges the believers
to donate generously in the way of Almighty Allah.
Unanimously, this a Madani Surah. It was sent down, according

to some commentators, during the interval between the Battle of
Uhud and the Truce of Hudaibiyyah. In reference to the meaning
of the ayah 10, the traditions of Ibn Marduyah has narrated from
the chain by Anas (ra), ―this ayah was sent down to arouse the
believers to action‖ – that was between 4th and 5th year after
Hijrah (migration).
According to most of the commentators, in ayah 10 the reference

in the word ―victory‖ related to the time of conquest of Makkah.
It means that this Surah was revealed after the conquest of
Makkah in 8 AH. So the period of its revelation should be the end
of eighth or the beginning of the ninth year of Hijrah.
The Surah is the first in the series of ten Madani Surahs (from
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Surah 57 to Surah 66) each of which deals with some special
issue of social life. This is the last large group of Madani surahs
in the entire Qur‘an, and this is the first of them.
1. All knowledge and authority belongs to Allah (swt). One

requires having faith in His power, making sacrifice and
give charity for the cause of the truth.
2. Light and Life for the believers. The disbelievers walk in
darkness. Warning to those who refuse to acknowledge
Allah (swt). Sincere in faith are those are willing to
sacrifice and give charity.
3. The life of this Duniya (World) is temporary. Human
should compete with each other in doing good deeds to
receive the eternal reward from Allah (swt). Messengers
were sent to establish justice with authority.
4. References to Prophet Nuh (a), Ibrahim (a), and Isa (a).
All prophets have preached the same message, but many
of their followers went into extremes. The Christians thus
invented monasticism for themselves.
The Surah got revealed during a period when the disbelievers

were attacking the tiny State of Islam – Madinah from all sides.
The Surah begins with six ayats that read as if they were revealed
in Makkah, that is, they are a glorification of and introduction to
Almighty Allah and His all-encompassing power. It goes on to
encourage the believers into the correct behaviour, decries the
fate of the hypocrites and mentions some of the previous
prophets.
Allah (swt) sent His messengers with clear proofs and the Book
and the Balance so that mankind may stand forth in justice. It
also says that Allah (swt) revealed iron in which there is power
and also many benefits for mankind. Allah (swt) has sent Nuh (a)
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and Ibrahim (a) as prophets, and chose many of their progeny to
bear the light of prophet-hood. He also sent Isa (a) with Injil
(Gospel). But his followers invented monasticism which is not
from Allah (swt).
Muslims are exhorted by the Surah to spend in the cause of Allah

(swt) to affirm their verbal outward practices into sincere
devotion. And they arre told to be aware of disbelievers and
hypocrites in their own rank.
On the Day of Resurrection, the true believers will have their

light shining before them, and the hypocrites will demand light
from them but they would refuse to give it. The life of this world
is nothing but a play and amusement. One must not grieve for
what he/she loses, and he/she should not exult in what he has
gained as a grace from Almighty Lord. The Surah closes by
referencing the behaviour of the People of the Book.
Ayats (1 - 10): All that is in the heavens and earth glorifies

Almighty Allah, Who created the heavens and earth in six
periods and has the knowledge of everything. Those who spend
in charity will be richly rewarded.
Ayats (11 - 19): On Judgment Day, the true believers will have
their light shining before them while the hypocrites will have
their fate no different than the disbelievers. Those who spend in
charity will be repaid many folds and also be given liberal reward
besides it.
Ayats (20 - 25): Life of this world is but play, amusement and
illusion. We should not grieve for the things that we miss, nor
overjoy at what we gain.
Ayats (26 - 29): Prophets Nuh (a) [Noah], Ibrahim (a)

[Abraham] and Isa (a) [Jesus] were sent for guidance to the
Right Way. As for the monasticism, people instituted it
themselves. It was not commanded by Allah (swt). The Believers
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are asked to have faith and walk in the light (direction) of Allah
(swt). The final success belongs to the believers.
Virtue of the Surah
In his tafsir (exegesis), Ma‘ariful-Qur‘an, Muhammad Shafi

Deobandi wrote: ―It is recorded in Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and
Nasa‘i that Sayyidna ‗Irbad Ibn Sariyah (may Allah be pleased
with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) used to recite Al-Musabbihat before he went to sleep and
said: ‗In them there is a ayah that is more meritorious than a
thousand ayats‘. ―The collective name of the series Al-
Musabbihat refers to the following five Surahs: (1) Al-Hadid (57);
(2) Al-Hashr (59); (3) As-Saff (61); (4) Al-Jumu‘ah (62); and (5)
At-Taghabun (64).‖
Having cited the above Hadith, the best ayah referred to in Surah
Al-Hadid is ayah (3). (He is the First and the Last, and the
Manifest and the Hidden, and He is All-knowing about
everything - 57:3). [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
―Among the five Surahs, the first three namely Al-Hadid, Al-
Hashr and As-Saff commence with the past perfect tense
‗sabbaha‘ (purity has been proclaimed) whilst the last two,
namely Al-Jumu‘ah and At-Taghabun commence with the
imperfect tense ‗yusabbihu‘ (purity is proclaimed). This implies
that the purity of Allah should be declared at all times, the past,
the present and the future.‖ [Mazhari]
It is narrated from the Noble Prophet (s) that,"He who recites

Surah al-Hadid shall be regarded among those who believed in
Allah and His Messenger (S). [Majma„al-Bayan, the opening
of the Surah]
1. Allah (swt) created the heavens and the earth in six

days and has knowledge of everything: Almighty Allah
created the heavens and the earth in six days and
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established Himself above the throne, in other words,
there is nothing that is or can be above Him. He knows
about everything that enters the earth and everything
that emerges from it. He knows everything that comes
down from the heavens and all that ascends. There is
nothing too small to escape His Knowledge and Power.
Everything that is in the heavens and the earth, the
whole samawat, glorifies God Almighty because He is
the Almighty and the All-Wise. He is the source of
strength and the source of wisdom. He is aware of
every action of every human being. God Almighty
causes the night to turn into the day and He knows the
tinniest secret locked in our heart.
2. The believers will be discernible by their light shining

before them in the Judgment Day, while the hypocrites
will have a fate similar to disbelievers: On the Day of
Judgment the believers will be distinguishable by the
light streaming ahead of them and on their right. They
will be given the good news that their eternal abode
will be in gardens under which rivers flow. The
hypocrites will cry out, asking the believers to wait and
share their light but they will be told to turn back and
seek the light. And a barrier with a gate will be put
between them; inside will be mercy and outside will be
the punishment of Hell. The hypocrites will call out
weren‘t we with you believers, but the reality is they
were not. They allowed themselves to be tempted, and
found excuses not to do the right thing until it was too
late and Shaitan‘s deception ruined and crushed their
afterlife. Those who practice charity will have their
loan multiplied. Those who believe in Almighty Lord
and His messengers will have their reward and their
light. The disbelievers will be rewarded with the
Hellfire.
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3. The life of this world is nothing but play, amusement
and illusion: The life of this world is transient; it is a
diversion, an amusement for a time. Those who boast
and show off their adornments but they will wither and
die like a garden after it has bloomed. We should be
concerned about our next life, where Almighty Lord
will reward us out of His bounties.
4. We should not grieve for the things that we miss, nor

overjoy at what we gain: No affliction happens either
on earth or in our heart that was not set down in
writing by Lord Almighty before He bought it into
being. So, we should not grieve for that which passes
us by or be over joyful about what we gain. Almighty
Allah does not love those who boast or those who are
stingy with their bounties and encourage others to be
miserly. If this does not bother us, then we just need to
be aware that Lord Almighty is free of all needs and
worthy of all praise.
5. The Prophets – Nuh (a), Ibrahim (a), and Isa (a) –
were sent for guidance for those who want to be in the
right path: Allah (swt) sent many prophets including
Nuh (a), Ibrahim (s) and Isa (a) from the beginning of
history. He has sent messengers with clear evidences
and scriptures, and the scales of justice so that we
know how to conduct ourselves with fairness. He sent
the great bounty that is the metal iron. It has many
uses and gives humans great strength. It is military
might for those that support Lord Almighty and His
messengers.
6. People instituted monasticism by themselves which

Allah (swt) didn‘t ordain: Isa (a) [Jesus], came with
the Injil (Gospel) and those who followed him had soft
hearts and were full of mercy. Among the ranks of the
followers of Isa (a) who later invented monasticism to
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please Almighty Allah but they did not practice it
correctly. Those who believed were rewarded but many
were openly defiant.
485
58. Surah Al-Mujadilah (The Woman who disputes;
Pleading woman; She That Disputeth)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Mujadilah In Summarized
Form

This Surah takes it name from the first ayah, "Certainly has Allah
heard the speech of the one who argues with you, [O
Muhammad], concerning her husband and directs her complaint
to Allah. And Allah hears your dialogue; indeed, Allah is Hearing
and Seeing." (58:1). The word is pronounced as, ―tujadiluka‖.
The Surah can be entitled both, ―mujadalah‖ and ―mujadilah‖. If
it is read as "mujadalah", it would mean "pleading and arguing",
and if it is read as "mujadilah", it would mean "the woman who
pleaded and argued.‖ It has 22 ayats in 3 Ruku‘ (Section).
Basically the Surah talks about a lady who has a dispute with her
husband and her name is Khawlah binti Tsa'labah and her
husband is 'Aus bin as-Samit. It is about the husband who had
divorced his wife according to ignorance period manner by
declaring that the back of his wife is as his mother. This act is
called as zihar in Arabic.
According to the tradition of Ahadith, the Surah was revealed

during the Madani period of Muhammad's (s) prophethood. A
minority opinion says that only the first ten ayats were from the
Madani period, and the rest were from the Makki period.
Another minority opinion says that ayah 9 was from the Makki
period, and the rest Madani.
There is no tradition to indicate the time of pleading and arguing

took place, on the basis of the subject matter of the Surah, the
incident took place sometime after the Battle of the Ditches (5
AH, Shawwal). This Surah most probably came after the Surah
486
Al-Ahzab (33). In Surah Al-Ahzab, Allah (swt), while negating
that an adopted son could be one‘s real son, said, ―And Allah has
not made those of your wives who you divorce by Zihar your
mothers.‖ But in that Surah, Zihar was not mentioned as sin or
crime, no legal injunction was given. While this Surah contain
the whole law relating to ―Zihar‖, it shows that these detail
injunctions were revealed some time after the brief reference to it
in in Surah Al-Ahzab. [Tafhimul Qur‟an]
Both traditional and modern scholars of the Qur‘an date the

revelation of the Surah to between 4 AH to 7 AH (roughly 625–
628 CE), likely after the Battle of the Trench. The Muslim
community was in Madinah under the leadership of Muhammad
(s), under threat from the Quraysh tribe of Makkah and from the
intrigues of "the hypocrites" (munafiqun, those who were
outwardly Muslim but secretly opposed the Muslims) and the
Jewish tribes in Madinah.
1. The custom of Zihar is condemned. The rights of women

should be protected.
2. Allah (swt) is aware of the secret counsels of the
hypocrites. Believers should not involve in such activities.
The rules of gatherings in Islam.
3. Be aware of the internal enemies too. Do not take them as
patrons those who are the enemies of Allah (swt) and His
Messenger.
The Surah talks about a bad social custom which husbands in

Pre-Islamic times used to oppress their wives. Someone would
call his wife ―mother‖ and thus would separate from her, but
would not give her divorce. Allah (swt) condemned this custom.
Zihar is a term denoting a custom of the Arabs in the days of
ignorance. In case of disagreement with their wives they used to
say to them, ―You are for me like the back of my mother.‖ After
saying this, they used to take their wives as their real mother in
487
being prohibited for them, and the ties of marriage were held to
have been broken for good. (Maariful Quran P.345 V.8)
This Surah also mentions about the hypocrites and other non-
Muslim groups in Madinah who were involved in spreading
rumours against the prophet Muhammad (s). They were given
warnings here and Muslims were argued to be alert and careful.
For the hypocrites in Madinah, appearances were all that
mattered. In their hearts they had no faith but they wanted to be
known as Muslims. So, Almighty Allah alerted the believers that
the conspiracies of the hypocrites which will not harm them if
they keep their trust in Him.
At the end, Allah (swt) appreciates the true believers and gives
them promise of the beautiful gardens of eternal delight. It is
them who gave Almighty Allah top most priority in their lives. So
as a reward Allah (swt) gave them the most beautiful gift of His
pleasure. And calls them with the honourable title of Hizbullah
(Allah‘s party) - the only party which is going to be successful.
Ayats (1-6): The pagan practice of divorce through 'Zihar' (calling

his wife as his mother) is prohibited and Penalty for practicing
'Zihar.'
Ayats (7-13): Allah (swt) is Omnipresent, if three persons

converse in secret; He is the fourth of them. Secret counsels are
forbidden except about virtue and piety. Conspiring in secret is
the work of Shaitan. Ethics regarding the Etiquette of holding a
meeting is illustrated. They should make room for new comers
when required and rise up to make way for others in the
prophet‘s assemblies. They were advised to give charity before
consulting with the Prophet Muhammad (s).
Ayats (14-22): People who befriend those who are under the
wrath of Lord Almighty will be severely punished. Muslim
society at that time was consisted of members mixed with sincere
Muslims, the hypocrites and the waverers – were given the
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criterion of sincerity in Islam.
Virtue of the Surah
It was narrated from 'Urwah bin Zubair, that 'Aishah said,

"Blessed is the One Whose hearing encompasses all things. I
heard some of the words of Khawlah bint Tha'labah, but some of
her words were not clear to me, when she complained to the
Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) about her husband, and
said: 'O Messenger of Allah, (Peace be upon him) he has
consumed my youth and I split my belly for him (i.e., bore him
many children), but when I grew old and could no longer bear
children he declared Zihar upon me; O Allah, I complain to You.'
She continued to complain until Jibra'il brought down these
ayats: 'Indeed Allah has heard the statement of she who pleads
with you (O Muhammad) concerning her husband, and
complains to Allah" (58:1) [Sunan Ibn Majah Vol. 3, Book
10, Hadith 2063]
It was narrated from 'Aishah that she said, "Praise be to Allah

Whose hearing encompasses all voices. Khawlah came to the
Messenger of Allah complaining about her husband, but I could
not hear what she said. Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime,
revealed: 'Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her that
disputes with you concerning her husband, and complains to
Allah. And Allah hears the argument between you both.'"
[Sunan an-Nasa'I Book 27, Hadith 72]
Khawlah‟s Forgiving and Magnanimous Response: Az-

Zihar and the Atonement for It Imam
Imam Ahmad recorded that Khuwaylah bint Tha'labah said,

"By Allah, concerning me and Aws ibn al-Samit, Allah revealed
the beginning of Surat al-Mujadilah. I was married to him, and
he was an old man who was bad-tempered. One day, he came in
and I raised a particular issue with him again. He became angry
and said, 'You are to me as the back of my mother.' Then he went
out and sat for a while in the meeting-place of his people. Then
he came back, and wanted to resume marital relations with me. I
489
said, 'No way! By the hand of the One in Whose hand is the soul
of Khuwayla (i.e., Khawla), you will never get what you want
from me after saying what you said, until Allah and His
Messenger (peace be upon him) decide between us.' He tried to
force himself on me, but I was able to resist because I was a
young woman and he was a weak old man.
I pushed him away. Then I went to one of my (female)

neighbours and borrowed a cloak from her and went to the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). I sat before him, told
him what my husband had done to me, and began to complain to
him about my sufferings because of my husband's bad temper.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'O Khuwayla,
your cousin is an old man, so fear Allah with regard to him.' I did
not leave him until Qur'an was revealed concerning me. He was
overcome as he usually was when Qur'an was revealed to him,
and when it was over, he said: 'O Khuwayla, Allah has revealed
Qur'an concerning you and your husband.' Then he recited to
me:
Certainly has Allah heard the speech of the one who argues with
you, [O Muhammad], concerning her husband and directs her
complaint to Allah. And Allah hears your dialogue; indeed,
Allah is Hearing and Seeing.
Those who pronounce zihar among you [to separate] from their
wives – they are not [consequently] their mothers. Their
mothers are none but those who gave birth to them. And indeed,
they are saying an objectionable statement and a falsehood. But
indeed, Allah is Pardoning and Forgiving.
And those who pronounce zihar from their wives and then [wish
to] go back on what they said – then [there must be] the freeing
of a slave before they touch one another. That is what you are
admonished thereby; and Allah is Acquainted with what you
do.
And he who does not find [a slave] – then a fast for two months
consecutively before they touch one another; and he who is
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unable – then the feeding of sixty poor persons. That is for you
to believe [completely] in Allah and His Messenger; and those
are the limits [set by] Allah. And for the disbelievers is a painful
punishment. (Al-Quran, 58: 1-4)
The scholar Ibn Kathir gives more details about Khawlah‘s

magnanimous response in his tafsir of Surah Al-Mujadila.
After the revelation of the four ayats, the Prophet said to
Khawlah, ―Command him (her husband) to free a slave.‖
Khawlah replied, ―O Allah‘s Messenger! He does not have any to
free.‖
Then the Prophet said, ―Let him fast for two consecutive
months.‖
Khawlah replied, ―By Allah! He is an old man and cannot fast.‖
Then he said, ―Let him feed sixty poor people with a Wasq of
dates.‖
Khawlah said, ―Oh Allah‘s Messenger! By Allah, he does not have
any of that.‖
The Prophet said, ―We will help him with a basket of dates.‖
Khawlah replied, ―And I, O Allah‘s Messenger! I will help him
with another.‖
The Prophet said, ―You have done a righteously good thing. So go
and give away the dates on his behalf and take care of your
cousin.‖ And she did just that.
It comes as no surprise that this great woman enjoyed such high

standing among the companions who were her contemporaries
and knew her virtues, above all 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra). She
met him one day outside the mosque, when al-Jarud al-'Abdi was
with him. 'Umar, who was the caliph at that time, greeted her,
and she said to him, "O 'Umar, I
remember you when you were called 'Umayr in the marketplace
of 'Ukaz, taking care of the sheep with your stick. So fear Allah in
your role as khalifah taking care of the people, and know that the
one who fears the threat of punishment in the Hereafter realizes
that it is not far away, and the one who fears death fears missing
some opportunity in this life."
Al-Jarud said, "You have spoken too harshly to Amir al-

491
Mu'minin, woman!" 'Umar said, "Let her be. Do you not know
that this is Khawla, to whose words Allah listened from above the
seven heavens? By Allah, 'Umar should by rights listen to her."
Ibn Kathir mentions in his tafsir that a man said to 'Umar, when
he saw him welcoming her warmly and listening to her, "You left
a man of Quraysh to come to this old woman?" 'Umar said, "Woe
to you! Do you not know who this is?"
The man said, "No." 'Umar said, "This is a woman whose
complaint Allah listened to from above the seven heavens: this is
Khawla bint Tha'labah. By Allah , if she did not leave me until
night fell, I would not tell her to leave until she had got what she
came for, unless the time for prayer came, in which case I would
pray, and then come back to her until she had got what she came
for." [Tafseer Ibn Kathir]
1. The pagan practice of Zihar (calling one‘s wife as mother)

is prohibited. The penalty for practicing ‗Zihar‘ has been
prescribed. If the accused person wants to get back to his
wife again, he must free a slave. If there is no slave to be
freed, then he must fast for two months without stop or if
he could not perform the kaffarah (sentence) fast, he must
treat 60 indigent people with food.
2. Secret counsels are forbidden except when they for virtue

and piety.
3. Lord Almighty knows everything in the heavens and the

earth. He knows what is being discussed by groups of
people, and He is noting every word spoken from the lips
of people who conspire. Whatever they speak out in their
heart or aloud, the God will certainly display everything
that they did in the hereafter.
4. Conspiring in secret is the work of Shaitan. The

conspiracies are from Shaitan because it wants the
492
believers to grief while those conspiracies can never harm
no one without His permission. The believers must be
dependent to Allah only and not to believe that
conspiracies could harm them without His permission.
5. Faithful servants who talk about something in a secret

counsel and in hidden place should never discuss about
committing sins, enmity, and betraying the messenger of
the Allah. They must only speak in hidden or in a secret
counsel about charity, righteousness and piety to the God
Almighty.
6. Etiquettes of holding a meeting are presented in the

Surah. One should make room when needed, and leave
when he/she is told to do so.
7. Establish prayer, pay Zakat, and obey Allah and His

messenger.
8. Those who befriend those - who are under the wrath of

Allah (swt) – will be severely punished. They are in the
party of Shaitan and destined to be the losers.
9. True believers do not befriend those who oppose Allah

and His Rasool. Almighty Allah helps those believers with
His boundless mercy along with the faith implanted in
their heart and the ruh (guidance and faithful spirit) from
Him. These servants are the Hizbullah (the men of Allah).
These people are those who obey Him. They are faithful,
righteous and performing charity.
.
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59. Surah Al-Hashr (The Banishment; The Exile; The
Gathering)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Hashr In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the second ayah where the
mention of the word al-hashr has occurred. The word means
'exile'; 'banishment'; gathering - describing the expulsion of
Jewish Banu Nadir tribe from their settlements. The Surah
features 15 attributes of Almighty Allah in the last three ayats.
Ayah 6 of the Surah may be related to the controversies of the
land of Fadak. This Surah has 24 ayats in 3 Ruku‘ (Section).
Bukhari and Muslim contain a tradition from Sa'id bin Jubair

(ra), "When I asked Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas about Surah Al-
Hashr, he replied that it was sent down concerning the battle
against the Bani an-Nadir just as Surah Al-Anfal was sent down
concerning the Battle of Badr. In another tradition from Sa'id bin
Jubair (ra), the words cited from Ibn Abbas (ra) are: Qul: Surah
an-Nadir: Say, it is Surah an-Nadir." The same thing has been
related also from Mujahid, Qatadah, Zuhri, Ibn Zaid, Yazid bin
Ruman, Muhammad bin Ishaq and others. They are unanimous
that the followers of the Book whose banishment has been
mentioned in it, imply the Bani an-Nadir. Yazid bin Ruman,
Mujahid and Muhammad bin Ishaq have stated that this whole
Surah, from beginning to end, came down concerning this very
battle.
As for the question as to when this battle took place, Imam Zuhri
has stated on the authority of Urwah bin Zubair that it took place
six months after the Battle of Badr.
However, Ibn Sa'd, Ibn Hisham and Baladhuri regard it as an
494
event of Rabi' al-Awwal of 4 AH, and the same is correct. For all
traditions agree that this battle took place after the incident of
Bi'r Ma'unah, and historically also it is well known that the
incident of Bir Ma'unah occurred after the Battle of Uhud and
not before it.
1. The Banishment of the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadhir. The

distribution of the spoils.
2. The false promises of the hypocrites.
3. The exhortation of the Believers to faith. The Beautiful
Names of Almighty Allah.
In order to understand the subject matter of this Surah well, it is

necessary to have a look at the history of the Madinah and Hejaz
Jews, for without it one cannot know precisely the real causes of
the Prophet's (s) dealing with their different tribes the way he
did.
According to Abul A'la Maududi, no authentic history of the

Arabian Jews exists in the world. They have not left any writings
of their own in the form of a book or a tablet which might shed
light on their past, nor have the Jewish historians and writers of
the non-Arab world made any mention of them. The reason
being that after their settlement in the Arabian Peninsula, they
had detached themselves from the main body of the Jewish
nation, and the Jews of the world did not count them among
themselves. They had given up the Hebrew culture and language,
even the names, and adopted Arabism instead. In tablets that
have been unearthed in archaeological research in the Hijaz, no
trace of the Jews is found before the first century of the Christian
era, except for a few Jewish names.
Prior to the arrival of the prophet (s) to Madinah, there were

three major Jewish tribes: the Banu Qurayza, the Banu Qaynuqa
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and the Banu Nadir. In addition, there were two major Arab
tribes: Aus and Khazraj.
The Jews of the Hijaz claimed that they had come to settle in
Arabia during the last stage of the life of the Prophet Moses
(peace be upon him). They said that the Prophet Moses had
dispatched an army to expel the Amalekites from the land of
Yathrib and had commanded it not to spare even a single soul of
that tribe. The Israelite army carried out the Prophet's command,
but spared the life of a handsome prince of the Amalekite king
and returned with him to Palestine. By that time the Prophet
Moses had passed away. His successors took great exception to
what the army had done, for by sparing the life of an Amalekite,
it had clearly disobeyed the Prophet and violated the Mosaic law.
Consequently, they excluded the army from their community,
and it had to return to Yathrib and settle there forever. (Kitab al-
Aghani, vol. xix, p. 94). Thus the Jews claimed that they had
been living in Yathrib since about 1200 B.C. But, this had in fact
no historical basis. The Jews probably had invented this story in
order to overawe the Arabs into believing that they were of noble
lineage and the original inhabitants of the land.
The second Jewish immigration, according to the Jews, took,

place in 587 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzer, the King of Babylon,
destroyed Jerusalem and dispersed the Jews throughout the
world. The Arab Jews said that several of their tribes at that time
had come to settle in Wadi al-Qura, Taima, and Yathrib. (Al-
Baladhuri, Futuh al-Buldan) But this too has no historical basis.
By this they also might have wanted to prove that they were the
original settlers of the area.
As a matter of fact, in A. D. 70 the Romans massacred the Jews

in Palestine, and then in A. D. 132 expelled them from that land,
many of the Jewish tribes fled to find an asylum in the Hijaz, a
territory that was contiguous to Palestine in the south. There
they settled wherever they found water springs and greenery,
and then by intrigue and through money lending business
gradually occupied the fertile lands. Ailah, Maqna, Tabuk,
Taima, Wadi al Qura, Fadak and Khayber came under their
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control in that very period, and Bani Quraizah, Bani al-Nadhir,
Bani Bahdal and Bani Qainuqa also came in the same period and
occupied Yathrib.
Among the tribes that settled in Yathrib the Bani An-Nadhir and
the Bani Quraizah were more prominent for they belonged to the
Cohen or priest class. They were looked upon as of noble descent
and enjoyed religious leadership among their co-religionists.
When they came to settle in Madinah there were some other
tribes already living there. They subdued them and became the
owners of this green and fertile land. About three centuries later,
in A. D. 450 or 451, the great flood of Yaman occurred which has
been mentioned in vv. 16-17 of Surah Saba. As a result of this,
different tribes of the people of Saba were compelled to leave
Yaman and disperse to different parts of Arabia.
Thus, the Bani Ghassan went to settle in Syria, Bani Lakhm in

Hirah (Iraq), Bani Khuza'ah between Jeddah and Makkah and
the Aus and the Khazraj went to settle in Yathrib. As Yathrib was
under Jewish domination, they at first did not allow the Aus and
the Khazraj to gain a footing and the two Arab tribes had to settle
on lands that had not yet been brought under cultivation. There
they could hardly produce enough to enable them to survive. At
last, one of their chiefs went to Syria to ask for the assistance of
their Ghassanide brothers; he brought an army from there and
broke the power of the Jews.
Thus, the Aus and the Khazraj were able to gain complete
dominance over Yathrib, with the result that two of the major
Jewish tribes, Bani an-Nadhir and Bani Quraiza were forced to
take quarters outside the city. Since the third tribe, Bani
Qainuqa, was not on friendly terms with the other two tribes, it
stayed inside the city as usual, but had to seek protection of the
Khazraj tribe. As a counter measure to this, Bani an-
Nadhir and Bani Quraizah took protection of the Aus tribe so
that they could live in peace in the suburbs of Yathrib.
Such were the conditions when Islam came to Madinah, and

ultimately an Islamic State came into existence after the
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Prophet's (upon whom be Allah's peace) arrival there. One of the
first things that he accomplished was unification of the Aus, the
Khazraj and the Emigrants into a brotherhood. The second was
that he concluded a treaty between the Muslims and the Jews on
definite conditions, in which it was pledged that neither party
would encroach on the rights of the other, and both would unite
in a joint defense against the external enemies. Some important
clauses of this treaty are as follows. They clearly show what the
Jews and the Muslims had pledged to adhere to in their mutual
relationship:
"The Jews must bear their expenses and the Muslims their
expenses. Each must help the other against anyone who attacks
the people of this document. They must seek mutual advice and
consultation, and loyalty is a protection against treachery. They
shall sincerely wish one another well. Their relations will be
governed by piety and recognition of the rights of others, and not
by sin and wrongdoing. The wronged must be helped. The Jews
must pay with the believers so long as the war lasts. Yathrib shall
be a sanctuary for the people of this document. If any dispute or
controversy likely to cause trouble should arise, it must be
referred to God and to Muhammad the Apostle of God; the
Quraysh and their helpers shall not be given protection. The
contracting parties are bound to help one another against any
attack on Yathrib.
Every one shall be responsible for the defense of the portion to

which he belongs." (Ibn Hisham, vol. ii, pp. 147 to 150)
This was on absolute and definitive covenant to the conditions of
which the Jews themselves had agreed. But not very long after
this they began to show hostility towards the Prophet of Allah
(upon whom be Allah's peace). Islam and the Muslims, and their
hostility and perverseness continued increasing day by day.
After the Battle of Badr, in which the Quraysh suffered a

humiliating loss, the Quraysh were eager to get vengeance
against the Muslims. They thus began preparing for a new
battle and collected an army of three thousand strong men, of
whom seven hundred were armed with coats of mail, and two
hundred horses. The army was led by Abu Sufyan.
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The Muslim army, on the other hand, had only one thousand
men, of whom one hundred were armed with coats of mail and
only one horse, that of the Prophet's. The Muslim army headed
out and halted at the Mount Uhud, a hill about four miles to the
north of Yathrib (Madinah). He was soon abandoned by
'Abdullah Ibn Ubay, the leader of the hypocrites, with three
hundred of his followers. Thus, the small force of the Prophet (s)
was reduced to a mere seven hundred against an army of 3000.
One should also keep in mind that at this time the Jews of
Madinah were also busy spreading disaffection among the people
and slandering the prophet (s) and his followers. In addition,
they purposely mispronounced the words of the Qur'an so as to
give them an offensive meaning. One of their well-known poets,
called Ka'b, of the Bani An-Nadir, recited offensive poetry, as
well as reciting elegies on the Makkans who had fallen at Badr to
the point the people of Makkah became more excited to exact
revenge on the Muslims. In Madinah, Ka'b continued to attack
the prophet (S) and the Muslims with his obscenities. Another
Jew, named Sallam, of the same tribe, took great pains to excite
the neighboring Arab tribes against the Muslims.
When the battle of Uhud took place between the Muslims against
the Quraysh, the Banu Nadir leaders provided information to the
Quraysh on the weak spots of the Muslims in the battle. As a
result of this information the enemy army was able to know
where the Muslims were, where to attack, where to hide, and
where to lay in wait to kill the Muslims. This fact is well
documented.
In addition, in Kitab Futuh al-Buldan it reads:
―The Prophet once accompanied by Abu Bakr, Umar and Usaid

ibn Hudair came to the Banu an-Nadir who were Jews and
solicited their aid for raising the bloodwit of two men of the
Banu-Kilab ibn Rabi‘ah who had made peace with him and who
was killed by Amr ibn Umaiyah ad-Damri. The Jews intended to
drop a stone on him but the Prophet left them and sent them
word ordering them to evacuate his city [Yathrib] because of
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their perfidy and violation of covenant. The Jews refused to
comply, and announced hostility. …‖ (Kitab Futuh al-Buldan,
vol.1, Pg 34)
When the prophet discovered their plans -- some say it was angel
Jibril who informed him while others say it was a Jewish woman
-- he wanted to make a new treaty with them, but they refused.
In Sunan Abu Dawud it says:
The unbelievers of the Quraysh again wrote (a letter) to the Jews
after the battle of Badr: You are men of weapons and fortresses.
You should fight our companion or we shall deal with you in a
certain way. And nothing will come between us and the anklets of
your women. When their letter reached the Prophet (s), they
gathered Banu An-Nadir to violate the treaty.
They sent a message to the Prophet (s): Come out to us with
thirty men from your companions, and thirty rabbis will come
out from us till we meet at a central place where they will hear
you. If they testify to you and believe in you, we shall believe in
you. The narrator then narrated the whole story.
When the next day came, the Apostle of Allah went out in the
morning with an army, and surrounded them. He told them: I
swear by Allah, you will have no peace from me until you
conclude a treaty with me. But they refused to conclude a treaty
with him. He therefore fought them the same day. Next he
attacked Banu Quraysh [Qurayzah] with an army in the morning,
and left Banu an-Nadir. He asked them to sign a treaty and they
signed it. He turned away from them and attacked Banu an-
Nadir with an army. He fought with them until they agreed to
expulsion. Banu an-Nadir were deported, and they took with
them whatever their camels could carry, that is, their property,
the doors of their houses, and their wood. … (Sunan Abi Dawud
Book 19, Hadith 2998)
The introduction to surah Al-Hashr in the "The Study Quran," by

Seyyed Hossein Nasr provides a good, yet brief description of
what transpired:
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After the Battle of Uḥud, the Banu Naḍir were accused of
having entered into an alliance against the Muslims and having
plotted to kill the Prophet. When the Prophet heard of their
treachery, some say from the Archangel Gabriel, others say
through a woman of the Banu Naḍir, the Prophet presented them
with the choice of leaving the oasis with all their possessions, but
retaining the right to the proceeds from their crops, or facing
war. They requested a respite of ten days. After conferring
with their allies, among whom were some of the hypocrites
within Madinah, they chose the latter course, thinking that
reinforcements would be forthcoming.
The Muslim armies besieged their fortresses for twenty-one days,

during which time the fighting was limited to brief exchanges of
arrows. The Banu Naḍir‘s hopes dwindled when none of the
promised reinforcements arrived. When the Muslim army cut
some of the Banu Naḍir‘s prized date palms that lay just outside
their fortresses, it was more than they could bear. They sent
word they would agree to the initial terms of exile. The Prophet,
however, was no longer willing to offer the same terms. Under
the new terms, they would be banished, allowed to keep their
considerable wealth, except their armaments, but had to forfeit
their land, crops and all. The Banu Naḍir had no choice but to
accept. [Courtesy:
http://commentaryforhealing.blogspot.com/2018/05/backgrou
nd-information-on-surah-al_23.html; along with Tahfim al-
Qur‟an]
Surah Al-Hashr talks about the banishment of Bani Nadhir and

secret relations between them and the hypocrites of Madinah.
The tribe of Jews with the name of Bani an-Nadir was settled in
the east of Madinah and was active in hidden enmity against
Islam, even though Muslims were bound by the treaty of peace
which the Prophet Muhammad (s) had established in Madinah.
Eventually the Bani an-Nadir made a secret plan to kill the
Prophet Muhammad (s) though the plan failed before it could be
501
executed.
The Prophet (s) at once sent to them the ultimatum that the
treachery they had meditated against him had come to his
knowledge; therefore, they were to leave Madinah within ten
days; but they said that they would not leave and he could do
whatever was in his power.
Consequently, the Prophet (s) gathered a group of believers and

laid siege to them, and after a few days of the siege the Jews
accepted defeat and left Madinah, taking with them all they could
carry out of their possessions and destroying their dwellings with
their own hands so as to take even the building material with
them.
The first among those were the ―muhajirin‖ those who had left
their wealth, their land and everything in Makkah and migrated
to Madinah with the Prophet (s) all for the sake of Allah.
Therefore they were given the most preference at the time of the
division of assets gained in this war. On the other hand the
people of Madinah (ansar) were also open hearted and generous
that they shared everything with the Muhajirin and never bore
any grudge in their heart for them has also some share of the war
booty.
In ayah 21, Allah (swt) is telling us that if He sent down this

Qur‘an on a mountain, we would have seen it humble itself and
split asunder from the fear of Allah. The Qur‘an has such power
that if the mountains had hearts and could display their
reactions, then we would have witnessed the crushing of their
egos to dust. Similarly the true believers of Allah (swt) are those
who absorb the truth of Qur‘an in their hearts so much, that all
negative feelings, like arrogance and self-love, are broken down
and the only thing which remains is love and fear
of Almighty Allah. The Qur‘an transforms them into humble and
polite people who are conscious of their accountability at all
times.
502
In the end, Allah (swt)says, - He is Allah, the Creator, the
Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names.
Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is
the Exalted in Might, the Wise." [59:24]
Ayats (1 - 10): Jewish tribe of Bani An-Nadir is given the order of

exile for their mutiny against the Stateof Yatrib (Madinah). The
distribution of the belongings of Bani An-Nadir to Muslims is
mentioned. Good qualities of true Muhajirin (immigrants) and
good qualities of true Ansar (the residents of Madinah).
Ayats (11 - 17): The hypocrites' conspiracy with the People of the
Book. Parable of a Shaitan vs. a disbeliever is depicted.
Ayats (18 - 24): Let each soul see what it is sending for the
Hereafter. The Qur'an could even affect a mountain. In the last
three ayats fifteen exclusive attributes of Almighty Allah is
mentioned.
Virtue of the Surah
The Prophet (s) said, ―Whoever when he wakes in the morning

says, ‗I seek refuge in Allah the all hearing and all-knowing
against the accursed shaitan and then recites the three ayats
from the last part of Surah al Hashr, will be assigned seventy
thousand angels to pray for him until the evening, and should he
die that day, he would have died a martyr‘‖ [Ibn Ahmad,
Darimi, Tirmidhi 5/182]
Fadak Mentioned in Ayah 6
Fadak (Arabic: ‫ )فدك‬was a garden oasis in Khaybar, a tract of

land in northern Arabia. Situated approximately 140 km (87 mi)
from Madinah, Fadak was known for its water wells, dates, and
handicrafts. When the Muslims defeated the people of Khaybar
at the Battle of Khaybar; the oasis of Fadak was part of the
bounty given to the prophet Muhammad (s), who gifted it to his
daughter, Fatimah (rh)(according to Shias). The Sunni view is
503
that it was not given to anyone, but preserved for the
maintenance of Banu Hashim. Fadak became the object of
dispute between Fatimah (rh) and the caliph Abu Bakr (ra) after
Muhammad (s) died. [Courtesy:https://wiki2.org/en/Fadak]
According to a Prophetic tradition, whoever recites Surah al-

Hashr, Paradise, Hell, Throne, the seven heavens and the earth,
as well as animals, winds, birds, trees, creatures, the sun, the
moon, and all angels invoke God Almighty that He may bestow
His Mercy upon him and forgive him. Had he died on that day or
night, he will be a martyr. [Tafsir Majma„ al-Bayan, the
opening of the blessed Surah, vol. 9, p. 20; Qurtubi's
exegetic work, the opening of the blessed Surah]
1. The Jewish tribe of Banu An-Nadhir is given the order of

exile for their mutiny against the Madinah State of Islam.
2. Distribution of the belongings of Banu An-Nadhir.
3. Historical background of the Jews has been related in the

Qur‘anic Terminology of Arabic.
4. Good qualities of true immigrants and good qualities of

true Ansar (the residents of Madinah).
5. Hypocrite‘s conspiracy with the people of the Book (Jews).
6. The parable of a Shaitan vs. a disbeliever.
7. Let each soul see what it is sending for the Hereafter.

Forgetfulness of God Almighty inevitably leads to
forgetfulness of one's own self --- unaware of our own loss
and gain.
8. If the Qur'an was sent down upon a mountain it would

have crumbled into pieces from the fear of Allah's
disobedience.
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9. Fifteen attributes of Almighty Allah in the last three ayats:
1) ُ‫ الرَّحْ ٰ َمه‬--- The Most Merciful; 2) ‫َّحي ُم‬ ِ ‫ الر‬--- the Most
Compassionate; 3) َ‫ اِ ٰله‬--- Deity/Divinity; 4) ‫ل‬ ُ ِ‫ اَ ۡل َمل‬--- King,
sovereignty; 5) ُ‫ ۡالقُ ُّد ۡوس‬--- Holy, free from default/demerits;
6) ‫ الس َّٰل ُم‬--- The Giver of Peace; 7) ُ‫ ۡال ُم ۡؤ ِمه‬--- The Giver of
Security; 8) ُ‫ ۡال ُمهَ ۡي ِمه‬---The Overseer/Guardian; 9) ‫ ۡال َع ِز ۡي ُز‬---
The Almighty; 10) ‫ ۡال َجـبَّا ُر‬--- The Overpowering; 11)‫ ۡال ُمتَ َكبِّ ُر‬---
The All great; 12) ‫ق‬ ُ ‫ ۡال َخـالِـ‬--- The Creator/Planner; 13) ‫ئ‬ ۡ
ِ َ‫ الب‬-
ُ ‫ار‬
-- The Executor; 14) ‫ص ِّى ُر‬ َ ‫ ۡال ُم‬--- The Originator of All
Shaper/ Fashioner; and 15) ‫ ۡال َح ِك ۡي ُم‬--- The Most Wise.
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60. Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Mumtahinah In
Summarized Form
This Surah takes its name from the ayah - "O you who have
believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants,
examine them..." [60:10] mentions about those the women who
emigrated to dar al-Islam and claim to be Muslims, should be
examined hence the title Al-Mumtahinah. The word is
pronounced both as mumtahinah and as mumtahanah, the
meaning according to the first pronunciation being "the Surah
which examines", and according to the second, "the woman who
is examined."
Commentators of the Qur‘an like Abu 'Abdullah Al-Qurtubi (of

7th century AH) and Mahmud al-Alusi (of 13th century AH)
mentioned that this refers to Umm Kulthum bint Uqbah (rh)
who was the subject of several of this Surah‘s ayats. The Surah is
also called al-Imtihan ("The Examining"): according to Al-
Qurtubi, as the Surah examines the fault of mankind. It is also
called al-Mawaddah ("The Affection"), because the first ayah
includes the phrase "you offer them affection". The Surah has 13
ayts and 2 Ruku‘ (Section).
According to the Ahadith tradition, Al-Mumtahanah is a Madani

Surah. This Surah was revealed after the Treaty of Hudaibiyah
and before the conquest of Makkah in the 6th or 7th year of
Hijrah. According to some commentators, the first ayah was
revealed during the conquest of Mecca in 8 AH.
The Surah deals with two incidents, the time of the occurrence of
which is well known historically. The first relates to Hadrat Hatib
bin Abz Balta'a, who, a little before the conquest of Makkah, had
506
sent a secret letter to the Quraysh chiefs informing them of the
Prophet's intention to attack them. The second relates to the
Muslim women, who had started emigrating from Makkah to
Madinah, after the conclusion of the Truce of Hudaibiyah, and
the problem arose whether they also were to be returned to the
disbelievers, like the Muslim men, according to the conditions of
the Truce. The mention of these two things absolutely
determines that this Surah came down during the interval
between the Truce of Hudaibiyah and the Conquest of Makkah.
Besides, there is a third thing also that has been mentioned at the
end of the Surah which provide detail of the criteria of an oath;
women would make to pledge allegiance before the Prophet
Muhammad (s) as believers. This part was also was sent down
probably sometime before the conquest of Makkah, after this
conquest a large number of the Quraysh women like their men
were going to enter Islam simultaneously; all these oath of
allegiance had to be administered collectively.
1. Do not take Almighty Allah's and your own enemies as

your patrons and allies.
2. It is allowed to have friendly relations with those non-
Muslims who do not fight you in your religion and do not
expel you from your lands. Some rules related to women
who migrated to Madinah and their husbands had not
accepted Islam.
The Surah begins with a warning sounded to the weak Muslims

who had secret ties of friendship with the Idolators of Makkah.
Allah (swt) enjoins the Prophet to test the women migrating to
Madinah, and send them not back to the non-believing people of
Makkah, if they are found to be sincere in their faith.
At the time of the conquest of Makkah, this test was faced by a

companion of the Prophet Muhammad (s) named Hatib Bin Abi
507
Balta. It so happened that the Prophet (s) had decided to keep
this expedition a secret because he wanted to take the people of
Makkah by surprise. The purpose was to avoid fighting in the city
of peace. But this companion tried to inform the enemy of the
advance of the Muslim army, so that as a reward they might
protect him and his family in case of a war. Now this was a
blunder which could have had most disastrous consequences, but
Allah (swt) revealed it to the Prophet (s) who succeeded in
preventing this information from getting across to the enemies.
Then, Allah (swt) reminds us of the beautiful example of His

Prophet Ibrahim (a). Ibrahim (a) was a role model for them, as
he distanced himself from the pagans of his own tribe, including
his own father. After Ibrahim (a) had done everything for
Almighty overcoming the tests one after another of rejection by
his own community including being thrown into the fire, yet
there was no arrogance in him, only softness and humility.
From ayats (10 - 12) address some matters of law in Shariah.

They declare marriages between Muslims and polytheists are no
longer valid, and instruct Muslims on how to resolve the
question of mahr when dissolving such marriages. The status of
inter-religious marriages was very relevant at the time of the
revelation of these ayats, a time when multiple women from
Makkah converted to Islam while their husbands did not, or in
converse way as well.
At the very end of the Surah, the Muslims have been warned not
to establish friendship with the Jews and the Disbelievers. Both
shall meet the same fate - they have been shaken from their very
roots.
Ayats (1 - 6): Do not befriend those who are enemies of Almighty

Allah and the Muslims. Ibrahim (a) and his companions are
excellent examples for the believers. Prayer of Ibrahim (a) and
his companions has been presented here.
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Ayats (7 - 13): Exception to the prohibition of friendship with
unbelievers who had neither fought against the believers nor
expelled them from their homes. As for women that become
believers, test their Iman, and if believers find them truthful they
should return them to their unbelieving husbands. Women's
Bai‗ah (oath of allegiance) has been presented. Do not befriend
any with whom Almighty Allah is angry.
Virtue of the Surah
According to a Prophetic tradition, whoever recites Surah al-

Mumtahana, all believing men and women will intercede on his
behalf on the Day of Resurrection. [Majma„ al-Bayan]
After Al-Hudaybiyyah, Emigrant Muslim Women may

not be returned to the Disbelievers
In Surat Al-Fath, we related the story of the treaty at Al-

Hudaybiyyah that was conducted between the Messenger of
Allah and the disbelievers of Quraysh. In that treaty, there were
these words, ―Everyman (in another narration, every person)
who reverts from our side to your side, should be returned to us,
even if he is a follower of your religion.''
This was said by Ùrwah, Ad-Dahhak, Àbdur-Rahman bin

Zayd, Az-Zuhri, Muqatil bin Hayyan and As-Suddi. So according
to this narration, this Ayah specifies and explains the Sunnah.
And this is the best case of understanding. Yet according to
another view of some of the Salaf, it abrogates it.
Allah the Exalted and Most High ordered His faithful servants to
test the faith of women who emigrate to them.
When they are sure that they are faithful, they should not send
them back to the disbelievers, for the disbelievers are not allowed
for them and they are not allowed for the disbelievers. In the
biography of Àbdullah bin Abi Ahmad bin Jahsh in Al-Musnad
Al-Kabir, we also mentioned that Àbdullah bin Abi Ahmad said,
"Umm Kulthum bint Ùqbah bin Abi Muàyt emigrated and her
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brothers, Ùmarah and Al-Walid, went after her. They came to
Allah's Messenger and talked to him about Umm Kulthum and
asked that she be returned to them. Allah abolished the part of
the treaty between the Prophet and the idolators about the
women particularly. So He forbade returning Muslim women to
the idolators and revealed the Ayah about testing them.'' Al-
Àwfi reported from Ibn Àbbas, about Allah‘s saying:
(O you who believe! When believing women come to you as

emigrants, examine them;) "Their examination was asking them
to testify to La ilaha illallah, and that Muhammad is Allah's
servant and His Messenger.'' Mujahid explained the Ayah,
(examine them) by saying, "Ask them why they migrated. If they

came because they were angry with their husbands, or for any
other reason, and you realized that they did not embrace the
faith, then send them back to their husbands.''Allah's statement,
(then if you ascertain that they are true believers, send them not
back to the disbelievers.) This ayah indicates that faith can be
recognized and affirmed. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
1. Do not befriend with those who are the enemies of

Almighty Allah and the Muslims.
2. The Muslims have been advised to watch strictly the

external spies, especially the women and relatives.
3. The Foreign Policy of the State of Madinah is mentioned

in ayah 1, "..do not take My enemies and your enemies as
allies.."
4. The Prophet Ibrahim (a) and his companions are an

excellent example for the believers.
5. Exception to the prohibition of friendship with

unbelievers is made for those who had neither fought
510
against the believers nor expelled them from their homes.
6. For women that become believers, believers are told to

test their Iman, and if they find them truthful do not
return them to their unbelieving husbands.
7. Women's Bai'ah (oath of allegiance) in Islam is based on

their commitment that they will not commit shirk, they
will not steal, they will not commit adultery, they will not
kill their children, they will not give any cause for scandal
and that they will not disobey the Prophet (s).
511
61. Surah As-Saff (The Ranks; The Array; The Battle
Array)
Concise Tafseer of Surah As-Saff In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah takes its name from the fourth ayah,
"Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a row as
though they are a [single] structure joined firmly." [61:4], where
the word ―saffan‖ occurs which means row. This Surah was
revealed at Madinah, and sums up the importance of unity, and
urges the believers to be true to their word, as the most hateful
act in the sight of Allah is the deed that is not true to the word.
Believers are urged to make sacrifices for the sake of Allah, which
in turn, would stand them in good stead, in the Hereafter.
It could not be known from any reliable tradition, but a study of

its subject-matter shows that this Surah probably was sent down
in the period closely following the Battle of Uhud (Shawwal of 3
AH), for by reading between the lines perceives a clear
description of the conditions that prevailed in that period.
1. Struggle for the Truth. The light of Islam will shine more.
2. The way of success for the believers is to struggle for the
truth.
This Surah exhorts the Muslims to adopt sincerity in Faith and to

struggle with their lives in the cause of Allah (swt). It is
addressed to Muslims of weak faith as well as to those who
512
entered Islam as a cover-up. The believers are warned; "Allah
hates those people who say one thing and do another, and He
loves those who fight in the cause of Truth like a solid wall
against the enemies of Allah."
Their attitude towards their Rasool and their Religion should not
be like the attitude that the Israelites had adopted towards their
Rasools: Musa and Isa (peace be upon them). The proclamation
is made with the challenge that the Jews, the Christians and the
hypocrites who are conspiring with them, may try however hard
they may to extinguish this Light of Almighty Allah, but it will
shine forth and spread in the world.
The believers are told that the way to success both in this world
and in the Hereafter is only to believe in Allah and His Rasool
sincerely and should exert their utmost in Almighty Allah's Way
with their persons and their wealth.
Finally, the believers are exhorted to be like the disciples of the

Prophet Isa (a) who helped him in the cause of Lord Almighty
Allah. So, the Surah ends with the good news that the true
religion will prevail in the end and the Exalted One will give it
victory.
Ayats (1 - 9): O believers do not say something that you don't do.
The Prophet Isa (a) [Jesus] gave the good news of a Rasool
coming after him whose name would be Ahmed - another name
of the Prophet Muhammad (s).
Ayats (10 - 14): A bargain to save oneself from the hellfire. Like
the disciples of Isa (Jesus), believers are commanded to be the
helpers of Almighty Allah.
Virtue of the Surah
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful

... "(So, a group from the children of Isra'eel believed, and
another group disbelieved. Then We supported those who
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believed against their enemy, and they became victorious
...61:14)"...
COMMENTARY: Three Groups of Christians - Baghawi

interprets this ayah in the light of a narration of Sayyidna
Abdullah Ibn Abbas RA, that when Prophet Esa AS was raised to
the heaven, his followers disagreed and became three groups. A
group claimed that He was Himself God who went back to the
heaven. The second group claimed that He Himself was not God,
but God's son. God lifted him up and salvaged him from the
enemies and granted him superiority. The third group
proclaimed the truth and said that he was neither god nor the
son of god, but he was Allah's servant and His Messenger. Allah
took him away to the heaven to protect him from the enemies,
and to raise his status. These people were the true believers.
Different sectors of the general public attached themselves to

each one of these groups. The groups clashed with one another.
The two of the non-believing groups overpowered the third
group, which was a group of true believers. Eventually, Allah sent
the Final Messenger of Allah (s) - who supported the group of the
true believers. This group thus dominated the others because of
their correct belief and its solid proofs confirmed by the Qur'an.
[Ma‟aariful Qur‟an]
This is the only Surah of the Qur'an that mentions "Ahmad" as

the name of the Prophet Muhammad (s) as prophesized by Isa
(a) - Jesus,
"And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O children of
Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming
what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a
messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad." But when
he came to them with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious
magic." (61:6)
There is a connection between the beginning of Surah as-Saff

[61], al-Jum'uah [62] and al-Munafiqun [63]. In Surah as-Saff,
Allah (swt) speaks of those who say that which they do not do. In
the following Surah, this concept is mentioned again in the
514
example of Jewish scholars who are like donkeys contradicting
and not benefiting from the knowledge they are carrying. Then
this is again followed by the next Surah, which begins with the
statements of the Hypocrites who are saying they testify to the
truth, whereas in reality they are liars. All three being examples
of contradictions between word and deed. [Courtesy:
http://www.quran-wiki.com/surah-
overview.php?sura=61#616106]
Imam Ahmad recorded that Àbdullah bin Salam said, "We

asked, `Who among us should go to the Messenger and ask him
about the dearest actions to Allah' None among us volunteered.
The Messenger sent a man to us and that man gathered us and
recited this Surah, Surat As-Saff, in its entirety. [Tafsir ibn
Kathir and Jami`]
Abdullah bin Salam said, ―A group of us Companions of the

Messenger of Allah sat talking, and we said: ‗If we knew which
deed was most beloved to Allah then we would do it.‘ So Allah,
Most High, revealed: Whatsoever is in the heavens and
whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah. And He is Almighty,
the All-Wise. O you who believe! Why do you say that which you
do not do?‖ Abdullah bin Salam said: ―So the Messenger of Allah
recited it to us.‖ Abu Salamah (one of the narrators) said: ―So Ibn
Salam recited it to us.‖ Yahya (one of the narrators) said: ―So Abu
Salamah narrated it to us.‖ Ibn Kathir said: ―So Al-Awza‘i recited
it to us.‖ Abdullah said: ―So Ibn Kathir recited it to us.‖ [at-
Tirmidhi Book 47, Hadith 3624]
1. Believers are commanded not to say something that they

won't do.
2. The Prophet Isa (a) [Jesus] gave good news of a Rasool
coming after him whose name would be Ahmed. So, the
prophecy of the Last Messenger(s) was in the Injil.
3. A bargain to save oneself from the hellfire is to believe in
515
Almighty Allah, His Rasool and strive one‘s utmost in the
cause of Allah (swt) with one's wealth and person.
Almighty Allah loves those who struggle for His way, and
practice His Deen to its entirety.
4. Believers are commanded to be the helpers of Almighty
Allah like the disciples of Isa (a).
516
62. Surah Al-Jamu'ah (The Asembly; The Day in the
Assembly; The Day of Gathering; The Congregation)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Jamu'ah In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the ayah 9 - "O you who have
believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of
Jumu'ah, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah..." [62:9] -
where the call of Salat has been made the community was told to
abandon trade, transaction and other diversions to attend the
Assemly of Jumu‘ah (sixth day of the week). The Surah has 11
This is a Madani Surah. It seems that the first part of this Surah
was revealed in the 7th year of Hijrah probably on the occasion of
Khaybar conquest or soon after it. Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi,
Nasa'i and Ibn Jarir have related on the authority of Abu
Hurairah (ra) that he and other Companions were sitting in the
Prophet's (s) assembly when these ayats were revealed. About
Abu Hurairah it is confirmed historically that he entered Islam
after the truce of Hudaibiyah and before the conquest of
Khaybar, and Khaybar was conquered, in Muharram according
to Ibn Hisham, and according to Ibn Sa`d it was in Jamadi al-
Awwal 7 AH.
The second part was revealed soon after the Hijrah in the 1st year
of Hijrah. Prophet Muhammad (s) had established the Jumu‘ah
congregational Prayer on the 5th day after his arrival at
Madinah.
1. Allah's favour upon Muslims that He sent His Prophet (s)
517
among them to teach them and to purify them. Bani
Israel neglected the commands ofAlmighty Allah.
2. Muslims are exhorted to observe the Jumu‘ah prayers and
always remember Allah (swt).
As mentioned above in the, ―Period of Revelation‖ section, the

two sections of this Surah were sent down in two different
periods. That is why their themes as well as their audiences are
different. Although there is a kind of harmony between them on
account of which they have been put together in one Surah
The first section (ayats 1 to 8) was sent down at a time when all
Jewish efforts to obstruct the message of Islam during the past
six years had failed. The Surah talks about the negligence of Bani
Israel in obeying the commands of Allah (swt) and becoming too
much involved in worldly matters. They only carried the Books of
Allah, but failed to follow these books. Muslims are urged to
observe the Jumu‘ah prayer and should not get involved in
business so much as to neglect the remembrance of Almighty
Allah.
First in Madinah, as many as three of their powerful tribes had

done whatever they could to frustrate the mission of the Prophet
Muhammad (s), with the result that one of the tribes was
completely exterminated and the other two were exiled. Then by
intrigue and conspiracy they brought many of the Arab tribes
together to advance on Madinah, but in the Battle of the Trench
they were all repulsed. After this, Khaybar had become their
stronghold, where a large number of the Jews expelled from
Madinah also had taken refuge.
The second section (ayats 9 to 11) was sent down many years
later, was appended to this Surah because in it Almighty Allah
has bestowed Jumu‘ah on the Muslims as against the Sabbath of
the Jews, and so Allah (swt) wanted to warn the Muslims
not to treat their Jumu‘ah as the Jews had treated their Sabbath.
518
This section was sent down on an occasion when a trade caravan
arrived in Madinah right at the time of the Jumu‘ah
congregational service and hearing its din and drum the
audience, except for 12 men, left the Prophet Muhammad's (s)
and rushed out to the caravan, although the he (s) at that time
was delivering the Khutbah (Sermon). Thereupon it was enjoined
that after the call is sounded for the Jumu‘ah Prayer all trade and
business and other occupations become forbidden. The believers
should then suspend every kind of transaction and hasten to the
remembrance of Almighty Allah.
Ayats (1 - 8): Almighty Allah appointed Muhammad (s) as a

Rasool. Allah (swt) rebutted the claim of Jews to be the
favourites of God Almighty excluding others.
Ayats (9 - 11): Commandment relating to the obligation of

Jumu‘ah Prayers is provided.
Virtue of the Surah
Ibn Abbas (ra) reported:

The Apostle of Allah (s) used to recite in the morning prayer on
Jumu‘ah Surah "Alif-Lam-Mim, Tanz'il ul-Sajda" (Surah 32):
Surely there came over the man a time" (Surah 76) and he used
to recite in Jumu'ah prayer Surahs Jumu'ah and al-Munafiqin.
[Sahih Muslim : Book 7, Hadith 81]
Abu Huraira (ra) reported the Messenger of Allah (s) as saying:

The best day on which the sun has risen is Jumu‘ah; on it Adam
was created. on it he was made to enter Paradise, on it he was
expelled from it. And the last hour will take place on no day other
than Jumu‘ah. [Sahih Muslim: Book 7, Hadith 27]
Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (s) said, "On every Jumu‘ah the angels take their
stand at every gate of the masjid to write the names of the people
519
chronologically (i.e. according to the time of their arrival for the
Jumu‘ah prayer) and when the Imam sits (on the pulpit) they
fold up their scrolls and get ready to listen to the sermon."
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Book 59, Hadith 22]
Merits of the Jumu‟ah
Aws ibn Aws, narrated that Muhammad (s) said: ―Whoever

performs Ghusl on Jumu‘ah and causes (his wife) to do ghusl,
then goes early to the masjid and attends from the beginning of
the Khutbah and draws near to the Imam and listens to him
attentively, Allah will give him the full reward of fasting all the
days of a year and observing night-vigil on each of its nights for
every step that he took towards the masjid.‖[Ibn Khuzaymah,
Ahmad]
There is an hour in this day when no one will ask Allah a thing
but He will grant it. According to a report in Ibn Abi Hatim, the
day was so named because it was on this day that Adam and
Hawwa‘ met with each other on the earth. (The report is also in
Hakim who declared it trustworthy: Sami). A hadith in Bukhari
records Abu Hurayrah as saying that the Prophet said,
―We are the last but the first on the day of Judgment despite the
fact that those who went before us were given the Book before us.
Moreover, this day (Jumu‘ah) was declared obligatory on them
but they differed therein, but Allah guided us. So, the people are
our followers: the Jews tomorrow and the Christians, the day
after‖ [Razi, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir].
The first Jumu‘ah was organized at Madinah by Mus‘ab b.

‗Umayr even before the Prophet‘s arrival. The Prophet himself
organized his first Jumu‘ah among the Banu Salim b. ‗Awf on the
way to Madinah, after having spent a few days in Quba. And the
third was organized in a town in the Bahrayn district called
Juwaathaa (Qurtubi). The mosque still exists in Hofuf.
(Alusi)
Jumuàh is the day on which Adam was created, the day in

which he was admitted into Paradise, the day on which he was
520
removed from Paradise, and in which the Day of Judgment will
take place [Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir]
Jumua‘h Prayer is an obligation on all free men of a town; (but

not of villages that do not have commercial centers, schools,
hospitals, nor is directly governed by a government, in other
words hamlets). Women, children, travelers and slaves are
excused, as also the sick and those who look after the sick (Au.).
Early in Islam, they used to offer Jumuàh Prayers pretty early.

It is said that the first bidàh into which people fell is delaying of
the Jumuàh Prayer. During the days of the Salaf the people
would begin to head to the mosque right after sunrise. Once Ibn
Masùd thought he will be the first. But when he entered the
mosque he found thirteen people already sitting there
(Zamakhshari).
However, the great majority of scholars believe that mid-day is

the best time for Jumu‘ah Prayers [Qurtubi].
(Courtesy:http://islamicencyclopedia.org/tafsir.php?id
=62)
1. Almighty Allah has appointed Muhammad (s) as His

Rasool.
2. Allah (swt) rebutted the claim of Jews to be the favourites

of God Almighty to the exclusion of others. Allah (swt) has
challenged them by asking them to desire death if they are
truthful. A true measure of one‘s proximity to Allah (swt)!
3. Commandment relating to the obligation of 'Jumu‘ah

Prayers.' It is sinful to engage in worldly activities whilst
unprepared for Jumu‗ah, once the adhan of Jumu‗ah is
called.
4. "The example of those who were entrusted with the Taurat

and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey who
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carries volumes [of books]...." (62:5). Included in the
implications of this ayah is the one who reads the Qur'an,
not understanding it nor acting upon it. They are those
people who were given knowledge of the scriptures but did
not take it on board, are like the donkey that carries a load
that it cannot benefit from.
5. The worship and obedience of Almighty Allah is better

than futility and business, though the latter has to be done
when necessary.
522
63. Surah Al-Munafiqun (The Hypocrites; Wolf in
sheep‟s Clothing; The Masquerader)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Munafiqun In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah of the Surah,
"When the hypocrites come to you, [O Muhammad], they say,
"We testify that you are the Messenger of Allah." And Allah
knows that you are His Messenger, and Allah testifies that the
hypocrites are liars." [63:1]. the title refers to the hypocrites
among the people of Madinah, who tried to dissuade the Ansars
(those who helped the migrants), from helping the believers who
had migrated to Yathrib (Madinah). The Surah has 11 ayats in 2
Ruku‘ (Section).
This Surah was sent down either during the Prophet

Muhammad's (s) return journey from his campaign against Bani
Al-Mustaliq, or immediately after his arrival back at Madinah in
Sh'aban 6 AH.
It is necessary to have a look at the history of the hypocrites of

Madinah. The incident that occurred on this occasion was not a
chance happening, but had a whole series of events behind it, all
of which ultimately led up to it.
Before the Prophet Muhammad‘s (s) migration to Madinah, the

tribes of the Aus and Khazraj (two leading tribes of Madinah),
were looking to appoint someone among themselves as a leader.
They had almost agreed upon the leadership of one man. This
man was Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, the chief of the Khazraj
tribe. Muhammad bin Ishaq stated that among the people of
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Khazraj his authority was never contested and never had the Aus
and the Khazraj agreed to one man before this. So, the agreement
between the two clans of his appointment as chief was a notable
event throughout Madinah.
This was the condition when the voice of Islam reached Madinah
in those days. The leaders and more influential people started to
become Muslims. This happened before the Muslim migration
from Makkah and before the Prophet Muhammad (s) was even
invited to come to Madinah. Abbas bin Ubadah bin Nadlah
Ansari wanted to delay this invitation to the Prophet (s) hoping
that Abdullah bin Ubayy may voluntarily become Muslim and
Islam would become the center point of Madinah making the
transition easier and without offending the tribes or their leaders
(mainly Abdullah ibn Ubayy), but the delegation that arrived in
Makkah to declare their allegiance and invitation to the Prophet
Muhammad (s) did not give any importance to the proposal of
Abbas bin Ubadah. They did not want to delay the arrival of the
Prophet Muhammad (s) and went ahead with preparing to
welcome him to Madinah.
When the Prophet Muhammd (s) arrived in Madinah, Islam had

already gone so deeply into the hearts of the Ansar (the people of
Madinah), that Abdullah bin Ubayy became helpless and could
not see any way to keep his leadership and reluctantly became
Muslim. Abdullah bin Ubayy was filled with rage and hate,
because he felt that he was deprived of his kingship and
leadership. Abdullah bin Ubayy claimed that he was Muslim, but
in truth he had so much malice and hate for Islam, he was far
from it.
Over time, Abdullah bin Ubayy‘s hypocrisy was exposed day by

day. He would sit in the first row at Jum‘uah and when the
Prophet (s) would arrive to relay his sermon, he would stand up
and say, ―O people, the Messenger of Allah is present among you,
by whom Allah has honoured you; therefore, you should listen to
him and listen to what he says and obey him.‖
On one occasion, Abdullah bin Ubayy spoke harshly to the

524
Prophet Muhammad (s) in passing. Prophet Muhammad (s) told
Sa‘d bin Ubadah (ra), one of the main Ansar who helped with the
migration) about this to which Sa‘d said: ―O Messenger of Allah,
don‘t be hard on him, for when Allah sent you to us we were
making a diadem (a crown) to crown him, and, by God, he thinks
that you have robbed him of his kingdom.‖ (Ibn Hisham vol:
II, pp. 237-238)
At the Battle of Uhud, Abdullah bin Ubayy betrayed the Muslims

in one of the worst ways possible. As 1,000 Muslim men
marched towards the battlefield to battle 3,000 Quraysh,
Abdullah bin Ubayy fled with 300 of his followers leaving the
Muslims with only 700 men. A brutal battle ensued, in which the
Prophet Muhammad (s) was not only injured, but the Muslims
were defeated on account of mistakes and confusion. This was
later seen as an obvious learning experience for the Muslims and
provided them with great humbling reprimand from Allah (swt).
After this incident at Uhud, most Muslims came to a complete

realization that Abdullah bin Ubayy and his companions were
certainly hypocrites. This is why at the very next Jumu‘ah
congregation after the battle of Uhud, when Abdullah bin Ubayy
stood up to do his usual ―speech‖ before the Prophet Muhammad
(s) could do his Jumu‘ah khutbah (sermon), the people pulled
him down by his garments saying, ―Sit down you are not worthy
to say such things.‖ Abdullah bin Ubayy had never been
embarrassed like this before and filled with rage he began to
head for the door to leave. At the door some of the Ansar called
out to him saying, ―What are you doing?
Go back and ask the Prophet (s) to pray for your forgiveness.‖ He
retorted, ―I do not want him to pray for my forgiveness.‖ (Ibn
Hisham, vol. III, p. 111)
Sometime later, in 4 AH, the battle of Bani an-Nadir took place.

On this occasion, Abdullah bin Ubayy and his followers
supported the enemies of the Islam even more publicly and
openly. At this time, the Muslims were to be fighting against the
Jewish people who had broken treaties with the Muslims.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, the Munafiqun (hypocrites),
525
some of whom were still hidden amongst the Muslims, secretly
sent messages of allegiance to the Jewish people. They said,
―Stand firm we are with you, if you are attacked, we will help you,
and if you are driven out, we too will go out with you.‖
Besides the fact that that the Munafiqun had already been so
exposed, the Prophet Muhammad (s) still treated them kindly.
The Munafiqun did not have the courage to fight the Muslims
either. They would still pay Zakah, come to the masjid, offer
prayers, and claim that they were good Muslims. They would try
to hide their hypocritical acts and make excuses if they were
caught. They did this because they knew of the consequences of
leaving the majority Muslim population of Madinah altogether.
They would purposely miss opportunities to cause mischief and
chaos in the community, because they knew that many
disadvantages would naturally arise for them if someone figured
out their lies and deception.
When Abdullah bin Ubayy, and like-minded hypocrites, got an

opportunity to accompany the Prophet (s) in his campaign
against the Bani Al- Mustaliq, they engineered two great
mischiefs which could shatter the Muslim unity to pieces.
However, by virtue of the wonderful training in discipline that
the Muslims had received through the pure teaching of the
Qur'an and the companionship of the Prophet (s) both mischiefs
were stopped in time, and the hypocrites themselves were
disgraced instead.
One of these was the mischief that is mentioned in Surah An-

Nur, and the other in this Surah. These incidents are related by
Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed, Nasai, Tirmidhi, Baihaqi, Tabari, Ibn
Marduyah, Abdur Razzaq, lbn Jarir Tabari, Ibn Sa'd and
Muhammad bin Ishaq through many reliable channels.
1. Criticism of hypocrisy.
2. Exhortation of the Believers.

526
Surah Al-Munafiqun is a supplement to Surah Jumàh, the

previous surah. The Surah is about the Hypocrites of Madinah in
which Allah (swt) has exposed all their characteristics. The
character of the hypocrites is evaluated and shown that their real
ailment is their lust for worldly riches. So, it criticizes hypocrisy
and condemns the hypocrites.
At the end, the believers are warned that the love of wealth and
children should not make them indifferent to the remembrance
of the Almighty Allah. They are exhorted to be sincere in their
faith and make charity in order to guard themselves against
unconditional hypocrisy of their heart which may arise due to
Shaitan‘s whispers (waswasa).
Ayats (1 – 8): Hypocrites are such enemies of Islam and Muslims

that even the Rasool's prayer cannot obtain forgiveness for them
Ayats (9 - 11): Let not your riches or children divert you from the
remembrance of Allah (swt), lest you become a real loser.
Virtue of the Surah
Abu Huraira (ra) reported that Allah‘s Messenger (s) said: ―Two
characterstics cannot combine in a hypocrite: good character and
an understanding of religion.‖ [Sunan Tirmidhi (5/49) No.
2684, al-Thiqat Ibn Hibban (8/227) No. 13149, al-
Mu‟jam al-Awsat al-Tabarani (8/75) No. 8010, al-
Madkhal ila al-Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi (pg. 256) No.
357]
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr narrated that the Prophet (s) said, "If anyone
has four characteristics, he is a pure hypocrite, and if anyone has
one of them, he has an aspect of hypocrisy until he gives it up:
whenever he is trusted, he betrays his trust; whenever he speaks,
he lies; when he makes an agreement, he breaks it; and when he
527
quarrels, he deviates from the truth by speaking falsely." [al-
Bukhari (34) and Muslim (58)]
Abu Huraira (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s) said
"The heaviest salat for the hypocrite is that of Isha'a and Fajr and
if they knew what was in them they would have attended them
even if it meant crawling, and I have a strong desire to order the
salat to be established, then order a man to lead the people in
salat then I would go with some men carrying bundles of wood to
a people not attending the salat and burn their houses on them."
[al-Bukhari (657) and Muslim (651)]
On the authority of 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As (ra) that the
Prophet (s) said: "A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and
hands the Muslims are safe; and a Muhajir (Emigrant) is the one
who refrains from what Allah has forbidden." [al-Bukhari (10)
and Muslim (40)]
Abu Hurairah (ra) reported: The Prophet (s) said, "By Allah, he is
not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a
believer." It was asked, "Who is that, O Messenger of Allah?" He
said, "One whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil." [al-
Bukhari (6016) and Muslim (46)]
Another narration of Muslim is: Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,
"He will not enter Jannah whose neighbour is not secure from
his wrongful conduct".
1. Hypocrisy is such a sin against Islam and Muslims that

even the Rasool's prayer cannot obtain forgiveness for
them from Almighty Allah.
2. Eleven characteristics of Hypocrites ---- 1) contradiction

in what they say and do; 2) Lying; 3) swearing; 4) shield of
false oaths; 5) create hindrance from path of Allah; 6)
Pleasing physical appearance; 7) financially sound; 8)
expert in talking but like beams of timber propped-up
against a wall; 9) Coward and timid(guilty conscious); 10)
528
Arrogance and self-pride; 11) constraining others from
donating in way of Allah.
3. Call of Tribal, Racial, Rational or Regional bias is call of

Ignorance.
4. Let not our riches or children divert us from the

remembrance of Allah, lest we become a real loser. ― ‫يَب أَيُّ َهب‬
‫انَّ ِذيٍَ آ َيُُىا ََل تُ ْه ِه ُك ْى أَ ْي َىانُ ُك ْى َو ََل أَ ْو ََل ُد ُك ْى عٍَ ِذ ْك ِز انهَّـ ِه ۚ َو َيٍ يَ ْف َع ْم َٰ َذنِ َك فَأُونَ َٰـئِكَ ُه ُى‬
ِ ‫ ا ْن َخ‬- ‗O you who have believed, let not your wealth
ٌَ‫بسزُو‬
and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah.
And whoever does that - then those are the losers.‘‖ (63:9)
5. Dhikr is a means free oneself from hypocrisy.
6. The best Sadqa (charity) is the one which is done even

when One‘s own self is in need.
7. Miserliness is the sign of Hypocrisy not Faith --- A miserly

person always have the love of wealth in their heart.
529
64. Surah At-Taghabun (Mutual Loss and Gain; The
Deprivation; Mutual Dispossession in Gaining Personal
Benefits)
Concise Tafseer of Surah At-Taghabun In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the ayah 9, "The Day He will
assemble you for the Day of Assembly - that is the Day of
mutual deprivation....." (64:9). The word [mutual
deprivation] is mentioned only here in the Qur'an.
The Surah falls in group of Al-Musahabbihat (those Surahs that

begin with the glorification of Allah (swt) – ‗Subhana‘,
‗Yasabbihu‘). Other Surahs of Mutasabbihat are – Al-Hadid, Al-
Hashr, As-Saff and Al-Jumu‘ah. The Surah has 18 ayats in 2
Ruku‘ (Section).
Muqatil and Kalbi say that it was partly revealed at Makkah and
partly at Madinah. Abdullah bin Abbas (ra) and Ata bin Yasar say
that ayats 1-13 were revealed at Makkah and ayats 14-18 at
Madinah. But the majority of commentators regard the whole of
the Surah as a Madinan Revelation. Although there is no internal
evidence to help determine its exact period of revelation, yet a
study of its subject matter shows that it might probably have
been sent down at an early stage at Madinah. That is why it
partly resembles the Makki Surahs and partly the Madani
Surahs.
1. Allah (swt) created human beings; some among them are

believers and some non-believers. He knows everything.
He sent His Prophets to warn and remind. Remember the
530
Day of Judgment.
2. Believe in Almighty Allah, purify your motives and be

generous in giving for the cause of Allah.
The theme of this Surah is an invitation to the Faith, obedience

of Allah (swt) and the teaching of good morals. The previous
Surah ―Al-Munafiqun‖ was about hypocrisy and the lack of
imaan. It warns about the evil consequences of misdeeds and
about the coming of the Day of Judgment when the real success
or loss will manifest.
The first four ayats of the Surah are addressed to all men; ayats 5
– 10 to those men who do not believe in the invitation of al-
Qur‘an; and ayats 11-18 to those who accept and believe in this
invitation. The believers are urged to be cautious but forgiving of
the enemies they may have within their own families. Muslims
are exhorted to avoid worldly ties and to devote themselves to
God Almighty and are warned to remain steadfast and to spend
in Almighty God‘s cause.
At the end Allah (swt) reminds us that we cannot stay on the

right path unless we make it our responsibility to spread the
knowledge of religion. For this we will need to spend our wealth,
our time, our resources and all the talents and capabilities that
we have been given by Almighty Allah. Also it is not the
responsibility of just one person or a particular institution or
certain people labeled as ―religious‖. No! It is our joint mission;
given to us by Almighty Allah, and each one of us has to
contribute his/her own part in it.
Ayats (1 – 10) To Allah belong the kingdom of heavens and earth,

and He knows all that we conceal and reveal. Surely there will be
life after death, Day of Judgment and reward for good and bad
deeds.
531
Ayats (11 - 18): No affliction can ever befall except by the leave of
Almighty Allah. And among our wives and children there are
some who are our enemies, God Almighty wants us to be aware
of them.
Virtue of the Surah
The Messenger of Allah (s) used to recite al-Musabbihat before

going to sleep, and say: "They contain a verse which is better
than a thousand verses." [Sunan Abu Dawud Book 43,
Hadith 285]
1. To Almighty Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens

and the earth, and He knows all that we conceal and
reveal. Everything in this samawat is created for human
being. God Almighty has given us freedom of choice, sense
and wisdom to use those for the best of our life‘s
individual purposes.
2. Every messenger was human, Allah‘s (swt) proper and

adequate arrangements for guidance of human beings was
through them.
3. Surely there will be life after death, the Day of Judgment

and reward for good and bad deeds.
4. Whoever remains safe from their respective greediness,
will prosper and be successful.
5. No affliction can ever befall anyone except by the leave of

Almighty Allah.
6. Way of getting forgiveness for our shortcomings is by

spending in the way of Almighty Allah.
7. Among our wives and children there are some who would
be our enemies.
532
65. Surah at-Talaq (The Divorce)
Concise Tafseer of Surah At-Talaq In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, "O Prophet,
when you [Muslims] divorce women, divorce them for [the
commencement of] their waiting period and keep count of the
waiting period...." [65:1]. ―At-Talaq‖ is not only the name of the
Surah, it is also the subject matter of the title. Abdullah bin
Mas‘ud (ra) described it as ―Surah an-Nisa al-qura‖ i.e. the
shorter Surah An-Nisa. The Surah has 12 ayats in 2 Ruku‘
(Section).
It is difficult to determine precisely when this Surah was

revealed. However, it appears that when the people started
making errors in understanding the commandments of Surah Al-
Baqarah, and began to commit mistakes, Allah (swt) sent down
these instructions for their correction.
The internal evidence found from the prophet (s) companion

Abdullah bin Masud (ra) points out the subject matter of the
Surah which confirms that it must have been sent down after the
ayats of Surah 2: al-Baqarah (The Cow) in which commandments
concerning divorce were given for the first time.
1. Allah (swt) created human beings; some among them are

believers and some non-believers. He knows everything.
He sent His Prophets to warn and remind. Remember the
Day of Judgment.
2. Believe in Almighty Allah, purify your motives and be

generous in giving for the cause of Allah (swt).
533
This and the following Surah at-Tahrim speak about family rules.
The spouses should follow Allah‘s (swt) rules even they have
disagreement with other. It would be useful to refresh one‘s
memory about the instructions which have been given in the
Qur‘an for the divorce and waiting period (iddat).
"Divorce may be pronounced twice; then the wife may either be
kept back in fairness or allowed to separate in fairness." (Al-
Baqarah: 229)
"And the divorced women (after the pronouncement of the

divorce) must wait for three monthly courses... and their
husbands are fully entitled to take them back (as their wives)
during this waiting period, if they desire reconciliation." (Al-
Baqarah: 228)
"Then, if the husband divorces his wife, she shall not remain
lawful for him after this divorce, unless she marries another
husband..." (Al-Baqarah: 230)
"When you marry the believing women, and then divorce them
before you have touched them, they do not have to fulfill a
waiting period, the completion of which you may demand of
them." (Al-Ahzab: 49)
"And if those of you who die, leave wives behind, the women
should abstain (from marriage) for four months and ten days."
(Al-Baqarah: 234)
In this Surah the proper rules of divorce are given. One must not
just say the words of divorce and separate oneself from his wives,
but give them their rights. In first 7 ayats of the Surah, Allah
(swt) defines the time period of Iddah to be three menstruation
periods, three months if menstruation is not applicable, and in
case of pregnancy it is the delivery of child, after addressing the
topic of divorce and a number of other resulting family issues.
People, who, in spite of their financial difficulties, set out to
observe the limits set by Allah (swt) with a view to please Him,
534
will receive His special help and assistance. Those who do not
observe the limits set by Almighty Allah because of their
ignominy of ignorance only wrong their own souls.
The Surah then strongly urges people to observe Lord Almighty‘s

regulations and guidance, and reminded the fate of earlier
disobedient people that the apostate and disobedient were
chastised for their sin. Then 11th ayah describe the required
attitude of the true believers that they exhort to faith in
messenger and also point to them with a reminder that by
sending towards them a Prophet who has led them to the light of
guidance from the darkness of ignorance. At the end, Almighty
God‘s power and knowledge are emphasized. Those who disobey
Almighty Allah are warned the consequences of their
disobedience.
Ayats (1 – 7): Laws of divorce and Iddat (waiting period) before

the divorce takes effect. Iddat (waiting period) is three
menstruation periods or three months and delivery, in a case of
pregnancy.
Ayats (8 - 12): Rebellion against Almighty Allah's commandment

may bring stern reckoning or exemplary punishment, so one
should fear Lord Almighty and adhere to His laws.
Virtue of the Surah
It is narrated from the Noble Prophet (s) that whoever recites

Surah al-Talaq and acts upon its injunctions will pass away while
following the Prophetic traditions. [Majma„al-Bayan and
other exegetic works]
The Wisdom of Ìddah at the Husband's House
Allah said,
(…….You know not, it may be that Allah will afterward bring
some new thing to pass.) (65:1) meaning, `We commanded that
535
the divorced wife remains in her husband's
House during the Ìddah period, so that the husband might
regret his action and Allah decides that the husband feels in his
heart for the marriage to continue.' This way, returning to his
wife will be easier for him. Az-Zuhri said that Ùbaydullah bin
Àbdullah said that Fatimah bint Qays said about Allah's
statement,
(…….You know not, it may be that Allah will afterward bring
some new thing to pass.) (65:1)"Taking her back.'' Similar was
said by Ash-Sha`bi, Àta', Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Muqatil bin
Hayyan and Ath-Thawri. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
1. No one should be hasty in abiding by the Laws of divorce.

There are blessings in the waiting period and in coming to
any sort of reconciliation. Almighty Allah can cause
something to happen to pave the way for reconciliation
between husband and wife.
2. Iddat (waiting period before the divorce takes effect) is

commanded to be three menstruation periods, three
months if menstruation is not applicable, and in case of
pregnancy it is the delivery of child.
3. Five blessings of Taqwa – 1) A way out of adversities and

difficulties; 2) One needs will be fulfilled through
resources not anticipated; 3) Any tasks will become easy;
4) A medium for expiating one‘s sins; 5)Immense rewards
for God-consciousness.
4. Allah (swt) commands the believers to attend the mother

of the child who got divorced according to their capacity.
One may choose a foster mother to suckle the child after
divorce in dispute. Almighty Allah is Ar-Razzak (The
provider of sustenance), all visible and virtual resources
are in His control only.
5. Rebellion against Almighty Allah's commandment may

536
bring stern reckoning or exemplary punishment, so we
better fear Allah (swt) and adhere to His laws.
537
66. Surah At-Tahrim (The Prohibition; Holding
something to be Forbidden; The Banning)
Concise Tafseer of Surah At-Tahrim In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah is found in the first ayah, "O Prophet, why
do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful for
you..." [66:1] where the word, ―tuharrrimu‖: you forbid – occurs.
Allah (swt) asks the Prophet (s), why he has forbidden himself
something which is lawful in the sight of Almighty Allah. Certain
aspects of the personal and family life of the Prophet
Muhammad (s) are dealt with. The Surah has 12 ayats in 2 Ruku‘
(Section).
According to many it is the last Madani Surah in the order of the

Qur‘an. In connection with the incident of tahrim referred to in
this Surah, the traditions of the Hadith mention two ladies who
were among the wives of the Prophet Muhammad (s) at that
time: Safiyyah (rh) and Mariyah Qibtiyyah (rh). The former (i.e.
Hadrat Safiyyah) was taken to wife by the Prophet (s) after the
conquest of Khaybar, and Khaybar was conquered in 7 AH, as
has been unanimously reported. The other lady, Hadrat Mariyah
had been presented to the Prophet by Muqawqis, the ruler of
Egypt, in 7 AH and she had borne him his son Ibrahim, in Dhil-
Hijjah of 8 AH. These historical events almost precisely
determine that this Surah was sent down some time during 7 AH
or 8 AH.
1. The rules of Allah (swt) are supreme. Save yourselves and

your families from fire.
538
2. Allah (swt) requires true repentance. Salvation is not
based on family or tribal relations but on Iman and
Taqwa.
Surah At-Tahrim tells the spouses not to ignore Allah‘s rules in

their love for each other. It refers to an incident that took place
between the Prophet and his wives. This incident is used to
instruct the Believers to understand the nature of Halal and
Haram and to understand that the success and salvation in the
Hereafter will not be based on family or tribal relations, but
purely on faith in Allah (swt).
The Surah invites the believers to turn to Lord Almighty in

sincere repentance. And mentions the examples of disbelieving
and believing women, to show that even being in close relation to
Prophets, will not save a sinner from the fire of Hell (as the case
of the wives of Prophets - Nuh (a) and Lut (a)); on the other
hand, if one lives righteously, regardless of the circumstances,
one will earn the pleasure of Almighty Allah (as in the case of
Maryam (a) and the wife of Pharaoh).
Ayats (1 - 7): One should not make something unlawful which

Allah (swt) has made lawful and wives of the Prophet (s) were
admonished on their behaviour with him.
Ayats (8 - 12): Believers are told to turn to Almighty Allah in

sincere repentance if they want to be forgiven. Example of the
wives of Nuh (a) and Lut (a) is given, those will go to hell; and
example of Fir‗aun's (Pharaoh) wife and Maryam who will go to
paradise.
Virtue of the Surah
According to a tradition reported in Bukhari by Hadrat

Àbdullah bin 'Umar, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)
539
said: "Each one of you is a herdsman and is accountable with
regard to his herd: the ruler is a herdsman and is accountable
with regard to his subjects; the man is a herdsman of his family
and is accountable with regard to them; and the woman is a
herdsman of her husband's house and his children and is
accountable with regard to them." "Whose fuel...stone" probably
implies coal. Ibn Mas' ud, Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Imam
Muhammad al-Baqir and Suddi say that this will be brimstone.
[Tafhimul Qur‟an]
According to a Prophetic tradition, one who recites the Surah will

be granted the Divine Reward of sincere repentance. [Tafsir
Majma„al-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 311]
The reason behind the revelation of the first ayah of

the Surah At-Tahrim
O Prophet, why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful for
you? Is it to please your wives? Allah is Most Forgiving, Most
Compassionate. (66:1)
Although it has not been mentioned in the Qur‘an as to what it

was that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had made forbidden
upon himself, yet the traditionists and commentators have
mentioned in this regard two different incidents, which
occasioned the revelation of this ayah. One of these relates to
Mariyah Qibtiyyah (Mary, the Copt lady) and the other to his
forbidding upon himself the use of honey.
The incident relating to Mariyah is that after concluding the

peace treaty of Hudaibiyah, one of the letters that the Prophet
(peace be upon him) sent to the rulers of the adjoining countries
was addressed to the Roman Patriarch of Alexandria also, whom
the Arabs called Muqawqis.
When Hatib bin Abi Baltaa took this letter to him, he did not
embrace Islam but received him well, and in reply wrote: I know
that a Prophet is yet to rise, but I think he will appear in Syria.
However, I have treated your messenger with due honour, and
540
am sending two slave-girls to you, who command respect among
the Coptics. (Ibn Saad).
One of those slave-girls was Sirin and the other Mariyah (Mary).
On his way back from Egypt, Hatib presented Islam before both
and they believed. When they came before the Prophet (peace be
upon him), he gave Sirin in the ownership of Hassan bin Thabit
and admitted Mariyah into his own household. In Dhil-Hijjah,
A.H. 8 she gave birth to the Prophet‘s (peace be upon him) son,
Ibrahim. (Al-Istiab; Al-Isabah). This lady was very beautiful.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Al-Isabah has related this saying of Aishah
about her: No woman‘s entry into the Prophet‘s household vexed
me so much as that of Mariyah, because she was very beautiful
and pleased him much. Concerning her the story that has been
narrated in several ways in the Hadith is briefly as follows: One
day the Prophet (peace be upon him) visited the house of Hafsah
when she was not at home. At that time Mariyah came to him
there and stayed with him in seclusion. Hafsah took it very ill
and complained of it bitterly to him. Thereupon, in order to
please her, the Prophet (peace be upon him) vowed that he
would have no conjugal relation with Mariyah in future.
According to some traditions, he forbade Mariyah for himself,

and according to others, he also swore an oath on it. These
traditions have been mostly reported by the immediate
successors of the companions without mentioning any
intermediary link. But some of these have been reported from
Umar, Abdullah bin Abbas and Abu Hurairah also. In view of the
plurality of the methods of narration, Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Fath al-
Bari has expressed the view that there is some truth in the story.
But in none of the six authentic collections of the Hadith has this
story been narrated.
In Nasai only this much has been related from Anas: The Prophet
(peace be upon him) had a slave-girl with whom he had conjugal
relations. Then, Hafsah and Aishah began to point out this to
him repeatedly until he forbade her for himself. There upon,
Allah sent down this verse: O Prophet, why do you make
unlawful that which Allah has made lawful for you.
541
The other incident has been related in Bukhari, Muslim, Abu
Daud, Nasai and several other books of Hadith from Aishah
herself and its purport is as follows: The Prophet (peace be upon
him) usually paid a daily visit to all his wives after the Asr Prayer.
Once it so happened that he began to stay in the house of Zainab
bint-Jahsh longer than usual, for she had received some honey
from somewhere as a gift and the Prophet was very fond of sweet
things; therefore, he would have a drink of honey at her house.
Aishah states that she felt envious of this and spoke to Hafsah,
Saudah and Safiyyah about it and together they decided that
whoever of them was visited by the Prophet, she should say to
him: Your mouth smells of maghafir. Maghafir is a kind of
flower, which gives out an offensive smell, and if the bee obtains
honey from it, it is also tainted by the same odor. They all knew
that the Prophet was a man of very fine taste and he abhorred
that he should emit any kind of unpleasant smell. Therefore, this
device was contrived to stop him from staying in the house of
Zainab and it worked.
When several of his wives told him that his mouth smelt of
maghafir, he made a promise not to use the honey any longer. In
one tradition his words are to the effect: Now, I will never have a
drink from it: I have sworn an oath. In another tradition he only
said: I will never have a drink from it, and there is no mention of
the oath. And in the tradition which Ibn al Mundhir, Ibn Abi
Hatim, Tabarani and Ibn Marduyah have related from Ibn Abbas
the words are to the effect: By God, I will not drink it.
Our eminent scholars regard this second version as correct and

the first as unreliable. Imam Nasai says: About honey the Hadith
reported from Aishah is authentic, and the story of forbidding
Mariyah for himself by the Prophet (peace be upon him) has not
been narrated in a reliable way. Qadi Iyad says: The truth is that
this ayah was sent down concerning honey and not Mariyah.
Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn al- Arabi also regards the story about honey
as correct and the same is the opinion of Imam Nawawi and
Hafiz Badruddiu Aini. Ibn Humam writes in Fath al-Qadir: The
story of the prohibition of honey has been narrated in Bukhari
542
and Muslim from Aishah who was herself a party to it; therefore,
it is much more reliable. Hafiz Ibn Kathir says: The truth is that
this verse was sent down about forbidding honey upon himself
by the Prophet (peace be upon him). [Tafhimul Qur‟an]
1. Do not make something unlawful which Allah (swt) has

made lawful. Allah (swt) is the only one who can make
things Lawful and Unlawful.
2. Wives of the Prophet are admonished on their behaviour

with him. Wife is a guardian of all secrets of her husband.
So, Muslims are advised not to be careless in the matter of
guarding secrets.
3. Believers are commanded to turn to Almighty Allah in

sincere repentance if they want to be forgiven.
4. Example of the wives of Nuh (a) and Lut (a) who will go to
hell and the example of Fir'on's (Pharaoh's) wife and
Maryam who will go to paradise.
543
67. Surah Al-Mulk (The Dominion; The Kingdom; The
Sovereignty of Supreme Power)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Mulk In Summarized Form

Surah al-Mulk takes its name from the first ayah, "Blessed is He
in whose hand is dominion, and He is over all things competent
-" (67:1). The Surah has 2 Ruku‘ (Section) and 30 ayats.
The Surah declares that Amighty Allah has created death and
life, so as to put man to a test to show which of is better in
conduct. It challenges anyone to find a flaw in the Almighty
Lord‘s creation. The misery met by the sinners in Hell, are also
mentioned. The Surah emphasizes that no individual can impose
his/her will on another; he/she may only guide and set an
example (67:26).
The believers are urged to be grateful for all the mercies that
Allah (swt) has bestowed upon them.
It could not be known from any authentic tradition when this

Surah was revealed, but the subject matter and the style indicate
that it is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah.
1. Kingdom of the samawat belongs to Almighty Allah.
2. Humans provisions come of Almighty Allah, if He holds

them for a while who would provide those for human.
544
The Surah talks about the greatness of Almighty Allah and
beautiful samawat that He has created. It reminds people that if
they consider the laws of samawat and travel in the land with
open eyes, they will indeed see that this whole kingdom belongs
to Allah and He controls everything.
People who remain fearful of their Lord in this world shall be

rewarded. All their virtuous deeds are in the knowledge of Allah
and He shall duly honour them. He is the Creator of all and
nothing is hidden from Him. Almighty Allah states that those
who reject warnings of Prophets will be companions of the
Blazing Fire, meaning they will be punished in Hell.
A characteristic of the earliest Surahs of the Makki period is that

they present the entire teachings of Islam and the object of the
Prophet‘s mission, not in detail, but briefly, so that they are
assimilated by the people easily. Moreover, they are particularly
directed to make the people shun heedlessness, to make them
think and to arouse their dormant conscience.
The Almighty Lord has spread humans in this earth and He

Himself shall definitely gather them one day. The Prophet (s) is
told to inform the disbelievers that only Almighty Allah knows
when the Day of Judgment will come and that he himself has no
knowledge of its time of arrival; he has only been sent to warn
them about it and not to inform them about its time of arrival.
However, when the Day does arrive, the faces of the disbelievers
will turn black with gloom. The disbelievers are informed that
they meet their dreadful fate of scourge of Allah (swt).
In conclusion, the people have been asked this question and left
to ponder over it: "If the water which has come out from the
earth at some place in the desert or hill country of Arabia and
upon which depends your whole life activity, should sink and
vanish underground, who beside Allah can restore to you this
life-giving water?"
545
Ayats (1 - 7): Kingdom of the samawat belongs to Almighty Allah.
The lower heaven is decorated with the lamps (stars). A
conversation between the dwellers of hell and her guards is
presented.
Ayats (15 - 30): No one can help men against Almighty Allah. No
one can provide humans sustenance besides Allah (swt). No one
can save us from the punishment of Almighty Lord.
Virtue of the Surah
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard

the Messenger of Allah (s) saying, "There is a Surah in the Qur'an
which contains thirty Ayat which kept interceding for a man until
his sins are forgiven. This Surah is 'Blessed is He in Whose Hand
is the dominion.' (Surat Al-Mulk 67)." [Tirmidhi, 2891; Abu
Dawood, 1400; Ibn Maajah, 3786]
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Humayd

ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf had told him that Surat al-Ikhlas
(Sura 112) was equal to a third of the Qur'an, and that Surat al-
Mulk (Sura 67) pleaded for its owner. [Muwatta Malik: Book
15, Hadith 491]
Ibn Abbas (ra) said that one of the companions of the Prophet (s)
set up his tent over a grave without realising that it was a grave
and it contained a man who was reciting the Surah
Tabarakalladhi Biyadihil Mulk up to the end. He went and told
the Prophet (s) who said, 'It is The Defender; it is The Protector
which safeguards from the punishment of Allah Ta'ala.‘ [Jami
at-Tirmizi: Book 45, Hadith 3133]
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Humayd

ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf had told him that Surat al-Ikhlas
(Sura 112) was equal to a third of the Qur'an, and that Surat al-
mulk (Sura 67) pleaded for its owner.
[Imam Malik's Muwatta Chapter No: 15, The Qur‟an,
Hadith no: 19 Narrated by Imam Malik]
546
It was narrated that ‗Abd-Allah ibn Mas‘ud said: Whoever
reads Tabaarak allaahi bi yadihi‘l-mulk [i.e., Soorat al-Mulk]
every night, Allah will protect him from the torment of the grave.
At the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) we used to call it al-maani‘ah (that which
protects). In the Book of Allah it is a Surah which, whoever
recites it every night has done very well. [Narrated by al-
Nasaa‟i, 6/179; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Targheeb wa‟l-Tarheeb, 1475]
Jabir (ra) said it was the custom of the Prophet (s) not to go to
sleep until he had read Tabarakalladhi Biyadihil Mulk and Alif
Laam Meem Tanzeel. [Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Darami]
1. Allah is He who created seven heavens in layers one on

top of the other. In all of Allah‘s creation we will see no
inconsistency or mistakes. Almighty Lord has asked us to
look for faults in those if we can. The Kingdom of the
samawat belongs to Almighty Allah. Allah (swt) has
everything in His Power and under in His control.
2. God Almighty gave us this cycle of life and death, so that

He may test us to see who amongst us is best in deeds.
Allah has the power to do anything. He is the One who
always forgives sins, so we better ask for forgiveness.
Only in obedience can we find peace and tranquility.
3. Allah (swt) decorated the lower sky with stars and planets
like lamps in the night. We used them to attack the devils
when they come up close and we have prepared for the
devils the punishment of the blazing fire.
4. The dwellers of hell will wish: "Had we only listened to

the call of Islam, we would have not been among the
inmates of hell." They shall confess their sins and their
biggest error was that instead of taking advice they used
to mock those who warned them as the misguided ones.
547
The dwellers of Hell will be far away from divine mercy.
5. On the Final Day of Judgment, Almighty Allah will

assemble all of them before Him to take account of their
deeds. The knowledge of when that Day will be rests with
Lord Almighty alone. Against Allah there is no helper,
nor can save any individual from the punishment of Allah
(swt).
6. The whole Surah Al-Mulk is about changing our

thoughts. Most of us tend to live on autopilot without
much feeling. We forget that each breath comes with His
permission. Each drop of water that we drink is from His
mercy. The question is, are we grateful?
548
68. Surah Al-Qalam (The Pen)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Qalam In Summarized
Form

Surah al-Qalam takes its name from the first ayah, "Nun. By the
pen and what they inscribe," [68:1]. This Surah is also called as
―Nun‖. It has 52 ayats in 2 Ruku‘ (Section)
This too is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah,

but its subject matter shows that it was sent down at the time
when opposition to the Prophet Muhammad (s) had grown very
harsh and tyrannical.
In the chronological order of revelation, this Surah most

probably occupies the third place. Some authorities – among
them Suyuti – incline to the view that it was revealed
immediately after the first five ayats of Surah 96 ("The Germ-
Cell"); this, however, is contradicted by some of the best-
authenticated traditions, according to which most of Surah 74
came second in the order of revelation (see introductory note to
that surah). In any case, "The Pen" is undoubtedly one of the
oldest parts of the Qur'an. [Muhammad Asad – The
Message of The Qur'an 1980]
Surah Al-Qalam forms a pair with Surah Al-Mulk the previous

Surah with regard to the subject discussed in them. In Surah
Mulk, the Quraysh have been warned of the Day of Judgment
while in this Surah they have been warned of the punishment
which a nation necessarily faces in case it denies the Prophet (s)
directly assigned to it.
549
The Surah tells us that the message of the Prophet is not the talk
of a madman. The writings of all scriptures bear testimony to the
truth of this message. The disbelievers are admonished that
wellbeing in the Hereafter inevitably belongs to those who are
God conscious. It is utterly against reason that in the Hereafter,
the obedient servants should meet the same fate as the guilty.
Those who are being called upon to bow before Lord Almighty in
the world and refuse to do so, would not be able to prostrate
themselves on the Day of Resurrection, even if they wanted to do
so, and thus would stand disgraced and condemned. They have
no reasonable ground for opposing the Rasool, they cannot
either make the claim that they know with certainty that he is not
a true Rasool, nor that what he says is false.
The Surah urges people to be charitable and help the poor and
needy. The story of the people of a garden is mentioned who
wished to deny the charity to the poor and they suffered the
consequence in losing everything.
The Surah ends with the story of Prophet Yunus (a). It urges the
Prophet Muhammad (s) and through him his followers to
continue this mission and not to give up in frustration. The
mission of Islam is for the whole world.
Ayats (1 - 33): Almighty Allah has declared Muhammad (s) to be

of the highest moral character. Do not yield to any disbelieving
oath-monger, slanderer or wicked person. What happened to the
arrogant stingy owners of a garden who did not want to pay
charity?
Ayats (34 - 52): Allah (swt) is not going to treat the believers in
the same way as He will treat the guilty. Why don't the
disbelievers understand this? Those who do not believe in Allah's
revelations are led step by step towards destruction.
Virtue of the Surah

550
Prophet Muhammad (s) said that one who recites the Surah Nun
wa ‘l-Qalam shall be granted the Divine Rewards in store for
those who possess moral nobilities. [Tafsir Nur al-Thiqalayn,
vol. 5, p. 387]
Alqamah ibn Waqqas and Al-Aswad ibn Yazid said: A man came
to Ibn Mas'ud. He said: I recite the mufassal Surahs in one
rak'ah. You might recite it quickly as one recites ayah (poetry)
quickly, or as the dried dates fall down (from the tree). But the
Prophet (pbuh) used to recite two equal Surahs in one rak'ah; he
would recite (for instance) Surahs an-Najm (53) and ar-Rahman
(55) in one rak'ah, Surahs Iqtarabat (54) and al-Haqqah (69) in
one rak'ah, Surahs at-Tur (52) and adh-Dhariyat (51) in one
rak'ah, Surahs al-Waqi'ah (56) and Nun (68) in one rak'ah,
Surahs al-Ma'arij (70) and an-Nazi'at (79) in one rak'ah, Surahs
al-Mutaffifin (83) and Abasa (80) in one rak'ah, Surahs al-
Muddaththir (74) and al-Muzzammil (73) in one rak'ah, Surahs
al-Insan (76) and al-Qiyamah (75) in one rak'ah, Surahs an-
Naba' (78) and al-Mursalat (77) in one rak'ah, and Surahs ad-
Dukhan (44) and at-Takwir (81) in one rak'ah. [Narrated Ibn
Mas'ud: Abu Dawud said: This is the arrangement of
Ibn Mas'ud himself. Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 1396
In-book: Book 6, Hadith 26 English translation: Book 6,
Hadith 1391]
'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As (ra) said that Abu Sa‗id al-Khudri
Narrated: the Messenger of Allah said, "dajjal (the Antichrist)
will appear in my Ummah and he will stay in the world for forty.
I do not know whether this will be forty days or forty months or
forty years. Allah will then send (Prophet) 'Isa (Jesus), son of
Maryam (Mary).
'Isa will pursue him and slaughter him. Then people will survive
for seven years (i.e., after the demise of 'Isa) in the state that
there will be no rancour between two persons. Then Allah will
send a cool breeze from the side of Ash-Sham. None will remain
upon the face of the earth having the smallest particle of good or
Faith in him but he will die, so much so that even if someone
amongst you will enter the innermost part of a mountain, this
551
breeze will reach that place also and will cause him to die.
Only the wicked people will survive and they will be as fast as
birds (i.e., to commit evil) and as ferocious towards one another
as wild beasts. They will never appreciate the good, nor condemn
evil. Then Shaitan will come to them in the garb of a man and
will say: 'Will you not obey me?' They will say: 'What do you
order us to do?' He will command them to worship idols. They
will have abundance of sustenance and will lead comfortable
lives. Then the Trumpet will be blown.
Every one hearing it, will turn his neck towards it and will raise
it. The first one to hear that Trumpet will be a man who will be
busy repairing the basin for his camels. He will become
unconscious. Allah will send, or will cause to send, rain which
will be like dew and there will grow out of it (like wild growth)
the bodies of the people. Then the second Trumpet will be blown
and they will stand up and begin to look around. Then it will be
said: 'O people! Go to your Rubb.' Then there will be a command:
'Make them stand there.' After it they will be called to account.
Then it will be said: 'Separate from them the share of the Fire.' It
will be asked: 'How much?' It will be said: 'Nine hundred and
ninety-nine out of every thousand.' That will be the Day which
will make children hoary-headed men because of its terror and
that will be the Day when the Shin will be uncovered." [Muslim
Book 19, Hadith 3 Arabic/English book reference : Book
19, Hadith 1810]
Narrated Abu Sa‗id al-Khudri: We said, "O Allah's Messenger (s)!

Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?" He said, "Do
you have any difficulty in seeing the sun and the moon when the
sky is clear?" We said, "No." He said, "So you will have no
difficulty in seeing your Lord on that Day as you have no
difficulty in seeing the sun and the moon (in a clear sky)."
...When there remain only those who used to worship Allah
(solely), both the obedient ones and the mischievous ones, it will
be said to them, 'What keeps you here when all the people have
gone?' They will say, 'We parted with them (in the world) when
we were in greater need of them than we are today, we heard the
552
call of one proclaiming, 'Let every nation follow what they used
to worship,' and now we are waiting for our Lord.' Then the
Almighty will come to them in a shape other than the one which
they saw the first time, and He will say, 'I am your Lord,' and
they will say, 'You are not our Lord.' And none will speak: to Him
then but the Prophets, and then it will be said to them, 'Do you
know any sign by which you can recognize Him?' They will say.
The Shin,' and so Allah will then uncover His Shin whereupon
every believer will prostrate before Him and there will remain
those who used to prostrate before Him just for showing off and
for gaining good reputation. These people will try to prostrate
but their backs will be rigid like one piece of a wood (and they
will not be able to prostrate). Then the bridge will be laid across
Hell.... [Sahih al-Bukhari 7439 In-book reference: Book
97, Hadith 65 USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 9,
Book 93, Hadith 532 (deprecated numbering scheme)]
1. Allah (swt) has declared Muhammad (s) as the highest

moral character and, he was told not to care about any
disbelieving oath monger, slanderer and wicked person.
2. Allah Almighty swears by the pen, highlighting the

importance of knowledge and writing. (68:1)
3. Example of the arrogant stingy owners of a garden who
did not want to pay charity and as a result, their garden
was destroyed.
4. Allah (swt) is not going to treat the believers like He will

treat the guilty ones.
5. Those who do not believe in Almighty Allah's revelations

are led step by step towards destruction.
6. Allah (swt) challenged the disbelievers that if there is no

next life, or that the disbelievers will be successful in the
next life, then they better produce their evidence or proof
that this is true.
553
7. Exhortation of patience to the Prophet (s) by reminding
him of Yunus (a) [Jonah] – the companion of the Whale
(saahib-il Hoot). He became a little bit impatient for the
help of Almighty Allah, so he rushed a little bit.
554
69. Surah Al-Haqqah (The Manifest Reality; The
Inevitable Reality; The Event of Truth; The Sure Truth)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Haqqah In Summarized
Form

The Surah takes its name from the first Ayah, ‫" اٌحالة‬The
Inevitable Reality -" [69:1] the word refers to the Day of
Judgment as the inevitable event. This word appears in the first
three ayats of the Surah. The Surah gives a powerful description
of the Day of Judgment, and declares that, on that Day, everyone
would be exposed, for what they had done, and dealt with
accordingly. The Surah has 52 ayats in 2 Ruku‘ (Section)
This Surah is also one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed at

Makkah. Its subject matter shows that it was sent down at the
time when opposition to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)
had started but had not yet become tyrannical.
Musnad Ahmad contains a tradition from Umar (ra), saying:

"Before embracing Islam one day I came out of my house with a
view to causing trouble to the Prophet (s), but he had entered the
Masjid al-Haram before me. When I arrived I found that he was
reciting Surah Al-Haaqqah in the Prayer. I stood behind him and
listened. As he recited the Qur‘an I wondered at its literary
charm and beauty. Then suddenly an idea came to my mind that
he must be a poet as the Quraysh alleged. Just at that moment he
recited the words: "This is the Word of an honorable Messenger:
it is not the word of a poet." I said to myself: Then, he must be a
soothsayer, if not a poet.
Thereupon be recited the words: "Nor is it the word of a

soothsayer: little it is that you reflect. It is a Revelation from the
555
Lord and Sustainer of the worlds. On hearing this Islam entered
deep into my heart." This tradition of Umar (ra) shows that this
Surah had been sent down long before his acceptance of Islam,
for even after this event he did not believe for a long time, and he
continued to be influenced in favour of Islam by different
incidents from time to time, till at last in the house of his own
sister he came by the experience that made him surrender and
submit to the Faith completely.
This word, Haaqqah, means something which proves the

absolute truth; and something which is definitely going to
happen. Hence it refers to the Day of Judgment. Although it is
our belief that one day we will all be standing before Allah (swt)
to get the result of our deeds.
The Surah tells about the fate of Thamud, 'Ad, Pharaoh, other
overthrown towns, the flood that came in the time of Prophet
Nuh (a).
Then, the Surah talks about the reward of the faithful and the
punishment of disbelievers. At the end it reminds the people that
this message is not poetry of a poet and something made up by
the Prophet (s) himself, it is the revelation of the Lord of the
worlds.
Ayats (1 - 18): Description of the Day of Resurrection and of the

Day of Judgment. Righteous people and their reward and, Sinful
people and their punishment are included.
Ayats (38 - 52): The Qur'an is the word of Almighty Allah and not
of the Prophet, and is a reminder for those who fear Allah (swt).
Virtue of the Surah
It is narrated from the Noble Prophet Muhammad (s) as saying

556
that one who recites Surah al-Haqqa, the burden of his sins shall
be lessened. [Tafsir Majma„ al-Bayan, under the blessed
Surah in question]
1. Description of the Day of Resurrection and the Day of

Judgment. All men shall appear in the court of their Rabb
where no secret of theirs shall remain hidden and each
man's record will be placed in his hand.
2. Righteous people who had worked righteously in the
world and provided beforehand for their well-being in the
Hereafter, will rejoice when they see that they have been
acquitted and blessed with the eternal bliss of paradise.
3. Sinful people who neither recognized the rights of
Almighty Allah, nor discharged the rights of men, will
have no one to save them from the punishment of Allah,
and they will be cast into hell.
4. Al-Qur'an is the word of Almighty Allah and not of the
Prophet, and that it is a reminder for those who fear Allah
(swt). Some people claimed that the Prophet (s) had
himself written the Qur‘an. But Almighty Allah says that
even if the Prophet (s) had added some of the content
from his own choice, then Allah (swt) would have put a
stop to it grabbing him by his right hand.
557
70. Surah Al Ma‟arij (The Ascending Stairways; The
Ascending Steps; The Ways of Ascent)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al Ma‟arij In Summarized
Form

The Surah takes its name from the 3rd Aya, "[It is] from Allah,
owner of the ways of ascent." [70:3], this word appears twice in
the Qur‘an. The Surah provides a vivid description of the Day of
Judgment. Any attempt by the disbeliever, to redeem himself or
herself from the sufferings of that Day, will be in vain. The Surah
has 44 ayats and 2 Ruku (Section).
Abdullah Yusuf Ali says ―Chronologically it belongs to the late

early middle Makkan period, possibly soon after Surah 69) Al-
Haqqah.‖ Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi in his Tafsir work Tafhim al-
Qur'an writes: ―The subject matter bears evidence that this Surah
too was sent down in conditions closely resembling those under
which Surah Al Haqqah was sent down‖. There is a tradition
recorded by Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal when Umar ibn Khattab
(ra) told that he heard Muhammad (s) reciting Surah Al-
Haaqqah in Masjid al-Haram. Umar ibn Khattab accepted Islam
in 616 AD so the Surah Al-Ma'arij thus appears to reveal before
616 AD. Israr Ahmed, Islamic theologian and philosopher from
Pakistan, holds the opinion that this Surah was revealed in the
5th or 6th year of revelation and cites Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and
Abdul-Qadir Gilani in reference.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali a scholar who translated the Qur‘an in

English for the first time - introduces the Surah as ―This is
another Surah of Islamic Eschatology closely connected in
558
subject matter with the last one, ―Surah Al-Haqqah‖. Patience
and the mystery of Time will show the ways that climb the
Heaven. Sin and Goodness must each eventually come to its
own.‖
The central theme of Surah Ma‗arij is to warn those among the

Quraysh of their fate who are making fun of the consequences of
denying the warning of the Qur‘an about the Day of Judgment.
The disbelievers of Quraysh challenged the Prophet Muhammad
(s) to cause Resurrection with which he threatened them to take
place. If what he said was true them they had become worthy of
the punishment in Hell by denying it. The whole Surah is meant
to answer this denial.
The word Al-Ma‘arij has been translated as ―The Ascending

Stairways‖. It brings to my mind the image of stairs rising
towards the sky and people climbing on different levels of faith
and goodness. We are in a sort of race against time to accumulate
as many good deeds as we can. But all our life our focus remains
on the exterior actions, while the root of goodness lies in the
heart.
This Surah contains 2 Ruku‘s. The contents of the first Ruku‘

states that the Day of Judgment will be equal to fifty thousand
years and disbelievers will wish to save themselves from the
punishment at the expense of their children, wives, brothers and
relatives, but it will not happen.
The second Ruku‘ starts from ayah 36 and continues uptill the
end of the surah and it states that the Paradise is not for the
disbelievers and Disbelievers will have downcast eyes and
countenances distorted with shame.
Ayats (1 - 35): The Day of Judgment will be equal to fifty

thousand years and the disbelievers will wish to save themselves
from the punishment at the expense of their children, wives,
brothers and relatives, but it will not happen.
559
Ayats (36 - 44): Paradise is not for the disbelievers. The
disbelievers will have downcast eyes and countenances distorted
with shame.
Virtue of the Surah
It is narrated from the Noble Prophet Muhammad (s) that

whoever recites the Sura Sa‘ala Sa‘il [namely, the chapter in
question], God Almighty will grant him the Rewards of those
who keep their covenants as well as those who are attentive
toward the establishment of their ritual prayers. [Tafsir
Majma„ al-Bayan, the opening Ayats of the Surah]
1. The Day of Judgment will be equal to fifty thousand years.

2. Disbelievers will wish to save themselves from the
punishment at the expense of their children, wives,
brothers and relatives, but it will not happen.
3. Paradise is not for the disbelievers.
4. Disbelievers will have downcast eyes and countenances
distorted with shame.
560
71. Surah Nuh (Noah)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Nuh In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the very first Ayah, "Indeed,
We sent Noah to his people, [saying], "Warn your people before
there comes to them a painful punishment." [71:1] devotes to
describing the call of Prophet Nuh, to his people, and the
ultimate drowning of those who were heedless to his call. The
story of Nuh (a) has been discussed from the beginning to the
end. The Surah has 28 ayats in 2 Ruku‘ (Section).
This also is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah,

but the internal evidence of its subject matter shows that it was
sent down in the period when opposition to the Prophet
Muhammad's (s) message of Islam by the disbelievers of Makkah
had grown very strong and active.
According to the Tanzil version, it was the seventy-first Surah

revealed. It was revealed after the sixteenth Surah, An-Nahl
(―The Bee‖) and before the fourteenth Surah Ibrahim.
Surah Nuh refers to prophethood of Nuh‘s (a) in snippets. Nuh

(a) was a messenger of God Almighty. The people of Nuh (a)
were the first nation who introduced shirk (worshiping besides
Allah swt). These people spread corruption and were unjust. Nuh
(a) (a) could have just warned them and his job would have been
done. But he (a) truly cared for his people and tried his utmost
for 950 years, approaching them gently and patiently to teach
them well and yet majority scoffed at him.
When Nuh (a) realized the messages were not accepted by the
561
community, he supplicated to Almighty God. Allah (swt) planned
to flood the community of Nuh (a) at a specified time. So, Lord
Almighty commanded Nuh (a) to warn the people of the flood.
Allah (swt) brings forth the water from the skies to prove Nuh‘s
(a) message to be accurate.
In the Qur‘an, the flood is a symbolization of the mercy of God

Almighty to the believers. Almighty God gives the world a new
beginning. The disbelievers disbelieved Almighty Lord's message
and messenger Nuh (a) so they were drowned. The lives of
Muhammad (s) and Nuh (a) are parallel to each other for the
time of the revelation of this Surah, both the people were unable
to grasp the idea of the existence of one God Almighty.
Ayats (1 - 20): 1 The Prophet Nuh's (a) preaching and submission

to Allah after exhausting all his efforts.
Ayats (20 - 28): The Prophet Nuh's (a) prayer not to leave any
unbeliever on the surface of the earth and Allah granted his wish.
Virtue of the Surah
It is narrated from the Noble Prophet Muhammad (s) as saying:

"One who recites Surah Nuh shall be ranked amongst the
believers enwrapped by the light of Prophet Noah‘s Call."
[Tafsir Majma„ al-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 359]
The Story of Nuh (Noah) - Ibn Kathir
He was Noah ibn Lamik ibn Mitoshilkh ibn Enoch ibn Yard ibn
Mahlabil ibn Qinan ibn Anoush ibn Seth ibn 'Adam, the Father of
Mankind 'alayhis-salam.
According to the history of the People of the Book (this refers to

the Jews, and Christians, so called by Allah because they received
revealed Books - the Tawrah, Zabur and Injil. These names are
translated Torah, Psalms, and Gospels respectively, but the
Books that are extent are corrupt. Of the revealed Books,only
562
the Qur'an remains exactly as it was revealed), the period
between the birth of Noah and the death of 'Adam was 146 years.
[According to Genesis 5 (new Revised Standard Version], Noah
was born one hundred and twenty six years after the death of
'Adam. Ibn 'Abbas narrated that the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, "The period between 'Adam and
Noah was ten centuries." [Sahih al-Bukhari] Noah was born 1056
years after 'Adam's creation (or after he left the Garden of Eden).
Thus, this hadith does not contradict the previous statement
from the People of the Book as it may first appear to do. The
reader should keep in mind, however that any statement or
narratives taken from the People of the Book are not necessarily
credible. This was taken from Genesis 5.
For many generations Noah's people had been worshipping

statues that they called gods. They believed that these gods
would bring them good, protect them from evil and provide all
their needs. They gave their idols names such as Waddan,
Suwa'an, Yaghuthah, Ya'augah, and Nasran. These idols
represented, respectively, manly power; mutability, beauty; brute
strength, swiftness, sharp sight, insight according to the power
they thought these gods possessed.
Ibn 'Abbas explained, "Following upon the death of those

righteous men, Satan inspired their people to erect statues in the
places where they used to sit. They did this, but these statues
were not worshiped until the coming generations deviated from
the right way of life. Then they worshipped them as their idols."
In his version, Ibn Jarir narrated, "There were righteous people

who lived in the period between 'Adam and Noah and who had
followers who held them as models. After their death, their
friends who used to emulate them said: 'If we make statues of
them, it will be more pleasing to us in our worship and will
remind us of them.' So they built statues of them, and after they
had died and others came after them, Iblis crept into their minds
saying: 'Your forefathers used to worship them, and through that
worship they got rain.' So they worshipped them."
563
Ibn Abi Hatim related this story, "Waddan was a righteous man
who was loved by his people. When he died, they withdrew to his
grave in the land of Babylonia and were overwhelmed by
sadness. When Iblis saw their sorrow caused by his death, he
disguised himself in the form of a man saying: 'I have seen your
sorrow because of this man's death; can I make a statue like him
which could be put in your meeting place to make you remember
him?' They said: 'Yes.'
It was narrated that 'Umm Salamah and 'Umm Habibah told

Allah's Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam about
the church called Maria which they had seen in the land of
Abyssinia. They described its beauty and the pictures therein. He
said, "Those are the people who build places of worship on the
grave of every dead man who was righteous and then make
therein those pictures. Those are the worst of creation unto
Allah." [Sahih al-Bukhari]
Into this environment Allah sent Noah with His message to his
people. Noah was the only intellectual not caught in the
whirlpool of man's destruction which was caused by polytheism.
According to Islam, he was a prophet, sent to warn mankind of
that region and his people to change their ways. He conveyed the
message for over 950 years.
The people listened to him in silence. His words were a shock to

their stagnating minds as it is a shock to a person who is asleep
under a wall which is about to fall and who is vigorously
awakened. This person may be alarmed and may even become
angry although the aim was to save him.
Noah's people were divided into two groups after his warning.
His words touched the hearts of the weak, the poor, and the
miserable and soothed their wounds with its mercy. As for the
rich, the strong, the mighty and the rulers they looked upon the
warning with cold distrust. They believed they would be better
off if things stayed as they were. Therefore they started their war
of words against Noah.
Noah continued appealing to his people to believe in Allah hour

564
after hour, day after day year after year. He admonished his
people and called them to Allah day and night, in secret and
openly. He gave them examples, explained Allah's signs and
illustrated Allah's ability in the formation of His creatures. But
whenever he called them to Allah, they ran away from him.
Whenever he urged them to ask Allah to forgive them, they put
their fingers in their ears and became too proud to listen to the
truth.
It happened that every passing generation admonished the

succeeding one not to believe Noah and to wage war against him.
The father used to teach his child about the matter that was
between himself and Noah and counsel him to reject his call
when he reached adulthood. Their natural disposition rejected
believing and following the truth.
For Muslims, Noah was married to a woman whose name is not

mentioned in the Quran. Some Islamic historians such as Al-
Tabari have suggested that the name of Noah's wife was Umzrah
bint Barakil but this cannot be confirmed. Most Muslims simply
call her by her biblical name Naamah.
Noah saw that the number of believers was not increasing, while
that of the disbelivers was. He was sad for his people, but he
never reached the point of despair. There came a day when Allah
revealed to Noah that no others would believe. Allah inspired
him not to grieve for them at which point Noah prayed that the
disbelivers be destroyed. He said:
"My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelivers on the earth. If you
leave them, they will mislead Your slaves and they will beget
none but wicked disbelivers." [Al-Qur'an 71:27]
Allah accepted Noah's prayer. The case was closed, and He

passed His judgment on the disbelivers in the form of a flood.
Allah the Exalted ordered His worshipper Noah to build an ark
with His knowledge and instructions and with the help of angels.
Almighty Allah commanded:
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"And construct the ship under Our Eyes and with Our
Inspiration and address Me not on behalf of those who did
wrong; they are surely to be drowned." [Al-Qur'an 11:37]
Islamic scholars agree that Noah had four sons whose names
were Ham, Shem, Yam and Japheth. According to the Quran, one
of Noah's sons was a disbeliever who refused to come aboard the
Ark, instead preferring to climb a mountain, where he drowned.
It is agreed among most Islamic scholars that Yam was the one
who drowned; the other three remained believers.
The Qur‘an states that Noah's wife was not a believer with him so
she did not join him; neither did one of Noah's sons (Yam), who
was secretly a disbeliever but had pretended faith in front of
Noah. The sons of Noah are not expressly mentioned in the
Qur'an, except for the fact that one of the sons was among the
people who did not follow his own father, not among the
believers and thus was washed away in the flood.
Also the Qur'an indicates a great calamity, enough to have
destroyed Noah's people, but to have saved him and his
generations to come.
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As narrated that the Prophet

Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, "When the death of
the Messenger of Allah Noah approached, he admonished his
sons, 'Indeed I would give you far reaching advice, commanding
you to do 2 things, and warning you against doing 2 things as
well. I charge you to believe that there is no god but Allah and
that if the seven heavens and the seven
earths were put on one side of a scale and the words 'there is no
god but Allah' were put on the other, the latter would outweigh
the former. I warn you against associating partners with Allah
and against pride." [Sahih al-Bukhari]
Some traditions said that his grave is in the Scared Mosque in

Makkah, while others said that he was buried in Balabak, a city
in Iraq. [Courtesy: Wikipedia &
https://en.islamway.net/article/20963/the-story-of-
nuh-noah-ibn-kathir]
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1. The Prophet Nuh's (a) preaching and submission to

Almighty Allah after exhausting all his efforts.
2. The Prophet Nuh's (a) prayer not to leave any unbeliever
on the surface of the earth and Almighty Allah granted his
prayer.
3. Giving Dawah night and day. Sunnah of Nuh (a) is to try
your best even if one has to go an extra mile. A job
becomes well done when quality is preferred over
quantity. It all gets yield out from the positive attitude of a
person‘s endeavour while being patient in every step of
the task.
4. The benefits in this world and after-life for seeking
Istighfar [forgiveness]: the showering of torrents from
heaven, wealth and children, gardens and rivers
5. The Prophet Nuh (a) is the second father of all humanity,
as it was from his lineage that all men descended from
after the flood.
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72. Surah Al Jinn (The Jinn)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Jinn In Summarized Form

The name Surah appears in the first Ayah, "Say, [O Muhammad],

"It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and
said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an." [72:1]
The Surah is all about the Jinns, who are also created by Allah,
according to this Surah, like mankind. There are righteous and
wicked, among them. The Jinn are spiritual beings invisible to
the naked human eye. In the Qur‘an, it is stated that humans are
created from the earth and jinn from smokeless fire. The Surah
This Surah was revealed during the early stages of the prophet's
residence at Makkah. According to a hadith narrated in the
books of Bukhari and Muslim, - on the authority of Abdullah ibn
Abbas (ra), once the Prophet was going to visit the fair of Ukaz
with some of his companions. On the way he led the fajr
(morning) prayer at Nakhlah. At that time a company of the Jinn
happened to pass that way. When they heard the Qur‘an being
recited, they stopped and listened to it attentively. This very
event has been described in this Surah.
The Jinn‘s hearing the Qur‘an during the journey to Ta‘if has
been related in Surah al-Ahqaf ( ayats 29-32) which had taken
place three years before the Hijrah in the 10th year of the
Prophethood. They were already believers in the Prophet Musa
(a) and the previous scriptures. On the contrary, ayats 2-7 of this
Surah clearly show that the Jinn who heard the Qur‘an on this
occasion were polytheists and deniers of the Hereafter and
Prophethood.
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In the last Surah we read about Prophet Nuh (a) who spent
almost a thousand years trying to convince people of the oneness
of Allah (swt), but they could not see the truth in all that time.
Here in Surah Al-Jinn, Almighty Allah tells us a completely
different story in which Prophet Muhammad (S) was reciting
Qur‘an during Salah and a group of Jinn was passing by. So they
stopped to listen to this beautiful recitation and immediately
recognized its truth and beauty.
Surah Jinn forms a pair with Surah Nuh the preceding surah
with regard to the subject discussed in them. Surah Nuh depicts
the warning of the Qur'an and its consequences by narrating the
account of the people of the Prophet Nuh (a), while Surah Jinn
verifies that depiction of warning by presenting the testimony of
the jinn folk on the authenticity of the Qur'an.
We all know that Jinn have a limited intelligence as compared to

man. Even then they comprehended something which is at times
not even grasped by highly intellectual people. It means that
mere intelligence is not enough to recognize the truth, but we
need the true desire to reach the most authentic and most perfect
thing.
The central theme of this Surah is to authenticate the Qur'an and

its message before the Quraysh by the testimony of the jinn and
to inform them that the punishment which they are demanding
from the Prophet (s) is something whose time of arrival is only
known to the Almighty Allah. The Prophets of Lord Almighty do
not come to disclose this time; they only come to communicate
the message of the Lord Almighty. Instead of asking for this
punishment, the Quraysh should ask for His benevolence.
In conclusion, Almighty Allah tells us that He is the only Knower

of the unseen. The messenger (s) receives only that knowledge
he‘s been provided by the Lord Almighty. This knowledge
pertains to matters connected with the duties of Prophethood
and it is delivered to him securely without any external
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interference whatsoever, from Jinns or anything else.
Ayats (1 - 15): A beautiful speech of the jinns who embraced

Islam after hearing the Qur'an. Jinns also have different religions
and sects, among jinns there are some Muslims and some
deviators from the Truth.
Ayats (16 - 28): Masjids are built for the worship of Almighty
Allah, so invoke no one else besides Him. The Rasools do not
have the power to harm or benefit anyone, their mission is just to
convey Allah's (swt) message. Only Almighty Allah knows the
unseen, He reveals it to whom He chooses from the Rasools.
Virtue of the Surah
It has been narrated from the Prophet (prayers of Allah be upon

him and his family) that: ―He who recites this Surah (Suratul
Jinn) will be given the reward of freeing (from slavery) as
many Jinn and Devils that both believed in and belied
Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny).‖
[Tafsir Majma` Al-Bayan, Volume 10, Page 365]
Reciting Al-Kursi ayah (2. Al-Baqarah: 255) provides

also a strong protection against the Jinn
Abu Hurairah (a companion of Muhammad) said: ―The Prophet

Muhammad put me in charge of guarding compulsory charity
collected in the month of Ramadan. Somebody came and began
to take away some food-stuff from it. I caught him and said, ‗I
must take you to the Prophet of God.‘ He replied, ‗I am a needy
man with a large family, and so I have a pressing need.‘ So I let
him go. When I saw the Prophet next morning, he asked me, ‗O
Abu Hurairah! What did your captive do last night?‘ I said, ‗O
Prophet of God! He complained of a pressing need and a big
family. I felt pity for him and I let him go.‘ The prophet said, ‗He
told you a lie and he will return.‘ I was sure according to the
saying of the Prophet that he would return. I waited for him.
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He sneaked up again and began to steal food-stuff from the
charity. I caught him and said, ‗I must take you to the Prophet.‘
He replied, ‗Let go of me, I am a needy man. I have to bear the
expenses of a big family. I will not come back.‘ So I took pity on
him and let him go. I went at dawn to the Prophet who asked
me, ‗O Abu Hurairah! What did your captive do last night?‘ I
replied, ‗O Prophet of God! He complained of a pressing need
and the burden of a big family. I took pity on him and so I let
him go.‘ The Prophet replied, ‗He told you a lie and he will
return.‘ (That man) came again to steal the food-stuff. I arrested
him and said, ‗I must take you to the Prophet of God, and this is
the last of three times. You promised that you would not come
again but you did.‘ He replied, ‗Let go of me, and I shall teach
you some words with which God may benefit you.‘ I asked, ‗what
are those words?‘ He replied, ‗When you go to bed, recite Al-
Kursi verse (Quran 2:255), for there will be a guardian appointed
over you from God, and no devil will be able to approach you till
morning.‘ So I let him go. Next morning the Prophet of God
asked me, ‗What did your prisoner do last night.‘ I answered, ‗He
promised to teach me some words which he claimed will benefit
me before God. So I let him go.‘ The Prophet asked, ‗What are
those words that he taught you?‘ I said, ‗He told me: When you
go to bed, recite Al-Kursi verse from the beginning to the end
and that by reciting it, there will be a guardian appointed over
you from God who will protect you during the night, and no devil
will be able to come near you until morning.‘ The Prophet said,
‗Verily, he has told you the truth though he is a liar. O Abu
Hurairah! Do you know with whom you were speaking for the
last three nights?‘ I said, ‗No.‘ The prophet replied, ‗That was a
devil.‘‖ [Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari]
The World of Jinn and Its Secrets
The Qur‘an and Sunnah indicate that jinn exist, and that there is
a purpose for their existence in this life, which is to worship Allah
Alone with no partner or associate. Allah Almighty says: “And I
(Allah) created not the jinns and humans, except they
should worship Me (Alone).”(Adh-Dhariyat: 56)
Scholars are in disagreement over the difference between jinn

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and demons. Some of them say that the word jinn goes far to
encompass the jinn as well as the demons. The word also
includes believing and unbelieving jinn. Allah Almighty
says,“And among us there are righteous folk and among
us there are far from that. We are sects having different
rules.”(Al-Jinn: 11) “And there are among us some who
have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us
some who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to
Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully.”(Al-
Jinn: 14)
However, the word demon or shaytan is used to refer to the

unbelieving ones among the jinn. Allah Almighty says, “…and
the devil was ever an ingrate to his Lord.” (Al-Isra‘: 27)
The world of the jinn is an independent and separate world with
its own distinct nature and features that are hidden from the
world of humans. Jinns and humans have things in common,
such as the ability to understand and choose between good and
evil. The word jinn come from the Arabic root meaning ―hidden
from sight‖. Allah Almighty says: “… Verily he (shaytan) and
his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe see you from
where you cannot see them…” (Al-A`raf: 27)
Allah has told us in His Book the essence from which the jinn
were created. He says: “And the jinn, We created aforetime
from the smokeless flame o fire.”(Al-Hijr : 27) À‘ishah
(may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) said: “The angels were created from
light, the jinn were created from fire, and Adam was
created from that which has been described to
you.”(Reported by Muslim)
Types of jinn
Allah has created different types of jinn. Among them are some
who can take on different forms such as dogs and snakes; some
who are like flying winds with wings; and some who can travel
and rest. Abu Tha`labah al-Khushni says that the Prophet (peace
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and blessings be upon him) says: “The jinn are of three
types: a type that has wings and they fly through the air;
a type that looks like snakes and dogs; and a type that
stops for a rest then resumes its journey.”(Reported by
At-Tahawi in Mushkil Al-‘Athar)
The jinn and the sons of Adam
Every individual among the sons of Adam has a jinn who has
been appointed to be his constant companion (qarin). Ibn
Masùd reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) says: ―The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) says: „There is not one of you who does not
have a jinn appointed to be his constant companion.
‗They said, ‗And you too, O Messenger of Allah?‘ He said, „Me
too, but Allah has helped me and he has submitted, so
that he only helps me to do good.‟‖ (Reported by Muslim)
Their powers
Allah has given jinn powers that he has not given to humans.
Allah has told us about some of their powers such as the ability to
move and travel quickly. One of the jinn guaranteed to Prophet
Sulayman (Solomon, peace and blessings be upon him) that he
would bring the throne of the Queen of Yemen to Jerusalem in a
moment, faster than the time needed for someone to get up from
where he was sitting. Allah Almighty says: “A stalwart of the
Jinn said: I will bring it thee before thou canst rise from
thy place. Lo! I verily am strong and trusty for such
work. One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture
said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto
thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon
said) This is of the bounty of my Lord. That He may try
me whether I give thanks or I am ungrateful.
Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the
good of) his own soul: and whosoever is ungrateful (is
ungrateful only to his own soul‟s hurt). For lo! My Lord
is Absolute in independence, Bountiful.”(An-Naml: 39-
40)
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The food and drink of jinn
Ibn Masùd reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be

upon him) says: “There came to me an inviter on behalf of
the Jinn and I went along with him and recited to them
the Qur‟an. ―He (the narrator) said: The Prophet then went
along with us and showed us their traces and traces of their
embers. The Jinn asked the Prophet about their provision and he
said: “Every bone on which the name of Allah is recited
is your provision. The time it will fall in your hand it
would be covered with flesh, and (you can have) all the
droppings as food for your animals. ―The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “So do not use
(these things) for cleaning yourselves (after relieving
oneself), for they are the food and provision of your
brothers (Jinn).”(Reported by Muslim)
The believing jinn may eat any bone on which the name of Allah
has been mentioned, because the Messenger (peace and
blessings be upon him) did not permit them to have anything on
which Allah‘s Name has not been mentioned – those are for the
unbelieving jinn.
The beasts of the jinn
According to the Hadith reported by Ibn Masùd, that we have

quoted above, the jinn asked the Messenger (peace and blessings
be upon him) for provision, and he said to
them:“…and (you can have) all the droppings as food for
your animals.”
The dwelling-places of the jinn
The jinn live where we do live on this earth. They are mostly to
be found in ruins and unclean places like bathrooms, dunghills,
garbage dumps and graveyards. Hence the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) taught us to take precautions when
entering such places, by reciting the adhkar (mentioning Allah‘s
Name) prescribed by Islam.
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One of these are reported by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be
pleased with him) who says: ―When the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings be upon him) entered the toilet, he would
say, „Allahumma inni aùdhu bika min al-khubuthi wal-
khaba‟ith (O Allah, I seek Refuge with You from all
offensive and wicked things [evil deeds and evil
spirits]).‟‖
Some jinns are Muslims and some are non-Muslims
Allah tells us that some of the jinn said “And there are among
us some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are
among us some who are unjust. And whoso hath
surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path
purposefully.” (Al-Jinn: 14)
Protection from harm of jinn
Because jinn can see us while we cannot see them, the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) taught us many ways to
protect ourselves from their harm. They are seeking refuge of
Allah from the accursed shaytan, reciting surat Al-Falaq and
Surat An-Nas, and reciting the words taught by Allah in the
Qur‘an. Allah Almighty says, “And say: My Lord! I seek
refuge in Thee from suggestions of the evil ones. And I
seek refuge in Thee, my Lord, lest they be present with
me.”(Al-Mu‘minun: 97-98)
Saying Bismillah(in the Name of Allah) before entering one‘s

home, eating or drinking, and having intercourse will keep
Shaitan from entering the house or partaking with a person in
his food, drink and sexual activity. Similarly, mentioning the
name of Allah before entering the toilet or taking off one‘s
clothes will prevent the jinn from seeing a person in a state of
undress or harming him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of be
upon him) says: “To put a barrier that will prevent the
jinn from seeing theàwrah of the sons of Adam, let any
one of you say „Bismillah‟ when entering the
toilet.”(Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
575
Strength of faith and religion in general will also prevent jinn
from harming a person, so much so that if they were to fight, the
one who has faith would win. Ibn Masùd (may Allah be pleased
with him) says:
―A man from among the Companions of Muhammad met a man

from among the jinn. They wrestled, and the human knocked
down the jinn. The human said to him, ‗You look small and
skinny to me, and your forearms look like the front paws of a
dog. Do all the jinn look like this, or only you?‘ He said, ‗No, by
Allah, among them I am strong, but let us wrestle again, and if
you defeat me I will teach you something that will do you good.‘
The human said, ‗Fine.‘ He said,
‗Recite (the ayah):“Allah! There is no God save Him, the
Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep over
taketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the
heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that
intercedes with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that
which is in front of them and that which is behind them,
while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save
what He will. His throne includes the heavens and the
earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is
the Sublime, the Tremendous.” (Al-Baqarah: 255) The
human said, ‗Fine.‘ He said, ‗You will never recite this in your
house but the shaytan will come out of it like a donkey breaking
wind, and he will never come back in until the next morning.‘‖
(Reported by Ad-Darami)
[Courtesy: https://archive.islamonline.net/?p=643]
1. A beautiful speech of the jinn who embraced Islam after

hearing the Qur'an. Jinn also have different religions and
sects; there are some Muslims and some deviators from
the truth.
2. The reality of Jinn. The jinn have their own objective
576
existence and are a concealed creation of an entirely
different species from man. Because of their mysterious
qualities, ignorant people have formed exaggerated
notions and concepts about them and their powers, and
have even worshipped them, but the Qur‘an has explained
the whole truth about them, which shows what they are
and what they are not.
3. Masjids are built for the worship of Almighty Allah, so
invoke no one else besides Him. Allah (swt) and Prophet
Muhammad (s) taught Muslims how to protect themselves
from the harm of evil jinn. When one keeps a close
relationship with Allah (swt), read the Qur‘an on daily
basis and practice Zikr or being in conscious
remembrance of Almighty Allah every day.
4. This Surah shows that even jinn reject the claims of Iblees,
who tries his best to confuse people. He causes people and
jinn to disbelieve in Allah and to worship false gods and
idols. The shayateen encourage others to commit terrible
kufr and shirk and to believe blatant lie.
5. Rasools do not have the power to harm or benefit anyone,
his mission is just to convey Allah's message.
6. Only Allah knows the unseen, He reveals it to whom He
chooses from the Rasools.
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73. Surah Al-Muzzammil (The Folded Garments; The
One Who is Covered Up; The Enshrouded One; The One
Wrapped Up)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Muzzammil In
Summarized Form

This Surah takes its name from the first Ayat, ‫ " يا أيها‬O you
who wraps himself [in clothing]," [73:1]. Al-Muzzammil takes
its name from the reference to the prophet Muhammad (s), in his
cloak praying at night. ―The Enfolded One‖ is a name for
Muhammad (s) used throughout the Qur'an.
Its main theme is to urge the believers to spend the later portion
of the night, in prayer and reading the Qur‘an. Such prayers,
though not compulsory, will definitely be well rewarded, in the
Hereafter. This Surah has 20 ayats in 2 Ruku‘ (Section)
The two sections of this Surah were revealed in two separate

periods. The first section - ayats 1-19, was unanimously a Makki
revelation. This is supported both by its subject matter and by
the traditions of the Hadith. This section was revealed at a time
when the Prophet Muhammad (s) had openly started preaching
Islam and the opposition to him at Makkah had grown active and
strong.
The second section, ayah 20, although according many of the

commentators was revealed at Makkah, yet some other
commentators regard it as a Madani Revelation, and this same
opinion is confirmed by the subject matter of this section. For it
mentions fighting in the way of Allah, and obviously, there could
be no question of it at Makkah; it also contains the Command to
pay the obligatory zakat, and it is fully confirmed that the zakat
at a specific rate and with an exemption limit (nisab) was
578
enjoined at Madinah.
In the beginning of the Surah, Allah (swt) expounds upon the

merits of night prayer. Along with the beloved rasul Muhammad
(s) - the Muslim community is commanded to ―stay up
throughout the night, all but a small part of it, half, or a little less
or a little more; recite the Qur‘an slowly and distinctly.‖ During
the First Makki Period, the total Qur'anic revelation was brief
enough to recite during the night. As such, it was expected of
Muslims to recite the Qur'an in full during the night. The night
prayer was of such importance, because the believer‘s focus on
prayer and separation from any distraction was believed to
―make a deeper impression‖ on the believer.
However, as time passed, the Qur'an continued to grow, and by

the time ayah 20 was revealed, the Qur'an was too long to fully
recite during the night. Consequently, Allah relaxes his prior
command to recite the Qur'an at night. This is the subject matter
of the first section. According to a tradition from Sa'id bin Jubair
(ra), was sent down ten years later, and in it the initial Command
given in connection with the Tahajjud Prayer, in the beginning of
the first section, was curtailed.
The new Command enjoined us to offer as much of the Tahajjud

Prayer as we easily can, but what the Muslims should particularly
mind and attend to is the five times obligatory
Prayer a day, they should establish it regularly and punctually
they should discharge their zakat dues accurately; and they
should spend their wealth with sincere intentions for the sake of
Almighty Allah. The real source of everything is Allah (swt) and
the only way to peace and happiness is to put our trust in Him
and turn to Him with love and humility.
The prophet (s) was then instructed to be patient for the

disbelievers will be punished in Hell, as exemplified by a story of
Pharaoh‘s punishment. Whatever good one works do in the
world will not go waste, but they are like the provision which a
579
traveler sends up in advance to his perpetual place of residence
in the Hereafter.
Ayats (1 - 19): Almighty Allah ordered the Prophet (s) not to

stand in prayer the whole night. Those who oppose the Prophet
(s) will be treated with heavy fetters and blazing fire. The Qur'an
is a reminder for those who seek to find the Right Way.
Ayats (20): Allah (swt) has told us in this section to read the
Qur'an as much as you easily can. Whatever you spend in the way
of Almighty Allah, you will find it in the Hereafter.
Virtue of the Surah
Narrated Ibn Masud: Alqamah and al-Aswad said: A man came

to Ibn Masud. He said: I recite the mufassal surahs in one rak'ah.
You might recite it quickly as one recites verse (poetry) quickly,
or as the dried dates fall down (from the tree).
But the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬used to recite two equal Surahs in one

rak'ah; he would recite (for instance) Surahs an-Najm (53) and
ar-Rahman (55) in one rak'ah, Surahs Iqtarabat (54) and al-
Haqqah (69) in one rak'ah, Surahs at-Tur (52) and adh-Dhariyat
(51) in one rak'ah, Surahs al-Waqi'ah (56) and Nun
(68) in one rak'ah, Surahs al-Ma'arij (70) and an-Nazi'at (79)
in one rak'ah, Surahs al-Mutaffifin (83) and Abasa (80) in one
rak'ah, Surahs al-Muddaththir (74) and al-Muzzammil (73) in
one rak'ah, Surahs al-Insan (76) and al-Qiyamah (75) in one
rak'ah, Surahs an-Naba' (78) and al-Mursalat (77) in one rak'ah,
and Surahs ad-Dukhan (44) and at-Takwir (81) in one rak'ah.
Abu Dawud said: This is the arrangement of Ibn Masud himself.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 1396]
Allah‘s Prophet (s) said: Allah removes poverty from the reciter
of this surah and along with this he will give him the reward of
freeing slaves equal to number of jinns and devils(satans)
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present in this world. [Tafseer Burhaan]
And the Prophet of Allah (s) said: Whoever reads Surah

Muzammil during troubles, ALLAH will eliminate troubles from
him. [Tafseer Al kishaaf]
Difference Between Tahajjud and Qiyam Prayers
The Qiyam and Tahajjud Prayers are the same prayer with
different names. Tahajjud and Qiyam are the same thing, namely
optional night prayer. However, the only difference appears
when these two names are used during Ramadan. The prayer
after Ìsha‘ Prayer is referred to as Qiyam (or, more
commonly,Tarawih), while spending the night in worship (after
some sleep) is called Tahajjud. Both names have been used in the
Qur‘an. Referring to Qiyam, the Qur‘an uses the phrase qum al-
layl when Almighty Allah says: “O thou wrapped up in thy
raiment! Keep vigil the night long (qum al-layl), save a
little, a half thereof, or abate a little thereof, or add (a
little) thereto and chant the Qur‟an in measure…” (Al-
Muzzammil: 1-4)
Using the verb fatahajjad, a derivative from the root hajada
(meaning to keep vigil), Allah says: “And some part of the
night awake for it (fatahajjad), a largess for thee. It may
be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised estate.”(Al-
Isra‘: 79)
This ayah means to get up and perform Tahajjud Prayer.

Tahajjud refers to getting up after sleeping and performing
optional night prayer. Since this optional night prayer is most
probably performed after sleeping for some time, it is named
Tahajjud, though the original name of night prayer is Qiyam,
which literally means standing. It is also said that Tahajjud is
prayer after sleeping, while Qiyam refers to spending the night in
worship in general, whether it is Prayer (salah) or any other
form of worship. [Courtesy:
https://archive.islamonline.net/?p=699]

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1. Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) said, "[Recitation of the Qur'an in
Tahajjud] is more suitable for pondering over the Qur'an
and understanding it." In this Surah Allah (swt)
commanded Prophet Muhammad (s) to get up and
prepare himself for this great mission so he stood up for
night prayer , it was required on prophet to strengthen his
heart for what was coming up next.
2. Allah (swt) ordered the Prophet not to stand in prayer the
whole night. This is the voluntary night prayer, whose
time extends after the Isha prayer (the last of the five
obligatory prayers, whose time extends from the
disappearance of the reddish light in the sky until the
middle of the night) until dawn. This prayer of standing at
night is called in Arabic as Qiyam al-Layl.
3. The Ummah of Prophet (s) has the blessing the blessings
of Remembering Almighty Allah through this Noble Book
of Qur‘an just by reciting it with understanding. The
Qur‘an should be recited with a slow rhythmic tone
(tarteel). It doesn‘t mean we should sing the Qur‘an by
shortening or stretching the words. One should better
recite it according to the rules of tajweed imitates the
recitation of Muhammad (s) and his companions. The
Qur'an is a reminder for those who want to find the Right
Way.
4. Those who oppose the Prophet (s) will be treated with
heavy fetters and blazing fire. The disbelievers Quraysh
were told that they were facing a Messenger [our beloved
Prophet (s)] like the Pharaoh faced one [Musa (a)] in their
time. The Pharaoh did not accept the invitation of the
Messenger of Allah so get drowned in the ocean. How
would they save themselves from the punishment for
disbelief on the Day of Resurrection! Allah (swt)
compared the terror of the Day of Judgment will turn
children grey haired
582
5. Allah (swt) advises the believers to establish prayer, give
zakah which is a goodly advance work which reach to
Almighty Allah as a credit for them. Whatever one spends
in the way of Almighty Allah, he/she will find it in the
Hereafter.
583
74. Surah Al-Muddaththir (The Cloaked One; The
Enveloped One; The Man Wearing a Cloak; The One
Wrapping Himself Up)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Muddaththir In
Summarized Form

This Surah takes its name from the first Ayat, ‫أيها يا‬ "O you
who covers himself [with a garment]," [74:1]. The title refers
to the Holy Prophet, enveloped in his garment, and the Surah
commands him to spread the Message to others. The Surah
outlines all the fundamental concepts of the Quran, and focuses
on the great responsibility of the Prophet, and through him, all
his followers, to warn people of the hereafter. Surah Al-
Muddaththir has 56 ayats on 2 Ruku‘ (Section).
Most Qur‘anic historians agree that this Surah was part of the
early Makki revelations. The first seven ayats of this Surah
belong to the earliest period at Makkah. Even according to some
traditions which have been related in Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi,
Musnad Ahmad, etc., on the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah (ra),
these are the very earliest ayats of the Qur‘an to be revealed to
the Prophet (s). Many well-known authors‘ chronologies place
Surah al-Muddaththir as the second Surah revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad (s) including Ibn Kathir citing the hadith:
―Jabir ibn Abd Allah told, I heard the Messenger of Allah – and
he was narrating about the pause in Revelation – so he said in
his narration: ―I was walking, when I heard a voice from the
heavens. So I raised my head, and there was an angel, the one
that had come to me at Hira, sitting upon a chair between the
heavens and the earth. I fled from him out of fear, and I returned
and said: ‗Wrap me up! Wrap me up! So they covered me.‖ Then
Allah, Most High revealed: ‗O you who are wrapped up! Arise
584
and warn.‘ Up to His saying: ‗And keep away from the Rujz!‘
before the Salat was made obligatory.‖
Muslim Ummah almost unanimously agreed that the earliest

revelation to the Prophet (s) consisted of the first five ayats of
Surah Al-Alaq (Surah no.96). However, what is established by
authentic traditions is that after this first Revelation, no
Revelation came down to the Prophet (s) for quite some time.
Then, when it was resumed, it started with theme verses of Surah
Al- Muddaththir. The rest of the Surah (ayats 8-56) was revealed
when the first Hajj season came after public preaching of Islam
had begun in Makkah. This has been fully well described in the
Surah by Ibn Hishan.
As has been explained above, the earliest Revelation to the

Prophet Muhammad (s) consisted of the first five ayats of Surah
Al-Alaq, where Allah (swt) said: "Read (O Prophet), in the name
of your Lord, Who created: created man from a clot of congealed
blood. Read: and your Lord is Most Generous, Who taught
knowledge by the pen, taught man what he did not know."
Allah (swt) in the first seven ayats of Surah Al-Mudaththir says:

"You, wrapped in your cloak, arise and give warning! Proclaim
the greatness of your Lord; cleanse yourself; keep away from all
filth; do not be overwhelmed and weaken; be steadfast in your
Lord‘s cause" [Surah Al-Muddaththir 74:1-7]
When we carefully study the contents of the Surah Al-Alaq and

Surah Surah Mudaththir it illustrates that the first one was
linked to the beginning of the prophetic mission and this Surah
was related to the period when the prophet (s) was started
functioning his mission apparently and his period of
concealment was over and finished. Hence, the Surah Al-
Muddaththir was descended in the period when the prophet (s)
started publicly and apparently inviting the people towards the
Islam.
585
On the other, the previous Surah Al-Muzzammil and this one
Surah Muddaththir form a pair with regard to their subject-
matter. The first Surah directs the Prophet (s) to prepare himself
for bearing the burden of a heavy responsibility, while the second
one explains this responsibility after the warning of the first
phase of his preaching mission. He should now launch the next
phase of open warning to his people in public.
From ayah 32 onwards Surah Al-Muddaththir uses the tangible,

accessible physical world as proof that the devastation which
awaits the unbelievers will be equally real. The disbelievers used
to indulge in vain talk about it. An assertion of the fact that since
these disbelievers are overcome by the false claim that they have
knowledge of everything; they will make fun of this description
and say that such statements are of no use. The truth of the
matter is that this description is based on the wisdom of the
Almighty. Those who have the desire for the truth are benefitting
from it, while those who inspite of their ignorant claim of 'to
know everything' will get entangled in an attitude which shall
ruin their fate.
Lord Almighty says He alone has the power to forgive the one
who adopts piety and an attitude of God consciousness - even
though one may have committed many acts of disobedience in
the past. Only the 'Ashaab-ul-Yameen' will be declared as the
victors; they shall live comfortably in Paradise and from there
inquire from those who would be put in Hell as to what led them
to it. In reply, the dwellers of Hell would openly confess the
crimes which led them to their state of affliction.
In the conclusion, Allah (swt) tells us that He does not stand in

need of anybody's faith in any conditions. The Qur‘an is an
admonition that has been presented before the people openly;
now whoever wills may accept it. Almighty Allah has a right that
the people should fear His disobedience.
Ayats (1 – 31): Instructions to the Prophet (s) for cleanliness and

586
patience. The Day of Judgment will be very difficult, especially
for those who deny Almighty Allah's revelations and oppose His
cause.
Ayats (32 - 56): Actions which lead to hellfire are: Not offering
Salah, not feeding the poor, wasting time in vain talk and
denying the Day of Judgment.
Virtue of the Surah
The ḥumur and qaswarah
Ayats 50 and 51 refer to a scene of ḥumur (Arabic: ‫ح ّ ر‬, 'asses' or

'donkeys') fleeing from a qaswarah (Arabic: ‫ل س ة‬, 'lion', 'beast of
prey' or 'hunter'). The wild ass that inhabited the Arabian
Peninsula was of the Syrian subspecies. The lion that inhabited
this region, at least the sandy deserts north of the southern
region, would have been the Arabian population of the Asiatic
lion (Panthera leo leo). A reference to the lion in the region of
Pilgrimage is in a hadith:-
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Umar ibn
al- Khattab told people to kill snakes in the Haram.
Malik said, about the "wild dogs" which people were told to kill
in the Haram, that any animals that wounded, attacked, or
terrorised men, such as lions, leopards, Iynxes and wolves, were
counted as"wild dogs." However, someone who was in ihram
should not kill beasts of prey that did not attack (people), such as
hyenas, foxes, cats and anything else like them, and if he did then
he had to pay a forfeit for it.
Similarly, someone in ihram should not kill any predatory birds
except the kinds that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, specified, namely crows and kites. If someone in
ihram killed any other kind of bird he had to pay a forfeit for it.
[Muwatta‟ Imam Malik, Book 20 (Hajj), Hadith 794]
Nowadays, neither the ass nor lion inhabit the wilderness of the
peninsula.

587
1. The first few ayats of the Surah serves to alert the Prophet
(s) to a changing environment from which he is charged
with saving mankind: Arise, and give warning (74:2). So,
the Prophet (s) instructed to observe cleanliness and
patience to prepare him for the revelation of the rest of the
message.
2. The fact that the Day of Judgment will be very difficult
especially for those who deny Allah's revelations and
oppose His cause.
3. Saqar (scorching fire of Hell) has 19 angels which is
guarding the hell. By describing the trial of the soul in
Saqar, Almighty emphasizes the vital need for mankind to
fear and glorify Him. There will be no intercession for
them; once they rejected God‘s word, their eternal souls
were doomed.
4. Taqwa of Allah can be obtained by doing Istighfar – which
Purifies the inner and outer self of a person.
5. Actions which lead to the hellfire are: Not offering Salah,
not feeding the poor, wasting time in vain talk and
denying the Day of Judgment.
588
75. Surah Al-Qiyamah (The Resurrection; The Rising of
the Dead)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Qiyamah In Summarized
Form

The word, ―Al-Qiyamah‖ appears in the first ayah, "I swear by the
Day of Resurrection" [75:1]. The Surah is a very strong
reminder of the Day of Resurrection. The Surah stresses the
seriousness of this life and our responsibility for our actions.
Man‘s heedlessness of the Day of Resurrection, is deplored, and
asserts that the Creator, who originally created us from nothing,
indeed has the power to raise the dead to life. The Surah has 2
Ruku‘ (Section) and 40 ayats.
Although there is no tradition to indicate its period of revelation,

yet there is in the subject matter of this Surah an internal
evidence, which shows that it is one of the earliest Surahs to be
sent down at Makkah.
Most of the Surahs, from here till the end of the Qur'an, in view
of their content and style, seem to have been sent down in the
period when after the first seven ayats of Surah Al-Muddaththir,
revelation of the Qur'an began like a shower of rain. Thus, in the
successively revealed Surahs Islam and its fundamental concepts
and moral teachings were presented so forcefully and effectively
in pithy, brief sentences and the people of Makkah warned so
vehemently on their errors and deviations that the Quraysh
chiefs were utterly confounded. Therefore, before the next Hajj
season came they held the conference for devising schemes to
defeat the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) as has been
mentioned in the Introduction to the Surah Al-Muddaththir.
589
According to the name of the Surah its discussions have rotated
around the axis of the troubles of the Resurrection Day, except
some ayats which mentioned about the Qur‘an, the liars and the
definitions regarding the Judgment Day, altogether revolve
around these four 4 subjects:-
1) The issue about the strange and extremely horrible

catastrophe and devastation which happens at the end of
the worldly life and in the beginning of Judgment Day.
2) The descriptions about the conditions of the people
with the virtues deeds and the people with the immoral
conducts.
3) The topic concerning the confused and disturbed
moments of the death and the transfer from this world to
the hereafter.
4) The discussion regarding the creation of man and his
connection with the Judgment Day.
It is evident from this discussion that the greater Day of

Judgment has a reflection in every human being in the form of
his conscience and reproaching soul which can be termed as a
lesser Day of Judgment. In other words, if a person does some
evil, he does not do it in hiding; he does so at the very doors of
the divine court of justice before a divine judge. No one should
remain under the misconception that the Almighty will let people
go scot-free. Everyone will have to face the agony of death, and in
this state of helplessness will have to take the journey towards
his Lord.
At the same time, the people have been warned of the event of
the Day of Judgment (Al-Qiyamah), the occurrence of which they
deny will inevitably come. All their deeds will be brought and
placed before them. As a matter of fact, even before any of they
sees their record, they will know fully well what they have done
in the dunya.
This Surah is such a powerful reminder that whatever excuses I

have to put the interests of this life ahead of the hereafter, all
590
those reasons, logics, and excuses are as baseless, as weak, and as
foolish as the disbelief in resurrection.
Ayats (1 – 30): Human should be aware of the Day of

Resurrection and Judgment, from which there is no escape. Allah
Himself took the responsibility of the Qur'an. The last moments
of disbeliever's death has been depicted here on this section.
Ayats (31- 40): The disbelievers don‘t believe because they never
took their faith (Islam) seriously.
Virtue of the Surah
Musa b. Abi ‗A‘ishah (ra) said‘ ―A man used to pray on the roof of
his house. When he recited the ayah ―Is not He able to bring the
dead to life?‖ (75:40), he would say:‖Glory be to You, then, why
not?‖ They asked him about it, and he replied: ―I heard it from
the Messenger of Allah (s)‖. Abu Dawud said: Ahmad (b. Hanbal)
said: It is pleasing to me that one should recite in the obligatory
prayer those supplications which have occurred in the Quran.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 884]
Narrated Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (s) said:
When one of you recites ―By the fig and the olive‖ (Surah 95) and
comes to its end ―Is not Allah the best judge?‖ (95:8), he should
say: ―Certainly, and I am one of those who testify to that.‖ When
one recites ―I swear by the Day of Resurrection‖ (Surah 75) and
comes to ―Is not that one able to raise the dead to life? (75:40),
he should say: ―Certainly.‖ And when one recites ―By those that
are sent‖ (Surah 77), and comes to ―Then in what message after
that will they believe?‖ (77:50), he should say: ―We believe in
Allah.‖
The narrator Isma‘il (ibn Umayyah) said: I beg to repeat (this

tradition) before the Bedouin (who reported this tradition) so
that I might see whether he (was mistaken). He said: My
nephew, do you think that I did not remember it? I performed
591
sixty hajj (pilgrimages); there is no hajj but I recognize the came
on which I performed it. [Sunan Abi Dawud 887]
Narrated Ibn Àbbas (ra) (As regards) Allah‘s Statement:

―Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur‘an) to make haste
therewith.‖ (75:16) When Gabriel revealed the Divine Inspiration
in Allah‘s Messenger (s), the Prophet moved his tongue and lips,
and that state used to be very hard for him, and that movement
indicated that revelation was taking place. So Allah revealed in
Surat Al-Qiyama which begins: ‗I do swear by the Day of
Resurrection…‘ (Surah 75) the ayats: ‗Move not your tongue
concerning (the Qur‘an) to make haste therewith. It is for Us to
collect it (Qur‘an) in your mind, and give you the ability to recite
it by heart. (75:16-17)
Ibn Àbbas added: It is for Us to collect it (Qur‘an) (in your

mind), and give you the ability to recite it by heart means, ―When
We reveal it, listen. Then it is for Us to explain it,‖ means, ‗It is
for us to explain it through your tongue.‘
So whenever Gabriel came to Allah‘s Messenger (s) ‗he would
keep quiet (and listen), and when the Angel left, the Prophet (s)
would recite that revelation as Allah promised him. [Sahih al-
Bukhari Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 451]
Ibn Abbas narrated (ra) Allah‘s Messenger (s) said, ―Whosoever

recites Surah Al- Waqi‘ah every night will be protected from
poverty and need. Whosoever recited Surah Al-Qiyamah every
night, will come before Allah on the Day of Judgment and his
face will be shining like the moon of the fourteenth night‖.
[Kanz al-Ummal]
1. Three types of nafs – 1) Ammara: one who gives orders ;

2) Lawwamah: self-reproaching nafs; 3) Mutmainnah:
contented nafs. Reasons for denying the hereafter:
Temptations of the nafs, not being able to see beyond this
life.
592
2. Qur‘an was revealed to the Prophet on his heart. Prophet
Muhammad (s) was very anxious to memorize and repeat
the ayats as quickly as possible because they came once
and he was illiterate so he couldn‘t preserve them, but
Allah (swt) tells him (s) not to worry, that He will make
sure that the Prophet (s) would remember. Almighty Allah
Himself took the responsibility of preserving the Qur'an.
3. People love this fleeting life and are heedless of the
Hereafter. On the Day of Judgment, some faces will be
radiant and beaming, turned towards their Lord, looking
at indescribable beauty. Others, however, will look
dreadful and despairing, anticipating something
devastating to befall them.
4. The last moments of disbeliever's death. They will be in
such great pain their legs would get locked out torment
and wind around one another.
5. Do some people really think that they will not be returned
to the Creator for judgment? Humankind will not be left
to wander about without purpose. Each person began as a
drop of sperm, changed into a clinging clot (mass of cells)
that God Almighty proportioned and shaped and made
into one or other of the two sexes, male or female.
6. In this life the disbeliever denies the truth, fails to pray,
and then turns away, walking back to his people with
arrogance and conceit. Some people refuse to do anything
other than deny the truth. They do not fear God Almighty
or prepare for the inevitable; instead, they indulge in
sinful behavior not even bothering to conceal their
arrogance.
593
76. Surah Ad-Dahr (Age; Era; Endless Time; The
Epoch), also known as Al-Insan (Man; Human; The
One)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Insan In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah both ―Ad-Dhar‖ and ―Al-Insan‖ appear in

the first ayah, "Has there [not] come upon man a period of
time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?" [76:1].
Another name of the Surah include Hal Ata, "Has There Not
Come", after the first two words in the first ayah.The Surah deals
with the contrast between those who chose good and those who
opt for evil, and what is in store for them in the Hereafter.
Believers are urged to pray and glorify the Almighty. He Surah
has 31 yats in 2 Ruku‘ (Section).
A little study at the subject matter and style of the Surah

propounds that it was revealed at the early stage of Prophet‘s (s)
Makki life, the revelation began just after the revelation of the 1st
seven ayats of Surah ―Al-Muddaththir‖ (The Cloaked One).
Most of the commentators, including Allama Zamakhshari,

Imam Razi, Qadi, Baidawi, Allama Nizam ad-Din Nisaburi, Hafiz
Ibn Kathir and many others regard ―Surah Al-Insan‖ as a Makki
Surah. According to Allam Alusi, the same is the opinion of the
majority of scholars. However, some commentators hold the
view that the Surah was revealed at Madinah, and some others
say that it was revealed at Makkah but ayats 8-10 of it were sent
down at Madinah.
This Surah is the counterpart of Surah Al-Qiyamah, the previous

Surah. It begins with the very subject on which the previous
594
Surah had ended. The central theme of both the Surahs is the
same; however, the nature of arguments and methodology of
discussion are different in both.
In this Surah, first of all humans has been reminded that there
was a time when they were nothing – which is an allusion to an
obvious reality regarding the creation of humans that a period
has passed over them when they were a non-entity. Almighty
Lord has created them from a drop of fluid, and after making this
drop pass through various phases fashioned it into a being. Later
they would be able to hear and understand the reality with their
god given senses in gradual process.
Surah Al-Insan gives the glad tidings of Paradise and all that
awaits therein for those who choose the right path, being grateful
to their Lord and following His Command until they depart from
this world successful. This Surah also directs men to a truth they
cannot forget - their successes and the endless rewards of
Paradise are achieved only by the grace and mercy of their Lord,
so one must take the way to Almighty Allah.
In conclusion, the overall rule of the will of Almighty Allah has

been stated while at the same time attesting to the mankind‘s
freedom of choice. God Almighty has a definite law as per which
He guides people; only those people will pay heed to His
warnings who according to this law will be worthy of it; those
who will not be worthy of it and will remain adamant on their
disbelief, will become the fuel of Hell. Every act of the Almighty
is governed by His knowledge and wisdom. The opponents of the
Prophet (s) were provided with this warning - it is for them to
benefit from it or to reject it.
Ayats (1 – 22): The samawat was there before mankind existed,

then Almighty Allah created man, provided him with guidance
and gave him free will; either to believe or to disbelieve. From
ayah 13 to 22 description of an exemplary life in paradise has
been given for those who choose to believe.
595
Ayats (23 - 31): Almighty Allah sent this Qur'an gradually
according to the issues faced by mankind. This is an admonition
for those who want to adopt the way to their Rabb.
Virtue of the Surah
Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬used to recite the following in the Fajr prayer
of Jumu‘ah, "Alif, Lam, Mim, Tanzil" (Suratas- Sajda #32) and
"Hal-ata-ala-l-Insani" (i.e. Surah-Ad-Dahr #76). [Sahih al-
1. The samawat was there before mankind existed, then

Almighty Allah created man, provided him with guidance
and let him use his free will: either to believe or to
disbelieve.
2. The Sources of Guidance: Nature, Conscience, Signs in the
Samawat and the Prophets
3. An exemplary life in paradise for those who choose to
believe.
4. Allah (swt) gradually sent this Qur'an according to the
issues faced by mankind
5. This Qur'an is an admonition for those who want to adopt
the way to their Rabb.
596
77. Surah Al-Mursalat (Those Sent Forth; The Winds
Which Are Sent Forth; The Emissaries)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Mursalat In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first Ayah, "By those
[winds] sent forth in gusts" [77:1]. The Surah gives a
description of the Day of Judgement, and the life of the
Hereafter, for the disbelievers, and the righteous.
In the previous Surah it was mentioned how the Believers receive

the moral and spiritual perfection, now in this Surah it is
mentioned how the rejecters of the truth have their downfall and
how they are destroyed.
This Surah was revealed in the early period during the Prophet's
(s) life at Makkah. If this Surah is read together with the two
Surahs preceding it, namely Al-Qiyamah and Ad-Dahr, and the
two Surahs following it, namely An-Naba and An-Nazi'at, it
becomes obvious that all these Surahs are the revelations of the
same period, and they deal with one and the same theme, which
has been impressed on the people of Makkah in different ways.
Abdullah ibn Masud was a ṣaḥabi or companion of Muhammad

(s), and an early convert to Islam, narrates that this surah was
revealed while he was in a cave at Mina with the Prophet (s) and
records an incident of a snake leaping on them while both
remained safe. [Al-Bukhari Fath Al-Bari 4:42]
The subject matter of the Surah revolves around resurrection and

hereafter, reward and punishment for deeds, judgment and life
597
after death. Previous Surah have the details of rewards given to
good doers and their life in heaven; but this Surah describes the
fate if the evil doers detailing the horror and painful life in hell.
The refrain statement, "Woe, that Day, to the deniers." is

repeated ten times in the Surah which indicate terrible fate to the
disbelievers in the life to come.
There is different interpretation regarding the meaning of the

object which has been taken as oath by Allah (swt) in the first six
ayats. Some scholars say ayats 1 to 4 refer to winds and ayats 5 to
6 refer to angels, some say all the six ayats refer to winds; while
some other scholars refer to Allah‘s messengers or gradual
revelation of the message of the Qur‘an. First group of scholars
appear to be more correct than the others. After swearing with
winds and angels, truth about the inevitability of resurrection
has been stressed.
The example of man's own history, his own birth, and the
structure of the earth on which he lives, bear the testimony that
the coming of Resurrection and the establishment of the
Hereafter are possible as well as the demand of Allah Almighty's
wisdom. History tells us that the nations which denied the
Hereafter ultimately became corrupted and met with
destruction.
Finally the deniers of the Hereafter and those who turn away
from Lord Almighty have been warned at the end of the Surah.
The fate of the deniers of the Hereafter has been depicted with
horrific words. The sparks of the fire of Hell will be as big as
castles and would seem like yellow camels, while the righteous
will be in heaven eating fruits and enjoying life in cool shades
and springs. The deniers are told, ―In what statement after this
Qur‘an, will they believe?‖
Ayats (1 – 40): Almighty Allah swears in the name of life-giving
598
winds, rain and angels that the Day of Judgment will be
established. Woe on that day to the disbelievers! On that day;
the disbelievers will be asked to walk towards the hell which they
used to deny.
Ayats (41 - 50): The righteous will be given all that they desire. A
warning has been provided to the disbelievers.
Virtue of the Surah
Narrated Ibn Mas'ud: Alqamah and al-Aswad said: A man came

to Ibn Mas'ud. He said: I recite the mufassal surahs in one
rak'ah. You might recite it quickly as one recites verse (poetry)
quickly, or as the dried dates fall down (from the tree). But the
Prophet (s) used to recite two equal surahs in one rak'ah; he
would recite (for instance) surahs an-Najm (53) and ar-Rahman
(55) in one rak'ah, surahs Iqtarabat (54) and al-Haqqah (69) in
one rak'ah, surahs at-Tur (52) and adh-Dhariyat (51) in one
rak'ah, surahs al-Waqi'ah (56) and Nun (68) in one rak'ah,
surahs al-Ma'arij (70) and an-Nazi'at (79) in one rak'ah, surahs
al-Mutaffifin (83) and Abasa (80) in one rak'ah, surahs al-
Muddaththir (74) and al-Muzzammil (73) in one rak'ah, surahs
al-Insan (76) and al-Qiyamah (75) in one rak'ah, surahs an-Naba'
(78) and al-Mursalat (77) in one rak'ah, and surahs ad-
Dukhan (44) and at-Takwir (81) in one rak'ah. [Sunan Abu-
Dawud, Book 6, Number 1391]
In a report from Imam Malik on the authority of Ibn ‗Abbas, he

narrated that Umm Al-Fadl (his mother) heard him (Ibn Abbas)
reciting: ‗By the Mursalat‘ so she said, ―O my son! You reminded
me with your recitation of this Surat. Verily, it is the last thing I
heard from the Messenger of Allah (s). He recited it in the
Maghrib prayer. Both Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim recorded
this report in the Two Sahihs by way of Malik. [Translation of
Malik's Muwatta, Book 3; Section: The Call to Prayer;
Section: The Recitation of Qur'an in the Maghrib and
lsha Prayers; Book 3, Number 3.6.25; Ahmed 6:338]

599
1. Allah swears in the name of life giving winds, rain and
angels that the Day of Judgment will be established.
2. On that Day, the disbelievers will be asked to walk
towards hell which they used to deny, and the righteous
will be given all that they desire.
3. Reasons of denying the truth - materialism, too much
indulgence in duniya
4. The consequences of not believing in Almighty Allah is the
sight of the hell fire
5. A warning to the disbelievers and a question as to what
statement after this Qur'an (the last revelation) will they
believe?
600
78. Surah An-Naba' (The Great News; The Tidings; The
Announcement)
Concise Tafseer of Surah An-Naba' In Summarized
Form

The Surah takes its name from the second Ayah, ُ‫اٌع ي‬ ٓ‫ع‬
"About the great news -" [78:2]. This Surah puts forth
convincing arguments in support of the Day of Judgement
(Yaumul-Qiyamat). It draws our imagination to wonder about
the Creator Who has made this Universe and its life out of
nothing, and is therefore, capable of bringing a new situation
such as the Hereafter. The Surah has 40 ayats in 2 Ruku‘
(Section).
As previously mentioned in Surah Al-Mursalat, the themes of all

the Surahs from Surah 75: al-Qiyamah (The Resurrection) to
Surah 79: an-Nazi‘at (The Extractors), closely resemble one
another and all these seem to have been revealed in the earliest
period at Makkah.
Ayah 1: “On what are they asking one another about?

About the great news.”
It was reported that Hasan Al-Basri said that this ayah was
revealed right after the prophet declared himself as God‘s
messenger, when the Quraysh people were asking one another
(or doubting) on what the great news is about.
It was said that the great news was the Qur‘an (as reported by
Mujahid), or the day of resurrection/judgment (as reported by
Ibn Kathir and Al-Razi).
The Surah gives an important news or message. It tells us that
601
the Day of Decision is coming. This beautiful and orderly
universe is pointing to the Day of Decision. Allah will bring all
people to judgment. The wicked will be thrown in the hell and
the righteous will receive their reward from Allah.
The first twenty ayats are filled with the wonders of the worldly
creation (the earth, plants, the peace of night shared by loving
couples, the mountains and rain). The latter twenty ayats are
filled with the eternal wonders and horrors of the next world
with raging sinner (the Arabic root TGY "At-Tagh'in" is used)
being punished starkly opposed with the rewarding of dutiful
believers (the Arabic root WQY "Muttaqin" is employed as a
poetic parataxis to TGY) in paradise.
In the end, Allah (swt) says the promised day of resurrection is

imminent and disbelievers who do not heed the warnings would
receive their torment and would eventually wish that they be
reformed as dust.
Ayats (1 – 30): The creation of the heavens, earth, mountains

and vegetation clearly points towards the Day of Judgment.
Resurrection is the day when man would show their
accountability in the court of Allah (swt).
Ayats (31 - 40): The righteous will be well pleased and

disbelievers will wish that they could remain merely dust.
Virtue of the Surah
It has been reported that once Abu Bakr said to the Prophet
(saw), ‗O Messenger of Allah, you have become old.‘ The Prophet
(saw) said, ‗I have become old [due to] [Surah] Hud, al-Waqiah
[56], al-Murasalat [77], Amma yatasailoon [an-Naba 78] and
Waidha ash-Shamsu kuwirat [at-Takweer 81].[Jami‟ At-
Tirmidhi Book 47, Hadith 3609]
Imam Bukhari relates that Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu 'anhu)

602
said that the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Between the two sounds of the trumpet there will be Forty."
Somebody asked Abu Hurayrah, "Forty days?" But he refused to
reply. Then he asked, "Forty Months?" He refused to reply.
Abu Hurayrah added, "Then (after this period) Allah will send
water from the sky and then the dead bodies will grow like
vegetation grows, there is nothing of the human body that does
not decay except one bone; that is the little bone at the end of the
coccyx of which the human body will be recreated on the Day of
Resurrection."[Sahih Al-Bukhari (English-Arabic) V.6,
Hadith #457, P.429, Published by Dar Al-Arabia, Beirut,
Lebanon]
1. Allah (swt) created the world for the benefit of human.

Creation of the heavens, earth, mountains and vegetation
clearly points out towards the Day of Judgment.
2. Resurrection and man's accountability in the court of Allah.
The righteous will be well pleased, while the disbelievers will
be put in hell where they will be treated with scalding water
and decaying filth.
3. Almighty Allah has encompassed everything in writing.
4. On the Day of Qiyamah, there will be a huge exhibition of
Lord Almighty‘s Control. Ar-Rûh [Jibrael (Gabriel) or
another angel] and the angels will stand forth in rows, none
shall speak except him whom the Most Beneficent (Allah)
allows, and he will speak what is right.
5. The disbelievers on that Day shall wish they had been dust
instead of humans, after seeing the doom awaiting them.
603
79. Surah An-Nazi‟at (The Soul Snatchers; Those Who
Drag; Those Who Tear Out; The Extractors; Those Who
Pull Out)
Concise Tafseer of Surah An-Nazi‟at In Summarized
Form

The Surah takes its name from the first Ayah, "By those
[angels] who extract with violence" [79:1]. The Surah has 46
Its subject matter testifies that Sura An-Naziʻat belongs to the

earliest period at Makkah. According to Abdullah bin Abbas, this
Surah was sent down before Surah An-Naba, whilst Muḥammad
Khaṭib has opined that Surah 79 was revealed around five years
before the Hijrah, although other commentators have dated the
Surah‘s revelation at eight years before the Hijrah.
The Surah opens with oaths. While a majority of commentators

have suggested that the descriptions put forth in the first five
ayats applying to the different activities of the angels as they are
taking possession of the souls of the non-believers and the
believers; other commentators have referred to the spirit of the
believers with their horses in the battle field, and still others give
preference to the spiritual side of the faithful in spreading the
religion of Islam both in times of peace and war.
It must however, be borne in mind that the oaths simply draw

attention to a certain testimony - an awakening to the ‗great
calamity‘ which is to come. The great changes that the world in
which we live, will undergo, is a certainty. Allah (swt) cites the
example of Fir‘aun (Pharaoh), who as consequence of claiming
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his divinity ‗and invincibility‘, perished with his followers.
Allah (swt) testifies to the fact that the inordinate person, who
prefers life of this world, would find an abode in Hell; whereas
the one who fears Allah alone and restrains himself from evil
desires would definitely find an abode in Paradise. Further,
Allah, through this Surah, makes it clear that only He knows the
exact time of the Day of Resurrection.
Ayats (1 - 26): Death, Day of Resurrection and Life after death.

The story of Musa when he called Fir‗aun to his Rabb, he denied
Almighty Allah and was grabbed with punishment.
Ayats (27 - 46): The creation of man is not harder than the
creation of the heavens, earth and its contents. Punishment and
reward on the Day of Judgment.
Virtue of the Surah
It is narrated that the Prophet (s) said:

―For he who studies Surah Nazi‘at the length of his stay and his
reckoning on the Day of Judgment will last as long as the
saying of a daily prayer and, thereafter, he will come into
Paradise‖. [Majma-al-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 428]
The First Five Ayats o Surah An-Naziat
(79:1) By those (angels) that pluck out the soul from depths,
(79:2) and gently take it away;
(79:3) and by those that speedily glide along (the cosmos),
(79:4) and vie with the others (in carrying out their Lord's
behests);
(79:5) and then manage the affairs of the Universe(according to
their Lord's commands).1
1. Here, the object for which an oath has been sworn by beings
605
having five qualities has not been mentioned; but the theme that
follows by itself leads to the conclusion that the oath has been
sworn to affirm that the Resurrection is a certainty, which must
come to pass, when all dead men shall be resurrected. Nor is
there any mention as to what are the beings possessed of the
qualities. However, a large number of the companions and their
immediate successors and most of the commentators have
expressed the opinion that they are the angels.
Abdullah bin Masud, Abdullah bin Abbas, Masruq, Saeed bin

Jubair, Abu salih Abud-Duha and Suddi say that ―those who pull
out with violence and those who draw out gently‖ imply the
angels, who wrench out the soul of man at death from the very
depths of his body, from its every fiber. ―Those who glide about
swiftly‖, according to Ibn Masud, Mujahid, Saeed bin Jubair and
Abu Salih, also imply the angels, who hurry about swiftly in
execution of divine commands as though they were gliding
through space. The same meaning of ―those who hasten out as in
a race‖ has been taken by Ali, Mujahid, Masruq, Abu Salih and
Hasan Bari, and hastening out implies that each one of them
hurries on his errand as soon as he receives the first indication of
divine will. ―Those who conduct the affairs‖ also imply the angels
as has been reported from Ali, Mujahid, Ata Abu Salih, Hasan
Bari, Qatadah, Rabi bin Anas and Suddi.
In other words, these are the workers of the kingdom of the

universe, who are conducting all the affairs of the world in
accordance with Allah‘s command and will. Though this
meaning of these ayats has not been reported in any authentic
Hadith from the Prophet (peace be upon him), while this
meaning has been given by some major companions and their
immediate successors and pupils, one is led to form the view that
they must have obtained this knowledge from the Prophet (peace
be upon him) himself.
Now the question arises: On what basis has the oath been sworn
by these angels for the occurrence of the Resurrection and life
after death when they themselves are as imperceptible as the
thing for the occurrence of which they have been presented as
606
evidence and as an argument. In our opinion the reason is (and
Allah has the best knowledge) that the Arabs were not deniers of
the existence of the angels. They themselves admitted that at the
death the soul was taken out by the angels; they also believed
that the angels moved at tremendous speeds; they could reach
any place between the earth and the heavens instantly and
promptly execute any errand that was entrusted to them.
They also acknowledged that the angels are subordinate to divine

will and they conduct the affairs of the universe strictly and
precisely in accordance with divine will; they are not
independent and masters of their will. They regarded them as
daughters of Allah out of ignorance and worshipped them as
deities, but they did not believe that they possessed the real
authority as well. Therefore, the basis of the reasoning from the
above mentioned attributes for the occurrence of the
Resurrection and life after death is that the angels who took the
soul by the order of God, could also restore the soul by the order
of the same God; and the angels who conducted the affairs of the
universe by the order of God could also upset this universe by the
order of the same God whenever He so ordered them and could
also bring about a new world order. They would not show any
negligence or delay in the execution of His command.
1. Death, the Day of Resurrection and life after death.

2. The story of the Prophet Musa (a) when he called Fir'on
(Pharaoh) to his Rabb, who denied Allah (swt) and was
subsequently punished. Who could be more powerful than
the Pharaoh? His people not only served him but also
worshipped him as their god. But what was his end? Allah
has told this story so many times in the Quran because the
biggest reason for people being cut off from religion is
arrogance.
3. The creation of man is not harder than the creation of the
heavens, earth and its contents. The endless expanse of
607
earth and the tall mountains are all clear proof that the
maker of these things is the most Great Almighty Allah.
4. Punishment and reward on the Day of Judgment. On that
day when everything will become so obvious. The
consequence of each man‘s efforts will come before his
eyes and he will himself evaluate the worth of what he did
all his life.
608
80. Surah „Abasa (He Frowned)
Concise Tafseer of Surah „Abasa In Summarized Form

The Surah takes its name from the first Ayah, "He frowned and
turned away." [80:1] The Surah begins with the incident of a
blind man (Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum) who came to the
Prophet (s) to seek knowledge, while the chiefs of Makkah were
denying the message. It talks about the greatness of Allah's (swt)
message. Those who will accept this message they will benefit
from it. But those who deny this message they are bringing harm
to their own selves. The Surah has 42 ayats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section).
The commentators and traditionists are unanimous about the

occasion of the revelation of this Surah. According to them, once
some big chiefs of Makkah were sitting in Prophet Muhammad‘s
(s) assembly and he was earnestly engaged in trying to persuade
them to accept Islam. At that very point, a blind man, named Ibn
Umm Maktum, approached him to seek explanation of some
point concerning Islam. The Prophet (s) disliked his interruption
and ignored him. Thereupon Allah sent down this Surah. From
this historical incident the period of the revelation of this Surah
can be precisely determined.
In the first place, it is confirmed that Abd-Allah ibn Umm

Maktum was one of the earliest converts to Islam. Ibn Hajar and
Ibn Kathir have stated that he was one of those who had accepted
Islam at a very early stage at Makkah. Some of the traditions of
the Hadith which relate this incident show that he had already
accepted Islam. And some others show that he was inclined to
accept it and had approached Muhammad (s) in search of the
truth.
Aishah (rh) states that coming to Muhammad (s) he had said: "O
609
Messenger of Allah, guide me to the straight path." (Tirmidhi,
Hakim, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Jarir, Abu Ya'la. According to Abdullah
bin Abbas, he had asked the meaning of a verse of the Qur'an and
said to Muhammad: "O Messenger of Allah, teach me the
knowledge that Allah has taught you." Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abu Hatim).
The names of the people, who were sitting in Prophet's (s)
assembly at that time, have been given in different traditions. In
this list we find the names of Utba ibn Rabi'ah, Shaibah, Abu
Jahl, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, Ubay ibn Khalaf, who were the
bitterest enemies of Islam.
The Shia interpretations are unanimous on the view that the

person that frowned away was not Muhammad, but an elite from
Banu Umayya. According to them, these verses were descended
about the man from Banu Umayya who was sitting with
Muhammad. At the same time Abdullah bin Umm Maktum
entered, when the rich man saw the poverty stricken Abdullah he
drew himself aside, not to get his dress dirty and contracted his
facial expressions, got uneasy. In those verses the God stated his
acts and criticized and condemned it.
Furthermore, to be grimed faced and stern was not the part of
Muhammad‘s (s) character. He was always talked to the people
with a smiling and open face. Another fact is that to get engaged
with the rich people and to be inattentive to the poor and truth
seekers is not suited to the morality of Muhammad (s) which is
mentioned in the 4th ayah of Surah Nun which is usually known
as Surah Al-Qalam. We know, Surah Al-Qalam was revealed
before Surah Abasa. - ‫―ع يُ ٍك ٌعٍ ٔه‬And indeed, you are of a
great moral character.‖ [Quran; 68:4]
In view of the apparent style with which the discourse opens, one
feels that in this Surah, Allah (swt) has expressed His displeasure
against ill-treatment of any low level man. And when the whole
Surah is considered objectively, one finds that the displeasure, in
fact, has been expressed against the disbelieving Quraysh, who
because of their arrogant attitude and indifference to the truth,
were rejecting with contempt the message of truth being
610
conveyed by Muhammad (s).
The Surah also brings to light the authenticity of the Qur‘an, and
the prohibition on the forcible thrust of Islam on any individual.
Since the Qur‘anic teachings are full admonitions and clear signs,
which are easily comprehensible, the Prophet (s) is asked to
merely proclaim the words of Almighty Allah to mankind, and
leave it to the individual to accept or reject the truth. The Surah
emphasizes the origin of man and his ingratitude, despite all the
blessings that have been showered upon him. It also
recapitulates the mercy of Allah (swt) to man, and the
consequences of a good or evil life in this world, as seen in the
Hereafter.
Ayats (1 - 16): The seekers of guidance should be given

preference in conveying Almighty Allah's message.
Ayats (17 - 32): Recognize your Creator and fulfill your

obligations.
Ayats (33 - 42): On the Day of Judgment, no one shall care about
his own mother, father, brother or children.
Virtue of the Surah
The tenses of grammar used
It is to be noted that the word used was Abasa, which refers to

'He'. The Quran doesn't directly impose the frowning on
Muhammad (s), But the Qur‘an says "He frowned away", making
it widely open for interpretation.
1. The commandment that the seekers of guidance should be

given preference in conveying Allah's message.
611
2. Man is reminded to recognize his Creator. Human should
be grateful to their Lord Almighy.
3. The importance of the Qur‘an.
4. On the Day of Judgment, no one shall care about his/her
own mother, father, brother or children.
612
81. Surah At-Takwir (The Folding Up; The
Overthrowing; The Rolling; The Wrapping; Shrouded in
Darkness)
Concise Tafseer of Surah At-Takwir In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah is derived from a word in ayah 1, ― ‫‖و‬

(Kuwwirat) – the passive form of the word, ―Takwir‖. So, the
meaning of Kuwwirat is, ―that which is folded up‖. The Surah has
29 ayats and 1 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah tells about signs of the coming of the day of judgment.
Some of these signs include the following: (a) When the sun is
shrouded in darkness (turns into a sphere) (b) When the stars
lose their light (c) When the mountains are made to vanish (d)
When the seas boil over (e) when the she camel about to give
birth is left untended.
The subject matter and the style clearly show that it is one of the
earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah. It is seventh in the
order of revelation according to some scholars.
The first thirteen ayats of this Makki Surah deal with the break-
up of the current world. With this change in the universal order,
each soul would bear witness to its actions in the material world.
The Surah talks about the end of the world.
In a very powerful way, it gives us some of the scenes of the Last

Day. All the natural power as well as the human power and
authority will come to an end. This is a serious message
613
not the words of a madman. The purpose of this message is to
remind people to become morally upright.
Here, Allah (swt) once again stresses on authenticity of the

Qur‘an as His revelation to the Prophet (s), through the angel
Jibreel (Gabriel), and not the fantasies of a madman (as defamed
by idolaters). The Prophet Muhammad (s) is ordered to convey
Allah‘s (swt) message to the people.
Near at the end Surah reminds us that it is up to every individual

to choose whether to follow the right path or not. Since God
Almighty has granted everyone a free will, every human being is
responsible for himself/herself. The right path has been
indicated for everyone who wishes to be upright. Anyone who
follows a different path shall, therefore, bear the responsibility
for his/her actions. The Surah concludes by stating that the
operative will behind everything is the will of Almighty Allah.
Ayats (1 - 14): A dreadful scene of Doomsday.
Ayats (15 - 29): The Qur'an is conveyed to the Prophet (s)

through the angel Gabriel (Jibril a) and this message is for all the
people of the world.
Virtue of the Surah
Whoever wants to see the Qiyamah with his/her eyes should read
the verses of at-Takwir, al-Infitar and al-Inshiqaq.‖ [Tirmidhi,
Tafsir: 81- Ahmad: 2/27, 36,100-5/452]
Imam Ahmad recorded from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of

Allah said, "Whoever wishes to look at the Day of Judgement as
if he is seeing it with his own eyes, then let him read (When the
sun is turned into a sphere.) (81:1) and; [When the heaven is cleft
asunder) (82:1) and; (When the heaven is split asunder) (84:1)]."
[Tafsir ibn kathir; At-Tirmidhi]
614
1. On the Day of Resurrection, innocent buried alive girls

will be granted justice.
2. On that Day of Judgment, the records of each person‘s
deeds will be available.
3. Each soul will come to know of his/her good deeds. And
consequent outcomes.
4. The Qur'an is conveyed to the Prophet Muhammad (s)
through angel Jibril (a) [Gabriel]. It is a reminder for
everyone. The Prophet (s) was far from mad as the
disbelievers of Makkah claim.
5. Our wishes cannot become realities unless Allah (swt)
wishes.
615
82. Surah Al-Infitar (The Cleaving; Bursting Apart; The
Cleaving Asunder; The Splitting)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Infitar In Summarized
Form

The Surah is named ‗Al-Infitar‘ because of the occurrence of the

word ‗unfatarat‘, in the first ayah of this chapter. Infitar means
‗split asunder‘. This word, ‗Unfatarat‘ is used in this Surah in
order to describe the splitting the sky on the Day of Judgment.
This Surah (Al-Infitar), along with Chapter At-Takwir and Al-
Inshiqaq provide exhaustive description about ‗Day of
Judgment‘. The Surah has 19 ayats in 1 Ruku, (Section).
This Surah and the Surah At-Takwir closely resemble each other
in their subject matter. This shows that both were sent down in
about the same period. Both the Surahs were sent down in the
very early stage of the Prophet's (s) residence at Makkah after
receiving prophet hood.
This Makki Surah refers to the fact that the physical world as we
see it now will be destroyed before the Day of Judgment.
It could be mentioned, at this juncture, that there are three
stages of Judgment:
1. Many of our sins find their penalty in this very life.
2. When penalty is not actually perceived in this life, death is

considered the lesser judgment for each individual soul.
3. Then there is the final judgment, when the whole of the
present order passes away, and there will be a new world.
The signs of Almighty Lord‘s goodness and mercy are so
616
numerous, that it is impossible to enumerate them. Therefore, is
it not man‘s foolishness to deny the blessings of his/her Allah
(swt)?
Allah (swt) ensures man that the Day of Judgment would open
his eyes to the truth that he has been denying in this life. But
then, it would be too late for repentance. The ―records‖
mentioned in the Surah, are the records maintained by the
angles of Almighty Allah, of the intentions, actions and deeds of
the people.
On the Day of Judgment, the good would be separated from the

evil, and the Command thenceforth, would be wholly with Allah
(swt).
Ayats (1 - 19): Description of what will happen on the Day of

Judgment. Guardian angels are recording all actions. Allah
Himself will be the Judge.
Virtue of the Surah
(82:1) When the heaven is split asunder,1
1. In Surah At-Takwir it has been said: When the oceans are set
ablaze, and here: When the oceans are torn apart. When the two
verses are read together, and this fact is also kept in view that
even according to the Quran a terrible earthquake will occur on
the Resurrection Day, which will shake up the entire earth all at
once, the state of the splitting of the oceans and their being set
ablaze, seems to be as follows: first, because of the terrible
convulsion, the bottom of the oceans will split asunder and their
water will start sinking into the interior of the earth where an
intensely hot lava is constantly boiling up.
Coming into contact with the lava, water will dissolve into its two
617
constituent parts, oxygen which helps combustion, and
hydrogen, which is itself combustible. Thus, in the process of
dissolution and combustion, a chain reaction will start, which
will set all the oceans of the world ablaze. This is our conjecture;
the correct knowledge is only with Allah.
Surah A-Takwir, Surah Al-Infitar and Surah Al-

Inshiqaq
The tradition related in Musnad Ahmed, Tirmidhi, Ibn al-

Mundhir, Hakim and Ibn Marduyah, reported on the authority of
Ibn Umar (ra), the messenger (s) said, ―The one who wants that
he shoulf see the Resurrection Day as one would see it with one‘s
own eyes, should read Surah A-Takwir, Surah Al-Infitar and
Surah Al-Inshiqaq.‖
1. On the Judgment Day, each soul will realize what it sent

forth for Hereafter and what it had left behind.
2. Allah (swt) Himself will be the Judge on the Judgment
Day.
3. Guardian angels are assigned to each individual who are
recording each and every action.
4. Day of Resurrection will surely take place when the
righteous shall enjoy every kind of bliss in Paradise and
the wicked shall be punished in Hell.
618
83. Surah Al-Mutaffifeen (The Cheats; The Defrauders;
Those Who Give Less; Those Who Deal in Fraud; Those
Who Weigh Less)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Mutaffifeen In Summarized
Form

The Surah takes its name from the first Ayah, َ‫" َو ْيل لِّ ْل ُم َط ِّففِين‬Woe to
those who give less [than due]," [83:1]. The word mutafif (who
gives less) is unique to this Surah and not mentioned elsewhere
in the Qur'an. The Surah has 36 ayats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah warns those who commit fraud in business. It reminds

about honest dealings. The righteous will prosper. Allah (swt)
has the record of every person.
The style of the Surah and its subject matter clearly show that it
was revealed in the earliest stage at Makkah. This Surah was
revealed when they had started ridiculing the Muslims and
disgracing them publicly in the streets and in their assemblies,
but persecution and manhandling of the Muslims had not yet
started.
Some commentators regard this as a Madani Surah. This

misunderstanding has been caused by a tradition from Ibn Abbas
(ra) according to which when the Prophet Muhammad (s)
arrived in Madinah, the evil of giving short weight and measure
was widespread among the people there. Then Allah (swt) sent
down Wayl ul-lil mutaffifin and the people began to give full
weight and measure. (Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Marduyah,
Ibn Jarir, Baihaqi: Shuàb-il-Iman)
The common practice with the Companions and their successors

was that when they found that a ayah applied to a certain matter
619
of life, they would say that it had been sent down concerning that
particular matter. Therefore, what is proved by the tradition of
Ibn Abbas (ra) is that when after his emigration to Madinah the
Prophet (s) saw that the evil was widespread among the people
there, he recited this Surah before them by Allah's Command and
this helped them mend their ways.
The main subject matter of the Surah is Hereafter. The people

are aken to task for the evil practice prevalent in their
commercial dealings. It condemns the defrauders who cheat the
people in measuring and weighing. When they receive their due
from others they demand the full of it, but when they give by
measure or weight – they give less. It is an inevitable result of not
believing in the Hereafter.
The most important thing of the Surah is the mentioning of the

―Record of Deeds‖ of the wicked people will be in Sijjin (‫) ِسجِّيه‬
while the ―Record of Deeds‖ of the righteous will be in ‗Illiyin
(‫) ِعلِّيِّيه‬. The people of Sijjin will go to Hell for their evil deeds,
thinking the ayats of Allah (swt) as ridicule and rejecting the Day
of Judgment. The people of Illiyin will go to Heaven for their
good deeds.
In the end, the believers are consoled and the disbelievers are
warned. During their life in this world, those who committed the
crimes used to laugh at the believers. They would wink at one
another and exchange derisive glances as they passed them on
the roads. When they returned to their own people, they would
joke about the believers.
However, on the Day of Resurrection, it will be the believers

laughing at the unbelievers. At the time in Makkah, the Muslims
were facing a sustained and demoralizing onslaught. Thus in this
Surah, Allah (swt) comforts them and urges them on to greater
deeds and greater rewards. The believers suffer now, but in the
Hereafter the outcome will be very different.
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Ayats (1 - 28): Defrauders will be called to account and punished

while the righteous will be rewarded with soft couches, choicest
wines and special spring water.
Ayats (29 - 36): Today the disbelievers laugh at the believers, a

Day will come when they will be laughed at.
Virtue of the Surah
َ‫َو ۡي ٌل لِّ ۡل ُمطَفِّفِ ۡيه‬

(83:1) Woe to the stinters; 1
1. In the original the word mutaffifin has been used, which is

derived from tatfif, a word used for an inferior and base thing in
Arabic. Terminologically, tatfif is used for giving short weight
and short measure fraudulently, for the person who acts thus
while measuring or weighing, does not defraud another by any
substantial amount, but skimps small amounts from what is due
to every customer cleverly, and the poor customer does not know
of what and of how much he is being deprived by the seller.
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said:

"When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) came to Al-Madinah,
they were the worst people in weights and measures. Then Allah,
Glorious is He revealed: "Woe to the Mutaffifun (those who give
less in measure and weight)",[1] and they were fair in weights
and measures after that. [Sunan Ibn Majah Vol. 3, Book 12,
Hadith 2223]
1. Destruction is written on those who deceive people by

giving less while measuring, yet they take full while they
measure for themselves.
2. Sinners heart get covered with stain on their heart when
621
they sin.
3. One would recognize the people of Jannah with their
radiant faces on the Day of Judgment.
4. The people of Jannah will get drinks sealed with musk.
One needs to compete to acquire the blessings of Jannah.
5. Today disbelievers laugh at the believers, a Day will come
when they themselves will be laughed at.
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84. Surah Al-Inshiqaq (The Splitting Apart; The
Sundering; The Rending Asunder)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Mutaffifeen In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah is derived from the word, ―Inshaqqat‖

which appear in the first ayah, ‫" ا اٌسّا‬When the sky has
split [open]" [84:1]. Insaqqat is infinitive which means to split
asunder. The Surah has 25 ayats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section). There is an
ayah of Sajdah after the tilawat of the ayah 21.
According to the tradition of history in Islam, Al-Inshiqaq was

most likely revealed after the 82nd Surah Al-Infitar, and was
chronologically one of the last of the Makki Surahs— Surahs
revealed before Muhammad's (s) migration to Madinah. [The
Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary by
Seyyed Hossein Nasr]
This too is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah.

The internal evidence of its subject matter indicates that
persecution of the Muslims did not start yet; but they are openly
opposing the message of the Qur‘an. They refused the
Resurrection Day; they could not believe it would ever take place
as they got to appear before their Lord for their deeds.
Thematically, the Surh follows a day-of-judgment theme that is

present in the preceding Surahs, including Al-Infitar (82nd) and
Al-Mutaffifin (83rd).One of the corner stones of the faith is the
Day of Resurrection.
On that day each individual would have to account for his actions
623
in this life, before Allah (swt). Nobody shall be dealt with
unjustly. Allah‘s (swt) full Judgment would be established and
man should, therefore, strive for that World of Eternity.
The Surah begins (ayats 1 to 5) by mentioning events that will

happen on the Day of Judgment, including the sundering of the
sky and the flattening of all that is on earth. Ayats 6 to 15 talk
about the disparity between those who in that day will be "given
[their] book in [their] right hand" and have a joyful reckoning,
and those who will not. A series of oaths (ayats 16 to 18)
followed, and then another contrast between the fate of the
believers and the unbelievers in the Day of Judgment.
Thus, the Qur‘an goes on to describe a painful punishment, for

those who chose to hide from the truth, denying and lying at
every opportunity. Lord Almighty knows perfectly well what their
motives are and thus He addresses Prophet Muhammad (s) in
the final ayats telling him to give them (the disbelievers) tidings
of a woeful doom. This, however, is not the end for the believers.
They are protected from such punishment by their belief and
their good and righteous deeds; rather for them, is a never-
ending reward. And on that uplifting note, the Surah ends.
Ayats (1 - 19): On Doomsday, heaven will split asunder and the

earth will be spread out. Books of Deeds will be distributed; the
righteous will be happy, while the disbelievers will be calling for
death.
Ayats (20 - 25): People are asked to believe while there is still
time.
Virtue of the Surah
The tradition related in Musnad Ahmed, Tirmidhi, Ibn al-

Mundhir, Hakim and Ibn Marduyah, reported on the authority of
Ibn Umar (ra), the messenger (s) said, ―The one who wants that
he shoulf see the Resurrection Day as one would see it with one‘s
624
own eyes, should read Surah A-Takwir, Surah Al-Infitar and
Surah Al-Inshiqaq.‖
According to the hadith, Muhammed (s) had prostrated when

reciting this Surah, particularly after the ayah 21 which reads ...
and that when the Qur‘an is recited unto them, they do not
prostrate? Therefore, most scholars consider this ayah one of the
15 ayats in the Qur‘an where one prostrates after reciting it. Most
Maliki jurists consider it obligatory to prostrate after reciting the
ayats. [Muwatta Imam Malik, USC-MSA web (English)
reference: Book 15, Number 15.5.12; Arabic reference:
Book 15, Hadith 484; The Holy Qur'an (Maulana
Muhammad Ali)/84. The Bursting Asunder]
There are 15 sajdas in Qur‟an, as comes in this Hadith:

chain of this tradition is weak.[Sunan Abi Dawud Book 7,
Hadith 1]. They are in the following Ayat(in order):
1. Al-'A`rāf(7):206
2. Ar-Ra`d(13):15
3. An-Naĥl(16):49, butthe sajda should be performed after

complete).
4. Al-'Isrā'(17):107, butthe sajda should be performed

after reading the ayah #109 (when the sujood meaning is
complete).
5. Maryam(19):58
6. Al-Ĥaj(22):18
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7. Al-Ĥaj(22):77
9. An-Naml(27):25, but the sajda should be performed

complete).
10. As-Sajdah(32):15
11. Şād(38):24
12. Fuşşilat (41):37, but the sajda should be performed

complete).
13. An-Najm(53):62
14. Al-'Inshiqāq(84):21
15. Al-Àlaq(96):19
Also note that performing the sajdah is not obligatory but is a

stressed (confirmed) sunnah(‫ )ِؤو دة س ٕة‬that is highly
recommended to follow. Here is a hadith:Narrated Rabi'a: 'Umar
bin Al-Khattab recited Surat-an-Nahl on a Friday on the pulpit
and when he reached the verse of Sajda he got down from the
pulpit and prostrated and the people also prostrated. The next
Friday 'Umar bin Al-Khattab recited the same Surah and when
he reached the verse of Sajda he said, "O people! When we recite
the verses of Sajda (during the sermon) whoever prostrates does
the right thing, yet it is no sin for the one who does not
prostrate." And 'Umar did not prostrate (that day). Added Ibn
Ùmar "Allah has not made the prostration of recitation
compulsory but if we wish we can do it. [Sahih al-Bukhari
Book 17, Hadith 11]
Also here is a hadith about how good performing sajdah is:It is

narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that when, the son of
626
Adam recites the Ayat of Sajdah (prostration) and then falls
[Courtesy:https://islam.stackexchange.com/questions/2267/h
ow-many-sajdas-are-in-quran]
1. On Doomsday heaven will split asunder and earth will be

spread out.
2. The earth will relinquish everything it has on her belly on
the Judgment Day.
3. The books of deeds will be distributed and the righteous
will be happy while disbelievers will be calling for death.
4. Allah (swt) know the secret of the hearts of all who
conceal.
5. The people are asked to believe while they have time
during their life on earth.
627
85. Surah Al-Burooj (The Constellations; The Great
Stars; The Zodiacal Signs)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Burooj In Summarized
Form

The Surah takes its name from the first ayah, "By the sky
containing great stars" [85:1]. The word, ―burooj‖ bas many
meanins sush as towers, fortressrs, signs of zodiac, stars,
mansions, constellations, etc. The Surah has 22 ayats in Ruku‘
(Section).
The Surah speaks about the persecution of the Believers. Allah

watches over His own people and He will bring His enemies to
judgment. The Surah warns the opponents of this message. Their
end might be the same as that of many nations before who
denied Allah's message and persecuted the believers.
This is an early Makki Surah. It was revealed at a time when

persecution of Muslims by the pagan disbelievers of Makkah
were trying their best to tyrannize them and forcing the new
converts to turn away from Islam.
The subject matter of the Surah can be found in ayah 10, ―Indeed
those tortured the believing men and believing women and then
have not repented will have the punishment of Hell, and they will
have the punishment of the Burning Fire.‖
First of all, in the ayats 1 to 9 relates the story of the ditch after
swearing oaths by burooj and resurrection (promised day). This
have been related to teach the disbelievers of Makkah if they
persist in persecuting the believers, they owould be destroyed.
628
On the other hand, believers are admonished to be patient and
stead-fast, and endure every persecution instead of giving up the
faith. In the hereafter, Allah (swt) will reward those who
persevered.
Then from ayats from 12 to the end, Lord Almighty warns the
disbelievers of their consequences of disobedience. Allah (swt)
promises the perpetrators of such an inhuman act, a far more
severe torture in the Hell-Fire. References are made in the Surah
about Fir‘aun (Pharaoh), and the people of Thamud, who became
godless and arrogant, and were destroyed by drowning and
earthquake, respectively.
The commentators have referred different historical events of the

believers, explain the ayats from 4 to 7 of the Surah, who were
thrown into fire and burnt. Some scholars have described the
story of prophet Ibrahim (a) having been thrown into fire by the
idolator king Nimrud and some others have cited the biblical
story of Nebuchadnezzar‘s attempt to burn pious Israelites in a
fiery furnace. But, most of the commentators including
historians Ibn Hisham, Tabari and Ibn Khaldun hold the view
that these ayats refer to the massacre of the Christians of Najran
in Yemen by a Jewish King - Dhu Nawas. This King did force the
Christians to accept Judaism and those who refused were thrown
by him into ditches of fire. He reported to have killed 20
thousand Christians in this way.
One of the Christians went to Byzantine Emperor by escaping.

Byzantine emperor commanded Negus of Abyssinia to attack
Yemen. So, when Yemen was attacked in 525 AD, Dhu Nawas
was killed by the Abyssinian forces. Yemen became a part of
Christian Kingdom of Abyssinia.
Yet, even knowing these stories the disbelievers persist in their

denial of the truth. Lord Almighty has them encircled, He
surrounds them. His might and His knowledge engulf them
making them powerless but they do not comprehend this, they
are totally unaware. This is a glorious Qur‘an. It is inscribed on a
preserved slate, an imperishable tablet that Allah (swt) keeps
629
with Him.
Ayats (1 - 22): Those who torture the believers will be given the
punishment of fire on the Day of Judgment. He Who created you
for the first time will bring you back to life again for
accountability.
Virtue of the Surah
The Story of the Boy and the King (from Surah

Burooj): Ibn Kathir
Imam Ahmad recorded from Suhayb that the Messenger of Allah

said:Among the people who came before you, there was a king
who had a sorcerer, and when that sorcerer became old, he said
to the king, ―I have become old and my time is nearly over, so
please send me a boy whom I can teach magic.‖ So, he sent him a
boy and the sorcerer taught him magic. Whenever the boy went
to the sorcerer, he sat with a monk who was on the way and
listened to his speech and admired them. So, when he went to
the sorcerer, he passed by the monk and sat there with him; and
on visiting the sorcerer the latter would thrash him. So, the boy
complained about this to the monk.
The monk said to him, ―Whenever you are afraid of the sorcerer,
say to him: `My people kept me busy.‘ And whenever you are
afraid of your people, say to them: `The sorcerer kept me busy.‖‘
So the boy carried on like that (for some time). Then a huge
terrible creature appeared on the road and the people were
unable to pass by. The boy said, ―Today I shall know whether the
sorcerer is better or the monk is better.‖
So, he took a stone and said, ―O Allah! If the deeds and actions of
the monk are liked by You better than those of the sorcerer, then
kill this creature so that the people can cross (the road).‖
Then he struck it with a stone killing it and the people passed by
on the road.
630
The boy came to the monk and informed him about it. The monk
said to him, ―O my son! Today you are better than I, and you
have achieved what I see! You will be put to trial. And in case you
are put to trial, do not inform (them) about me.‖The boy used to
treat the people suffering from congenital blindness, leprosy, and
other diseases. There was a courtier of the king who had become
blind and he heard about the boy. He came and brought a
number of gifts for the boy and said, ―All these gifts are for you
on the condition that you cure me.‖ The boy said, ―I do not cure
anybody; it is only Allah who cures people. So, if you believe in
Allah and supplicate to Him, He will cure you.‖ So, he believed in
and supplicated to Allah, and Allah cured him.
Later, the courtier came to the king and sat at the place where he
used to sit before. The king said, ―Who gave you back your
sight‖The courtier replied, ―My Lord.‖ The king then said, ―I did‖
The courtier said, ―No, my Lord and your Lord – Allah‖
The king said, ―Do you have another Lord beside me‖ The
courtier said, ―Yes, your Lord and my Lord is Allah.‖ The king
tortured him and did not stop until he told him about the boy.
So, the boy was brought to the king and he said to him, ―O boy!
Has your magic reached to the extent that you cure congenital
blindness, leprosy and other diseases‖He said,‖ I do not cure
anyone. Only Allah can cure.‖ The king said, ―Me‖ The boy
replied, ―No.‖ The king asked, ―Do you have another Lord besides
me‖The boy answered,‖ My Lord and your Lord is Allah.‖ So, he
tortured him also until he told about the monk. Then the monk
was brought to him and the king said to him, ―Abandon your
religion.‖
The monk refused and so the king ordered a saw to be brought

which was placed in the middle of his head and he fell, sawn in
two. Then it was said to the man who used to be blind, ―Abandon
your religion.‖ He refused to do so, and so a saw was brought and
placed in the middle of his head and he fell, sawn in two. Then
the boy was brought and it was said to him, ―Abandon your
religion.‖ He refused and so the king sent him to the top of such
and such mountain with some people. He told the people,
631
―Ascend up the mountain with him till you reach its peak, then
see if he abandons his religion; otherwise throw him from the
top.‖ They took him and when they ascended to the top, he said,‖
O Allah! Save me from them by any means that You wish.‖
So, the mountain shook and they all fell down and the boy came
back walking to the king. The king said, ‖ What did your
companions (the people I sent with you) do‖ The boy said, ―Allah
saved me from them.‖ So, the king ordered some people to take
the boy on a boat to the middle of the sea, saying, ―If he
renounces his religion (well and good), but if he refuses, drown
him.‖ So, they took him out to sea and he said, ―O Allah! Save me
from them by any means that you wish.‖ So they were all
drowned in the sea.
Then the boy returned to the king and the king said, ―What did
your companions do‖ The boy replied, ―Allah, saved me from
them.‖ Then he said to the king, ―You will not be able to kill me
until you do as I order you. And if you do as I order you, you will
be able to kill me.‖ The king asked, ―And what is that‖ The boy
said, ―Gather the people in one elevated place and tie me to the
trunk of a tree; then take an arrow from my quiver and say: Ìn
the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.‘ If you do this, you will be
able to kill me.‖ So he did this, and placing an arrow in the bow,
he shot it, saying, ―In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.‖
The arrow hit the boy in the temple, and the boy placed his hand
over the arrow wound and died. The people proclaimed, ―We
believe in the Lord of the boy!‘‘
Then it was said to the king, ―Do you see what has happened that
which you feared has taken place. By Allah, all the people have
believed (in the Lord of the boy).‖ So he ordered that ditches be
dug at the entrances to the roads and it was done, and fires were
kindled in them. Then the king said, ―Whoever abandons his
religion, let him go, and whoever does not, throw him into the
fire.‖ They were struggling and scuffling in the fire, until a
woman and her baby whom she was breast feeding came and it
was as if she was being somewhat hesitant of falling into the fire,
so her baby said to her, ―Be patient mother! For verily, you are
632
following the truth!‖)
Muslim also recorded this Hadith at the end of the Sahih.

Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar related this story in his book of
Sirah in another way that has some differences from that which
has just been related. Then, after Ibn Ishaq explained that the
people of Najran began following the religion of the boy after his
murder, which was the religion of Christianity, he said, ―Then
(the king) Dhu Nuwas came to them with his army and called
them to Judaism. He gave them a choice to either accept
Judaism or be killed, so they chose death. Thus, he had a ditch
dug and burned (some of them) in the fire (in the ditch), while
others he killed with the sword. He made an example of them (by
slaughtering them) until he had killed almost twenty thousand of
them. It was about Dhu Nuwas and his army that Allah revealed
to His Messenger (s):
(Cursed were the People of the Ditch. Of fire fed with

fuel. When they sat by it. And they witnessed what they
were doing against the believers. And they had no fault
except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy
of all praise! To Whom belongs the dominion of the
heavens and the earth! And Allah is Witness over
everything.) (85:4-9)
This is what Muhammad bin Ishaq said in his book of Sirah —

that the one who killed the People of the Ditch was Dhu Nuwas,
and his name was Zuràh.
In the time of his kingdom he was called Yusuf. He was the son of
Tuban Asàd Abi Karib, who was the Tubba` who invaded Al-
Madinah and put the covering over the Ka`bah. He kept two
rabbis with him from the Jews of Al-Madinah. After this some of
the people of Yemen accepted Judaism at the hands of these two
rabbis, as Ibn Ishaq mentions at length. So Dhu Nuwas killed
twenty thousand people in one morning in the Ditch. Only one
man among them escaped. He was known as Daws Dhu
Tha`laban. He escaped on a horse and they set out after him,
but they were unable to catch him. He went to Caesar, the
633
emperor of Ash-Sham.
So, Caesar wrote to An-Najashi, the King of Abyssinia. So, he

sent with him an army of Abyssinian Christians, who were lead
by Aryat and Abrahah. They rescued Yemen from the hands of
the Jews. Dhu Nuwas tried to flee but eventually fell into the sea
and drowned. After this, the kingdom of Abyssinia remained
under Christian power for seventy years. Then the power was
divested from the Christians by Sayf bin Dhi Yazin Al-Himyari
when Kisra, the king of Persia sent an army there (to Yemen). He
(the king) sent with him (Sayf Al-Himyari) those people who
were in the prisons, and they were close to seven hundred in
number. So, he (Sayf Al-Himyari) conquered Yemen with them
and returned the kingdom back to the people of Himyar
(Yemenis).
Courtesy:https://abdurrahman.org/2014/01/31/storyof
boyandking/
1. Those who torture the believers and do not repent after

that, punishment of Hell awaits them.
2. The grip of Allah (swt) is severe.
3. Allah (swt) is loving and forgiving.
4. Allah (swt) is the owner of the great throne.
5. He Who created us for the first time will bring us back to
life again for accountability.
6. This is the last Surah in the Qur‘an that mentions the
word, ―Qur‘an‖.
634
86. Surah At-Tariq (The Morning Star; The Night
Visitant; The Piercing Star)
Concise Tafseer of Surah At-Tariq In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, ‫اٌسّا‬

"By the sky and the night comer -" [86:1] with which Allah
(swt) has taken an oath. The Surah has 17 ayats in 1 Ruku‘
(Section).
Everything in this samawat is working under the protection and

supervision of Almighty Allah. The creation of human beings as
well as the creation of this samawat is not a joke. The creation is
a serious work of Allah (swt) and so is His word, the Qur'an.
The style of its subject matter resembles that of the earliest

Surahs revealed at Makkah, but this Surah was sent down at a
stage when the disbelievers of Makkah were employing all sorts
of devices and plans to defeat and frustrate the message of the
Qur‘an and Muhammad (s).
Surah Al-Burooj (85) and Surah Al-Tariq (86) form a pair, which
complement the subject matter of each other. The central theme
of both these Surahs, on the one hand, is to remove the doubts
and to give answers to the objections of the Quraysh regarding
the Day of Judgment; while, on the other, it is to remind them of
the consequences of their persecution of the believers and their
rejection of the Prophet‘s (s) message.
The main theme of Surah At-Tariq is to make men realize that

there is life after death and Al-Qur‘an is a serious work of Allah
(swt), the disbelievers can‘t scheme any plot tp frustrate it.
635
In the beginning, the Surah starts with oaths of As-sama‘ (sky)
and At-Tariq (The Piercing Star; The Nigt-comer; The Knocker),
telling men that there is watcher over them, their deeds and sins
are recorded. Allah then asks the human beings to think about
how they were created. He then goes on to say that he has
created human beings from the gushing water flowing between
the backbone and the ribs.
Almighty Allah then reminds the human beings about the

Judgment Day, the day when all the secrets would be revealed.
On that day (Judgment Day), human beings would have no
power and no one would help them. Allah (swt) then takes
another oath on the heaven and the earth to say that, whatever
being said here in the Qur‘an should be taken very seriously as it
is the word of Lord Almighty. The physical nature of humans
may be insignificant, but the soul given to them by Allah (swt),
must win for itself a glorious future in the end.
In conclusion, it has been pointed out that just as the falling of

rain from the sky and the sprouting of plants and crops from the
earth is no child's play but a serious task, so also the truths
expressed in the Qur‘an are no jest but a firm and unchangeable
reality. The disbelievers are involved in the misunderstanding
that their plans and devices will defeat the invitation of the
Qur‘an, but they do not know that Lord Almighty too is devising
a plan which will bring to naught all their scheming and
planning. So, Lord Almighty tells us through Prophet
Muhammad (s) in the Qur‘an to leave them for a time to
themselves.
Ayats (1 - 17): Over each soul there is an appointed guardian

angel. The Qur'an is a decisive word of Allah – the Lord
Almighty.
Virtue of the Surah
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Guardian Angel guarding every living being on Earth
There is no living being but there is a protector over it.1 (86:4)
1. A Guardian: Allah Almighty Himself, who is looking after and

watching over every creature, big or small, in the earth and
heavens. He it is who has brought everything into existence, who
is maintaining and sustaining everything in its place and
position, and who has taken the responsibility to provide for
every creature and to protect it from calamities till an appointed
time. On this, an oath has been sworn by the heaven and by every
star and planet which appears in the darkness of the night.
(Although lexically, an-najm ath-thaqib is singular, it does not
imply any one star but the star in the generic sense). The oath
signifies that the existence of each star (among the countless
stars and planets that shine in the sky at night) testifies to the
fact that there is a Being who has created it, illuminated it,
suspended it in space, and thus is watching over it in a manner
that neither it falls from its place nor collides with any other of
the countless stars in their movements, nor does any other star
collide with it.
An-Nasa'i recorded that Jabir said, "Muàdh lead the Maghrib

prayer and he recited Al-Baqarah and An-Nisa'. So the Prophet
said,
(Are you putting the people to trial O Muàdh! Was it not
sufficient for you to recite As-Sama'i wat-Tariq, and Ash-Shamsi
wa Duhaha, and something like them) [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
1. Allah (swt) appointed guardian angel over each soul.
2. The Qur‘an is the decisive word of Allah (swt).
3. One who Has fashioned human from a drop of sperm, is

also capable of resurrecting them.
637
4. The entire secret will get revealed on the Judgment Day,
there will be no power and support for men except Lord
Almighty.
5. One cannot gain anything in trying to plot against the

scheme of Lord Almighty. So, Allah (swt) tells us through
Muhammad (s) to leave the disbelievers alone for a while
and we will see what happens to them and their schemes.
Disbelievers can devise whatever plots they can they
would not be able to defeat the message of the Qur‘an.
638
87. Surah Al-A‟la (The Most High; The Supreme)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-A‟la In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, "Exalt the name
of your Lord, the Most High," [87:1]. The Surah has 19 ayats in 1
Ruku‘ (Section).
In this Surah, it is argued that Allah (swt) has made man capable
of progress by ordered (destined) standards, and by His
revelation, would raise him still further up spiritually. Lord
Almighty is aware of all that happens, and the way of life
ordained by Him is easy and useful for humanity.
This Surah is one of the earliest Surahs revealed at Makkah, and

the words: "We shall enable you to recite, then you shall never
forget" this ayah 6, along with ayah 8 proves that the Surah was
revealed in a time when Muhammad (s) was not accustomed to
receiving revelation and, at the times revelation came down, he
feared he might forget the words.
This Surah begins with Al-Mutasabbihat (‫ت‬ ِ ‫ ْال ُم َسب َِّحا‬- Those Surahs
of the Qur‘an that begin with Allah's glorification 'Subhana',
'Sabbaha', and 'Yusabbihu'). The main subject matters of Surah
Al-A‘la is Tauhid and Hereafter. The Surah speaks about the
praise of Allah the Most High. He created everything. He created
the human being and gave him capacity to make progress. Man
can make progress if he obeys Allah's rules.
The Qur'an is the message from Allah and He will guard it. The
Prophet (s) should continue giving the message to others. Those
who accept it will benefit from it, but those who will reject it they
639
will be the losers.
In the end, the Surah mentions about the true success. Human
can obtain success by purifying himself from the excessive love of
dunya by remembering the name of their Lord Almighty and
performing the Daily stated Prayers. The fact that hereafter is
better than the life of this world is not only mentioned in al-
Qur‘an, it was also mentioned in the books given to Prophets
Ibrahim (a) and Musa (a).
Ayats (1 - 19): Glorify Allah; Allah has taken the responsibility of

the Prophet's memory about The Qur'an. It is a reminder and
those who heed its reminders will be successful in the Hereafter.
Virtue of the Surah
Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High, 1 (87:1)
1. Literally: ―Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High.‖

In the Hadith, it has been reported from Uqbah bin Amir Juhani
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had enjoined recitation of
Subhana Rabbi yal-Aala in sajdah on the basis of this very verse,
and the recitation of Subhana Rabbi yal- Adheem in ruku on the
basis of the last verse of Surah Al- Waqiah, viz. Fa-sabhih bismi-
Rabbi-kal-Adeem. (Musnad Ahmad, Abu Daud, lbn Majah, Ibn
Hibban, Hakim, Ibn al- Mundhir).
Jabir reported: 'Mu'adh b. Jabal al-Ansari led his companions in

the night prayer and prolonged it for them. A person amongst us
said prayer (after having separated himself from the
congregation). Mu'adh was informed of this, and he remarked
that he was a hypocrite. When it (the remark) was conveyed to
the man, he went to the Messenger of Allah (s) and informed him
of what Mu'adh had said. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (s)
said to him: Mu'adh, do you want to become a person putting
(people) to trial? When you lead people in prayer, recite:" By the
Sun and its morning brightness" (Surat ash-Shams)," Glorify the
640
name of thy most high Lord" (Surat al-A`la) and" Read in the
name of Lord" (Surat al-Àlaq), and" By the night when it
spreads" (Surat al-Lail). [Sahih Muslim Book 4, Hadith
203]
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal relates on the authority of Ali bin Abu
Talib that Muhammad (s) loved Surah Al-A‘la.
Imam Muslim relates that Muhammad (s) used to read this

Surah and surah 88, (Al-Ghashiya), in Eid prayers and also in
Jumu‘ah Prayers. If one of the festivals fell on a Jumu‘ah,
Muhammad (s) would have been sure to read these two Surahs
in the prayers.
1. Tawhid: Allah is Almighty, always glorify Him.

2. Allah (swt) has taken the responsibility of Prophet's (s) to
help him memorize the Qur'an as he was in haste. So Allah
(swt) assured him that from now on he will not forget any
portion of it.
3. Allah (swt) knows what is apparent and what is concealed.
4. Successful; are those persons who have purified their
individual hearts, remembered Almighty Allah and
established Salah.
5. Those who heed Allah's reminders will be successful in the
Hereafter. The Hereafter is better and more lasting than
this temporary world, so it is best to persevere for that.
641
88. Surah Al-Ghashiyah (The Overwhelming Event; The
Pall; The Veil; The Screen In Cover)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Ghashiyah In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, "Has there
reached you the report of the Overwhelming [event]?" [88:1].The
Surah has 26 ayats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section).
The title, Al-Ghashiyah, or in the English language, The

Overwhelming Event, comes from the first ayah. The
Overwhelming Event is another name used for the Day of
Judgment. The Arabic word ghashiyah means something that
covers entirely. Thus this overwhelming event will both
overwhelm and cover the entire earth.
The whole subject matter of the Surah indicates that this too is
one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed; but this was the period
when the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had started
preaching his message publicly. This Surah was sent down
probably in the 4th year of Prophet‘s (s) mission in Makkah.
This Surah Al-Ghashiyah deals with the topics of Paradise, Hell

and the miracle of creation of all things of Lord Almighty Allah.
The Day of Resurrection has been described in the ayats 1 tp 16.

On that Day some faces will be humiliated, and they will be
thrown into hell-fire and will be given boiling water to drink
and bitter thorny plant to eat. Some faces will be joyful and
pleased with the consequence of their deeds which they did in
the world, they will be in Paradise on thrones raised high, eating,
642
merry making and enjoying life.
Then in ayats 17 to 20 people were reminded of the creative

power of their Lord Allah (swt). Those who do not believe in
Allah and the Hereafter, are urged to look around at the
creatures, that they come across in their daily life, such as the
magnificence of the sky, the setting up of mountains, and the
spread of the earth and if these signs are not enough proof of the
existence and infinite mercy of Allah (swt), the signs of Allah
(swt) themselves will remind them the truth on the Day of
Judgment.
The remaining ayats urges the prophet (s) to remind the people
about all those mentioned in the Surah. Prophet Muhammad (s)
is the admonisher who reminds them of the future and of the
consequences of their actions, but he is not the enforcer. There is
no compulsion in religion; to heed the warning or not or to
believe or not to believe is a choice given to humankind.
Ultimately they have to return to Allah (swt), then He shall call
them to account, and shall inflict punish those who disbelieve.
Ayats (1 - 16): Condition of the disbelievers and the believers on

the Day of Judgment.
Ayats (17 - 26): Wonders of nature, admonition and

accountability.
Virtue of the Surah
It was narrated from Abu ‗Inabah Al-Khawlani that the Prophet

(Peace be upon him) used to recite ―Glorify the Name of your
Lord the Most High‖ and ―Has there come to you the narration of
the overwhelming (i.e., the Day of Resurrection)?
[Al-A‘la (87) and Al-Ghashiyah (88)] on Jumu‘ah] [Sunan Ibn
Majah Vol. 2, Book 5, Hadith 1120]
643
Yahya related to me from Malik from Damra ibn Said al-Mazini
from Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud that ad-
Dahhak ibn Qays asked an-Numan ibn Bashir, "What did the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
use to recite on the day of jumua after suratal-Jumua (Sura 62)?"
He said, "He used to recite al-Ghashiya (Surah 88)." [Muwatta
Imam Malik Book -5, Hadith – 21]
1. The condition of the disbelievers and the believers on the

Day of Judgment.
2. The wonders of nature, admonition and accountability.
644
89. Surah Al-Fajr (The Dawn; The Daybreak)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Fajr In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, ‫" َوا ْل َف ْج ِر‬By the
dawn" [89:1]. The Surah has 30 ayats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah is an early Makki Surah. Its contents show that it was
revealed at the stage when persecution of the new converts to
Islam had begun in Makkah. On that very basis the people of
Makkah have been warned of the evil end of the tribes of Ad and
Thamud and of Pharaoh.
In the ayats 1 to 5, Allah (swt) have sworn oath by the dawn, by

ten nights, by the Even and the Odd, and the night it departs.
There are several opinions as to what is meant by dawn, the ten
nights and the even and the odd. Some scholars say dawn
symbolizes man‘s spiritual awakening, while others sat dawn
signifies the first day of the lunar month of Dhul Hijjah. So far as
the ten nights are concerned, some scholars are of the opinion
that these are first ten nights if the month Dhul Hijjah. Whereas
some scholars of the opinion that those ten nights signify the last
third of the month of Ramadhan during which Muhammad (s)
received his first revelation in the cave of Mount Hira. During
those time – The Night of Power (Lailatul Qadr) falls. By the
Even and the Odd is meant multiplicity of creation as contrasted
with Allah‘s (swt) Oneness. In other words, As-shafi (Even)
stands for creation which all consists of pairs and Watr (One)
stands for the Creator.
According to another opinion, by the even and the odd is meant

prayer which consists of even and the odd number of raka‘ahs.
645
By the night which passes away is meant spiritual darkness
which disappears when spiritual awakening occurs. However,
some scholars hold the opinion that the dawn, then ten nights,
and the even and the odd are nothing special. These are routine
and usual and usual dawn of everyday, group of ten nights in
every month, and even and odd numbers in everything. Swearing
oaths by these things Allah (swt) emphasizing the concepts of
resurrection after death, the Judgment Day the reward and
punishment, and life in the Hereafter.
In the ayats 10 to 14, the evil end of the earlier nations such as
the Tribes of ‗Ad, Thamud, the people of Pharaoh has been cited
as an example to show to the pagan disbelievers of Makkah their
obvious possible fate, if they persist in their disbelief they will
meet the same scourge of chastisement like those nations.
In the ayats 15 to 20, the nature of man is discussed emphasizing

his love of wealth and greed for hoarding it instead of spending it
in the way of Allah (swt) for the poor.
In the ayats 21 to 30 contain the depicted scene from the
Judgment Day when the earth will be pounded into pieces;
angels will be standing in rows. At that time, the deniers of the
Day of Resurrection will regret and say, ―Oh, I wish I had sent
ahead (some good) for the life.‖ But their regret will come to no
avail. Almighty Allah will punish the wrongdoers by throwing
them into Hell and He will reward those who accepted the truth
and were righteous, they will enter into Heaven.
In the ayah 27 Allah (swt) talked about, ―satisfied soul‖ Nafs-e-

Mutma‘innah. There are three types of souls mentioned in the
Qur‘an.
1) Nafs al-Ammrah: ‫ ِا ة‬- ―Indeed the nafs that
overwhelmingly commands a person to do sin.‖ (Surah 12.
Yusus, Ayah.53) – The self which command all sorts of
evel.
2) Nafs al-Lawwamah: ‫ اٌٍ اِة‬- ―And I swear by the

reproaching soul.‖ (Surah 75. Al-Qiyamah, Ayah.2) – The
646
self-reproaching or self-accusing soul which can be called
as conscience.
3) Nafs al-Mutma‘innah: ‫ اٌّ ّ ٕة‬- To the righteous it will be

said, ―Oh reassured soul, return to your Lord well pleased,
and pleasing to Him.‖(Surah 89. Al-Fajr, Ayah.25) – The
satisfied soul who has believed in Allah (swt) and
abstained form Shirk in worship and followed the way of
the prophets. That faculty [and] part of their humanity
that desires (i.e. the nafs) only and only desires things
which Allah Almighty views as desirable, and has stopped
desiring those things which Allah Almighty has labeled as
undesirable.
Ayats (1 - 14): Admonition for social welfare through the

examples of prior nations.
Ayats (15 - 20): Things which should be avoided to do real social

welfare.
Ayats (21 - 30): Day of Judgment will be too late to heed the
admonition. Almighty Allah addresses the believers here.
Virtue of the Surah
Regarding the virtue of studying this Surah, a tradition from the

Prophet (s) says:
"Allah forgives the mistakes of whoever recites, Surah Fajr, on
the
'Ten Nights',
(i.e., the first ten nights of Zul-Hajj), and it will become a light
on Dooms Day for the one who recites it at other times ((of the
year)‖.[Majma-al-Bayan Vol 10, p. 481]
The Messenger of Allah, (s) said, ―Whoever prays the morning
647
prayer in congregation, then he sits remembering Allah until the
sun rises and prays two Rakahs (Duha) will have a reward
similar to the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage.‖ [Jami‟ Tirmidhi,
Book 6, Hadith 43]
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (s) said, "(A group of)
angels stay with you at night and (another group of) angels by
daytime, and both groups gather at the time of the 'Asr and Fajr
prayers. Then those angels who have stayed with you overnight,
ascend (to Heaven) and Allah asks them (about you) ---- and He
knows everything about you. "In what state did you leave My
slaves?' The angels reply, 'When we left them, they were praying,
and when we reached them they were praying.' ―[Sahih
Bukhari, Book 97, Hadith 56]
About Aad
(89:7) of Iram,1 known for their lofty columns,
1. Aad Iram implies the ancient tribe of Aad, who have been
called Aad-ula in the Quran and Arabian history. In Surah An-
Najm, it has been said: And that We destroyed the ancient people
of Aad (verse 50), i.e. the Aad to whom the Prophet Houd (peace
be upon him) had been sent, and who were punished with a
scourge. As against them the people of Aad who remained safe
and flourished afterwards are remembered as Aad-ukhra in
Arabian history.
The ancient Aad are called Aad-lram for the reason that they
belonged to that branch of the Semetic race which descended
from Iram, son of Shem, son of Noah (peace be upon him).
Several other sub-branches of this main branch are well known
in history. One of which were the Thamud, who have been
mentioned in the Quran; another are the Aramaeans, who in the
beginning inhabited the northern parts of Syria and whose
language Aramaic occupies an important place among the
Semetic languages.
The words dhat-ul-imad (of lofty pillars) have been used for the
648
Aad because they built high buildings and the pattern of
architecture of erecting edifices on lofty pillars was introduced by
them in the world. At another place in the Quran this
characteristic has been mentioned in connection with the
Prophet Houd (peace be upon him), who said to them: What, you
erect for mere pleasure a monument on every high spot, and
build huge castles as if you were immortal. (Surah Ash-Shuara,
Ayats 128-129). [Tafhim Al-Qur‟an]
1. The admonition for social welfare through the examples of

prior nations.
2. Indeed, Allah (swt) is ever watchful.
3. The people ‗Ad were created unparalleled and unmatched
in strength by Allah (swt).
4. Most of the men are ungrateful, when they are blessed,
they say, ―My rabb has honoured me.‖ But when He
restricts their provision, they say, ―My Rabb has
humiliated me.‖ It is all but test.
5. Do not consume the inheritance of the deceased,
distribute to it fairly.
6. Every person will bear burden of his/her deeds and
misdeeds on the Day of Judgment.
7. When the Jahannam will be brought into full view on the
Judgment Day, disbelievers will regret, that will come to
no avail for them.
8. It will be said to Nafs al-Mutmainnah (the satisfied soul)
to return to Rabb with the pleasure as our Rabb is pleased.
And enter among the righteous servants in His heaven.
649
90. Surah Al-Balad (The City; The Land)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Balad In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, "I swear by this
city (Makkah)" [90:1].
The Surah begins with a reference to the city of Makkah where

the Prophet (s) was going through an experience of pain and
suffering due to the denial of his people. It talks about the
different stages of human life. This world is not the place of real
comfort. Here is the test of human beings to do good deeds and
then the final judgment will be in the Hereafter.
Its subject matter and style resemble those of the earliest Surahs
revealed at Makkah, but it contains a pointer which indicates
that it was sent down in the period when the disbelievers of
Makkah had resolved to oppose the prophet Muhammad (s). And
they made it lawful for themselves to commit tyranny and excess
against the prophet (s).
This Surah compressed a vast subject into a few brief sentences.

It is a miracle of the Qur'an that a complete ideology of life which
could hardly be explained in a thick volume has been abridged
most effectively in the brief sentences of this short Surah.
Previous Surah Al-Fajr and this Surah form a pair as both the
Surahs describe the same subject. The central theme of both the
Surahs is to reprimand the leaders of the Quraysh for the
rebellious attitude and arrogant behaviour they have adopted
with regard to Allah (swt) and their fellow human beings after
being bestowed with favours and riches.
650
In this Surah Al-Balad, the leadership of the Quraysh is
reminded of the history of Makkah. It is pointed out to them that
they never always possessed the favours and riches they now
have. When Ibrahim (a) had settled their forefathers in this land
centuries ago, their life was full of toil and struggle. After the
Almighty had endowed them with favours, they became arrogant
and rebellious instead of showing gratitude and spending in the
way of Allah (swt).
The Surah explains the true position of human in the world and
of the world in relation to human; Allah has shown man both the
highways of good and evil. Allah has also provided for him the
means to judge, see and follow them.
In ayats 1 to 3, oaths have been taken by the sacred city of

Makkag and Adam (a) and his offspring to establish the truth
that this world is not a place of rest and ease for mankind, they
have to toil and struggle to build their future.
In the ayats 5 to 10, Almighty Allah refuted the

misunderstanding of men in this world who think that they are
superior; no one is watching them to call to account.
Ayats 11 to 20 define the way to good and evil. It is the way

followed by those who believe, exhort one another to patience
and kindness, and perform good deeds for example freeing of
slaves, feeding the poor and taking care of orphans, people near
to kin and the people who are in destitute and misery.
Those who believe live in a community of believers that

encourages kindness and compassion. They are the people of the
right hand, the ones that are will enjoy Paradise as compensation
for their belief and their actions. But those who disbelieve in the
signs of Allah (swt) will be companion of the left-hand. The
disbelievers, those who receive their records in their left hand
will proceed towards the Hellfire. They disbelieved in God
Almighty‘s revelations. These people chose not to climb the steep
path.
651
Ayats (1 - 20): Admonition to the disbelievers of Makkah. Allah

has given you one tongue and two lips to control it. Qualities of a
righteous person are given. Disbelievers will go to Hellfire.
Virtue of the Surah
Regarding the virtue in studying the Surah Al-Balad, the holy

Prophet (S) is narrated to have said:
"He who studies it, Allah will make him safe from His wrath on
the Day of Judgement.‖ [Majma'-al-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 490]
This short Surah (Surah Al-Balad) touches on a great many facts

which are of central importance to human life. Its style is
characterized by powerful allusions. Numerous facts of this
nature are not easily combined in any form of concise writing
except that of the Qur‘an, with its unique ability to hit the right
chords with such swift and penetrating strokes. [Sayid Qutb, Fi
Zilal al-Qur'an]
A hadith of Abu Da‘ud, narrated by Àbdullah ibn Àmr reports

the Prophet as having said:
―He who does not show kindness to our children, and is not
concerned with the rights of our elders, is not of us‖ [Ibn
Kathir].
1) Allah (swt) tells the disbelievers that prophet (s) is free

from restrictions in the city of Makkah.
2) The qualities of righteous person: Freeing a slave,

feeding the hungry, being patient, advising others about
piety and compassion.
3) There is no way a human can get away by thinking that
there is no power over them and no one is watching what
they are doing.
652
4) Allah (swt) gave all human being individually with two
eyes, a tongue and two lips, and He has shown us the way
to good and evil. Ultimately, it is we who make choices
between them.
5) The people of the right-hand will be those who made the

right (good) choices, those who made the wrong choices
will be in the company of those in the left-hand.
653
91. Surah Ash-Shams (The Sun)
Concise Tafseer of Surah As-Shams In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah is located in the first ayah, ‫حا ا‬

"By the sun and its brightness" [91:1] . It has 15 ayats and 1
Ruku‘ (Section).
This Makki Surah has a fine passage which gives ample evidence
of Almighty Allah‘s providence, and the various contrasts in His
sublime creations.
The Subject matter and style of the Surah show that this Surah
too was revealed in the earliest period of Makkah at a stage when
opposition to prophet (s) had grown very strong and intense.
The Surah begins with swearing oaths of sun, moon, day, nighty,
sky, earth and by the soul proportioned by Allah (swt) to explain
central theme of it. These are the knowledge of right and wrong,
good and evil, truth and falsehood which Allah (swt) bestowed
upon all human being. So, those who have purified themselves by
following the right way are successful, while those who have
followed the wrong way and corrupted their knowledge are in
failure.
The Surah gradually leads up to man‘s need of realizing his

spiritual responsibility, and it ends with a warning of the terrible
consequences for those who do not fear the Hereafter.
Then, in the last part, in the ayats 11 to 15 has the story of

Thamud [The nation of Prophet Salih (a)] has been narrated to
654
warn the people of Makkah about the evil consequences of
rejecting the truth.
Thamud tribe challenged their Prophet Salih (a) for a sign of his
prophethood; whereupon Salih pointed to a she-camel, and
asked them to leave it to graze without bringing any harm to it.
But they rejected his instructions and slaughtered it, and the
consequence of their action was utter destruction.
Their arrogant and rebellious attitude toward Allah (swt) and His
messenger avail them to nothing. Like the nation of Thamud, the
disbelievers of Makkah will face the same end if they don‘t learn.
Ayats (1 - 10): Success depends on keeping the soul pure and

failure depends on corrupting it.
Ayats (11 - 15): The corrupted people of Thamud were leveled to

the ground.
Virtue of the Surah
Jabir reported:
'Mu'adh b. Jabal al-Ansari led his companions in the night
prayer and prolonged it for them. A person amongst us said
prayer (after having separated himself from the congregation).
Mu'adh was informed of this, and he remarked that he was a
hypocrite. When it (the remark) was conveyed to the man, he
went to the Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬and informed him of what
Mu'adh had said. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said to
him: Mu'adh, do you want to become a person putting (people)
to trial?
When you lead people in prayer, recite:" By the Sun and its
morning brightness" (Surat ash-Shams)," Glorify the name of
thy most high Lord" (Surat al-A`la) and" Read in the name of
Lord" (Surat al-Àlaq), and" By the night when it spreads" (Surat
655
al-Lail). [Sahih Muslim Book 4, Hadith 203]
Àbd Allah ibn Ùmar narrated, that while Muhammad (s) was
passing by Thamud's houses on his way to the Battle of Tabouk,
he stopped together with the people there. The people fetched
water from the wells from which the people of Thamud used to
drink. They prepared their dough (for baking) and filled their
water skins from it (the water from the wells). Muhammad (s)
ordered them to empty the water skins and give the prepared
dough to the camels. Then he went away with them until they
stopped at the well from which the she-camel (of Salih) used to
drink.[20] He warned them against entering upon the people
that had been punished, saying "Do not enter the house of those
who were unjust to themselves, unless (you enter) weeping, lest
you should suffer the same punishment as was inflicted upon
them.‖ [Sahih Bukhari]
Narrated Jabir ibn Abd-Allah: Muadh ibn Jabal used to pray

with the Prophet and then go to lead his people in prayer. Once
he led the people in prayer and recited Al-Baqara. A man left (the
row of the praying people) and offered (light) prayer (separately)
and went away. When Mu'adh came to kNow about it, he said.
"He (that man) is a hypocrite." Later that man heard what
Mu'adh said about him, so he came to the Prophet and said, "O
Allah's Apostle! We are people who work with our own hands
and irrigate (our farms) with our camels. Last night Mu'adh led
us in the (night) prayer and he recited Sura-al-Baqara, so I
offered my prayer separately, and because of that, he accused me
of being a hypocrite." The Prophet called Mu'adh and said thrice,
"O Mu'adh! You are putting the people to trials? Recite 'Wash-
shamsi wad-uhaha' (91) or'Sabbih isma Rabbi ka-l-A'la' (87) or
the like." [Sahih Buhari Book #73, Hadith #127]
Narrated Jabir ibn Abd-Allah, Once a man was driving two

Nadihas (camels used for agricultural purposes) and night had
fallen. He found Mu'adh praying so he made his camel kneel and
joined Mu'adh in the prayer. the latter recited Surat "AlBaqara"
or Surat "An-Nisa", (so) the man left the prayer and went away.
When he came to know that Mu'adh had criticized him, he went
656
to the Prophet, and complained against Mu'adh. the Prophet said
thrice, "O Mu'adh ! Are you putting the people to trial?" It would
have been better if you had recited "Sabbih Isma Rabbika-l-a-la
(87)", Wash-Shamsi wadu-haha (91)", or "Wal-laili Idha yaghsha
(92)", for the old, the weak and the needy pray behind you."
Jabir said that Mu'adh recited Sura Al-Baqara in the 'Isha'
prayer. [Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 11(Call to
Prayer), Number 673]
1. The person who purified his/her soul has become

successful.
2. A person becomes truly a loser when he/she corrupts the
soul.
3. The Qur‘an frequently urges humankind to ponder and
reflect upon the samawat. And Almighty God continues to
swear by the sky and how He constructed it and by the
earth and how He spread it out.
4. Success depends on keeping the soul pure and failure
depends on corrupting it. The people of Thamud were
leveled to the ground for that very reason.
5. The people of Thamud were severely punished as they
defied the command of the Prophet openly. With arrogant
cruelty the people of Thamud called Prophet Salih (who
was chosen by God Almighty to deliver His message) a liar
and denied him.
6. Allah (swt) does not need to worry about the consequence
of His action. Lord Almighty is not like the kings and
rulers of the world, who, when they want to take some
action against a people, are compelled to consider what
the consequences of their actions will be. His power is
supreme.
657
92. Surah Al-Lail (The Night)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Lail In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah is appears in the first ayah of it, "By the
night when it covers" [92:1]. It has 21 ayats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah contrasts two types of people, the charitable and the
miserly, and describes each of their characteristics.
This Surah Al-Lail was among the first ten Surahs to be revealed
in Makkah. According to Yusuf Ali, Al-Lail may be placed in the
dating period close to Surah Al-Fajr and Ad-Dhuha (93). It is
similar in subject matter to the chapter preceding it, Ash-Shams
(91).
In the previous Surah (Surah Ash-Shams), people were divided

into two groups on the basis of following the right way and the
wrong way, the same thing has been said in another way in this
Surah. This Surah tells us about the two ways of life: good way
and evil way, and explains the consequences of both the ways.
In the first part of the Surah, in ayats 1 to 11 Allah (swt take oaths
of the night and the day and of Himself Who created male and
female to point out the two ways of mankind‘s life which is with
diverse endeavours and efforts. Those who have taken the first
way give their wealth in charity, fear Allah with taqwa and
acknowledges good as good, Allah (swt) will facilitate their way
to the state of ease surely.
Those who have taken the second way are mean and consider
themselves as self-sufficient and deny what is good and right,
658
Allah (swt) will surely facilitate them the state of hardship, and
their wealth will not avail them when they perish.
In the next part of this Surah, ayats 12 to 21, Allah (swt) says that
He has not left human unguided. He has taken upon Himself the
responsibility of giving guidance to making by His messengers
and through His revealed books. So, men have been warned
about evil whose end is the blazing fire. Pious one, who gives
charity from his wealth for the sake of Allah (swt), will be saved
from fire and will be pleased with Allah (swt).
In the Surah Ash-Shams, Allah (swt) described the existence of

pairs with the sun and the moon, the night and the day and the
earth and the sky. As a general rule in the manifestations of
nature shows that just as either member of a pair needs its
complement to become meaningful, this world also is incomplete
unless it is viewed together with its complement: the Day of
Reward and Punishment. In this Surah Al-Lail, Allah (swt)
depicts the principle of the existence of pairs in this samawat.
Like the night and the day, the male species and the female
species testify the diversity of creation which becomes
meaningful when considered with each other. This world also
shall become meaningful on the Day of Judgment.
The terrible fate on that Day can be avoided by accepting the

word of Almighty Allah. The Quraysh are given the final warning
in this phase with reference to this fate in the words: Ìt is for Us
to give guidance', and Ì have warned you of the Raging Fire'.
Ayats (1 - 21): For good people, Allah (swt) will facilitate the easy
way and for the wicked, the hard way. What benefit will he get
from wealth, if one is doomed?
Virtue of the Surah
It is a frequently repeated subject of the Qur‘an that every good

deed is recompensed, and that one who intends to do good deeds
659
is given the opportunity to do it, and anyone who intends to do
evil deeds is led to it. There are many aḥadith that support this
assertion. Once Abu Bakr asked the Prophet, ―Are our deeds
foreordained or originated by us?‖ The Prophet said, ―They are
rather foreordained.‖ Abu Bakr said, ―Then what is the use of our
efforts.‖ The Prophet then said, ―Each proceeds easily towards
that for which he was created.‖ —Ibn Kathir [Tafsīr Ibn
Kathir]
Within a framework of scenes taken from the universe and the

realm of human nature - this Surah states emphatically the basic
facts of action and reward. This issue had diverse aspects… The
end in the hereafter is also varied, according to the type of action
and the direction taken in this life… The subject matter of the
surah, i.e., action and reward, is by nature double directional, so
the framework chosen for it at the beginning of the surah is of
dual coloring. It is based on contrasting aspects in the creation of
man and the universe.
[Sayid Qutb, Fi Zilal al-Qur'an]
1. Guidance comes only from Allah (swt).
2. Those who spend in the way of Allah (swt), adopt taqwa

and believe in Tauhid will be guided with extreme ease
(Jannah) by Allah (swt).
3. Those who are miser - think only for themselves in

comfort and turn away from Tauhid will be facilitated to
the path of extreme difficulty (Jahannam).
4. This dunya and the next Akhirah both belong to the

control of Allah (swt).
660
93. Surah Ad-Dhuha (The Morning Light; The
Forenoon; The Morning Hours; Morning Bright)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Ad-Duha In Summarized
Form

The Surah is named after the first ayah, ‫" ٌ ح ا‬By the morning
brightness" [93:1] with which an oath has been taken by Allah
(swt). The Surah has 11 ayats in Ruku‘ (Section).
Surah Ad-Duha gives the message of hope and consolation. It

reminds about Allah's blessings and the way the Believers should
take these blessings.
The Surah‘s subject matter clearly indicates that it belongs to the

earliest period at Makkah. Traditions also show that the
revelations were suspended for a time, which caused Muhammad
(s) to be deeply distressed and grieved. So, our beloved prophet
felt very anxious that perhaps he had committed some error
because of which His Lord had become angry with him and had
forsaken him. Thereupon, Almighty Allah console him with this
Surah Ad-Dhuha that Allah (swt) had not been stopped the
revelation because of some displeasure, but this was necessitated
by the same expediency as underlies the peace and stillness of
the night after the bright day, as if to say: "If you had
continuously been exposed to the intensely bright light of
Revelation (Wahy) your nerves could not have endured it.
Therefore, an interval was given in order to afford you peace and
tranquility."
In the initial stage of the Prophethood Muhammad (s)

experienced intensity of Revelation (Wahy) as he was not yet
accustomed to hear it. On this basis, observance of a pause in
between was necessary.
661
This Surah along with the succeeding one: Alam Nashrah form a
pair. In both these Srrahs, the Prophet (s) is assured that he will
succeed in the mission he has been entrusted with by the
Almighty Allah. The Surah begins with oaths. Reference is made
to two different times, one when the people are active (Duha),
and the other when they rest.
The Surah also reveals promises from Almighty Allah that the
future life would be better than the past, indicating that the life
after death of the followers, would definitely be better. The Surah
further draws attention to our obligation towards orphans and
weaker sections of society who seek financial, physical, or moral
help.
There was a time when revelations were not frequent, leading to

the Prophet (s) being taunted by certain Arabs, who said: ―Your
Lord has forsaken you.‖ It was in such a setting that this Surah
was revealed. It tells us that Allah (swt) has bestowed many
favours on the Prophet (s), and helped him repeatedly in his
efforts of propagating the message.
The Surah's theme is to console Muhammad (s) and its object to

remove his anxiety and distress, which he had been caused by the
suspension of Revelation. First of all, swearing an oath by the
bright morning and the stillness of night, he has been reassured,
so as to say: "Your Lord has not at all forsaken you, nor is he
displeased with you." [93:3]
Then, addressing Muhammad (s), Allah says: "O My dear

Prophet, what has caused you the anxiety and distress that your
Lord has forsaken you, and that We are displeased with you?
Whereas the fact is that We have been good to you with kindness
after kindness ever since the day of your birth. You were born an
orphan. We made the best arrangement for your upbringing and
care: you were unaware of the Way, We showed you the Way;
you were indigent, We made you rich. All this shows that you
have been favored by Us from the very beginning and Our grace
662
and bounty has been constantly focused on you." [93:3 - 11]
Here, one should also keep in view ayats 37-42 of Surah Ta Ha,
where Allah, while sending the Prophet Musa (a) to confront a
tyrant like Pharaoh, encouraged and consoled him, saying: "We
have been looking after you with kindness ever since your birth;
therefore, you should be satisfied that you will not be left alone in
this dreadful mission. Our bounty will constantly be with you."
At the end, Prophet Muhammad (s) is guided to fulfill the

obligations towards these favours bestowed on him. This is also a
passing comment on people who have been mentioned in
previous Surahs who after being blessed with favours became
proud and usurped the rights of Lord Almighty's creatures.
By guiding our Prophet (s) Allah actually reminded ourselves

over things which we don‘t have with which we most often worry.
Or sometimes we feel proud of having so many blessings. But
very few people realize that all blessings are a test. On the Day of
Judgment we will not be given any reward for what we had in
life; but it will be seen how we used those gifts to please Allah
(swt). Normally we are all the time grumbling and complaining
about ―how hard life is‖ but Almighty Allah is telling us about His
bounty (gifts) that we should not only focus on what we have, but
we should be grateful to have all these.
Ayats (1 - 11): Good news to Muhammad (s) that the later period
will be better for him than the earlier.
Virtue of the Surah
There is a tradition narrated from the holy Prophet (s) which

says: "He who recites this Surah will be among those Allah is
pleased with; and it is possible that Muhammad (s) intercedes
for him, and he will be rewarded ten 'good deeds' for each
orphan or needy (or petitioner)‖. [Majma -al-Bayan- vol. 10,
p. 503]
663
Jabir reported:
'Mu'adh b. Jabal al-Ansari led his companions in the night
prayer and prolonged it for them. A person amongst us said
prayer (after having separated himself from the congregation).
Mu'adh was informed of this, and he remarked that he was a
hypocrite. When it (the remark) was conveyed to the man, he
went to the Messenger of Allah (s) and informed him of what
Mu'adh had said. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (s) said to
him: Mu'adh, do you want to become a person putting (people)
to trial? When you lead people in prayer, recite:" By the Sun and
its morning brightness" (Surat ash-Shams)," Glorify the name of
thy most high Lord" (Surat al-A`la) and" Read in the name of
Lord" (Surat al-Àlaq), and" By the night when it spreads" (Surat
al-Lail). [Sahih Muslim Book 4, Hadith 203]
Connetion of Surah Before and After it

Surah al-Layl [92] ends with the words ‫ٌس‬ ‫" ير‬And he is
going to be satisfied." [92:21] and Surah ad-Duha [93] has the
Ayat, ‫به يع يه ٌس‬ ‫" فتر‬And your Lord is going to give you,
and you will be satisfied." [93:5]
Surah al-Layl [Night 92] and ad-Duha [Forenoon 93] are both
periods in a day.
1. Never forget your humble beginnings and your difficult

past. Use it to be better person, and to do good to others.
2. Don‘t disregard the orphans and needy who asks for

his/her needs.
3. Prophecy: The later period of life (in this world) will be

better than the earlier period of prophet Muhammad‘s (s)
life.
4. Don‘t forget the favours of Allah (swt), give thanks to Him

for the blessings He has bestowed to you.
664
94. Surah Al-Inshirah (The Opening Up; The
Consolation)/Alam Nashrah (Did We not expand)/
Surah Ash-Sharh (The Expansion)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Inshirah/Alam
Nashrah/Ash-Sharh In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah. It has 8 ayats in
1 Ruku‘ (Section).
The believers are told in this Surah not to give up under stress
and difficulties. There will be ease after difficulties. In short,
Surah Ash-Sharh is a short yet highly comprehensive Surah of
the Qur‘an which reminds the Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬about the
greatest favor of Allah SWT on Him in terms of easing all of His
worries and making His journey of preaching Islam easy for
Him.
Its subject matter so closely resembles that of Surah Ad-Dhuha

that both these Surah seem to have been revealed in about the
same period under similar conditions. According to Abdullah bin
Abbas, it was sent down in Makkah just after Ad-Dhuha.
This Surah along with Surah Ad-Dhuha, the previous Surah,

forms a dual pair. In the previous Surah, the Prophet(s) had been
given the glad tidings of a bright future as far as the extent of the
propagation of Islam was concerned which would overshadow
the bleak present. The difficulties and hardships which he had
been facing were, according to the law of providence, only meant
to train and discipline him.
The aim and object of this Surah too is to console and encourage
665
Muhammad (s). Before his call he never had to encounter the
conditions which he suddenly had to encounter after it, when he
embarked on his mission of inviting the people to Islam. This
was by itself a great revolution in his own life of which he had no
idea in his life before prophethood. No sooner had he started
preaching the message of Islam than the same society which had
esteemed him with unique honour, turned hostile to him.
Although gradually he became accustomed to the hardships,
even much severer ones, yet the initial stage was very
discouraging for him. That is why first Surah Ad-Duha was sent
down to console him, and then this Surah.
At the start of the Surah, Allah (swt) says: "We have favoured
you, O Prophet, with three great blessings; therefore you have no
cause to be disheartened. The first is the blessing of Sharh Sadr
(opening up of the chest), the second of removing from you the
heavy burden that was weighing down your back before the call,
and the third of exalting your renown the like of which has never
been granted to any man before."
After this, Allah has reassured Muhammad (s) that the period of
hardships which he is passing through, is not very long, but
following close behind it there is also a period of ease. This same
thing has been described in Surah Ad-Dhuha, saying: "Every
later period is better for you than the former period, and soon
your Lord will give you so much that you will be well pleased."
The Surah also repeats the phrase "surely with hardship comes
ease," setting a precedent that appears throughout the Qur‘an
that any single difficulty faced by Muhammad (s) or his followers
would be rewarded twice over (or more).
In conclusion, Muhammad (s) has been instructed, so as to say,

"You can develop the power to bear and resist the hardships of
the initial stage only by one means, and it is this: `When you are
free from your occupations, you should devote yourself to the
labour and toil of worship, and turn all your attention exclusively
to your Lord'.‖This same instruction has been given him in much
greater detail in Surah Al-Muzzammil 1 to 9 ayats. The
666
disbelievers made life miserable for the Messenger of Allah (s)
and His followers but they could not turn them away from their
true faith.
This Surah teaches us that our individual lives are nothing but a
test and it will pass away so quickly anyway. So, our focus should
be on the life of the hereafter which is never ever going to end.
The only way to succeed is to work hard for it. If we understand
this concept so well for our worldly interests then why can‘t we
understand that if we want to be successful then we have to make
Almighty Allah our number one priority.
Ayats (1 - 8): Allah (swt) expanded the chest of the Prophet (s),
lightened his burden and exalted his fame.
Virtue of the Surah
On the virtue of studying this Surah, the holy Prophet is reported

to have said:"He who recites this Surah will be rewarded the
same as the one who met Muhammad unhappy and brought the
grief out from his heart.‖ [Majma-'al-Bayan,vol, 10, p, 507]
1. Allah expanded the breast of the Prophet, relieved his

burden and exalted his fame.
2. Allah (swt) elated the rank of Prophet Muhammad (s).
3. Indeed, with hardship there is ease.
4. We better take some time in solitude with our Rabb after

our worldly endeavours.
667
95. Surah At-Tin (The Fig; The Fig tree)
Concise Tafseer of Surah At-Tin In Summarized Form

The Surah starts with the two oaths, the first word in the first is
the name of it, ْ ‫اٌ يت‬ "By the fig and the olive" [95:1]. The
word "fig" only appears in this Surah and nowhere else in the
Qur'an. It has 8 ayats in one Ruku‘ (Section).
According to Qatadah, this Surah is Madani. Two different views

have been reported from lbn Abbas: first that it is a Makki Surah,
and second that it is Madani. But the majority of scholars regard
it as a Makki revelation, a manifest symbol of which is the use of
the words hadh-al-balad-il-amin (this city of peace) for Makkah.
Obviously, if it had been revealed at Madinah, it would not be
correct to use the words "this city" for Makkah.
Besides, a study of the contents of the Surah shows that it

belongs to the earliest period of Makkah, for in it there is no sign
whatever to indicate that during the period of its revelation any
conflict had started between Islam and unbelief. Moreover, it
reflects the same style of the earliest revelations of Makkah
period in which briefly and succinctly the people have been made
to realize that the judgment of the Hereafter is necessary and
absolutely rational.
This Surah opens with three oaths mentioning the fig, the olive,
Mount Sinai, and "this city secured" (generally considered as
Makkah). We know that when Allah (swt) gives an oath, when he
swears by something, He is then going to give a response that is
related to the oath. The oath is the framework in which the
central message of the Surah sits.
668
In the first ayah, Allah (swt) is swearing by the fig and the olive
in a straightforward manner. Both fruits have many benefits for
humankind. However, in the following oaths, Lord Almighty
mentions places. Theses oaths have been much debated by the
scholars of Islam. Some say that the foods are just foods we are
familiar with; the fig was praised by Prophet Muhammad (s) in
his traditions and the olive is praised by Allah (swt) in the Qur‘an
particularly in Surah twenty-four (Surah An-Nur). Others point
out that, at the time, the Arabs would refer to a place by the food
that was grown there. Thus, the words fig and olive can refer to
the place where these were grown, the lands of Syria and
Palestine. Mount Sinai clearly refers to the Sinai Peninsula, and
the secure city is the city of Makkah.
All four places are the habitats of prophets, and the prophets are
examples of human beings living their best life. Fig refers to
Mount Judi where Prophet Nuh's Ark landed, while At-Teen
referring to Prophet Nuh‘s (a) the location where his Ark ship
landed. Az-Zaytoon is referring to where Isa (a) was born - in
Palestine where olives grow or Al-Aqsa Masjid in Palestine.
These Oaths are referring to the two fruits and also their
locations. So the idea that fig and olive refers to both fruit and
location was a view of the Sahabah (ajmayin) and their early
students. According to Ruh al-Ma'ani by Mahmud al-Alusi the
intent by naming two fruits is to mention two mountains from
the Holy land of Palestine. Prophet Musa (a) is always associated
with Mount Sinai, and Prophet Muhammad (s) is the prophet
most closely connected to the secure city of Makkah and also
Prophet Ibrahim (a).
The oaths of the Qur‘an are meant to bear witness to a premise.

Here this premise is that man has been created in the best of
shapes, with the finest of natures and with outstanding qualities.
However, the law of the Almighty Lord for a man to remain at
such excellence and to strengthen his qualities is that those who
embrace faith and do righteous deeds and bear every hardship
they encounter in the cause of Almighty Allah, they will receive a
great reward for their efforts. As far as those people are
concerned who, because of their egotism and slackness, do not
669
exercise strength and courage to surmount the difficulties they
face in the cause of Lord Almighty, the Almighty will leave them
to wander on the path they have adopted and in the end they
would fall in a pit which is destined for such people.
The importance of faith and good deeds now becomes apparent

because these are what elevate the human being. Those who
follow the messengers doing righteous deeds are the best of all
people and will be abundantly rewarded. On the other hand,
those who obstinately reject the messengers are the worst of the
worst.
At the end of this Surah, it is stated that this dealing of God

Almighty with His servants is based right on truth and justice. If
He does not do so, then this would mean that the righteous and
the evil doers are equal in His eyes. This of course is evidently
incorrect. The Lord Almighty who has given a person the
awareness between good and evil should be the foremost to
distinguish good from evil and should deal with each in a manner
it is worthy of.
Ayats (1 - 8): Man is made the best creatures of all, except the
disbelievers.
Virtue of the Surah
The Prophet Muhammad (s) is narrated to have said: "Allah will

endow, in this world, the two qualities of safety and
certainty to the person who recites it (Surah Tin). and when
he dies, He will give him rewards equal to the reward of
fasting one day (multiplied) by the number of all those who
have recited this Surah.‖ [ Majma-'al-Bayan,vol, 10, p, 510]
Bar‘a said, ―I heard the Prophet (s) reciting Surat at-Tin waz
Zaitun [95: By the Fig and the Olive] in the Isha prayer and I
have never heard anybody with a better voice or recitation than
his.‖ [Bukhari no. 7546 - ‫( صح ح‬Sahih)]
670
The "fig" and the "olive" symbolize, in this context, the lands in
which these trees predominate: i.e., the countries bordering on
the eastern part of the Mediterranean, especially Palestine and
Syria. As it was in these lands that most of the Abrahamic
prophets mentioned in the Qur‘an lived and preached, these two
species of tree may be taken as metonyms for the religious
teachings voiced by the long line of those God-inspired men,
culminating in the person of the last Judaic prophet, Jesus.
"Mount Sinai", on the other hand, stresses specifically the
apostleship of Moses, inasmuch as the religious law valid before,
and up to, the advent of Muhammad—and in its essentials
binding on Jesus as well—was revealed to Moses on a mountain
of the Sinai Desert. Finally, "this land secure" signifies
undoubtedly (as is evident from 2:126) Makkah, where
Muhammad, the Last Prophet, was born and received his divine
call. [Muhammad Asad, The Message of The Qur‟an]
Judgment of Allah
(95:8) Is not Allah the Greatest of all sovereigns? [1]
1. That is, when you want and expect even the petty judges of the
world to do justice, punish the culprits and reward the doers of
good, what is your opinion about God? Is He not the greatest of
all judges? If you think He is the greatest of all judges, do you
think that He will not do any justice? Do you expect that He will
treat the good and the evil alike? Will those who commit the
vilest of deeds in the world and those who perform
righteous deeds, both end in the dust: neither will any be
punished for his evil deeds, nor any be rewarded for his good
works.
Imam Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Daud, Ibn al-Mundhir, Baihaqi,

Hakim and Ibn Marduyah have related, on the authority of Abu
Hurairah, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: When one
of you recites Surah Wat-teen waz-zaytun and reaches Alais-
Allah-u bi-ahkam-il-Hakimin he should respond to it, saying:
Bala wa ana ala dhalika min-ash-shahidin (Yes, and I am of those
who bear witness to it). According to some other traditions, the
671
Prophet (peace be upon him) responded with Subhanaka fa-bala
when he recited this ayah. - subhanakAllah wa bal-laa ana 'ala
dhalik min ash-shahideen.
1. The city of Makkah is divinely secure.
2. The fig and olive hold significance in the sight of Allah

(swt).
3. Allah (swt) honours His Prophets and Messengers in their

lives and even after their deaths. The mention of the
Prophets in the Qur‘an is itself an honour, as their lives
and stories have been immortalized until the end of time.
4. Human beings have been created ―in the finest state‖.
5. While Allah honours men by creating him in the finest

state, mankind dishonours himself by being sinful and
disobeying the commandments of their Lord. And by
disobedience and rebelliousness, man brings on himself
humiliation in both this life and the next.
6. Allah (swt) is the greatest of All rulers. The life on earth is

based on some definite laws and regulations which
everyone is required to follow. The courts of law have been
made to bring sinful people to justice and make them
accountable for their wrongdoings. Same will be the case
in the hereafter when Allah (swt) will distinguish between
the rightful and wrongful persons based on their way of
life in the human race.
672
96. Surah Al-„Alaq (The Clinging Substance; The Early
Stage of the embryo; Coagulated Blood; Blood Clot; A
Lump of Mud)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-„Alaq In Summarized Form

The Surah takes its name after the second Ayat, "Created man
from a clinging substance." [96:2].
The first five Ayat are among the first that were revealed to the
Prophet (saw), aged forty, in the cave of Hira, Makkah. The
Surah contains the command to preach, and explains the chief
obstacles to the delivery of the message of truth to man, viz.,
man‘s own stubbornness in rejecting the truth, his vanity, and
insolence. There is a requirement of Tilawat-e-Sajdah after
reading the last ayah of the Surah.
This Surah has two parts: the first part consists of ayats 1 to 5,
and the second of ayats 6 to 19. The first five Ayat are among the
first that were revealed to the Prophet (s), aged forty, in the cave
of Hira, Makkah. About the first part a great majority of the
scholars are agreed that it forms the very first Revelation to be
sent down to the Prophet (s). In this regard, the Hadith from
Hadrat Aishah (rh), which Imam Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, and
other traditionists have related with several chains of authorities,
is one of the most authentic hadith on the subject. In it Hadrat
Aishah (rh) has narrated the full story of the beginning of
revelation as she herself heard it from the Messenger of Allah (s).
Besides, Ibn Abbas, Abu Musa al-Ashari and a group of the
Companions also are reported to have stated that these were the
very first ayats of the Qur‘an to be revealed to Prophet
Muhammad (s).
The second part was sent down afterwards when the Prophet (s)
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began to perform the prescribed Prayer in the precincts of the
Kabah and Abu Jahl tried to prevent him from this with threats.
The ayats from 1 to 3 are talking about how Allah (swt) created
human beings from Alaq (clay). After this ayats were revealed,
Muhammad (s) responded by saying that he didn't know how to
read. After angel Jibrail squeezed Muhammad's (s) chest a few
times, and the 3rd ayah was revealed, Muhammad (s) read even
though he did not know how to read or write. Ayats 4 to 5 stress
the importance of seeking knowledge for human. Ayats 6 to 8
explains the point, ―Even though Lord Almighty does so many
things for us we still disobey him. Some people say that they do
not need Allah (swt). It does not matter because everyone will
return to him on the Day of Judgment.‖
In the ayats 9 to 10 - ―the one who discourages‖ references Abu

Jahl when he tried to stop Muhammad (s) from making
devotions towards Allah, and anyone else for that matter. Ayats
11-14 put forward a question whether the ―one who discourages‖
is being ―guided‖ or even ―concerned‖ about God. They also
emphasize that if someone is praying not to stop them because
Allah (swt) is always watching.
Ayats 15 to 19 explain why the person who interrupts someone in

prayer is said that they will be dragged from their ―lying, sinful,
forehead.‖ This phrase comes from Abu Jahl, who in the battle of
Badr was killed by the hands of 2 child orphans of Madinah. His
body was thrown into a well and they dragged him by his hair,
which is specifically in reference to ayah 15.
Previous Surah: 95 and this Surah: Al-‗Alaq forms a pair with

regard to their subject-matter. The law of retribution which is
validated by the first Surah is used to warn a prominent chief of
the Quraysh in the second one. He is informed that if he does not
mend his ways, he shall become a victim of this unchanging law.
Both Surahs apparently address the Prophet Muhammad (s);
however, a little deliberation shows that the actual addressees
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are the leaders of the Quraysh whose defiant and rebellious
attitude was now reaching its extreme.
Ayats (1 - 19): 1 Read in the name of Allah, Who created man and
taught him by the pen. Those who forbid from the worship of
Allah will be dragged to hell by their forelock.
Virtue of the Surah
Aishah [ra] said, "The first [revelation] to descend was Iqra......"

[Hakim]
The meaning of 'alaq
The linguistic definition of ʻalaq ‫( ٌ كع‬singular ʻalaqah ‫ )ع ٍ مة‬is

"leech", "medicinal leech", "coagulated blood", "blood clot", or
"the early stage of the embryo". ʻAlaq is also a derivative of ʻalaqa
which means "attached and hanging to something." Professor
Abdul Haleem mentions that "ʻalaq‖ can also mean anything that
clings: a clot of blood, a leech, even a lump of mud. All these
meanings involve the basic idea of clinging or sticking."
The term ʻalaqah is the second stage of human prenatal
development (Surah Al-Mu‘minoon 23: 12-14) which
"descriptively encompasses the primary external and internal
features" of the early embryo. The term ʻalaqah also occurs in
several languages related to Arabic. In Hebrew there is
alûqāh (or alukah), the generic name for any blood-sucking
worm or leech, and in Aramaic and Syriac there are words with
apparently similar meanings. [Courtesy:
https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Al-Alaq]

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Hadith 1]
They are in the following Ayat(in order):
1. Al-'A`rāf (7):206
2. Ar-Ra`d (13):15
3. An-Naĥl (16):49, but the sajda should be performed after

complete).
4. Al-'Isrā' (17):107, but the sajda should be performed after

complete).
5. Maryam (19):58
6. Al-Ĥaj (22):18
7. Al-Ĥaj (22):77
9. An-Naml (27):25, but the sajda should be performed after

complete).
10. As-Sajdah (32):15
11. Şād (38):24
12. Fuşşilat (41):37, but the sajda should be performed after

complete).
13. An-Najm (53):62
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15. Al-Àlaq (96):19
16. Also note that performing the sajdah is not obligatory

but is a stressed (confirmed) sunnah (‫ )ِؤو دة س ٕة‬that
is highly recommended to follow. Here is a hadith:

same Sura and when he reached the verse of Sajda he said, "O
day). Added Ibn Ùmar "Allah has not made the prostration of
recitation compulsory but if we wish we can do it." [Sahih al-

1. When reading, one needs to start with taking the name of

Allah. So do as well when doing anything else.
2. The pen is one of the fundamental modes of teaching.
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3. Lord Almighty Allah is the one who truly teaches humans.
4. Does the human not know that Allah (swt) is ever

watching?
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97. Surah Al-Qadr (The Decree; The Destiny; The Fate;
The Power)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Surah Al-Qadr In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah first appears in the beginning ayah,

"Indeed, We sent the Qur'an down during the Night of (Qadr)
Decree." [97:1] The word is also mentioned in the next two ayats.
The Surah has 5 ayats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section).The Surah talks about
the majesty and glory of the Qur'an and the time in which the
Qur'an was revealed.
It is disputed whether the Surah is a Makki or a Madani

revelation. Abu Hayyan in Al-Bahr al-Muhti has made the claim
that the majority of scholars regard it as a Madani Surah. All bin
Ahmad al-Wahidi in his commentary says that this is the first
Surah to be sent down in Madinah. Contrary to this, Al Mawardi
says that according to the majority of scholars it is a Makki
revelation, and the same view has Imam Suyuti expressed in Al-
Itqan. Ibn Mardayah has cited Ibn Abbas (ra), Ibn Az Zubair (ra)
and Hadrat Aishah (rh) as saying that this Surah was revealed at
Makkah. A study of the contents also shows that it should have
been revealed at Makkah.
The theme of the Surah is to acquaint man with the value, worth
and importance of the Qur‘an. It‘s being placed just after Surah
Al-Alaq in the arrangement of the Qur‘an by itself explains that
the Noble Book, the revelation of which began with the first
revelation of first five ayats of Surah Al-Alaq was sent down in a
destiny making night.
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It is a glorious Book and its revelation for mankind is full of
blessings.In the first ayah of this Surah Allah (swt) states that He
has revealed the Qur‘an in the Night of Qadr (destiny). The
commentators of the Qur‘an have mostly understood two
meanings of this statement. First, it is the night during which
destinies are decided. The revelation of this Book in this night is
not merely the revelation of a book but an event which will
change the destiny of not Quraysh tribe, or of Arabia, but of, the
entire world. The same thing has been said in Surah Ad-Dukhan.
The other meaning is that this is a night of unique honor, dignity
and glory; so much so that it is better than a thousand months.
Thus, the disbelievers of Makkah have been warned, as if to say:

"You on account of your ignorance regard this Book, which
Muhammad (s) has presented, as a calamity for yourselves and
complain that a disaster has befallen you, whereas the night in
which it was decreed to be sent down was such a blessed night
that a task was accomplished in it for the well-being of mankind,
which had never been accomplished even during a thousand
months of history." This also has been said in ayah 3 of Ad-
Dukhan in another way.
In conclusion, it has been stated that in this night the angels and
Jibril (a) [Gabriel] descend with every decree (which in ayah 4 of
Surah Ad- Dukhan has been described as amr-hakim: wise
decree) by the leave of their Lord, and it is all peace from evening
till morning; that is, there is no interference of evil in it, for all
decrees of Almighty Allah are intended to promote good and not
evil. So much so that even if a decision to destroy a nation is
taken, it is taken for the sake of ultimate good, not evil.

Ayats (1 - 5): The night of Qadr is better than one thousand
months.
Virtue of the Surah
Abu Mus'ab Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr az-Zuhri (d.42H) said that
Maalik informed him that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu
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‗alayhi wa sallam was shown the generations of old from
mankind and it was as if the lifespans of his community were
shorter, and so it was not possible to accomplish the same
amount of deeds as those communities of old, who lived longer
lives and so Allah gave him the night of Al-Qadr which is better
than a thousand months. According to Maalik, this necessarily
means that this community (of Muslims) has been specially
favoured with the night of Al- Qadr. One of the Shaafi'i scholars
said that it is the view of the majority of scholars of fiqh, and
Allah knows best.
―Whoever stands (in prayer) during the Night of Al-Qadr with
faith and expecting a reward (from Allah), he will be forgiven for
his previous sins.‖ [Fath Al-Bari 4:294, and Muslim 1:253]
Imam Ahmad recorded from ‗A‘ishah, may Allah be pleased with

her, that she said: ―O Messenger of Allah! If I find the Night of
Al-Qadr what should I say?‖ He replied:―You should supplicate:
Allaahumma innaka‗afuwwun, tuhibbul-‗afwa, fa‗fu‗anni (O
Allaah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so
forgive me).‖ [At-Tirmidhi]
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said: ―When

Ramadan would come, the Messenger of Allah would say, ‗Verily
the month of Ramadan has come to you all. It is a blessed month,
which Allah has obligated you all to fast. During it the gates of
Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed and the devils
are shackled. In it there is a night that is better than one
thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its good, then he has
truly been deprived.‘ [An Nasai]
Which Night is Qadr
Allah informs that He sent the Quran down during the Night of
Al-Qadr, and it is a blessed night, about which Allah says,
We sent it down on a blessed night [44:3]
This is the Night of Al-Qadr and it occurs during the month of

Ramadan. This is as Allah says, ―The month of Ramadan in
which was revealed the Qur‘an.‖ [2:185]
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Ibn Abbas and others have said, ―Allah sent the Quran down all
at one time from the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz) to
the House of Might (Baytul-Izzah), which is in the heaven of this
world. Then it came down in parts to the Messenger of Allah
(Sallallaahu ‗alaihi wa Sallam) based upon the incidents that
occurred over a period of twenty-three years.‖
Then Allah magnified the status of the Night of Al-Qadr , which
He chose for the revelation of the Mighty Quran, by His
saying,And What will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr
is?The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months.[At-
Tabari 24:531, 532, and Al-Qurtubi 20:130]
It is narrated that Abu Zarr radhiallahu ànhu asked the Prophet

sallallahu ‗alayhi wa sallam: "Oh, Messenger of Allah! Tell me
about the night of Al-Qadr, is it in Ramadhaan, or another
month? "He sallallahu àlayhi wa sallam replied: "No, it is in
Ramadhaan." (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad). He sallallahu
àlayhi wa sallam also said: "It is until they Day of Resurrection."
And, "Look for it in the last seven days of Ramadhaan and do not
ask me any more about it." [Narrated by An-Nasaa'i]
It has also been said that it is on the 23rd night due to a tradition
narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Unays in Sahih Muslim. It has also
been reported that it is on the twenty-fifth night due to what Al-
Bukhari recorded from Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah
said: "Seek it in the last ten (nights) of Ramadhan. In the 9th it
still remains in the seventh it still remains, in the fifth it still
remains." Many have explained this statement to refer to the odd
nights, and this is the apparent and most popular explanation.
It has also been said that it occurs on the twenty-seventh night

because of what Muslim recorded in his Sahih from Ubayy ibn
Ka'ab that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace,
mentioned that it was on the twenty-seventh night.
Imam Ahmad recorded from Zirr that he asked Ubayy ibn Ka'ab:
"O Abu'l-Mundhir! Verily, your brother Ibn Masud says whoever
stands for prayer (at night) the entire year, will catch the Night of
Al-Qadr." He (Ubayy) said: "May Allah have mercy upon him.
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Indeed he knows that it is the twenty-seventh night." Then he
swore by Allah. Zirr then said, "How do you know that?" Ubayy
replied, "By a sign or an indication that he (the Prophet)
informed us of. It rises that next day having no rays on it -
meaning the sun."
It has been said that it is the night of the twenty-ninth. The

Messenger of Allah was questioned about the Night of Al-Qadr
and he replied: "Seek it in Ramadhan in the last ten nights. For
verily, it is during the odd nights: the twenty-first, or the twenty-
third, or the twenty-fifth, or the twenty-seventh, or the twenty-
ninth, or during the last night."
The Messenger of Allah also said about the Night of Al-Qadr:

"Verily, it is during the twenty-seventh or the twenty-ninth night.
And verily, the angels who are on the earth during that night are
more numerous than the number of pebbles."
Abu Qilabah that he said:
"The Night of Al-Qadr moves around (i.e., from year to year)
throughout the last ten nights."
And Allah knows best.
1. The Qur‘an was revealed on the Night of Qadr.
2. The Night of Qadr is more virtuous than a thousand

months.
3. Jibril (a) and other angels descend on this Night with the
blessings of goodness.
4. The time of Qadr ends at the break of dawn.
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98. Surah Al-Bayyinah (The Clear Evidence; The Clear
Proof)
Concise Tafseer of Surah Al-Bayyinah In Summarized
Form

This Surah takes its name after the first ayah, " Those who
disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists
were not to be parted [from misbelief] until there came to them
clear evidence -" [98:1] The Surah has 8 ayats in 1 Ruku‘
(Section).
The Surah tells us that Prophet Muhammad (s) came with a clear
message and a Divine Book. This Book (the Qur‘an) contains the
basic message of all the Prophets of Allah. It also draws attention
to the different ends of those who follow the right path and those
who turn away from the truth.
The period of revelation of this Surah is disputed – no one can

certainly tell whether this Surah is Makki or Madani. Some
scholars consider it as early Madani Surah, while according to
majority – this Surah is a late Makki Surah.
In the arrangement of the Qur‘an this Surah is placed after

Surahs Al-‗Alaq and Al-Qadr, which is very meaningful. Surah
Al-‗Alaq contains the very first revelation, while Surah Al-Qadr
shows as to when it was revealed, and in this Surah it has been
explained why it was necessary to send a Messenger along with
this Book.
This Surah is the counterpart of Surah Al-Qadr, the previous

Surah. The exaltedness of the Qur'an is mentioned in this Surah.
684
The Surah explains the reason because of which the People of
the Book and the Idolaters of Makkah had formed an alliance at
that time to reject the Qur'an was not because they had any real
doubt about it; but the fact of the matter is that it was their
conceit and arrogance which led them to this attitude.
In ayah 1 the word, ―Al-Bayyinah‖ refer to a messenger who has

been sent to disbelievers and the People of the Book as a ―Clear
Proof‖ to recite the purified pages of the Book of Allah which
contain correct teachings. The idolators would not have believed
till a messenger [Prophet Muhammad (s)] would not have been
sent with the Book (Al-Qur‘an) to explain its ayats and to invite
them to truth.
In the ayats 4 and 5 the people of the Scripture were commanded

to worship Allah (swt) alone, establish prayer, pay Zakat, and
keep religion pure for Him. But they got strayed being divided in
sects after this clear proof had come to them.
In the last three ayats, both the Quraysh and the People of the
Book werw sternly reprimanded on their pride and vanity as they
consider themselves to be very superior and for this reason are
not willing to even entertain the new call of the last prophet
Muhammad (s). Allah (swt) mentioned them as the worst of
creatures; they shall be thrown into Hell. Only those people are
of any status before Lord Almighty who profess faith in Him
without seeing Him and do righteous deeds. The eternal bliss is
what awaits those who have fear and hope of Allah (swt).
Ayats (1 - 8): The people of the Book did not get divided into
sects until after receiving guidance. They were also commanded
to establish Salah and pay Zakah.
Virtue of the Surah
Awf ibn Malik reported that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said, 'The Jews
685
split into 71 sects: one will enter Paradise and 70 will enter Hell.
The Christians split into 72 sects: 71 will enter Hell and one will
enter Paradise. By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, my Ummah
will split into 73 sects: one will enter Paradise and 72 will enter
Hell‘ [Ibn Majah, Abu Daud, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisa‟i].
The hadith also occurs in many other versions as well.
The following hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah (ra) is in Imam

Ahmad‘s record. The Prophet (s) said, ―May I not tell you about
the best of creations?‖ They said: ―Sure, do, O Apostle of Allah.‖
He said: ―The man who held the reins of his horse in the way of
Allah. Whenever there was the a threatening noise from the
enemy lines, he straightened himself up on its back.‖ Then he
said: ―May I not tell you about the best of creations?‖ They said:
―Sure, do, O Apostle of Allah.‖ He said: ―A man who is in a pack
of his sheep, Prays and gives the Zakah.‖ Then he said: ―May I
not tell you about the worst of people?‖ They said: ―Sure, do so,
O Apostle of Allah.‖ He said: ―The man who takes by the name of
Allah, but does not give in His name‖ [Ibn Kathir]. The hadith
is also in sahih Albani, no. 255 (Syed Ibrahim).
1. Every nation a messenger was sent - was commanded to

worship Allah (swt) alone through him.
2. The People of the Book were also commanded to establish

Salah and pay Zakah as it is commanded in The Qur'an.
3. The worst of creation are those who will be doomed to

Jahannam for eternity.
4. Those who believe and did righteous deeds and earned the
rewards, Allah (swt) will be pleased with them and they
will be please with Him.
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99. Surah Az-Zalzalah (The Convulsion; The
Earthquake; The Quake; The Shaking; The Violent
Trembling)
Concise Tafseer Surah Az-Zalzalah In Summarized
Form

This Surah talks about the life after death and that all deeds will
be exposed on the Day of Judgment. The Surah takes its name
from the word ―zilzal‖first ayah of it, "When the earth is
shaken with its [final] earthquake." [99:1] The Surah has 8
The word zilzal is grammatically an absolute object (maf'ul-i-

mutliq) which stresses the verb zulzilat. However, its annexation
(idafat) to the word ard (earth) by means of a pronoun is adding
a special meaning in the stress which must be borne in mind,
otherwise the emphasis in the ayah cannot be properly
appreciated. Keeping in mind this technical delicacy, the correct
meaning is "When the earth shall be shaken the way it ought to
be shaken" or "When the earth shall be shaken the way it is
destined to be shaken". In other words, what is really being
implied here is that the extent to which it will be shaken cannot
be imagined today. The actual way in which it will reel, totter and
stagger as pre-ordained by the Almighty is an event beyond
imagination. But one thing which is absolutely certain is that all
this is bound to happen.
Therefore, it is in the well-being of a person to remain alert about

its arrival and not spend his life remaining unmindful to it.
There is controversy as to whether this Surah is Makki or

Madani. Ibn Masud, Ata, Jabir, and Mujahid say that it is a
Makki Surah and a statement of Ibn Abbas also support this
687
view. On the contrary, Qatadah and Muqatil say that it is Madani
and another statement of Ibn Abbas also has been cited in
support of this view.
If there were no traditions available any reader who reads the

Qur‘an with understandings will feel that it is a Makki Surah.
More than that: from its theme and style he would feel that it
must have been sent down in the earliest stage at Makkah when
the fundamental principles and beliefs of Islam were being
presented before the people in a concise but highly effective way.
During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (s), those who used
to deny the Day of Judgment had basically three misconceptions.
Firstly, they had extreme doubts about the destruction of this
world. Secondly, they reckoned that it was not possible to keep
an account of all the deeds of each and every person.
Thirdly, they were of the opinion that even if the above two were
true, there was no need for them to be fearful because the deities
they had associated with God would intercede for them and
would save them from any punishment. They went as far as to
believe that these intercessors would even win for them a high
rank and status in the Hereafter. All these three misconceptions
are dealt with in this surah, and their hollowness is categorically
pointed out.
The theme of the Surah is the Day of Judgment. a graphic picture

of the tremendous cataclysm which will take place on that day is
drawn. In the first three sentences it has been told briefly how
the second life after death will take place and how confounding it
will be for man.
The earth will violently shake with utmost convulsion on that
Day. It will discharge all its burdens and the man will be
surprised as to what has happened to her. On that Day, it will
relate its chronicles and records as Allah (swt) will inspire it to
do so.
688
In the last three ayats Lord Almighty depicts the event where on
that Day, human will rise from their graves and come out in
varied groups from all corners of the earth that they may be
shown their records of deeds. The presentation of their deeds will
be so complete and detailed that not an atom‘s weight of any
good or evil act will be left unnoticed or hidden from his eyes.
Ayats (1 - 8): The earth will report whatever happened on her

and men shall be shown their Books of Deeds.
Virtue of the Surah
A tradition from the Prophet Muhammad (s) says: "He who

recites it (Surah Zilzal), it is the same as if he had recited Surah
Baqarah, his reward is as much as the one who would have
recited one fourth of the Qur'an.‖ [Majma'-al-Bayan, vol, 10,
p, 524]
Narrated Anas bin Malik: "That the Messenger of Allah (s) said:
"Whoever recites Idha Zulzilat, it equals half of the Qur'an for
him. Whoever recites: Qul Ya Ayyuhal-Kafirun it equals a fourth
of the Qur'an for him. And whoever recites: Qul Huwa Allahu
Ahad it equals a third of the Qur'an for him." [At-Tirmidhi,
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr: "A man came to the Messenger of

Allah (s) and said: "Teach me to read the Qur'an, Messenger of
Allah." He said: "Read three surahs which begin with A.L.R."
He said: "My age is advanced, my mind has become dull (i.e.

memory has grown weak), and my tongue has grown heavy)." So
he said: "Then read three surahs which begin with H.M." He
repeated the same words. So he said: "Read three surahs which
begin with the "Glorification of Allah"." But he repeated the same
excuse. The man then said: "Teach me a comprehensive Surah,
Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (s) taught him Surah (99),
"When the Earth is shaken with her earthquake". When he
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finished it, the man said: "By Him Who sent you with truth, I
shall never add anything to it." Then man then went away. The
Prophet (s) said twice: "The man received salvation."" [Sunan
Abi Dawud Book 6, Hadith 29]
Narrated Mu'adh ibn Abdullah al-Juhani: "A man of Juhaynah

told him that he had heard the Prophet (s) reciting "When the
earth is shaken" (Surah 99) in both rak'ahs of the Morning
Prayer. But I do not know whether he had forgotten, or whether
he recited it on purpose." [Sunan Abi Dawud Book 2,
Hadith 426]
The Prophet (s) said, ―Don‘t consider anything insignificant out

of good things even if it is that you meet your brother with a
cheerful countenance.‖ [Muslim Book 45, Hadith 187]
The Prophet (s) is reported to have said: ―Beware of the sins that
are belittled. For verily, they are gathered in a man until they
destroy him.‖ [Ahmad, qt in Ibn Kathir 99.1]
1. There will be violent earthquake on the Day of Judgment.

As a result, the earth will spill out all its treasures and
contents. The earth will, literally, vomit the things we put
in it.
2. On the Judgment Day earth will testify against every
human, exposing their deeds whilst facing judgment of
Allah (swt).
3. The people will split into groups based on the ones who
seceded and lost out on the Judgment Day. People will be
stripped of all the worldly fame and pomp they had
earned in life. They will not have their supporters around
them, nor their close ones, to pump them up in the
hardest test of their existence.
4. Whoever did even an atom‘s worth of good, shall see its

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value on that Day.
5. Whoever did even an atom‘s worth of evil, shall see its

effects on that Day.
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100. Surah Al-'Adiyat (Those that Run; The chargers;
The Coursers; The Racers; The War-horses; The
Assaulters)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-'Adiyat In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, ‫حا‬ "By
the racers, panting," [100:1]
The Surah tells us the ungratefulness of humans and where it

leads them. It also reminds us that Allah is aware of all the
hidden secrets of human souls and He will expose them on the
Day of Judgment.
Whether this Surah Al-Adiyat is a Makki or a Madani is disputed.

But the subject matter of the Surah and its style clearly indicate
that it is not only Makki, but was revealed in the early stage of
Makki period. Abdullah bin Masud, Jabir, Hasan Basri, Ikrimah,
and Ata say that it is Makki. Anas bin Malik, and Qatadah say
that it is Madani; and from Ibn Abbas two views have been
reported, first that it is a Makki Surah, and second that it is
Madani. But the subject matter of the Surah and its style clearly
indicate that it is not only Makki but was revealed in the earliest
stage of Makkah. So, the surah is considered to be of Makki
period conclusively.
First five ayats of the Surah consist of an oath as a metaphor

enforcing the lesson. They describe a scene of horses charging,
panting, producing sparks by their toes, raiding at the time of
dawn, stirring up the cloud of dust and arriving a gathering.
When the Arabs of the time mounted raids on settlements or
other tribes, they would leave at night in order to take the enemy
692
by surprise when they launched their attack in the very early
morning. It was in this half-light that the sparks generated by the
movement of horses would be visible. Lord Almighty swears by
these war horses and describes their movements. In our mind‘s
eye we see a picture of the horses running, snorting, neighing,
and arriving in the middle of the enemy. This vision is one well-
known to those persons to whom the Qur‘an was at first
addressed. They were well aware of the widespread bloodshed,
and the loot and plunder mentality that was prevalent at that
time.
The horses are gifts and a blessing from Almighty Lord; they
should not have been employed for unjust fighting, tyranny, and
plunder. Almighty Allah did not intend that these magnificent
animals be used for this purpose. To use them in this way
demonstrates careless ingratitude. Here humans have been
warned and rebuked for being ungrateful. They are informed that
whatever they obtain in this world is through the means and
resources which the Almighty Allah has blessed them with.
The subject matter of this Surah is the same as the previous one:
Surah Zilzal (Al-Zalzalah) – Awareness of the Hereafter.
However, there is a difference between both Surahs: the first
portrays the day when all this will happen and the second cites
the reason which entails the coming of that day. The sequence in
which the subject matter is arranged is that amongst the various
animals which have been put to man's service by the Almighty,
the bravery, diligence and sacrifices displayed by war horses in
obedience and love for their masters are initially cited as
evidence.
The last three ayats conclude the Surah with a rhetorical

question that Does the humans not know about the time when
contents of the graves will be resurrected and that which is in
men‘s breasts shall be brought to light on that Day their
Sustainer will show that He has always been fully aware of them.
One day, all the treasures of this earth and all secrets of the
hearts are bound to be revealed. Only a person who prepares for
such a day can be regarded as wise.
693
Ayats (1 - 11): An example of horses who are more grateful to

their owners than men to their Rabb.
Virtue of the Surah
On the virtue of reciting this Surah, the Prophet Muhammad (s)

is narrated to have said: "He who recites this Surah will be
rewarded ten good deeds as many as the number of the people
who stay at Muzdalafah (Mash'ar, Sacred Monument) and
gather witnessing it.‖ [Majma'-al-Bayan. vol. 10, p. 527]
Ibn Abbas said, ―A man came to me and asked me about the

Ayat, ―By (the horses) that charge snorting,‖ So I said, ―These
are the horses galloping for the sake of Allah.‖…..Then this man
went to Ali ibn Abi Talib and asked him the same question. He
said, ―Have you asked anyone this question before me?‖ The man
said, ―Yes, I asked Ibn Abbas and he said it is [in reference to]
horses galloping for the sake of Allah.‖ Ali said, ―Go and call him
to me.‖ Ibn Abbas came to him and Ali told him, ―Are you giving
verdicts to the people without knowledge. The first battle of
Islam was at Badr, so how can the meaning be that of a knight
[galloping]? The galloping here [in this Ayah] is the horses who
are galloping from Arafah to Muzdalifah and Mina.‖ Ibn Abbas
said, ―I retracted what I said and agreed with Ali‖ [Tabari]
The Prophet (s) said, 'Whoever recites Adiyat his reward equals
one half of the Quran' [Hakim 1/566 & Tirmidhi 2894]
1. Examples that horses are more grateful to their owners

than men are to their Rabb (Allah).
2. We need to show gratitude to Allah‘s (swt) favours upon

us - how He has made the world and other creations
subjected to human.
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3. It doesn‘t take much to realize how ungrateful human are
through their actions.
4. Human are naturally inclined towards wealth. They

should learn to know how to use those for Lord‘s
thankfulness.
5. The dead will rise from their graves on the Judgment Day,
and the secrets of the mankind will be exposed.
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101. Surah Al-Qari‟ah (The Calamity; The Clamour; The
Great Disaster; The Striking Hour; The Shocker)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-Qari‟ah In Summarized Form

This Surah takes its name from the first Ayat, "The
Striking Calamity" [101:1] The Surah gives the warning about
the Day of Judgment. It will be the day of great clamour. People
will be scattered and the mountains will crumble. Only those
whose balance will be weighty will prosper. The Surah has 11
Surah Al-Qari‘ah is a Makki Surah. Makki Surahs are

chronologically earlier Surahs that were revealed to our prophet
Muhammad (s) at Makkah before the hijrah to Madinah. They
are typically shorter, with relatively short ayats, and mostly come
near the end of the Qur'an‘s 114 Surahs (sumar in Arabic).
The Surah represents to the Qura‘nic view of the end time and
eschatology. The meaning of "Qari‘ah" has been translated to
calamity, striking, catastrophe, clatterer, etc. According to Ibn
Kathir, a traditional exegete, Al-Qari‘ah is one of the names of
the Day of Judgment, like Al-Haaqqa, At-Tammah, As-Sakhkhah
and others. In the first 5 ayats a picturesque depiction of
Judgment Day has been outlined vividly.
Next 4 ayats describe that Allah's Court will be established and

the people will be called upon to account for their deeds. That
Day people will be running about in confusion and bewilderment
just like so many scattered moths around a light, and the
mountains will be uprooted and will fly about like carded wool.
The people, whose good deeds will be heavier, will be blessed
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with bliss and happiness, and the people whose good deeds will
be lighter, will be cast into the burning fire of hell.
Allah (swt) has made the human beings as His one of his best
creations and gave them all the necessary tools to discover the
true purpose of life - the superb intellect, the divine revelations,
the Prophets, the signs of the samawat, the ability to see, hear
and contemplate, the ability to differentiate between right and
wrong and the power to choose the right way. These are all gifts
of Almighty Allah which can lead us to eternal success. But the
rejection of these gifts leads us nowhere except into a blazing
fire.
The last 2 ayats describe, ―hawiyah - ‫ ‖ ا ية‬in similar emphatic

way as Al-Qari‘ah was emphasized in the beginning. The words
in the original are: ummu hu hawiyah: his mother will be
hawiyah. Hawiyah is from hawa, which means to fall from a
height to a depth, and hawiyah is the deep pit into which
something falls. Hell has been called Hawiyah because it will be
very deep and the culprits will be thrown into it from the height.
As for the words, his mother will be Hawiyah, they mean: Just as
the mother‘s lap is the child‘s abode, so Hell will be the culprits‘
only abode in the Hereafter. [Tafhimul Qur‟an]
Ayats (1 - 11): A scene explaining the Day of Judgment.
Virtue of the Surah
Connection with adjacent Surahs
Al-Qari‘ah form a pair with next Surah At-Takathur in regards to

their subject-matter. The first surah warns its addressees of the
situation that will arise on the Day of Judgment, while the
second, with reference to this situation warns them of their
attitude of indifference. [Tadabbur-i-Quran; Javed Ahmed
Ghamdi]
697
Regarding its message, this Surah forms a group of four similar
Surahs along with two previous and one next surah which depicts
judgment day with picturesque description and concludes the
topic of every person's deeds being weighed and thus resulting in
either heaven or hell allotted to the according person. [Bayan-
ul-Quran; Dr.Israr Ahmed]
Placement & Coherence with other Surahs
The Surahs of the Qur'an are not haphazardly compiled as is

generally thought. They have been arranged in a specific order by
the Almighty, and like the arrangement of the ayats within a
Surah, the arrangement of the Surahs within the Qur'an is very
apt and meaningful with relation to the topic they discuss. In a
nutshell, as per this arrangement, the Qur'an is divided in seven
distinct groups and the Surahs within each group occur in pairs.
This pairing of the Surahs is on the basis of the topics discussed,
and each member of a pair has a complimentary relation with
one another.
Some Surahs are an exception to this scheme like Surah Fatihah,

which is like an introduction to the whole Qur'an. Some other
Surahs have come as an appendix or as a conclusion of a group.
The idea of textual relation between the ayats of a Surah has been
discussed under various titles such as nazm and munasabah in
non-English literature and coherence, text relations, inter-
textually, and unity in English literature.
Hamiduddin Farahi, an Islamic scholar of the Indian

subcontinent, is known for his work on the concept of nazm,
or coherence, in the Quran. Fakhruddin al-Razi (died 1209
CE), Zarkashi (died 1392) and several other classical as well as
contemporary Quranic scholars have contributed to the studies.
This Surah (Al-Qariah) belongs to the last (7th) group of Surahs

which starts from Surah Al-Mulk (67) and runs till the end of the
Qur‘an. The theme of the seventh group is to warn the leadership
of the Quraysh of the consequences of the Hereafter, to
communicate the truth to them to the extent that they are left
698
with no excuse to deny it.
Rhetorically Al-Qari‘ah has 2 similarities with Al-Haaqqa(69).

Firstly the opening of the surah resembles Al-Haaqqa(69) which
opens with the wordings
69:1 ‫اٌحالة‬
69:2 ‫ِا اٌحالة‬
69:3 ‫ان ِا اٌحالة‬ ‫ِا أ‬
notice that Al-Qaria opens in exactly same style
101:1 ‫اٌما عة‬

101:2 ‫ِا ٌما عةا‬
101:3 ‫ِا أ ان ِا اٌما عة‬
Secondly, word Al-Qaria appears as a total of 5 times in Quran

and out of which thrice it is mentioned in this surah while once it
appears in Al-Haaqqa as well. [Mir, Mustansir (1986).
Coherence in the Qur'an : a study of Islahi's concept of
nazm in Tadabbur-i Qur'an; Hamiduddin Farahi,
translated by Tariq Mahmood Hashmi (2008).
Exordium to coherence in the Quran: an English
translation of Fātiḥah Niẓām al-Qurʼān (1st ed.).
Lahore: al-Mawrid; Dr Salwa El-Awa; Textual Relations
in Qur'an: Relevance, Coherence and Structure.
Routledge]
1. Humans will be scattered, drowned in their anxiety like

moths on the Day of Judgment.
2. Those human with weighty good deeds of scales will be in

a pleasant life.
3. Those human whose good deeds are lighter than the evil
deeds will be cast into the deep pit of burning fire.
699
102. Surah At-Takathur (The Mutual Rivalry; The Piling
Up; The Incessant Competition; Striving for More; The
Show Off)
Concise Tafseer Surah At-Takathur In Summarized
Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, ُ‫أٌهاو‬

"Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you" [102:1] The
Surah talks about the evil consequences of materialism and this
worldliness. It has 8 ayats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section).
Abu Hayyan and Shaukani say that this Surah, according to all
commentators, is Makki, and this same is the well-known view
according to Imam Suyuti. However, there are some traditions,
on the basis of which it is considered a Madani Surah, and they
are as follows:
Ibn Hatim has cited Abu Buraidah as saying that this Surah was
sent down concerning the two tribes, Bani Harithah and Bani al-
Harth, of the Ansar. The two tribes had first recounted the
glories and illustrious deeds of their living men; then they had
gone to the graveyard and bragged of the glorious deeds of their
dead. Thereupon the Divine Revelation Alhakum at takathur
came down. But, if the practice of the Companions and their
successors concerning the occasions of revelation, is kept in view,
this tradition is no argument to prove that Surah At-Takathur
was sent down on that very occasion, but it shows that this Surah
fully applied to the act of the two tribes.
Imam Bukhari and Ibn Jarir have cited this view of Hadrat
Ubayy bin Ka'b: "We took the Prophet (s)" saying: Ìf the son of
Adam had two valley full of wealth, he would long for a third
valley; the son of Adam's belly cannot be filled but by earth, to
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be from the Qur‘an until Alhakum at takathur was sent down'."
This Hadith has been regarded as an argument for Surah At-
Takathur to be a Madani Surah on the ground that Hadrat Ubayy
had become a Muslim in Madinah. But Hadrat Ubayy's this
statement does not indicate in what sense the Companions
regarded this saying of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)
as belonging to the Qur‘an. If it means that they regarded it as an
ayah of the Qur‘an, it cannot be acceptable, for a great majority
of the Companions consisted of the men who were well aware of
each and every word of the Qur‘an; they could not have the
misunderstanding that the Hadith was an ayah of the Qur‘an.
And if its belonging to the Qur‘an is taken to mean its being
derived from the Qur‘an, the tradition can also mean that when
the Companions who entered Islam in Madinah, heard this
Surah for the first time from the Prophet (s), they thought that it
had been revealed just then, and then about the Prophet's (s)
above saying they formed the idea that it was derived from this
very Surah.
Ibn Jarir Tirmidhi, Ibn al Mundhir and other traditionists have

related this view of Hadrat Ali (ra): "We were in doubt about the
torment of the grave until Alhakum at takathur was sent down."
This view has been regarded as an argument for Surah At-
Takathur to be Madani on the ground that the torment of the
grave was first mentioned at Madinah; no mention of it was ever
made at Makkah. But this is wrong. In the Makki Surahs of the
Qur‘an, the torment of the grave has been mentioned at many
places so clearly that there can be no room for any such doubt;
for example, see Al- An'am: ayah 93, An-Nahl: ayah 28, Al-
Muminun: ayats 99-100, Al- Mu'min: ayats 45-46, which are all
Makki Surahs. Therefore, if anything is proved by Hadrat Ali's
saying, it is that Surah At-Takathur had been revealed before the
revelation of the above mentioned Makki Surahs and its
revelation had removed the Companions' doubt about the
torment of the grave.
That is why, in spite of these traditions, a great majority of the

commentators are agreed that this Surah is Makki. In our
opinion this is not only a Makki Surah but in view of its contents
701
and style it is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah.
The eight short ayats of Surah 102 follow on from the previous
Surah 101 Al-Qari‘ah, in which were told that certain people will
find there eternal abode in the fires of Hell. In this Surah we are
told the reason why people will have such a terrifying end and
Lord Almighty offers them advice.
The Surah talks about human‘s unbounded greed for wealth. The
race of acquiring wealth, property, sons, power, fame, influence,
material good goods, comforts, luxuries, etc. is not going to end
until deaths appears to them and they reaches final abode of
graves. This pursuit have made them so occupied that they didn‘t
able make time for them to gain spiritual knowledge of the
revealed books. If they had relied on the revealed knowledge of
certainty, they would have realized that such endeavor and
striving was bound to land them into trouble in this world as well
as in the hereafter. When humans will be raised up on the
Judgment Day, they will be asked about the blessing which they
amassed and enjoyed thoughtlessly.
In this Surah, two stages of faith (Ya‘qin) are mentioned in ayats

5 and 7 – ‗Ilmal Ya‘qin (Knowledge of Certainty/Faith) and
‗Ainul Ya‘qin (Certainty/Faith of Sight). There are three stages of
faith, another is in the Surag Al-Waqiah ayah 95 ‗Ha‘qqal Ya‘qin
(Certainty/Faith of Truth).
Ayats (1 - 8): The cause of man's destruction is mutual rivalry for

worldly gains. Real success is in working for the life hereafter.
Virtue of the Surah
It was narrated from Mutarrif, from his father, that the Prophet
(a) said: "The mutual rivalry (for piling up of worldly things)
diverts you, 'Until you visit the graves (i.e. till you die).' The son
702
of Adam says: 'My wealth, my wealth,' but your wealth is what
you eat and consume, or what you wear and it wears out, or what
you give in charity and send on ahead (for the Hereafter).'"
[Sunan an-Nasa'i 3613, In-book reference: Book 30
(The Book of Wills), Hadith 3. English translation: Vol.
4, Book 30, Hadith 3643]
Prophet Muhammad (s) said: ―The Son of Adam (i.e. man) says,
―My wealth, my wealth.‖ But do you get anything (of benefit)
from your wealth except for that which you ate and you finished
it, or that which you clothed yourself with and you wore it out, or
that which you gave as charity and you have spent it?‖
[Narrated by Muslim, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasai‟i]
Prophet (s) said: ―Three things follow the deceased person, and
two of them return while one remains behind with him. The
things which follow him are his family, his wealth and his deeds.
His family and his wealth return while his deeds remain.‖
[Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tirmidhi, An-
Nasai‟i]
Anas (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (s) said, ―The son
of Adam gets old but his two things remain young in him; greed
for wealth and hope for life.‖ [Bukhari, Muslim]
Ibn Abbas (ra) reported from the Prophet (s) who said, ―Had
there been two mountains of wealth for the son of Adam, he
would have sought a third one; and nothing but earth can fill up
the belly of the son of Adam.‖ [Bukhari, Muslim]
1. Man by nature is covetous to acquire and accumulate

worldly wealth. Although a person requires some wealth
to meet his/her basic necessities, he/she does not benefit
from much of his surplus wealth.
2. Trying to amass worldly comforts distracts one from

striving for the Hereafter. When a person dies, he leaves
703
behind all his wealth for his heirs, which do not benefit
him in the life after death. Therefore, priorities should be
given to performing more righteous deeds over
accumulating worldly wealth.
3. Reality will definitely strike once we are made to see

Jahannam. Even those who are not destined for the Fire
will see it. What we see with our own eyes we know with
certainty. It might seem that our final destination is a long
way off but our life here is just a blip in Lord Almighty‘s
reckoning of time.
4. On the Day of Judgment man will be questioned whether

or not he showed gratitude to Allah in the life of this world
for His innumerable favors upon him, such as health,
safety, sustenance and other things by being thankful to
Him. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
704
103. Surah Al-„Asr (The Declining Day, Time through
the Ages; Eventide; The Epoch)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-„Asr In Summarized Form

ْ ‫" َوا ْن َع‬By

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, ‫ص ِز‬
time," [103].The Surah has 3 ayats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section). The
Surah tells us that human beings are generally losers. Then in
the next few lines, the Surah informs us the way to success and
salvation. Surah al-‗Asr (103) is the second shortest chapter after
Surah al-Kawthar (108).
Although Mujahid, Qatadah and Muqatil regard it as a Madani

Surah, yet a great majority of the commentators are opine that it
is a Makki Surah. Its subject matter also testifies that it must
have been revealed during the early stage at Makkah, when the
message of Islam was being presented in a brief but highly
impressive way so that the listeners who heard these verses once
could not forget them even if they wanted to, for they were
automatically committed to memory.
This Surah is a matchless specimen of comprehensiveness and

brevity. A whole world of meaning has been compressed into its
few brief words, which is too vast in content to be fully expressed
even in a book. This Surah opens with admonition to
humankind. Allah (swt) takes an oath by the word asr - ―time‖
and declares that humankind is in a state of loss. Every single
human being, man or woman, is in a state of loss except those
who strive and do four things; believe, do righteous deeds, and
recommend one another to truth, and to sabr.
The simple translation for the word asr would be time. However
705
asr has a much deeper meaning than another Arabic word
meaning time, dahr. Dahr means time with no limits placed
upon it; asr on the other hand means time that is limited; time
that will come to an end. At a linguistic level one of the meanings
of asr is something that is pressed or squeezed. Lord Almighty is
swearing an oath by time, a time that is limited, a time that will
end and a time that must be squeezed or pressed so that we,
humankind, get as much from our limited time as possible.
Almighty Allah is also asking us to reflect on the passage of time.

Another meaning that is given to the word asr is the declining
day, the time of the Asr prayer, when the day is winding down
coming to an end. Allah (swt) is telling us that our time is short
and limited and if we do not make the most of it we are surely the
losers, verily, He says, we are in loss.
The Arabic word for loss is khusr and it is the opposite of profit
thus also carrying the meaning of bankruptcy. In this context it
could mean that humankind will lose their main capital for the
Hereafter if instead of using this life to gain by faith and deeds
they bargain it away with disbelief and sin.
We are in danger of losing something very special, and that is a
blissful life in the Hereafter. However before that great loss we
will lose our closeness to Allah (swt) and thus our peace and
tranquility in this life. A loss of contentment can sometimes lead
humankind to act treacherously, and to run headlong into
trouble and strife.
Human beings cannot survive in isolation and they can never be

entirely independent, neither for our worldly needs nor for our
spiritual growth. So that‘s why Allah has made it a requirement
upon us that if we want to save ourselves from loss then just
being good in our own spirit and character is not enough. Rather
we will have to cultivate this goodness of faith and good deeds all
around us.
As it turned out, this Surah advises those who believe to act

collectively to strengthen their position in the Hereafter. It
implies asking and inviting people to do righteous deeds and
706
stopping them from falling into sin and disbelief.
Ayats (1 - 3): Formula for the way to salvation.
Virtue of the Surah
Shuyaib ibn Hudaifah said, "When two Companions of the

Prophet (s) would meet they would not depart until they had
read Surah al-Asr [103] and then they would give salam (and
leave)." [al-Awsat of Tabrani and Shu'b of al-Baihaqi]
Abu Madinah reported: Whenever two men among the

companions of the Prophet (s) would meet, they would not part
until one of them recited to the other, ―By the time, verily,
mankind is in loss,‖ (103:1) and the other would bid him farewell
with peace. [al-Mu‟jam al-Awsat 5120]
If God had only revealed this surah it would have been sufficient
for the guidance of all humankind. It summarized the very
essence of the Qur‘anic message. Thus, Imam Shafi‘i asserts that
if onefollowed its counsel, it was enough for humankind to
achieve success in life. [Imam Shafi‟i: a jurist and
traditional scholar of Islam]
The Struggle of the human being is like the one who is trying to
sell ice. It is melting away and he needs to sell it quickly and
make as much sales before the end of the day comes. Otherwise -
all his valuables' and efforts will go to waste. [In the past - there
were no Freezers, so your ice would melt into water by the end of
the day.] [Mufti Muhammad Shafi]
Interestingly, when humankind findsitself at a loss; it can revive

itself by returning to the formula provided by the third ayah and
the four principles/conditions, which are adhered to as a
foundation. We saw how these four principlesoperated on both
physical and spiritual levels. This is probably the reason why the
companions of the Prophet did not want to become heedless
707
of the foundational message of Islam. Consequently, they used
to meet one another and only depart until one of them recited
surat-Al-Asr to the other and they bid peace upon one another.
[Al-Tabarani]
The taNween ْat the end of KhusriN makes it an INCREDIBLE

Loss. Al Insaan - (lil Jins - to all human beings) - there is no
exception - the entire category. It is a universal statement. The
statement directly targets you. [Tafsir al-Mazhari by Qadi
Thanaullah Panipati]
One of the lessons of this Surah is that a lot of people see

historical sites, which are a sign of destroyed nations. So when
we see the legacies; the Pyramids, the Mountain homes of
Thamud, and the great buildings and nations of power who have
died - we realise that Allah destroyed them through time. This is
a reminder of; Inna al insaana la fee Khusrin - surely man is in
loss. Allah replies to such people, " .....Were you not of those who
would swear before that your time of downfall will not come?"
(Ibrahim (Surah) 14:44). [Hamiduddin Farahi]
1. Mankind is at great loss when it comes to valueing time.
2. The formula for the way to salvation is to become a

Believer, do good deeds, be truthful and patient and
advise the same to others.
3. Verily, the human being is in lost state if he/she thinks

that they can manage life without guidelines
708
104. Surah Al-Humazah (The One Who Slanders; The
Backbiter; The traducer; The Gossipmonger; The
slanderer; The Scorner)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-Humazah In Summarized
Form
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most

Merciful
The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, ‫يً ّ ة ٌىً ٌّ ة‬
"Woe to every scorner and mocker" [104:1]. The Surah has
9 yats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah talks about some of the moral problems that affect the
wealthy and then it gives them warnings of the consequences of
these evils.
All commentators are agreed that it is a Makki Surah; a study of

its subject matter and style shows that this too is one of the
earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah. At that time the new
Muslims were subjected to some of the worst behaviour from
those disinclined to listen to the message of Prophet Muhammad
(s). Almighty Allah calls attention to some of their ugly
characteristics and makes it clear that this sort of behaviour will
be severely punished in the Hereafter
This Surah is the counterpart of Surah 'Asr, the previous surah.

Even a cursory look at both the Surahs reveals a clear similarity
in their themes. In the previous surah, the character of persons
who will be salvaged in the Hereafter is depicted. They are those
who exhort one other to the right path and remain steadfast on
this attitude.
Surah Humazah tells how bad mankind can get into loss and this
709
is why some scholars state that there is no severer description
given of hell in the Qur‘an than the description given in this
Surah. Many severe and harsh descriptions of hell are mentioned
in this Surah, especially when Allah (swt) says about hell what
He has not said in other Surahs: ―Naarullah‖ ((the) Fire (of)
Allah!).
In other Surahs, Allah says ―Naaru Jahanam‖ (Fire of Hell) etc.

But when the fire is attributed to Almighty Allah, its more than
that, it‘s a fire lit by Allah Himself for those who opposed Him.
This is the last Surah in the Qur‘an in the serial which discusses
the Akhirah (after life).
Human beings can never be perfect, as they are all full of positive
and negative characteristics. We must realize that whatever
talents or capabilities we might have are not going to make us
superior in the eyes of Lord Almighty, rather it is our attitude
and behaviour that makes us good or bad. All the blessings which
we have been given; whether physical beauty, intelligence,
knowledge, wealth or authority are nothing to be proud of,
because they are just temporary assets to be used for the pleasure
of Allah (swt). Therefore it is absolute foolishness to assume that
our superior status will save us from Almighty Allah‘s anger and
punishment.
If this Surah is read in the sequence of the Surahs beginning with

Surah 99: Az-Zalzalah (The Earthquake), one can fully
understand how the fundamental beliefs of Islam and its
teachings were impressed on the people‘s minds in the earliest
stage in Makkah.
Ayats (1 - 9): The slanderer, defamer and stingy shall be thrown

into the blazing fire.
Virtue of the Surah
In the phrase "slandering traducer" (Arabic: humaza lumaza),

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the first word refers to slander by speech, and the second to
slander by action, whereas Mujahid saying the opposite: "Al-
Humazah is with the hand and the eye, and Al-Lumazah is with
the tongue." The "fire ... which leapeth over the hearts" is
sometimes interpreted as starting below and rising,
Muhammad bin Ka`b said that "it (the Fire) will devour every
part of his body until it reaches his heart and comes to the level
of his throat, then it will return to his body." The "columns"
described in the final ayah are interpreted as columns of fire by
some authorities (e.g. As-Sudd), as in the translation above, but
as literal pillars of iron by some others (e.g. Al-Awfi). [Tafsir
Ibn Kathir]
The word Hamz means "to make evil gestures at others", and
Lamz means "to malign and slander someone". Humazah and
Lumazah are intensive forms, as is H~utamah mentioned later in
the Surah. Humazah means "someone who makes evil gestures
at others", while Lumazah means "one who finds faults in
others". Making evil gestures and slandering others are the two
aspects of the same character. The first relates to behavioural
expressions, and the second one pertains to verbal expressions.
Both are employed to degrade and ridicule others. At times, the
first can prove the sharper of the two, and perhaps this is the
reason for placing Humazah before Lumazah. [Tadabbur-i-
Qur'an]
Amongst the descriptions of such a person (who will face evil

consequences in the next life) is that he is one who has amassed
wealth and counted them over and over again – this being his
only concern, he takes delight in it and he has no desire to purify
it by spending it in ways of goodness, joining ties of kinship and
so on, thinking in his ignorance that his wealth will make him
immortal in this world.
It is for this reason that all his efforts and struggles are expended
in increasing his wealth through which he believes that his
lifespan will increase. He is not aware of the fact that miserliness
actually ruins lives and destroys homes whereas righteousness in
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reality is what causes an increase in lifespan. [Tafsir As-Sa‟di]
1. No one better not talk negatively about people to their

face or behind their back, because The slanderer, defamer
and stingy shall be thrown into the blazing fire.
2. No one should amass wealth and think or act as if it will

remain with you forever.
3. Those who talk to others with arrogance are also destined

for destruction.
4. Every human should hold themselves accountable in their

deeds before Lord Almighty does.
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105. Surah Al-Fil (The Elephant)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-Fil In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah has been taken from the last word of the
first ayah, "Have you not considered, [O Muhammad], how
your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?"
[105:1] The word "elephant" only appears in this Surah and
nowhere else in the Qur'an. The Surah has 5 ayats in 1 Ruku‘
(Section).
The Surah reminds about the event when the Ka‘bah was
attacked by an army from the Southern part of Arabia, but Lord
Almighty destroyed this army. It is the same God who protected
the Ka‘bah, His message is now presented by Prophet
Muhammad (s).
This is unimously a Makki Surah, and if it is studied against its

historical background – it gets apparent that it must have been
sent down I the very early stage of Makkah after Prophet
Muhammad (s) officially received prophethood form Allah (swt).
If this Surah is studied in the light of the historical details, one

can fully well understand why in this Surah only God‘s inflicting
His punishment on the people of the elephant has been referred
and described so briefly. So, the main subject of the Surah is a
specific historic event.
In this Surah, Almighty Allah's punishment which was inflicted

on the people of the elephant is referred to and described very
briefly because it was an event of recent occurrence, and
everyone in Makkah and Arabia was fully aware of it. That's why
713
the Arabs believed that the Ka'bah was protected in this invasion,
not by any god or goddess, but by Allah Almighty Himself.
The year of Muhammad's (s) birth is identified as 'the Year of the

Elephant', when Makkah was attacked by accompanied by an
elephant. Lord Almighty has saved the people of Makkah from
this force by sending a swarm of birds that pelted the invaders
with clay stones and destroyed them. The army of Abraha
destroyed for attacking the Ka‘bah is a reminder and an example
that Allah can save His house (Al-Ka'bah) by destroying an army
of 60,000 with elephants, through a flock of birds. The origin of
the word sijjīl (i.e. Lava stone from Volcanic eruption) in ayah
number 4 has the etymology proposed as Persian sang and gil
('stone' and 'clay'), or Aramaic sgyl ('smooth altar stone'). In the
Quran 'sijjīl' occurs in two other ayats: 11) Surah Hud: ayah 82
and 15) Surah Al-Hijr: ayah 74.
For quite a few years the people of Quraysh, having been

impressed by this event Allah alone was invoked by the Quraysh
chiefs for help, and had worshiped none but Allah. Therefore,
there was no need to mention the details in Surah Al-Fil, but only
a reference to it was enough.
Ayats (1 - 5): Allah has the power to defeat an army with

elephants through the flock of birds.
Virtue of the Surah
There are almost 7 divisions in the entire Qur'an according to

Themes. The final of these 7 sections starts from Surah Al-Mulk
Surah number 67 to Surah An-Nas (114). This final part
(last 7th of the Qur‘an) focuses on; sources of Reflection, People,
their final scenes they will face on Judgment Day and
Hellfire and Paradise in general, and these are an admonition to
the Quraysh about their fate in the Herein and the Hereafter if
they deny Muhammad (s), specifically. [Mainly from:
Tadabbur-i-Qur'an]
714
The Story of the Army of the Elephants
This incident happened during the period of the birth year of

Prophet Muhammad (s). Abrahah Al-Ashram was the governor
of Yemen on behalf of the king of Ethiopia (as Yemen was a part
of the Ethiopian kingdom). He (Abrahah) thought to build a
house of worship (like the Ka‘bah at Makkah) in San‘a (the
capital of Yemen) and call the Arabs to perform the pilgrimage
there in San‘a instead of the Ka‘bah in Makkah, with the
intention of diverting the trade and benefits from Makkah to
Yemen. He presented his idea to the king of Ethiopia who agreed
to his idea. So the house of worship (church) was built and he
named it Al-Qullais; there was no church of its like at that time.
Then (on one occasion) a man from the Quraysh tribe of Makkah
came there and was infuriated by it, so he relieved his nature
(stools and urine) in it, soiled its walls and went away.
When Abrahah saw that, he could not control his anger and
raised an army to invade Makkah and demolish the Ka‘bah. He
had in that army thirteen elephants and amongst them was an
elephant called Mahmud which was the biggest of them. So that
army proceeded and none amongst the Arab tribes that faced
them (fought against them) but was killed and defeated, till it
approached near Makkah.
Then there took place negotiations between Abrahah and the
chief of Makkah (Abdul-Muttalib bin Hashim, the grandfather of
Prophet Muhammad), and it was concluded that Abrahah would
restore the camels of Abdul-Muttalib which he had taken away,
and then he (Abrahah) would decide himself as regards the
Ka‘bah.
Abdul-Muttalib ordered the men of Makkah to evacuate the city

and go to the top of the mountains along with their wives and
children in case some harm should come to them from the
invading oppressors. Then that army moved towards Makkah till
they reached Muhassir Valley (near Makkah). While the army
was marching towards Makkah, in the middle of the valley,
suddenly it was overtaken by flocks of birds, flocks after flocks,
air-raiding that army with small stones slightly bigger than a
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lentil seed. There never fell a stone on a soldier except it
dissolved his flesh and burst it into pieces. So they perished with
a total destruction. Abrahah fled away while his flesh was
bursting into pieces till he died on the way (back to Yemen). Such
was the victory bestowed by Allah, (the All-Majestic, All-
Powerful) to the people of Makkah and such was the protection
provided by Him for His House (Ka‘bah in Makkah).
[Summarized from Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
Narrated by Miswar bin Makhrama and Marwan I (whose

narrations attest each other) that: Allah's Messenger (s) set out
at the time of Treaty of Hudaybiyyah ... (at a place) The she-
camel of the Prophet (s) sat down. The people tried their best to
cause the she-camel to get up but in vain, so they said, "Al-
Qaswa' (i.e. the she-camel's name) has become stubborn! Al-
Qaswa' has become stubborn!" The Prophet (s) said, "Al-Qaswa'
has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but
she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant." Then he
said, "By the Name of Him in Whose Hands my soul is, if they
(i.e. the Quraysh) ask me anything which will respect the
ordinances of Allah, I will grant it to them." The Prophet (s) then
rebuked the she-camel and she got up. ... [Sahih Bukhari
Book 54, Hadith 19 and Sunan Abu Dawood Book 15,
Hadith 289]
Narrated Al-Muttalib bin 'Abdullah bin Qais bin Makhramah:

from his father, from his grandfather, that he said: "I and the
Messenger of Allah (s), were born in the Year of the Elephant"
- he said: "And Uthman bin Affan asked Qubath bin Ashyam, the
brother of Banu Ya'mar bin Laith - 'Are you greater (in age) or
the Messenger of Allah (s)?'" He said: "The Messenger
of Allah (s) is greater than me, but I have an earlier birthday." He
said: "And I saw the defecation of the birds turning green."
[Jami' at-Tirmidhi Book 49, Hadith 3979]
Narrated Abu Hurairah that: "When Allah, the Exalted and

Majestic, granted Allah's Messenger (s) victory over Makkah
(Conquest of Makkah), he stood before people and praised and
extolled Allah and then said: Verily Allah held back the elephants
716
from Mecca and gave the domination of it to His Messenger and
believers, and it (this territory) was not violable to anyone before
me and it was made violable to me for an hour of a day, and it
shall not be violable to anyone after me. So neither molest the
game, nor weed out thorns from it. And it is not lawful for
anyone to pick up a thing dropped but one who makes public
announcement of it. And it a relative of anyone is killed he is
entitled to opt for one of two things. Either he should be paid
blood-money or he can take life as (a just retribution). .. [Sahih
Muslim Book 15, Hadith 509; Sahih Bukhari Book 3,
Hadith 54; Bulugh al-Maram Book 6, Hadith 32; and
Sunan Abu Dawood Book 11, Hadith 297]
The event took place at Muhassir by the Muhassab valley,

between Muzdalifah and Mina. According to the Sahih Muslim
and Abu Dawood, in the description of Muhammad's The
Farewell Pilgrimage that Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq has related from
his father, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, and he from Jabir ibn
Abd-Allah, he says that when Muhammad (a) proceeded from
Muzdalifah to Mina, he increased his speed in the valley of
Muhassir. Imam Al-Nawawi has explained it saying that the
incident of the people of the elephant had occurred there;
therefore, the pilgrims have been enjoined to pass by quickly, for
Muhassir is a tormented place.
Imam Malik in Mu'atta has related that Muhammad (s) said that
"the whole of Muzdalifah is a fit place for staying but one should
not stay in the valley of Muhassir". [Tafhimul Qur‟an and
Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
1. Almighty Allah is ruthless when it comes to destroying

those who openly declare war on His Signs.
2. The plots of those who plot against Allah (swt) are always
weak compared to His Plotting.
3. The armies of Lord Almighty cannot be comprehended by
717
human intellect.
4. Those who plot against Allah (swt) never meet a good
ending.
718
106. Surah Quraish (Quraish)
Concise Tafseer Surah Quraish In Summarized Form

The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, "For the
accustomed security of the Quraysh." [106:1] The has 4 ayats
The Surah urges the Quraish tribe who dominated Makkah to

serve Almighty God, who had protected them, for the sake of
their own future. It is one of two Surahs containing 4 ayats; the
other is Surah Al-Ikhlas. It forms a pair with the preceding Surah
Al-Fil, reminding the Quraish of the favours that Allah (swt) had
bestowed on them.
This Surah was revealed during the very early stage at Makkah.
Although Dahhak and Kalbi regard it as a Madani Surah, yet a

great majority of the commentators are agreed that it is Makki,
and a manifest evidence of this are the words Rabba hadh-al-Bait
(Lord of this House) of this Surah itself. Had it been revealed at
Madinah, the words "this House" for the Ka'bah could not be
relevant. Moreover, its subject matter so closely relates to that of
Surah Al-Fil that probably it was revealed immediately after it,
without any other Surah intervening between them
To understand the Surah well it is essential that one should keep

the historical background relevant to the contents of this Surah
and of Surah Al-Fil in view.
In the previous Surah Allah (swt) told us how He saved Ka‘bah

from the destruction from the troops and elephants of invading
719
Yemenites. The Present Surah is now telling us about the
Quraish, who has been honoured by Allah (swt) as the custodians
and guardians of Ka‘bah. They have enjoyed special honour
among the tribes of Arabia and none had ever attacked them.
They set out trade on their trade journeys northward to Syria in
the summer and southward to Yemen in winter. These safe and
secure trade journeys brought posterity to them.
Quraish is the name of the tribe of Prophet Muhammad (s). They

were children of Prophet Ismail (a) who was a son of Prophet
Ibrahim (a) and elder brother of Prophet Ishak (a) – the
grandfather of Israelites. They were called Quraish after their
great grand-father Nadir Ibn Kananah whose title or surname
was Fahr or Quraish. The tribe of Quraish which had scattered
throughout Hijaz with the passage of time was united and
gathered in Makkah by Qusayy bin Kilab who founded a city
state there. He established his authority over Ka‘bah as its
guardian and made excellent arrangements for the welfare of the
pilgrims coming from all over Arabia. Thus the Quraish were
able to gain much influence and great respect among all the
tribes of Arabs.
After Qusayy's death, the offices of the state of Makkah were

divided between his sons, Abdi Manaf and Abd ad-Dar, but of the
two Abdi Manaf gained greater fame even during his father's
lifetime and was held in high esteem throughout Arabia. Abdi
Manaf had four sons; Hashim, Abdi Shams, Al-Muttalib, and
Naufal. Of these, Hashim, father of Abdul Muttalib and
grandfather of the Prophet (s), first conceived the idea to take
part in the trade that passed between the eastern countries, Syria
and Egypt through Arabia. He also purchased the necessities of
life for the Arabians so that the tribes living by the trade route
bought these from them and the merchants living in the interior
of the country were attracted to the market of Makkah.
Because of their business relations with Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran,

Yaman and Abyssinia, the Quraish became the most affluent
tribe in Arabia and Makkah became the most important
commercial center of the Arabian Peninsula. Another great
720
advantage that accrued from these international relations was
that the caravans brought from Iraq tile script which later was
used for writing down the Qur'an. No other Arabian tribe could
boast of so many literate people as Quraish. For these very
reasons, the Prophet (s) said: "The Quraish are the leaders of
men." (Musnad Ahmed: Marwiyat Amr bin al-As)
The Quraish were prospering and flourishing when the event of

Abrahah's invasion of Makkah took place. Had Abrahah
succeeded in taking this City and destroying the Ka'bah, the glory
and renown of not only the Quraish, but of the Ka'bah itself,
would have suffered a great setback. The belief of Arabia before
the advent of Islam - the House indeed was Allah's House, would
have been shattered, and the high esteem in which the Quraish
were held for being keepers of the House throughout the country
would have been tarnished. Then, after the Abyssinian advance
to Makkah, the Byzantium also would have taken the initiative to
gain control over the trade route between Syria and Makkah.
When Allah (swt) fulfilled the prayer of Ibrahim (a) and His last
messenger Prophet Muhammad (s) among them, the Quraish
rejected him and turned against him merely out of tribal
jealousy. They inflicted every sort of oppression, persecution,
torture and cruelty on the Prophet (s) and his followers and
ultimately turned them out of Makkah. The Prophet and the
believers sought asylum in Madinah, but even there the Quraish
did not leave them to live peacefully. They inflicted at least three
major wars (of Badr, Uhud, and of Ditch) on the Prophet (s). At
last the Prophet conquered the city of Makkah in 8 AH and thus
Quraish submitted to Islam after more than twenty years of
oppression.
721
This Surah is the dual counterpart of the previous Surah, ―Al-
Fil‖. In the previous Surah, it is pointed out that the Quraish are
living peacefully and securely in this land because of their
affiliation with the Baytullah. In the beginning of the Surah a
reference is made to the special affiliation of the Quraish with the
Baytullah and the holy Land of Makkah. Next, an indication is
made to the trade excursions they regularly undertook in winters
and summers, upon which depended their financial prosperity.
Their economic well-being heavily relied on these tours and
being the custodians of the Baytullah, success in these tours was
virtually guaranteed. Once ousted from this position they could
never achieve the privilege of being guided through these routes
unscathed, where danger openly lurked for all other tribes.
In this Surah, it is asserted that it is this affiliation which also

accounts for their provisions of livelihood and sustenance.
Despite Allah‘s favours of freedom from hunger and fear, the
Quraish was ungrateful to Allah (swt) like their first cousins, the
Israelites. They filled the House of Lord Almighty with idols as
many as the number of days in a year and worshipped them
instead of Lord alone. So Allah (swt) sent message to the Quraish
that they should worship the Lord of this House who feeds them
in hunger and provides them with peace in fear.
Ayats (1 – 4): Believe in Allah, Who is the provider of your

sustenance.
Virtue of the Surah
It has been narrated from the tradition of Prophet Muhammad

(s) who said:
"He who recites it is rewarded ten 'good deeds' as many as the
number of those who perform the ritual circumambulation of the
Ka'ba, and spiritual retreat in the Sacred Mosque". [Majma-al-
Bayan, vol. 10, p. 543, and Atyab-ul-Bayan, vol. 14, p.
235]
722
1. Almighty Allah blessed the Quraish with security when

they sent caravans on business trips, all year round. No
one would attack them because of their ties with the
House of Allah.
2. Lord Almighty sends us blessings and bounties, and
expects of us to worship and obey Him alone in return.
3. Never take the blessings of Allāh for granted. Always show
gratitude by remaining obedient to him.
4. Allah (swt) also blessed the Quraish never ending
sustenance of food and drinks of all kind even in the
busiest of periods whilst those in surrounding places lack
shortages.
5. This Surah is a clear admonition to the Quraish and a
warning that Almighty Allah could, if He so desired,
destroy them as thoroughly as He had destroyed and
humiliated the Army of the Elephant.
723
107. Surah Al-Ma'un (The Small Kindnesses;
Assistance; Almsgiving; Have You Seen; Neigbourly
Needs)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-Ma'un In Summarized Form

This Surah takes its name from the last ayah, ْ ‫" يّٕع‬And
withholds assistance." [107:7]. This Surah has 7 ayats in 1
Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah tells us that the true belief in God Almighty and the
Last Day create a kind and compassionate character.
Abdullah bin Mas‘ud (ra), Hasan Basri (ra) and Ikrimah say that
this Surah is Makki, while Abdullah bin Zubair (ra) says that it is
Madani. Two different views have been reported from Abdullah
bin Abbas (ra) and Qatadah, first that it is Makki, and second
that it is Madani.
However, according to most scholars, this chapter was revealed

in Makkah, and it was the 17th Surah revealed to the Prophet (s)
after Surah At-Takathur and before Al-Kafirun. Ibn ‗Abbas noted
that part of this Surah was revealed in Makkah and the other part
in Madinah. This is because the hypocrites did not exist in
Makkah. So, the reference to them could have only occurred in
Madinah. That opinion seems more plausible and reflects the
deep understanding of Ibn Abbas (ra).
According to Abul Ala Maududi which he described in his Tafsir

of Tafimul Qur‘an that Surah Al-Ma‘un is Madani Surah as it
talks about hypocrites which were not available in the time of
Makki period.
The character of hypocrites that is depicted matches the
724
hypocrites of Madani period. He also explains in Makki period it
was difficult for the believers to oblige to the command of
praying of Lord Almighty – so hypocrisy as little chance to take
shape in that period of social setting. He notes, ―This condition of
the hypocrites at Makkah has been described in ayats 10 to 11 of
Surah Al-Ankabut.‖
Makki Background History of the Surah
In the previous pair of Surahs – Al-Fil and Quraish – it is

explained that the tribe of Quraish has been blessed with the
favours of peace and sustenance because of the Baytullah (the
House of God). These blessings required that they should have
worshipped the Lord of this Sacred House with all sincerity and
should have striven to fulfill the objective for which it was built
and given in their custody.
In this Surah, ―Al-Ma‘un‖ the petty character of a leader of the

Quraysh is portrayed. The portrayal includes a strong element of
amazement, in fact hate and disgust, on his attitude of callously
driving away orphans. This attitude clearly reflects his disbelief
in the Day of Judgment. Although the person is not addressed by
name, yet it is quite evident that Abu Lahab's character is under
discussion. It was he who at the time of revelation of the Surah
had all the financial resources of the Baytullah under his sole
control. A depiction of the characters of the people follows who,
though, apparently offer their prayers in the Baytullah, yet their
prayers lack spirit and devotion and are in fact a show of
pretense on their part.
Balancing the Context of Revelation Period between Makki and

Madani
Those who contend that this is a Makki Surah, then this Surah‘s
ayats were sent due to one of the following people:
al‘As bin Wa‘il al-Sahmi, al-Walid bin al-Mughira al-Makhzumi
or ‗Amru bin ‗Aidh al-Makhzumi.
Others say that it was sent about Abu Sufiyan, before he accepted
725
Islam, because he used to repel the poor. Still others hold that it
was sent due to Abu Jahl because he was abusive to orphans.
If we follow the logic of Ibn ‗Abbas, that this Surah was sent in
both Makkah and Madinah, then it is probable that the first part
of this Surah is talking about one, some or all of the people
above, and the second half is talking about the hypocrites of
Madinah. Thus, this Surah is providing examples of those
personality traits that Muslims should avoid.
The theme of this Surah is to point out what kind of morals

people start to develop when they refuse to believe in the
Hereafter. In ayats 2 and 3 say that such persons do not help the
orphans and the poor, rather repel them. In the last four ayats (4
to 7), the behavior of the hypocrites who are heedless pf their
prayers, do good only to be seen of men and refuse to each other
even amll kindnesses like sharing water and exchange of small
articles of daily use. On the whole, the objective of depicting the
attitude and conduct of two kinds of people is to stress the point
that humans cannot develop a strong, stable and pure character
in themselves unless they believe in the Hereafter.
In this modern world as more and more Muslims have

become strangers to their religion, we see a rise in
materialism and extravagance. It is because lack of faith gives
rise to selfishness and greed. This obnoxious feeling for
continuous need for object causes one to experience disbelief in
the hearts of those who distance themselves from Allah (swt).
This vacuum of not experiencing love and fear of Almighty

Lord make such hearts hardened. They cannot feel any real
mercy for anyone else. They individually become self-centred
and selfish. In this self-centred world of modern life, individuals
who pursue goal for the future made them lonely eventually one
day, as a result of being deprived of the blessings of Allah.

726
Ayats (1 - 7): Disbelief in the Hereafter is the main cause of moral
decay and lack of caring about others.
Virtue of the Surah
Other Names of Surah Al-Ma‟un
In most of the copies of the Qur‘an, this Surah is referred to as

Ma‘un, which in Arabic means ―small kindness.‖ It is also named
the Surah ―Have You Seen,‖ a name given by al-Bukhari in his
collection of authentic Prophetic traditions as well as Ibn
‗Atiyyah in his famous explanation of Qur‘an. In addition, Al-
Suyutti states that this Surah is also called the chapter of
―religion‖ Others refer to it as the Surah of ―denial‖ and the
Surah of ―the orphan.‖
Importance of Salah
Those who delay their Salah (prayer)(from their stated fixed

times). (Surah Al-Ma‟un ayah 5)
Salah (prayer) is the first thing for which a person will be
brought to account on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (s)
said:
―The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on
the Day of Resurrection is his prayer. If it is sound then he will
have succeeded, but if it is not sound he will be doomed.‖
[Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood]
Salah (prayer) is the main differentiating action between a

Muslim and a non-Muslim. Abandoning Salah (prayer)
altogether puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, because the
Prophet said:
―Verily, between a man (i.e., a Muslim, believer of Islamic
Monotheism) and between Ash-Shirk (polytheism) and Al-Kufr
(disbelief) is the abandoning of As-Salah (prayers).‖ [Narrated
by Muslim]
It is obligatory upon every adult and sane Muslim to establish

727
As-Salât (prayers) five times a day at their stipulated times. Allah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
―Verily, As-Salah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed
hours.‖ [Al Qur‟an 4:103]
Allah says elsewhere in the Qur‘an (interpretation of the

meaning):
―Guard strictly (five obligatory) As-Salawat (the prayers)
especially the middle Salât (i.e. the best prayer – ‗Asr). And stand
before Allah with obedience.‖ [Al Qur‟an 2:238]
1) Disbelief is the Hereafter is the main cause of moral

decay.
2) God consciousness, social welfare and caring about other

people‘s necessities of life are the main purpose of Salah
(Prayer).
3) In Surah Al-Ma‘un Allah (swt) depicts the qualities of

those who deny the Hereafter. As a believer, we should
work diligently equip ourselves not to follow those
qualities.
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108. Surah Al-Kauthar (Abundance of a lot; A lot;
Abundance of Good; Plenty; The Abundance)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-Kauthar In Summarized
Form

Surah Al-Kauther is the shortest Surah in the Qu‘ran. The Surah

takes its name from the first ayah, "Indeed, We have granted
you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar." [108:1] It has 3 ayats in 1
Ruku‘ (Section).
The Surah gives good news and comfort that Allah‘s message will
prevail and the enemies of the truth will be the losers.
There are several differing opinions as to the circumstances

under which it was revealed. According to Ibn Ishaq, it was
revealed in Makka, sometime before the Isra and Mi'raj.
Ibn Marduyah has cited Abdullah bin Abbas (ra), Abdullah bin
az-Zubair (ra) and Aishah (rh) as saying that this Surah is Makki.
Kalbi and Muqatil also regard it as Makki, and the same is the
view held by the majority of commentators.
But Hasan Basri (ra), Ikrimah, Mujahid and Qatadah regard it as

Madani. Imam Suyuti in Al-Itqan has confirmed this same view,
and Imam Nawawi in his commentary of the Sahih of Muslim
has also preferred the same. The reason for this assumption is
the tradition which traditionists of the rank of
Imam Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Daud, Nasai, Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ibn
al-Mundhir, Ibn Marduyah, Baihaqi and others have related
from Anas bin Malik (ra), saying: "The Prophet (s) was among
us. In the meantime he dozed; then he raised his head, smiling,
according to some traditions, the people asked what for he was
smiling, according to others, he himself told them
that a Surah had just been revealed to him.
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Then, with Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, he recited Surah Al-
Kauthar; then he asked the people whether they knew what
Kauthar was. When they said that Allah and his Messenger had
the best knowledge, he said; It is a river which my Lord has
granted me in Paradise." (The details follow under "Kauthar").
The basis of the reasoning from this tradition for this Surah's
being Madani is that Anas (ra) belonged to Madinah and his
saying that this Surah was revealed in his presence is a proof that
it was Madani.
But, in the first place, from this same Anas (ra), Imam Ahmad,
Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir have related
the traditions which say that this river of Paradise (Al-Kauthar)
had been shown to the Prophet Muhammad (s) on the occasion
of the miraj (ascension) and everyone knows that miraj had
taken place at Makkah before the hijrah.
In the previous Surah Ma'un, it is explained to the leaders of the

Quraysh that they had totally disregarded the purpose for which
ibrahim (a) had settled his children in the whereabouts of the
Baytullah, and for which he had prayed to the Almighty to bless
them with peace and sustenance. It is also pointed out that the
Baytullah had been built for the worship Almighty Allah alone
and to safeguard the rights of the poor and the orphans, but the
people who were at that time in charge of it were showing utter
disregarded to its objectives. So, this Surah gives the glad tidings
to the Prophet (s) of the abundance which will make him and the
believers joyful both in this world and in the hereafter.
According to some authentic traditions reportd in Bukhari,

Muslim, Abu Daud, Ahmad and Ibn Majah on the authority of
eminent companions of the prophet, Al-Kauthare is the name of
the Fountain which will be given to Prophet Muhammad (s) in
the Hereafter.
The fountain of Prophet Muhammad (s) would be very large,

rather larger than the distance of a month. Its banks are domes
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of hollowed pearls; its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than
honey. Its smell is more fragrant than musk and its cups are like
stars of heaven. Whoso is will drink therefrom will never feel
thirsty. Not only the Muslins but also followers of other Prophets
would approach the Fountain of Muhammad (s) for drink.
The traditionalists and historians have described some events in

the background of the revelation of this Surah. According to
Ikrimah, when Muhammad (s) was appointed Prophet and he
began to preach Islam to the people, the Quraysh said,
―Muhammad is cut off from his people as a tree is cut off from its
roots, which might fall to the ground any moment.‖
It has been reported by Abdullah bin Abbas that when the sons of
Prophet, Qasim and Abdullah died, ‗As bin Wail, a chief of the
Quraysh said, ―His line has come to an end; he is abtar (cut off
from the root, a childless man).‖ According to other traditions
‗As said, ―Muhammad is abtar. He has no son to succeed him.
When he dies, he will go out of the memory and you will get rid
of him.‖ According to another traditionalist, when the second son
of the Prophet died, Prophet‘s uncle Abu Lahab (who was
opposed to the Prophet) rushed to the Quraysh and gave them
the ‗good news‘, ―Muhammad has been cut off (i.e., from
progeny) tonight.‖
It was in these circumstances that this Surah, ―Al-Kauthar‖ was

revealed to console our Prophet Muhammad (s). He was
enjoined to seek help from the Lord Almighty and be in steadfast
in his prayers. The Surah is an answer to the enemies of the
Prophet to inform them that Islam and the Qur‘an would
continue forever. The enemies of Islam will be cut off from their
roots and would without posterity, while he our beloved Prophet
would be blessed woth abundance of good in this world and in
the Hereafter.
We see the good is the Signs of prediction to us from Almighty

Allah which has indeed been fulfilled. Today, no one knows the
descendants of Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, As bin Wail, Ùqbah bin
Abi Muàit, or others who despised Islam. They all died a
disgraceful death.
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Ayats (1 - 3): Almighty Allah has made the name of the Prophet
Muhammad (s) everlasting.
Virtue of the Surah
Imam Ahmad recorded from Ibn Ùmar that the Messenger of

Allah (s) said, ―Al-Kauthar is a river in Paradise whose banks are
of gold and it runs over pearls. Its water is whiter than milk and
sweeter than honey. ―[At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Abi
Hatim and Ibn Jarir]
Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet said: "While I was

walking in Paradise (on the night of Mi'raj), I saw a river, on the
two banks of which there were tents made of hollow pearls. I
asked, "What is this, O Gabriel?' He said, 'That is the Kauthar
which Your Lord has given to you.' Behold! Its scent or its mud
was sharp smelling musk!" (The sub-narrator, Hudba is in doubt
as to the correct expression.)[ Sahih Bukhari, Book 76: To
make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq) Volume 8, Number
583; Sahih Bukhari, Book 60: Prophetic Commentary
on the Qur'an Volume 6, Number 4889]
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas : The word 'Al-Kauthar' means the

abundant good which Allah gave to him (the Prophet
Muhammad). Abu Bishr said: I said to Sa'id ibn Jubayr, "Some
people claim that it (Al-Kauthar) is a river in Paradise." Said
replied, "The river that is in Paradise is one item of that good
which Allah has bestowed upon him (Muhammad)."
[Sahih Bukhari, Book 76: To make the Heart Tender
(Ar-Riqaq) Volume 8, Number 580; Sahih Bukhari,
Book 60: Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an Volume
6, Number 490]
Narrated Anas bin Malik: One day the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) was sitting amongst us that he dozed off. He
then raised his head smilingly. We said: What makes you smile,
Messenger of Allah? He said: A Sura has just been revealed to
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me, and then recited: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate,
the Merciful. Verily We have given thee Kauthar (fount of
abundance). Therefore, turn to thy Lord for prayer and offer
sacrifice, and surely thy enemy is cut off (from the good). Then
he (the Holy Prophet) said: Do you know what Kauthar is? We
said: Allah and His Messenger know best. The Holy Prophet
(may peace be upon him) said: It (Kauthar) is a canal which my
Lord, the Exalted and Glorious has promised me, and there is an
abundance of good in it. It is a cistern and my people would
come to it on the Day of Resurrection, and tumblers there would
be equal to the number of stars. A servant would be turned away
from (among the people gathered there). Upon this I would say:
‗Oh, my Lord! He is one of my community.‘ But it will be said to
him: ‗You know nothing of the innovations (in religion) that they
practiced after you.'‖ [Sahih Muslim Chapter No: 4,
Prayers (Kitab Al-Salat) Hadith no: 790]
Narrated Abu ʿUbaidah : I asked 'Aisha 'regarding the ayah:--

'Verily we have granted you the Kauthar.' She replied, "The
Kauthar is a river which has been given to your Prophet on the
banks of which there are (tents of) hollow pearls and its utensils
are as numberless as the stars." [Sahih Bukhari, Book 60:
Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an Volume 6,
Number 489]
Narrated Abu Huraira (ra) : The Prophet said, "There is a garden

from the gardens of Paradise between my house and my pulpit,
and my pulpit is on my Lake Fount (Al-Kauthar)." [Sahih
Bukhari, Book 30: Virtues of Madinah Volume 3,
Number 112; Sahih Bukhari, Book 92: Holding Fast to
the Qur'an and Sunnah Volume 9, Number 435; Sahih
Bukhari, Book 21: Prayer at Night (Tahajjud) Volume 2,
Number 287]
Narrated Haritha bin Wahb : I heard the Prophet mentioning the

Lake-Fount (Al-Kauthar), saying, "(The width of the Lake-Fount)
is equal to the distance between Madinah and Sana' (capital of
Yemen)." Haritha said that he heard the Prophet saying that his
Lake-Fount would be as large as the distance between Sana' and
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Madinah. Al-Mustaurid said to Haritha, "Didn't you hear him
talking about the vessels?" He said, "No." Al-Mustaurid said,
"The vessels are seen in it as (numberless as) the stars." [Sahih
Bukhari, Book 76: To make the Heart Tender (Ar-
Riqaq) Volume 8, Number 591]
Narrated Anas bin Malik: "The Prophet (s) said to the Ansar,
"After me you will see others given preference to you; so be
patient till you meet me, and your promised place (of meeting)
will be the Tank (i.e. Lake of Kauthar)." [Sahih Bukhari, Vol.
1. Allah (swt) gifted His Messenger (s) an abundance of

good. It indicates the opposite meaning to the one the
impudent Quraysh tried to attach to our beloved Prophet
(s). Allah (swt) has given him that which is plentiful,
overflowing and rich, unstinting and unending.
2. One should always be grateful to Almighty Allah, for

everything that He continues to bless you with. If one is
going through hard moments, he/she should remember
that ease is just around the corner, it may come
immediately, it may come a few days from now or even a
few months from now, but Almighty Lord will not let
him/her live in these painful moments forever because
this dunya is only designed to test us, not break us.
3. Never underestimate Lord Almighty, especially when it

comes to defending the honour and dignity of His
Messenger (swt). The Prophets were tested; all the
righteous people were tested, the Sahabas who sacrificed
their lives, families, wealth and property were tested, so
there is no way one is going to walk into paradise without
being tested.
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109. Surah Al-Kafirun (The Disbelievers; The
Unbelievers)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-Kafirun In Summarized Form

Merciful
The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah,‖Say, "O

disbelievers," [109:1]. The Surah has six ayats in 1 Ruku‘
(Section).
The Surah tells us that there cannot be any compromise in the

matters of faith and worship. People are free to follow whatever
religion they want, but the truth and falsehood cannot be mixed
together.
Abdullah bin Mas'ud (ra), Hasan Basri (ra) and Ikrimah, say that
this Surah is Makki, while Abdullah bin Zubair (ra) says that it is
Madani. Two different views have been reported from Abdullah
bin Abbas (ra) and Qatadah, first that it is Makki, and second
that it is Madani. However, according to the majority of
commentators, it is a Makki Surah, and its subject matter itself
points to its being a Makki revelation.
According to traditions, this Surah was revealed when the

idolators of Makkah were making proposals to Prophet
Muhammad (s) for a compromise in the matters of religion. Once
they came to the Prophet and said, ―If you worship our gods –
Lat and Uzzah for a year, we will worship your god for the same
period.‖ At some other time they came to the Messenger of Allah
and said, ―If you like we would enter your faith for a year.‖
Yet another report says that Walid bin Mughirah, ‗As bin Wail,
Aswad bin al-Muttalib and Umayyah bin Khalf came to the
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Prophet and said, ―O Muhammad! Let us agree that we would
worship your God and you would worship our gods, and we
would make you a partner in all our works. If what you have
brought was better than what we possess, we would be partners
in it with you, and have our share in it, and if what we possess is
better than what you have brought, you would be partner in it
with us and have your share of it.‖ At this Allah sent down: Qul
ya-ayyuhal-kafirun (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Hisham
also has related this incident in the Sirah).
Prophet (s) has been enjoined in this Surah to say to the

disbelievers clearly, ―I do not worship this idols which you
worship and you do not worship Allah (alone) whom I worship,
so, my religion is absolutely distinct and separate from your
religion. Therefore, there can be no compromise. You would keep
your religion, and I would keep my religion.‖
This Surah, by no stretch of imagination, offers any compromise

as is claimed by the modern proponents of the doctrine of
compromise and tolerance. In fact, this Surah openly rejects the
possibility of compromise; rather it expresses disgust with
objects of worship by the polytheists. So far as tolerance is
concerned, this is always there in Islam as well as in this Surah.
Muhammad (s) and his followers are not allowed, in any
circumstances, to force the polytheists and other non-Muslin
people to accept Islam.
As human beings it is our nature to seek rewards for everything

that we do. We always do things to achieve something. That is
why Lord Almighty made it so clear to us that different ways lead
to different ends in this Surah with the metaphors being in the
state of ―belief‖ and ―disbelief‖. So we must choose our
destination sensibly and adopt the way which leads to it.
Ayats (1 - 6): The commandment not to compromise in the

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matters of religion.
Virtue of the Surah
Abdullah ibn Umar has related that on many an occasion he

heard Muhammad (s) recite Surahs Qul Ya- ayyuhal- kafirun and
Qul Huwu-Allahu ahad in the two Rakats before the Fajr
obligatory Prayer and in the two rakahs after the Maghrib
obligatory Prayer. [Several traditions on this subject with
a little variation in wording have been related by Imam
Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban,
Ibn Marduyah from ibn Umar]
Khabbab ibn al-Aratt says: "The Prophet Muhammd (s) said to

me: when you lie down in bed to sleep, recite Qul ya-ayyuhal
kafirun, and this was the Prophet's (s) own practice also; when
he lay down to sleep, he recited this Surah." [Abu Bakr Al-
Bazzar, Al-Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah]
Muhammad (s) recited in the two Rakahs before the morning

prayer and the two Rakahs after the Sunset prayer on ten or
twenty different occasions: Say O' al-Kafirun and say He is God,
the One (surah 112: al-Ikhlas). [Imam Ahmad recorded
from ibn Umar]
According to Ibn Abbas (ra), Muhammad (s) said to the people:

"Should I tell you the word which will protect you from
polytheism? It is that you should recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun
when you go to bed." [ Abu Ya'la, Al-Tabarani]
Narrated Anas bin Malik: " that the Messenger of Allah (s) said
to a man among his Companions: "Have you married O so-and-
so?" He said: "No by Allah O Messenger of Allah! And I do not
have anything to marry with." He said: "Do you not know: Qul
Huwa Allahu Ahad?" He said: "Of course." He said: "It is a third
of the Qur'an." He said: "Do you not know Idha Ja Nasrullahi
Wal-Fath?" He said: "Of course." He said: "It is a fourth of the
Qur'an." He said: "Do you not know Qul Ya Ayyuhal-Kafirun?"
He said: "Of course." He said: "It is a fourth of the Qur'an." He
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said: "Do you not know Idha Zulzilat Al-Ard?" He said: "Of
course." He said: "It is a fourth of the Qur'an." He said: "Marry,
marry." [Jami at-Tirmidhi Vol. 5, Book 42, Hadith 2895]
Abu Huraira (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (s) recited
in the two (Sunnah) rak‘ahs of the dawn (prayer): ―Say: O
unbelievers,‖ (Quran, 109.) and ―Say: Allah is One‖ (Quran 112).
[Recorded in Muslim]
Ibn Umar (ra) said, ―I watched the Prophet (s) twenty-four to

twenty-five times reciting in the two rakahs before the morning
prayer and the two rakahs after the sunset prayer on
approximately ten or twenty different occasions ―Say Al Kafirun‖
and ―He is Allah one.‖ [Recorded in Musnad Ahmad bin
Hambal]
Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (ra) said: The Messenger of Allah (s) used to
recite in Witr, Sabbih isma rabbika al-‗a‘la‖ (―Glorify the name of
your Lord, the Most High‖ – Surat al-A‘la 87), Qul yaa ayyuha‘l-
kaafiroon (―Say: O disbeliever…‖ – Surat Al-Kafirun 109) and
Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (―Say: He is Allah, the One‖ – Surat Al-
Ikhlas 112). [Recorded in Saheeh al-Nasaa‟i]
It is narrated in a tradition from the Prophet Muhammad (s) that

he said: ―The person who recites (the Surah)'Say: O you
disbelievers' it is as if he has recited a quarter of the Qur'an, and
the insolent Satans will recoil from him, and he will be free from
polytheism, and he will be saved from the Great Terror (on
Doomsday).‖ [Majma'-al-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 551]
A tradition from the Prophet Muhammad (s) says that he asked

Jabir-ibn-Mat'am whether he wished to have the best
companions and the most amount of provisions with him when
he was on a journey, and he said he did, then, the Prophet (s)
said: "Recite these five Suras,: Kafirun, Nasr, Ikhlas, Falaq and
Nas, and begin your recitation with /bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-
rahim/.‖ [Majma'-al-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 551]

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1. There is no compromise Muslim Identity: This Surah
purifies our faith and strengthens our Muslim identity.
We must never sacrifice the teachings of Islam for anyone.
We must not allow other people to harm our relationship
with Lord Almighty.
2. Islam is guidance from Allah (swt) and is not based on

human desires: Islam is a religion that cannot be imposed
on any individual. Rather the word ―Islam‖ itself means
submission.
3. This Surah is specifically addressed to the Quraish

leaders: This Surah addresses the Quraish leaders who
Allah knew were never going to accept Islam. This Surah
does not mean that we should leave non-Muslims and not
call them to Islam. Muslims have a duty to teach and
invite people to Islam.
4. Islam is a serious commitment and should not be viewed

lightly: The ridiculous proposal of the Quraish leaders
showed that they did not take religion and the worship of
God seriously. Islam is a lifelong commitment and should
be practiced with sincerity and devotion. Almighty Allah
gave the Muslims the eternal teaching stating that they
should exonerate themselves by word and deed from the
creed of Kufr.
5. Islam respects the right of freedom of religion: Islam

respects the right of people to choose what religion they
follow. Islam does not allow the forcing of religion on
others, and it also does not allow the compromising its
own values, such as the belief that it is the true religion of
Almighty Lord: ―There is no compulsion in religion: true
guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever
rejects false gods and believes in God has grasped the
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firmest hand-hold, one that will never break. God is all
hearing and all knowing.‖ (2:256)
740
110. Surah An-Nasr (The Help; Divine Support)
Concise Tafseer Surah An-Nasr In Summarized Form

Merciful
The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, "When the
victory of Allah has come and the conquest," [110:1] It is the
third-shortest Surah after Al-Asr and Al-Kawthar by number of
ayats. Surah Al-Ikhlas (112) actually has fewer words in Arabic
than Surah An-Nasr, yet it has four ayats.
The Surah speaks of the victory and help of Allah. The Surah
reminds about the attitude of the Believer in the situation of
success. One should be thankful to Allah and seek His
forgiveness for any shortcomings or mistakes.
Abdullah bin Abbas (ra) states that this is the last Surah of the
Qur‘an to be revealed, i.e. no complete Surah was sent down to
the Prophet (s) after it. (Muslim Nasai, Tabarani, Ibn Abi
Shaibah, Ibn Marduyah).
According to Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar, this Surah was sent

down on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage in the middle of
the Tashriq Days at Mina, and after it the Prophet (s) rode his
she camel and gave his well-known Sermon. (Tirmidhi, Bazzar,
Baihaqi, Ibn Abi Shaibah, Abd bin Humaid, Abn Yala, Ibn
Marduyah).
Baihaqi in Kilab al-Hajj has related from the tradition of Sarra

bint-Nabhan (rh) the Sermon which the Prophet (s) gave on this
occasion. She says: "At the Farewell Pilgrimage I heard Prophet
(s) say: O people, do you know what day it is? They said: Allah
and His Messenger have the best knowledge. He said: This is the
middle day of the Tashriq Days. Then he said:
Do you know what place it is? They said: Allah and His
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Messenger has the best knowledge. He said: This is Masharil-
Haram. Then he said: I do not know, I might not meet you here
again. Beware your bloods and your honours are forbidden, until
you appear before your Lord, and He questions you about your
deeds. Listen: let the one who is near convey it to him who is far
away. Listen: have I conveyed the message to you? Then, when
we returned to Madinah, the Prophet (s) passed away not many
days after that."
If both these traditions are read together, it appears that there

was an interval of three months and some days between the
revelation of Surah An-Nasr and the Prophet's (s) death, for
historically the same was the interval between the Farewell
Pilgrimage and the passing away of the Prophet Muhammad (s).
Ibn Abbas (ra) says that when this Surah was revealed, the Holy
Prophet said that he had been informed of his death and his time
had approached. (Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir,
Ibn Marduyah). In the other traditions related from Abdullah bin
Abbas (ra), it has been stated that at the revelation of this Surah
the Prophet (s)understood that he had been informed of his
departure from the world.(Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Jarir, Tabarani,
Nasai, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Marduyah).
Mother of the Believers, Umm Habibah (rh), says that when this
Surah was revealed the Prophet (s) said that he would leave the
world that year. Hearing this Fatimah (rh) wept. Thereat he said:
"From among my family you will be the first to join me." Hearing
this she laughed. (Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Marduyah).
The previous Surah Kafirun has been a declaration of migration

and acquittal and in fact a proclamation of war. This Surah An-
Nasr gives glad tidings to the Prophet (s) that the time is near
when divine help shall specially come to his rescue. Makkah shall
be conquered and his mission will be successfully accomplished
on which he had been deputed by the Almighty Allah. He shall be
pleased and satisfied with Him. The opening ayats of Surah Fath
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(no.48) also portray this subject.
This Surah enjoins the Prophet (s) that when he gets ultimate
victory and religion of Allah prevails in Arabia and people start
entering this religion in multitudes (he should understand that
the time of his departure from the world has arrived), He should
then engage himself more in glorification of the praises of Allah
(swt) than ever before and ask Allah for forgiveness. So, after the
revelation of the Prophet began to labour so intensively and
devotedly for the Hereafter as he had done never before. Imam
Ahmad writes in his Musnad as follows:
Aisha (rh) said that Muhammad (s) used to repeat very
frequently, towards the end of his life, 'Exaltations and praises be
to God, whose forgiveness I ask; I repent of my sins.' He also
said, 'My Lord told me I would see a sign in my nation. He
ordered me to praise him, the Forgiving, and ask his pardon
when I see this sign. Indeed, I have. When the victory granted by
God and the conquest come ... (transmitted by Muslim) Over
1400 years ago, when Prophet Muhammad (s) had to leave
his hometown to migrate to Madinah with a small number of
followers, it must have seemed totally impossible that one day he
would enter Makkah as a Conqueror. But it did happen only
after seven years of migration. Due to this victory the whole
Arab accepted Islam.
Ayats (1 - 3): Victory comes with the help of Almighty Allah.
Virtue of the Surah
Surah An-Nasr is also known as Surah at-Tawdee‗, or 'the

Farewell Surah'. Al-Qurtubi may Allah have mercy upon him
wrote, ―Surah An-Nasr [Qur‘an 110] was revealed in Madinah
according to scholarly consensus. It is also known as Surah At-
Tawdee‗. It consists of three ayats. It is the last Surah of the
Qur‘an to be revealed as a whole. Ibn ‗Abbaas may Allaah be
pleased with him underlined that in the report cited in Sahih
Muslim.‖ [Tafseer Al-Qurtubi]
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The Surah is called Tawdee' as it indicated the imminent death of
the Prophet, sallallaahu ‗alayhi wa sallam. In this Surah, Allah,
The Exalted, has informed him of the approach of his death. Ibn
‗Abbaas may Allah be pleased with him said, ―It heralds the [end
of the] life of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‗alayhi wa
sallam, and informs him of it.‖ He may Allah be pleased with him
recited the Surah in full; Allah, The Exalted, says (what means):
{When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest,* And you
see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes,*
Then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of
Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.} [Qur‘an 110:1-
3] He may Allah be pleased with him commented, "The conquest
referred to in the Surah was the conquest of Makkah; it was a
sign for the imminent death of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‗alayhi wa
sallam. He, sallallaahu ‗alayhi wa sallam, was directed to exalt
and praise His Lord and seek His forgiveness." [Al-Bukhari]
It has been mentioned previously that it (Surat An-Nasr) is

equivalent to one-fourth of the Qur'an and that Surat Az-Zalzalah
is equivalent to one-fourth of the Qur'an. An-Nasa'i recorded
from Ùbaydullah bin Àbdullah bin Ùtbah that Ibn Àbbas
said to him, "O Ibn Ùtbah! Do you know the last Surah of the
Qur'an that was revealed'' He answered, "Yes, it was: - (When
there comes the help of Allah and the Conquest.) (110:1)'' He (Ibn
Àbbas) He (Ibn Àbbas) said, "You have spoken truthfully.''
[Tafseer Ibn Kathir]
Tafsir ibn Kathir quotes a hadith, which states that Muhammad

(s) said with reference to this Surah: In truth, the people have
entered into the religion of God in crowds and they will also leave
it in crowds.
Abu Ammar reported: The neighbor of Jabir ibn Abdullah said: I

arrived after a journey and Jabir came to me and greeted me
with peace. I began to speak with him about the conflicts
between the people and what was happening but this made Jabir
start weeping. Then Jabir said, ―I heard the Messenger of Allah,
peace and blessings be upon him, say: Verily, the people will
744
enter the religion of Allah in crowds and they will leave it in
crowds.‖ (110:2) [Musnad Ahmad 14286]
1. The Surah directs the Prophet (s) and the Muslims to give
thanks and praise to Allah for the victory and other
achievements in life.
2. The Help of Allah (swt) eventually does arrive, as long as

one remains steadfast.
3. Victory is not an occasion of exultation, as it comes with

the help of Lord Almighty, as all glory belongs to Him.
Man should repent and seek for forgiveness from
Almighty Allah. Allah (swt) is all forgiving all merciful.
4. The Surah indicated the approaching death of the Prophet

Muhammad (s). And also it directs the end of the mission
of Prophet Muhammad (s).
5. It predicted the victory of Islam over all other religions, as

a large number of people were embracing Islam following
the conquest of Makkah.
745
111. Surah Al-Lahab (The Flame)/ Al-Masad (The Palm
Fiber)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-Lahab In Summarized Form

This Surah gets its designation from the word, ―Lahab‖ which
occurs in its very first ayah. Its‘ another name, ―Al-Masad‖
appears as the last word of the last ayah ―ḥablun min masad‖
(meaning ―a rope of palm fibre‖) of the Surah. It mentions the
palm fibre rope that in hellfire shall be twisted around the neck
of the wife of Muhammad‘s (s) uncle, who bitterly opposed
Islam; for she took great pride in wearing an ostentatious
necklace she became known for and would slip by night to strew
thorns and prickly plants in Muhammad‘s path to injure his feet.
It has 3 ayats in Ruku‘ (Section).
Although the commentators have not disputed its being a Makki

Surah, yet it is difficult to determine in which phase of the life at
Makkah precisely it was revealed. However, in view of Abu
Lahab's role and conduct against the Prophet's (s) message of
Truth, it can be assumed that it must have been revealed in the
period when he had transgressed all limits in his mad hostility to
him, and his attitude was becoming a serious obstruction in the
progress of Islam. It may well have been revealed in the period
when the Quraish had boycotted the Prophet Muhammd (s)
together with the people of his clan and besieged them in Shi'b
Abi Talib, and Abu Lahab was the only person to join with the
enemies against his own relatives.
Historical Context of the Surah
Abu Lahab was the uncle of Prophet Muhammad (s). Lahab

means flames and hence he was nicknamed so because of the
radiant look on his face. His real name was Abdul ‗Uzza.
746
Together with his wife, Arwa bint Harb ibn Umayyah, Abu Lahab
was one of the most hostile opponents of Allah‘s Messenger (s)
and the ideas he propagated.
Before the proclamation of Prophethood, two of the Prophet's

daughters were married to two of Abu Lahab's sons, Utbah and
Utaibah. When the Prophet began to invite people to Islam, Abu
Lahab said to both his sons: "I would forbid myself seeing and
meeting you until you divorce the daughters of Muhammad (s)."
Both of them subsequently divorced their wives.
In Makkah, Abu Lahab was the next door neighbor of the Holy
Prophet. Their houses were separated by a wall. Besides him,
Hakam bin As (Father of Marwan), Uqbah bin Abi Muait, Adi bin
Hamra and Ibn al- Asda il-Hudhali also were his neighbours.
These people did not allow him to have peace even in his own
house. Sometimes when he was performing the Prayer, they
would place the goat's stomach on him; sometimes when food
was being cooked in the courtyard, they would throw filth at the
cooking pot. The Prophet (s) would come out and say: "O Bani
Abdi Manaf, what kind of neighbourliness is it?" Abu Lahab's
wife, Umm Jamil (Abu Sufyan's sister), had made it a practice to
cast thorns at his door in the night so that when he or his
children came out of the house at dawn, they should run thorns
in the foot. (Baihaqi, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Jarir, Ibn
Asakir, Ibn Hisham)
Whenever the Prophet (s) went to preach the message of Islam,

Abu Lahab followed him and forbade the people to listen to him.
Tariq bin Abdullah Al-Muharibi says: "I saw in the fare of Dhul-
Majaz the Prophet (pbuh) exhorting the people saying: Ò
people, say La Ilah ill-Allah, you will attain success.' Behind him
there was a man who was casting stones at him until his heels
bled and he was telling the people: 'Do not listen to him, he is a
liar.' I asked the people who he was. They said he was his uncle,
Abu Lahab." (Reported by Tirmidhi)
Abu Lahab was a stingy, materialistic man. Ibn Jarir has stated
that once in the pre-Islamic days he was accused of having stolen
747
two golden deer from the treasury of the Kabah. Though later the
deer were recovered from another person, the fact that he was
accused of stealing indicates the opinion the people of Makkah
held of him. About his riches Qadi Rashid bin Zubair writes in
his Adh-Dhakhair wat- Tuhaf: He was one of the four richest
men of the Quraish, who owned one qintar (about 260 oz) of
gold each. His love of wealth can be judged from the fact that
when on the occasion of the battle of Badr the fate of his religion
was going to be decided forever, and all the Quraish chiefs had
personally gone to fight, he sent Aas bin Hisham to fight on his
own behalf, telling him: This is in lieu of the debt of four
thousand dirhams that you owe to me. Thus, he contrived a plan
to realize his debt, for Aas had become bankrupt and there was
no hope of the recovery of the debt from him. (Tafhimul
Qur‟an)
In the 7th year of Prophethood, when all of the clans of Quraish

socially and economically boycotted the Bani Hashim and the
Bani Al- Muttalib, both of these clans who remained steadfast in
the Prophet's support were besieged in Shi'b Abi Talib. Abu
Lahab was the only person who sided with the disbelieving
Quraish against his own clan.
This boycott continued for three years, so much so that the Bani
Hashim and the Bani Al- Muttalib began to starve. This,
however, did not move Abu Lahab. When a trade caravan came
to Makkah and a besieged person from Shi'b Abi Talib
approached it to buy some food, Abu Lahab shouted out to the
merchants to demand a forbidding price, telling them that he
would make up for any loss that they incurred. Thus, they would
demand exorbitant rates and the poor customer would return
empty handed to his starving children. Then Abu Lahab would
purchase the same articles from them at the market rates.
(Reported by Ibn S'ad, Ibn Hisham)
It was on account of these transgressions of Abu Lahab that this

Surah was revealed and he and his wife were condemned. The
prediction in this Surah about the destruction of Abu Lahab and
his hands was fulfilled within a few years. His hands (meaning
748
power and sources of strength) perished when most of the chiefs
of Makkah were killed in the Battle of Badr in 2 AH. His own
death was miserable. When the news of the defeat at Badr
reached him, he was extremely shocked. He became so afflicted
with malignancy and the people of his house left him to himself
fearing contagion. Nobody came near his body for three days
after his death, until the body decomposed and started smelling.
When the people taunted his sons, they got a pit dug out and
pushed down his body into it with a stick and covered the pit
with earth and stones. Thus neither his wealth nor what he
earned (his children) avail him.
In the last Surah, ―Surah An-Nasr‖- Allah (swt) showed us how

His help can bring the most glorious success to the believers who
remain determined and steadfast on their faith. On the other
hand, this Surah shows if someone shows hostility and enmity
towards Almighty Allah and His Messenger (s), then Allah‘s
punishment is also very great. Prophet (s)‘s uncle, Abu Lahab,
was one such person who spared no effort to destroy the mission
of the Prophet (s) but in the end he himself met the most
disgusting defeat.
Surah Al-Lahab is Almighty Lord‘s proofs of direction to the

Prophet (s). The central theme of it is a prediction of doom for
the greatest enemy of the Prophet (s) - Abu Lahab and his
accomplices. It is evident from this prediction that these leaders
of the Quraish have squandered all their chances of survival and
in retribution of denying the Prophet Muhammad (s) were now,
after his migration, under a constant threat of punishment.
In this Surah Allah (swt) provide us with a loud and clear

announcement that just as He is so forgiving and merciful to
His believers, similarly His anger and punishment for the
arrogant enemies of his religion is also great. So we should fear
His wrath as much as we hope for His forgiveness.

749
Ayats (1 - 5): Curse of Allah (swt) on Abu Lahab, his wife and the
opponents of the Prophet (s).
Virtue of the Surah
It is cited in a tradition that the Prophet Muhammad (s) said:

"He who recites it (Surah Lahab), I hope that Allah will not
gather him and Abu Lahab in the same abode". (i.e., he will be in
Paradise while Abu Lahab will be in Hell) [Majma'-al-Bayan,
vol. 10, p. 558]
Narrated Ibn Abbas (ra): Abu Lahab said, "May you perish! Is it
for this that you have gathered us?" So there was revealed:
'Perish the hands of Abu Lahab'. [Sahih al-Bukhari Vol. 6,
Book 60, Hadith 497; Sahih al-Bukhari Vol. 2, Book 23,
Hadith 477]
Narrated Ibn Abbas (ra): When the ayah: 'And warn your tribe of
near-kindred (26:214), was revealed, the Prophet (Mohammed)
ascended the Safa (mountain) and started calling, "O Bani Fihr!
O Bani Àdi!" addressing various tribes of Quraish till they were
assembled. Those who could not come themselves, sent their
messengers to see what was there. Abu Lahab and other people
from Quraish came and the Prophet (s) then said, "Suppose I
told you that there is an (enemy) cavalry in the valley intending
to attack you, would you believe me?" They said, "Yes, for we
have not found you telling anything other than the truth." He
then said, "I am a warner to you in face of a terrific punishment."
Abu Lahab said (to the Prophet) "May your hands perish all this
day. Is it for this purpose you have gathered us?" Then it was
revealed:
"Perish the hands of Abu Lahab (one of the Prophet's uncles),
and perish he! His wealth and his children will not profit
him...." (111.1-5) [Sahih Bukhari Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith
293; Jami'at-Tirmidhi Vol. 6, Book 44, Hadith 3363;
Sahih Muslim Book 1, Hadith 416]
Narrated Jundub bin Sufyan: Once Muhammad (s) became sick

750
and could not offer his night prayer (Tahajjud) for two or three
nights. Then a lady (the wife of Abu Lahab) came and said, "O
Muhammad! I think that your satan has forsaken you, for I have
not seen him with you for two or three nights!" On that Allah
revealed: 'By the fore-noon, and by the night when it darkens,
your Lord (O Muhammad) has neither forsaken you, nor hated
you.' (93.1-3). [Sahih Bukhari Vol. 6, Book 60 Hadith 475;
Sahih Bukhari, Book of Virtues of the Qur'an Book#66:
Virtues of the Qur'an: (1) Chapter: How the Divine
Revelation used to be revealed and what was the first
thing revealed]
According to Ibn /jarir: One day Abu Lahab asked Muhammad:

"If I were to accept your religion, what would I get?" Muhammad
replied: "You would get what the other believers would get." He
said: "Is there no preference or distinction for me?" Muhammad
replied:
"What else do you want?" Thereupon he said: "May this religion
perishes in which I and all other people should be equal and
alike!‖ [hadith by Ibn Jarir According to Ibn Zaid]
Rabiah bin Abbad ad- Dill related: "I was a young boy when I
accompanied my father to the face of Dhul-Majaz. There I saw
Muhammad who was exhorting the people, saying: 'O people,
say: there is no deity but God, you will attain success.' Following
behind him I saw a man, who was telling the people, `This fellow
is a liar: he has gone astray from his ancestral faith.' I asked; who
is he? The people replied: He is his uncle, Abu Lahab." [Musnad
Ahmad; Al-Bayhaqi; Abul A'la Maududi's Tafhimul
Qur‟an]
When Prophet Muhammad‘s (s) son Qasim ibn Muhammad

died in 605, Abu Lahab came out of his house screaming and
dancing. And he says Batara Muhammadun – Muhammad has
had his lineage cut off. Ata ibn Abi Rabah reported same
happening when the second son of Muhammad died. [Ibn Jarir
Ibn Sa'd and lbn Asakir have related that Abdullah bin
Abbas said this; Tafhimul Qur‟an]
751
Narrated Sa'id bin Jubair (ra): "When Surah No.111 (Al-
Masad/Al-Lahab) was revealed, the wife of Abu Lahab came
looking out for the Prophet (s) while Abu Bakr (ra) was sitting
beside him. Abu Bakr said to the Prophet (s): 'I wish if you get
aside (or go away) as she is coming, to us, she may harm you'.
The Prophet said: 'There will be a screen set between me and
her'. So she did not see him (s). She said to Abu Bakr (ra): 'Your
companion is saying poetry against me.' Abu Bakr (ra) said: 'By
Allah he does not say poetry.' She said: 'Do you believe that'.
Then she left. Abu Bakr (ra) said, 'O Allah's Messenger! She did
not see you'. The Prophet (s) said: 'An angel was screening me
from her.'" [This Hadith is quoted in Masnad Abu ya'la].
It is said that if the ayah [(17:45) of The Qur‘an: Yusuf Ali: When
thou dost recite the Qur'an, We put, between thee and those who
believe not in the Hereafter, a veil invisible:] is recited by a real
believer (of Islamic Monotheism) he will be screened from a
disbeliever. (Allah knows best). [Tafsir Al-Qurtubi, Vol.10,
Page 269]
The Destiny of Umm Jamil,

the Wife of Abu Lahab
(And his wife too, who carries wood.) His wife was among the
leading women of the Quraysh and she was known as Umm
Jamil. Her name was Àrwah bint Harb bin Umayyah and she
was the sister of Abu Sufyan. She was supportive of her husband
in his disbelief, rejection and obstinacy. Therefore, she will be
helping to administer his punishment in the fire of Hell on the
Day of Judgement. Thus, Allah says,
(Who carries wood. In her neck is a twisted rope of Masad.)
meaning, she will carry the firewood and throw it upon her
husband to increase that which he is in (of torment), and she will
be ready and prepared to do so.
(In her neck is a twisted rope of Masad.) Mujahid and Ùrwah

both said, "From the palm fiber of the Fire.'' Al-Àwfi narrated
from Ibn Àbbas, Àtiyah Al-Jadali, Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Zayd
that she used to place thorns in the path of the Messenger of
752
Allah . Al-Jawhari said, "Al-Masad refers to fibers, it is also a
rope made from fibers or palm leaves. It is also made from the
skins of camels or their furs. It is said (in Arabic) Masadtul-
Habla and Amsaduhu Masadan, when you tightly fasten its
twine.'' Mujahid said,
(In her neck is a twisted rope of Masad.) "This means a collar of
iron.'' Don't you see that the Arabs call a pulley cable a Masad
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
1. Never cause grief to someone involved in the work of

Allah (swt). A common theme which runs throughout this
Surah is that people will be recompensed for exactly what
they earned.
2. A leader should continue on his mission to speak the truth

and help others, despite the negativity that comes with it.
3. Wealth and power are worthless if your actions do not

please Almighty Allah. Wealth and children will not save
anyone from the hell-fire as well.
4. Assisting someone in opposing the people of Lord

Almighty is also blameworthy.
5. Don‘t let the haters bring you down. Continue on your

journey to make an impact on the world, leave a legacy
and only seek the pleasure of Allah (swt).
6. How grave must the actions of Abu Lahab have been for
Allah (swt) to reveal a whole Surah in his condemnation,
to be read by all until the Day of Judgment? May Allah
protect us from similar outcomes.
753
112. Surah Al-Ikhlas (The Fidelity; The Purity; The
Sincerity; One Third of the Qur‟an)/ Surah At-Tauhid
(Monotheism)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-Ikhlas In Summarized Form

The other name of the Surahn Ikhlas is At-Tauhid, ―The Unity‖.

Both these names have been given to this Surah in view of its
meaning and subject matter; none of these names appears in any
ayah of the Surah. Whoever understands the meaning of the
Surah and believe in its teachings, will get rid of shirk
(polytheism) completely. The Surah has 4 ayats in 1 Ruku‘
(Section).
Surah Al-Ikhlas was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (s) during

the early days of Islam. The polytheists and pagans of Makkah
one day approached and challenged him saying, ―Give us the
genealogy of your Lord.‖ It was then that Allah (swt) revealed
this Surah. It was in these times detailed ayats of the Qur‘an had
not yet been revealed. The people, hearing the Prophet's
invitation to Allah, wanted to know what about their Lord
Almighty, whose worship and service he was calling them to, was
like.
This Surah beautifully sums up the concept of Unity of God in

Islam in a very few words. In its four ayats this Surah gives a
death-blow to all erroneous concepts of God held by the
polytheistic religion as well as by the revealed religions like
Christianity and Judaism.
Polytheists have been worshipping human beings, idols or gods

made of wood, stone, clay, gold, silver, or other materials. These
754
gods have a form, shape and body and are married and have
children. They are need of food and drink, so their devotees
arrange food for them. Some of the Polytheists believe in Trinity
and Judaism believe in God who appeared in the form of a man
named Ezra, wrestled with one of his servant and had a son.
The first ayah says, ―He is Allah, the One.‖ This ayah proves that
God is One and He is Allah. There is no other God beside Him.
He has absolutely no partner In any form in this sovereignty, in
His dominion, in His worship or in His attributes.
The second ayah says that Allah is ―as-Samad‖. The term as-
Samad has occurred in the Qur‘an only once and is applied to
Allah alone. Different meanings have been given to the word,
―Samad‖ by the Prophet‘s (s) companions, the commentators and
sholars. According to Ali (ra), Samad is he who has no superior.
According to Abu Hurairah (ra), Samad is he who is independent
of all, while all others are dependent on him. According to Ibn
Jubair, the word means - He who is perfect in all his attributes
and works. In the opinion of Ibn Hayyan, Samad is one who is
faultless. In the opinion of Hasan Basri, Samad is who is ever
living and immortal. According to Muhammad Asad, it
comprises the concepts of Primary Cause and eternal,
independent Being, combined with the idea that everything
existing or conceivable goes back to Him as its source and is,
therefore, dependent on Him for its beginning as well as for its
continued existence.
The third ayah says that He begets not, nor as He begotten. This
ayah rules out the possibility of Allah (swt) having children or
parents. Thus ayah refutes the Jewsih idea of Ezra being son of
God, Christian Doctrine of Jesus as son of God and polytheists‘
concept of angels being daughter of God.
The fourth and the last ayah says, ―There is none equal (or
comparable) unto Him.‖ The word Kufu, which occurs in this
ayah, signifies a similar thing, an equal in rank and position, one
who resembles, one who is a match. Thus the ayah means that
there is no one in the whole of the samawat, nor even was, nor
755
ever can be, who is similar or equal to Allah (swt).
The beauty of Qur‘an is most apparent in this Surah. With such a

few words it presents us the complete truth without any
falsehood and any sense of imperfection. Although, we have a
firm belief that our Creator is one and only Lord Almighty, as He
has the right to be worshipped, yet we do not always follow His
commands and thus we become distanced from the purity of
faith. So, Shaitan uses our weakness to further put barriers
between us and the real truth. As a result we become attracted to
other things which deviates us from the direction of Almighty
Allah. Even after that, our Lord Almighty pardons us by giving us
scope to make amends for our wrongdoings. What a freedom it
is to feel the comfort of being Allah‘s slave.
Ayats (1 - 4): Tauhid - the unique attribute of Almighty Allah.
Virtue of the Surah
The Prophet Muhammad (s) is narrated to have said in a

tradition: "Is there anyone of you unable to recite one third of the
Qur'an in one night"? One of his listeners asked, "O Messenger of
Allah! Who is able to do that"? The Prophet (s) said: "Recite 'Say:
He, Allah, is One! (Surah Ikhlas)‖. A tradition says that the
recitation of this Surah, when arriving at a home, causes the
increase of sustenance and removing poverty from the people
therein. [Majma'-al-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 561]
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri (ra): A man heard another man

reciting (in the prayers): 'Say (O Muhammad): "He is God, the
One." (112.1) And he recited it repeatedly. When it was morning,
he went to the Prophet and informed him about that as if he
considered that the recitation of that Surah by itself
was not enough. Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hand
my life is, it is equal to one-third of the Quran." [Sahih
Bukhari, Book 93: ONENESS, UNIQUENESS OF ALLAH
(TAWHEED) Volume 9, Number 471]
756
Narrated Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that
Humayd ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf (ra) had told him that
Surat al-Ikhlas (Surah 112) was equal to a third of the Qur'an,
and that Surat al-Mulk (Surah 67) pleaded for its owner. [Imam
Malik's Muwatta Chapter No: 15, The Quran Hadith no:
19]
Narrated 'Aisha (rh): The Prophet (s) sent (an army unit) under
the command of a man who used to lead his companions in the
prayers and would finish his recitation with (the Sura 112): 'Say
(O Muhammad): "He is Allah, the One." ' (112.1) When they
returned (from the battle), they mentioned that to the Prophet.
He said (to them), "Ask him why he does so." They asked him
and he said, "I do so because it mentions the qualities of the
Beneficent and I love to recite it (in my prayer)." The Prophet;
said (to them), "Tell him that Allah loves him". [Sahih
Bukhari, Book 93: ONENESS, UNIQUENESS OF ALLAH
(TAWHEED) Volume 9, Number 472]
Narrated Anas bin Malik: " that the Messenger of Allah (‫)ﷺ‬
said to a man among his Companions: "Have you married O so-
and-so?" He said: "No by Allah O Messenger of Allah! And I do
not have anything to marry with." He said: "Do you not know:
Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad?" He said: "Of course." He said: "It is a
third of the Qur'an." He said: "Do you not know Idha Ja
Nasrullahi Wal-Fath?" He said: "Of course." He said: "It is a
fourth of the Qur'an." He said: "Do you not know Qul Ya
Ayyuhal-Kafirun?" He said: "Of course."
He said: "It is a fourth of the Qur'an." He said: "Do you not know
Idha Zulzilat Al-Ard?" He said: "Of course." He said: "It is a
fourth of the Qur'an." He said: "Marry, marry." [Jami at-
Narrated 'Aisha: Whenever the Prophet (s) went to bed every

night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it after
reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas, Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas, and
then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to
757
rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body. He used to
do that three times." [Sahih al-Bukhari Vol. 6, Book 61,
Hadith 536]
Anas said: "One of the Ansar used to lead the Ansar in Salat in
the Quba' masjid and it was his habit to recite Qul Huwal-lahu
Ahad whenever he wanted to recite something in Salat. When he
finished that Surah, he would recite another one with it. He
followed the same procedure in each Rak'a. His companions
discussed this with him and said, "You recite this Surah and do
not consider it sufficient and then you recite another. So would
you recite it alone or leave it and recite some other." He said, "I
will never leave it and if you want me to be your Imam on this
condition then it is all right; otherwise I will leave you."
They knew that he was the best amongst them and they did not
like someone else to lead them in Salat. When the Prophet (s)
went to them as usual, they informed him about it. The Prophet
(s) addressed him and said, "O so-and-so, what forbids you from
doing what your companions ask you to do?
Why do you read this Surah particularly in every Rak‘a?" He
repiled, "I love this Surah." The Prophet (s) said, "Your love for
this Surah will make you enter Paradise." [Sahih al-Bukhari
Vol. 1, Book 11, Hadith 741]
Muàdh bin Àbdullah bin Khubaib, narrated from his father,

who said: " ―We went out on a rainy and extremely dark night,
looking for the Messenger of Allah (s), so that he could lead us in
Salat.‖ He said: ―So I met him and he (s) said: ‗Speak‘ but I did
not say anything. Then he (s) said: ‗Speak.‘ But I did not say
anything. He (s) said: ‗Speak.‘ So I said: ‗What should I
say?‘ He (s) said: ‗Say: ―Say: He is Allah, the One‖ and Al-
Muàwwidhatain, when you reach evening, and when you reach
morning, three times, they will suffice you against everything.‘‖
[Jami at-Tirmidhi Vol. 6, Book 46, Hadith 3575]
‗Uqbah ibn ‗Aamir (ra) said: ―I met the Messenger of Allah (s)…
and he said to me, ‗O ‗Uqbah ibn ‗Aamir, shall I not teach you
some Surahs the like of which have not been revealed in the
Tawraat (Torah) or the Zaaboor (Psalms) or the Injeel (Gospel)
758
or in the Qur‘an? There is no night comes but you should not
recite (i.e., every night you should recite) Qul huwa Allaahu ahad
[Surat al-Ikhlaas], Qul a‘oodhu bi Rabbi‘l-falaq [Surat al-Falaq]
and Qul a‘oodhu bi Rabbi‘l-naas [Surat al-Naas].‘‖ ‗Uqbah said:
―So every night I would recite them. It became my duty to recite
them, because the Messenger of Allah (s) had commanded me to
do so…‖ [Musnad Ahmad, 16810]
Prophet Muhammad (s) said to the sahabah, ―Assemble in my

presence, for I will recite to you one-third of the Qur‘an.‖
When they had assembled, Prophet Muhammad (s) came out to
them and recited Surah Al-Ikhlas, and then he returned to his
home. The sahabah began speaking to one another about it.
Someone said, ―I think a revelation has just come to Him from
the heavens. That is why he went back inside.‖ Then the Prophet
(s) emerged from his home and said, ―I told you that I would
recite one-third of the Qur‘an. That is indeed one-third of the
Qur‘an. [Sahih Muslim]
1. Almighty Lord is one.
2. Allah (swt) needs no one.
3. Almighty Allah does not give birth, He has no offspring.
4. Allah (swt) was not born; He has no beginning.
5. Lord Almighty never had an equal, nor will He ever have

one.
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113. Surah Al-Falaq (Early Bright; The Daybreak; The
Dawn; Sunrise)
Concise Tafseer Surah Al-Falaq In Summarized Form

Merciful
The name of the Surah appears in the first ayah, "Say, "I seek
refuge in the Lord of daybreak" [113:1]. It has 5 yats in 1 Ruku‘
(Section).
This Surah and the 114th (and last) Surah in the Qur'an, An-Nas,
are collectively referred to as al-Mu'awwidhatayn "the Refuges",
as both begin "I seek refuge". Surah An-Nas tells, ―to seek God
refuge from the evil from within‖, while al-Falaq tells, ―to seek
God refuge from the evil from outside‖, so reading both of them
would protect a person from his own mischief and the mischief
of others.
This one together with the Surahs 112, 113, and 114 are known as
the ‗three quls‘. From the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (s),
we know that there are many authentic sayings that recommend
reciting these three Surahs to seek God‘s protection throughout
the day or the night.
There are no authentic hadiths which clearly indicate where this

Surah was revealed. However, most scholars of Tafseer hold that
it was among the early Surahs revealed in Makkah [prior to the
Hijrah] as it has most of the characteristics of the Makki
revelations. Ibn S'ad, Imam Baihaqi, 'Abd bin Humaid and
others are of the opinion that these Surahs were revealed in A.H.
7, when the Jews had worked magic on the Prophet (upon whom
be peace) in Madinah and he had fallen ill under its effect.
According to Hasan Basri (ra), 'Ikrimah, 'Ata' and Jabir bin Zaid
these Surahs are Makki. Ibn S'ad, Imam Baihaqi, 'Abd bin
760
Humaid and others are of the opinion that these Surahs were
revealed in A.H. 7, when the Jews had worked magic on the
Prophet (upon whom be peace) in Madinah and he had fallen ill
under its effect. On the other hand, it is Madani according to
'Abdullah bin Zubair (ra) and Qatadah. One of the traditions
which strengthens this second view is the Hadith which Muslim,
Tirmidhi, Nasa'i and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal have related on
the authority of Hadrat 'Uqbah bin 'Amir.
The subject matter of Surah Falaq and the last one of the Qur‘an
is explicit that they were sent down at Makkah when, for the first
time, opposition to the Prophet (s) had grown very intense.
Later, when at Madinah storms of opposition were raised by the
hypocrites, Jews and polytheists, the Prophet (s) was instructed
to recite these very Surahs, as in the tradition from Uqbah bin
Amir (ra). After this, when magic was worked on him and his
illness grew intense, Gabriel came and instructed him by Allah's
command to recite these very Surahs. Therefore, the view held by
the commentators who describe both these Surahs as Makki is
more reliable.
When Prophet Muhammad (s) was spreading the message of

Islam, the opposition against him was becoming more and more
intense. The disbelievers of Makkah were trying to disrupt the
mission in any way they could including devising plots to harm
and even kill Prophet Muhammad (s). Almighty Lord therefore
instructs Prophet Muhammad specifically and the believers in
general to seek refuge in Him from any source of fear, hidden or
visible, known or unknown.
According to the details of the Madinah incident, a Jew Labid bin

A‘sam worked magic on a comb and hair covered in the spathe of
a male date tree and placed it under a stone at the bottom of Dhi
Arwan, a well of the tribe Bani Zurayq.
Prophet was informed about it by two angels in a dream. He sent

Ali (ra) some other companions who emptied the well, removed
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the stone and recovered the spathe. Prophet (s) then recited
these Surahs and opened knots to undo the impact of the magic.
However, some people question – how magic can work on a

Prophet. But this question caries no weight. The Prophets,
according to the Qur‘an, are human beings who eat, drink,
marry, have children, suffer from diseases and hardships, sustain
harm at the hands of their enemies, become old and weak, and
ultimately depart from the world.
So, there is nothing strange if magic had worked on Muhammad

(s) and made him sick. This incident may happened with the
Prophet to teach the blessings of these Surahs to the Muslims as
prayers against evils of magic, charms, acts of Shaitan, jealousies,
and other base emotions of men. Moreover, the Qur‗an does not
rule out the existence of magic, charms and occult sciences. In
Surah Al-Baqarah ayah 102, the Qur‘an tells us about that in
Babylon people learnt magic from Harut and Marut, the two
angels sent by Lord Almighty to test those people. Similarly,
there is mention of magicians of Pharaoh at many places in the
Qur‘ab, Surah 20. TaHa ayah 67 tells that even Prophet Musa (a)
felt fear of the magic in his heart.
This Surah and the following Surah An-Nas are known as Al-
Mu‘awwidhatayn (Arabic: ٓ‫)اٌّع تي‬, the two prayers or cries for
refuge and protection of Allah (swt) against evil of nature as well
as evils worked by men and Shaitan. These Surahs provide
antidote to magic, charms, jealousies, envies, anger, darkness,
evils of outer nature, and evil plots and envies of other person.
All the five ayats of the Surah enjoin the Prophet (s), and through
Prophet all the believers, to seek refuge with Allah, the of Lord of
Daybreak, from the evil of the things which He has created, and
for the evil of intense darkness of night when it spreads, and
form the evil of those (men and women) who blow in the knots (a
witch-craft commonly practiced by the Arabs of those days); and
from the evil of an envier (a jealous person) when he envies.
Let‘s look at some of the words and terms used in the ayats of the
762
Surah. The word, ―Falaq: ‫ ‖ف ٍك‬means to split or cleave or to
pierce through. The daybreak is known to cleave through the
darkness of night. It also signifies the plain appearance of truth
from the darkness of falsehood and ignorance. Allah (swt) is the
Lord of the daybreak as He brings out the light of dawn after
splitting the darkness of night. The word, ―sharr : ‫ ‖ شر‬means
evil. Affliction, loss, injury, trouble, hardship, hunger, disease,
fear, war, etc. are all evils. The word, ―ghasiq : ‫ ‖ ا سك‬is derived
from Ghasaq (‫ ) سك‬which means intense darkness. Most of the
crimes and acts of wickedness are committed in the darkness of
night. Raiders, plunderers, robbers, thieves, assassins appear
usually in the night to kill, rob and assault the people. Therefore,
refuge is sought from the darjness of night.
The word, ―uqood: ‫ ‖ع م‬is plural of uqdah (‫ )ع مدة‬which means

knot. The word, ―Naffathat: ‫ ‖ٔفا ا‬is plural of Naffathah (‫)ٔ فا ة‬.
It means those who blow. Blowing in the knots is done by
magicians and sorcerers, and they do it with intention of
harming the people. So, refuge of Allah is sought from them.
Hasad (‫ )ح سد‬means evil comes out of one feeling resentment,
discontent, jealousy, or unhappiness excited by the sight of
another‘s superiority, successes, and possessions or for
someone‘s advantages. Envy is a negative emotion which so
often prevents a person to accept the truth.
Abu Jahl knew in his heart that Muhammad (s) was a messenger
of Almighty Lord and had brpught the Truth, but he did not
believe in him simply out of envy. He is reported to have
remarked, ―We have always competed with (Prophet‘s tribe) Abdi
Manat in hospitality – in providing to the people and in giving
donations. But they now say that they have a prophet. How we
can compete with them in this field. By God, we will never
believe in him.‖
Ayats (1 - 5): Seek refuge with Allah (swt) from all evils.
Virtue of the Surah

763
Uqbah ibn Amr Al-Juhani reported: The Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, said, ―Allah has revealed verses the like of
which you have never seen: Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the
people (114:1) and: Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the
daybreak.‖ (113:1) [Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2902]
Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace

and blessings be upon him, would seek refuge from the devils
and the evil eye of mankind until the two chapters of refuge
(surah al-falaq and surah an-nas) were revealed, so when they
were revealed he took both of them and left everything else.
[Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2058]
Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be

upon him, would get ready for sleep, he would blow into his
hands, recite the two chapters of refuge (surah al-falaq and surah
an-nas), and he would wipe his hands over his body. [Sahih
Bukhari 5960]
The Virtues of Surahs Al-Falaq and An-Nas
Prophet Muhammad (s) was also affected by black magic in

Madinah on one occasion. ‗A‘ishah (rh), the wife of the Prophet
said:
―The Prophet was affected by magic such that he thought he had
done things he had not done (in his personal life; however, the
magic spell did not have any effect on him beyond his personal
life). This continued until one day, while in my presence, he
supplicated and supplicated and then said, ―‘A‘ishah, do you
know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I asked
Him?‖ I asked, ―Messenger of Allah, what?‖ He replied, ―Two
(angels in the guise of) men
came to me, one of them sat near my head and the other near
my feet. One of them asked the other, ‗What has harmed this
man?‘ The other replied, ‗He is under the effect of magic.‘ The
first one asked, ‗Who was it that worked magic on him?‘ The
other replied, ‗Labid ibn al-Àsam, a Jew from the tribe of Banu
Zurayq.‘ The first one asked, ‗With what has it been done?‘ The
other replied, ‗With a comb and the hair stuck to it, and a skin of
764
the pollen of a male date-palm tree.‘ The first one asked, ‗Where
is it?‘ The other replied, ‗In the well of Dharwan.‘‖ Then the
Prophet went to the well with some of his companions and
looked at it, surrounding the well there were date-palm trees.
Then he returned to me and said, ―By Allah! The water of that
well was (red) as if infused with henna leaves, and its date palms
were like the heads of devils.‖ I asked, ―Messenger of Allah, did
you remove those materials?‖ He replied, ―No, as for me then
Allah has cured me and I feared (that by letting the people know
of it) I would spread its evil amongst them.‖ Then he ordered
that the well be filled up with earth and that was done.‖
[Narrated by Al-Bukhari]
Black magic is one of the well-established facts and it is

mentioned in the Qur‘an and the Sunnah of the Prophet. As for
the Islamic legal status on practicing black magic, it is Haram
(prohibited), and this makes one‘s prayer unaccepted for forty
days, and believing in what the magician or the sorcerer says
renders one a Kafir (disbeliever).
Concerning the severity of believing in black magic, the Prophet
said: ―Anyone who goes to a diviner, a practitioner of (black)
magic or a soothsayer, asking something and believing in what
he says, denies what was revealed to Muhammad.‖ [Narrated
by Al-Bazzar, Abu Ya‟la]
Concerning the evils of practicing black magic, the Prophet said:

―Whoever practices (black) magic is a Mushrik (polytheist).‖
[Narrated by At-Tabarani]
Narrated 'Aisha (rh): Whenever the Prophet (s) went to bed

every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it
after reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas, Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas,
and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he
was able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his
body. He used to do that three times." [Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol.
Muàdh bin ‗Abdullah bin Khubaib, narrated from his father,

who said: " ―We went out on a rainy and extremely dark night,
765
looking for the Messenger of Allah (s), so that he could lead us in
Salat.‖ He said: ―So I met him and he (s) said: ‗Speak‘ but I did
not say anything. Then he (s) said: ‗Speak.‘ But I did not say
anything. He (s) said: ‗Speak.‘ So I said: ‗What should I say?‘ He
(s) said: ‗Say: ―Say: He is Allah, the One‖ and AlMu‘awwidhatain,
when you reach evening, and when you reach morning, three
times, they will suffice you against everything.‘‖ [Jami at-
'Uqba b. 'Amir reported: The Messenger of Allah (s) said to me:

There have been sent down to me ayats the like of which had
never been seen before. They are the Mu'awwadhatain." [Sahih
Muslim]
1. Seeking refuge with the Creator of everything: Lord

Almighty brings every being/thing into light out of
darkness. The sun, as it rises splits through the darkness
of the night. Refuge is sought from the One who exposes
everything hidden in the darkness and bestows safety by
kindling the light of day.
2. Seek refuge in Allah from all evil: It is the refuge from not
only the evils of the world but also the evils of the
Hereafter. Seeking refuge in the Supreme Power will help
us understand the by-product of God‘s creative act of evil.
Off course, it is Almighty Lord with whom no evil can fight
or oppose.
3. Seek refuge in Almighty Allah from the darkness of the

night where evil of the creation takes place: We seek
refuge with the Lord of the breaking dawn from the evils
of the dark night. Allah (swt) commands us to seek refuge
with Him from the evils and calamities which descend at
night. Criminals and the perpetrators of wickedness, wild
animals, raiders and bandits, who plunder and destroy, all
use the darkness to cover their approach.
766
4. Seek refuge in the Exalted One from the evil of the
sorcerers: There are many forms of witchcraft throughout
the world and it almost always includes a belief that some
people can influence others by certain rites, formulas or
actions. Lord Almighty mentions this as the next great
source of evil. It includes all forms of witchcraft and
sorcery whereby they are deceived into acting or thinking
in an unnatural way. Before closing the Surah Allah (swt)
refers to a form of witchcraft carried out by the women of
Arabia at the time, tying knots in cords and blowing on
them to cast spells.
5. Seek refuge in Allah from those who harbour jealousy:

Envy is the begrudging reaction a person feels towards
another who has received blessings and bounties from
Almighty Lord. It is a baseless grudge often accompanied
by the wish that the favours cease. The evil of the envier is
the third source of evil mentioned in the Surah. It is one of
the most destructive emotions a person can have towards
his fellow human beings and can cause untold damage.
767
114. Surah An-Nas (Mankind; People; Humans, Men
and Women)
Concise Tafseer Surah An-Nas In Summarized Form

The Surah takes its name from the word, ―‫ ‖إٌاس‬which means
―people; mankind‖ that recurs through out it. Together with
Surah Al-Falaq it is also known as Al-Mu‘awwidhatayn. These
Surahs have roughly the same theme, so they form a pair
naturally. The Surah has 6 ayats in 1 Ruku‘ (Section).
This last Surah of the Noble Qur‘an, advises us to seek refuge in

Allah, as man indulges, knowingly or unknowingly, in evil
thoughts and deeds. It is a warning against the secret whispers of
evil within our own hearts.
This is an early Makki Surah. This Surah along with the previous
one, were revealed at the same time. The subject matter of Surah
Falaq and the last one of the Qur‘an is explicit that they were sent
down at Makkah when, for the first time, opposition to the
Prophet (s) had grown very intense. Later, when at Madinah
storms of opposition were raised by the hypocrites, Jews and
polytheists, the Prophet (s) was instructed to recite these very
Surahs, as in the tradition from Uqbah bin Amir (ra). After this,
when magic was worked on him and his illness grew intense,
Gabriel came and instructed him by Allah's command to recite
these very Surahs. Therefore, the view held by the commentators
who describe both these Surahs as Makki is more reliable.
In Surah An-Nas refuge is sought with Almighty Allah through

His attributes which are directly related to man. As a result, the
appeal of the Surah is more effective. The word, ―naas‖ (‫)ٔ اس‬
768
means mankind or people, the plural of ―insaan‖ (ْ‫) ٔ سا‬. One of
the root words of the word naas is nasiya( ‫)ٔس‬- to be forgetful.
One of the inherent traits of people is to be forgetful; thus this
powerful and rhythmic Surah is a reminder to those of us who
forget that Lord Almighty is our only refuge.
Mu‘awwidhatayn (Al-Falaq and An-Nas) provide antidote to

natural and man-made evils. The previous Surah is a prayer for
protection of God Almighty against the evil of intense of night,
evil of witch and evil of envy; while this Surah is a prayer for
seeking Lord Almighty‘s refuge against the evil of the whisperer,
whether man or jinn, who whispers in the hearts of the people.
The Surah teaches us to seek refuge of Allah (swt), who is the

Lord of mankind, the King of mankind and the God of mankind
from the evil of the retreating whisperer. The word, ―Khannas :
‫‖ ٕ ٕاس‬, means one who retires or hides much after coming into
view, from whose whisper Allah‘s protection is sought is sought
is derived from the verbal noun khunus (‫) ٕ س‬, its‘ root word is
‫ ٕس‬/‫( ي ٕس‬to remain behind, to retreat, to hold back, etc.). The
word waswasa (‫ ) س س‬means to whisper into someone‘s heart an
evil suggestion again and again; to whisper evil into the heart of
man. The evil suggestion is not only the whisper which comes
from outside by the media and traps of Shaitan/devil from
among men and jinn, but also the self of man from within.
According to a tradition included by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir, the
Prophet once said to Abu Dharr, when the latter had performed
the prayer, ―O Abu Dharr, seek refuge against the devils among
men and jinn." I asked, "Are there devils among men also?‖ He
said, "Yes." I asked him, "O Messenger of Allah, which is the
greatest ayah in the Qur'an?" He said, "The Verse of the Throne -
(2:255)." [Imam Ahmad. This Hadith has also been
reported by Nasa'i, Abu Hatim and others]
Although this life is full of dangers and it is so because Lord

Almighty made it like this as a test of our faith and obedience.
But, the Qur‘an is the most powerful shelter for us and the good
news is that this journey has no end. If we really and truly want
Allah‘s guidance then He fills our hearts with a never ending love
769
and attachment for His book which is the ultimate source of
guidance for all mankind. That is why at the end of our journey
through Qur‘an Almighty Allah is making us aware of this
danger. As the believers of the last prophet Muhammad (s) of the
Lord of all mankind – this Noble Qur‘an is assurance of guidance
against all evils that waylay in this Dunya (World).
Ayats (1 - 6): Seek refuge with Allah from the slinking

whisperers.
Virtue of the Surah
It has been reported from Abu Sa'id (ra) that: Muhammad (s)
used to seek protection from the evil eyes of the jinn and
mankind. But when the Muawwidhatayn were revealed, he used
them (for protection) and abandoned all else besides them. At-
Tirmidhi, An-Nisai and ibn Majah recorded this. [Tafsir Ibn
Kathir]
Narrated ‗Aisha (rh): "Whenever Muhammad (s)became sick, he

would recite Mu‘awwidhatayn (Surat al-Falaq and Surat an-Nas)
and then blow his breath over his body. When he became
seriously ill, I used to recite (these two Surahs) and rub his hands
over his body hoping for its blessings. [Sahih al-Bukhari
Vol.6 Bk.6 No.535]
Narrated ‗Aisha (rh): "Whenever Muhammad (s) went to bed

every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it
after reciting Surat al-Ikhlas, Surat al-Falaq and Surat an-Nas,
and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was
able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body.
He used to do that three times. [Sahih al-Bukhari Vol.6 Bk.6
No.536]
Muhammad (s)said : "Should I inform you of the best refuge

which the person who seeks refuge takes?" He [the companion]
said: ‗Of course O Muhammad.‘ He said: "Say: I seek refuge with
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the Lord of Daybreak,‘ (Surat al-Falaq) and ‗Say: I seek refuge
with the Lord of mankind‘ (Surat an-Nas), these two Surahs."
[Silsilah ahadeeth Saheeha:1104]
The Prophet (s) also said: ―Verily, Satan runs in the Son of Adam
(i.e. man) like the running of the blood.‖ [Narrated by Al-
Bukhari, Muslim]
1. The true King of the people is Allah (swt). He controls

them and their heart.
2. One must seek refuge in Almighty Allah for the protection

of evil whisperers who whispers (among the people and
jinn).
3. The Book of Allah is to provide protection from all evil

and success under the guidance of Allah.
4. Being the last Surah of the Qur‘an, it is a kind of final

response to the invocation that the reader has in Surah Al-
Fatihah. It‘s like Allah (swt) has provided the response at
the end of the Divine Book, the seeker of guidance must
regularly make Du‘a (supplications) to Allah to remain
free from the waswasa of the Shaitan.
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Cosize Tafsir of the Qur‘an

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Source: Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an

Sheikh Imran Nazar Hosein, upon

From the Abstact of, “Al-Munasabah and Thematic

There are certain rules and approaches in the interpretative

―………And We have sent down The Book (Qur`an) upon you

In the copyright page, I included the reference of Tafhimul

‫ بسى هللا انزحًٍ انزحيى‬: In the name of Allah, the Most

The scholars say that Al-Fatihah consists of twenty-five words,

It is one of the very earliest Revelations to Prophet Muhammad

The Subject Matter of the Surah

The name al-Fatihah ("the Opener or the opening") is due to the

This preface is meant to create a strong desire in the heart of the

Surah Al-Fatiha is paired with rest of the whole Qur‘an. It is also

So, as it all stands – Surah Al-Fatihah is the prayer from the

The Virtue of Surah Al-Fatihah

In his hadith collection Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ahmad ibn

One hadith narrates a story of a companion of Muhammad (s)

Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj recorded:

Lessons and Reflections

1. Allah (swt) gives an introduction about Himself as Rabb

4. Al-Fatihah is a great Du‘a (supplication) that Allah has

5. ―Allah said, ‗I divided the prayer (i.e. Al-Fatihah) into two

6. My servant shall have what he asks for.‘ When the servant

7. When the servant says, ‗The Most Beneficent, the Most

9. If the servant says, ‗You (Alone) we worship, and You

11. Surah al-Fatihah is a cure, treatment for illness – be they

12. No Salah (prayer) is valid without reciting Surah al-

‫ بسى هللا انزحًٍ انزحيى‬: In the name of Allah, the Most

The name, ―Al-Baqarah (the Cow)‖ in the Surah references the

Al-Baqarah is the longest Surah of the Qur‘an. According to the

At the time of the revelation of Al-Baqarah, all sorts of hypocrites

Topics discussed in Ruku‘ (Section)

1. The Book of Guidance for those who want to be

The Surah deals with a number of issues related to beliefs,

The Surah contains various stories, incidents etc. revolving

A critical review of the Bani Israel‘s history has been made

When the immorality of material imperialism set in among the

They were thus drained of all high ambitions and increasingly

The Israelites were advised to believe in Muhammad (s) and

The Surah includes a few rules related to varying subjects, such

Virtue of the Surah

The Messenger of Allah (s) sent an expedition force comprising

Abu Huraira (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu‘anhu) reports that

On the authority of ahadith received from both Ibn Abbas (ra)

Interconnection of the Topics

Ayats (1 - 20): The matter concerning the attitude and

Ayats (121 – 141): Allah (swt) exhorted (strongly urged) to accept

Ayats (142 – 152): The declaration of the change in Kiblah has

Ayats (153 – 251): Allah (swt) entrusted Muslims with necessary

Ayats (252 – 260): Allah (swt) mentioned some introductory

Lessons and Reflections

1. Believe in the divine guidance of al-Qur‘an.

2. It is the truth, so don‘t mix truth with falsehood.

3. Believers should take action in order to establish Salat and

4. The Judgment Day is certain.

6. A pious person is the one who believes in Allah (swt) and

7. Six qualities of people who will be benefited from this

8. One should bequeath his/her property equitably to his