The Holy Qur'an: Detailed study of some Surahs

Many scholars stated that Allah sent every Prophet with a miracle suitable to his time. For instance, in the time of Musa, ma gic was the trade of the time, and magicians held a high position. So Allah sent Musa with a miracle that captured the eyes and bewildere d every magician. When the magicians realized that Musa's miracle came from the Almighty, Most Great, they embraced Islam and became pious believers. As for `Isa, he was sent during a time when medicine and knowledge in physics were advancing. `Isa brought t hem the types of miracles that could not be performed, except by one sent by Allah. How can any physician bring life to clay, cure bl indness and leprosy and bring back to life those entrapped in the grave Muhammad was sent during the time of eloquent people and proficie nt poets. He brought them a Book from Allah; if mankind and the Jinn tried to imitate ten chapters, or even one chapter of it, they wil l utterly fail in this task, even if they tried to do it by collective cooperation. This is because the Qur'an is the Word of Allah and is noth ing like that of the creatures.

Surah al-Fatihah (1)

The first Chapter is a brief invocation, widely used by Muslims in diverse circumstances and held by many Muslim divines to comprehend all the essentials of Muslim belief.

This surah sums up the Muslim faith: Allah is Supreme the only Supreme God; He is Compassionate and Merciful, but there is a day of judgement. It contains, in a condensed form, all the fundamental principles laid down in the Qur'an, e.g. The principle of God's oneness and uniqueness, of His being the originator and fosterer of the universe, the fount of all life -giving grace, the One to whom man is ultimately responsible, the only power that can really guide and help: the need for righteous action in one's life; th e principle of life after death and of the organic consequences of man's actions and behaviour; the principle of prophetic guidance and t he principle of the continuity of all true religions; and finally the need for voluntary self-surrender to the will of the Supreme Being and reserving all worship to Him alone.

Theme
This is the opening chapter of the Quran and its theme is Gods relation with his created world. It is believed to be the fir st complete surah revealed in Makkah. It declares that God alone is the sustainer of all the known and the unknown worlds, ultimate source of mercy, justice and guidance for mankind. Only He can guide man to the way of life acceptable to him though he doesnt compel anyone to follow that way. Instead, in the words of the Quran, it is mans duty to beg before Him for guidance: and your Lor d says: call on Me, I shall answer your supplication (40:60). He also tells man the consequences of following this code of conduct o r going astray. Therefore, man needs to praise and worship him and resort to him alone.

Importance of the Theme

This passages sums up the message of the Quran. Muslims are told to worship God by following the right path contained in the Quran and Sunnah and invoke Gods mercy, because according to the Quran: he has inscribed for himself the rule of mercy (6: 12, 54, al-Anam). They should be pious because God is not only Merciful, He is also Just as He will dispense absolute justice on the Da y of Judgment. They should remember that they will surely get reward in the hereafter as is promised in the Quran: and only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense (3,185, al -Imran). Obedience to God enables Muslims to earn His blessing and avoid his anger.

Commentary
It is recited in each Raka't in all the prayers - compulsory, traditional or supererogatory. It serves as a comprehensive prelude to the Qur'an. It praises God and at the same time serves as a prayer to God in simple but most meaningful words. The Surah begins in the name of Allah who is compassionate, meaning that He is the possessor of the utmost degree of mercy and compassion. God as preached by Prophet Muhammad is not only a cruel deity but is the Beneficent and Merciful. He is the only One worthy of praise and He is the Lord which signifies not only the sovereign but also the sustainer, the nourisher, the regulator and the protector of all the worlds. He is not merely a loving father but He is to all His creation a righteous and benign ru ler as well. He is the universal God, God of the believers and unbelievers, good and bad, mankind and all other creatures both in this world and the next, known world and the unknown world which our present knowledge falls short of discovering. There are many worlds astronomical and physical worlds, worlds of thought, spiritual world, and so on. In every one of them, Allah is all -in-all. We express only one aspect of it when we say: "In Him we live, and move, and have our being." The mystical division between (1) Nasut, the human world knowable by the senses, (2) Malakut, the invisible world of angels, and (3) Lahut, the divine world of Reality, requires a whole volume to explain it. Since Allah is God of all the worlds, He is not a tribal deity nor a national God nor God of any chosen race. He is everywher e and not "our Father in heaven" only. By saying "Thee alone do we worship and from Thee alone do we ask for help" , a believer confirms his faith in the Unity of God and he does not associate anyone else with Him in worship. He does not ask for help somewhere else but from God. God has no agents, no sons, no mothers and no fathers. He is all by Himself, all powerful. God is the only Creator and He is the master of everyone's destiny. He has created each one of us for some purpose. Therefore, worshippers ask Him to guide them unto the right path, the path of those on whom God has shown his favour like the prophets a nd saints who have set moral examples by living their lives according to the pleasure of God, and not the path of those on whom indignation is brought down and are led astray like Pharaoh, Korah, Shaddad, Haman and the communities of 'Ad and Thamud described in the Holy Qur'an.
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worshippers ask Him to guide them unto the right path, the path of those on whom God has shown his favour like the prophets a nd saints who have set moral examples by living their lives according to the pleasure of God, and not the path of those on whom indignation is brought down and are led astray like Pharaoh, Korah, Shaddad, Haman and the communities of 'Ad and Thamud described in the Holy Qur'an. "Guide us to and in the straight Way. " For we may be wandering aimlessly, and the first step is to find the Way; and the second need is to keep in the Way: Our own wisdom may fail in either case. The straight Way is often the narrow Way, or the steep Way, wh ich many people shun (90:11). By the world's perversity the straight Way is sometimes stigmatized and the crooked Way praised. Ho w are we to judge? We must ask for Allah's guidance. With a little spiritual insight we shall see which are the people who walk in the light of Allah's grace, and which are those that walk in the darkness of Wrath. This also would help our judgement.

The Virtues of Surah Al-Fatihah

There are a number of ahadith explaining to us the great virtue of this chapter. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah ( may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Messenger of Allah ( sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam ) said: "Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, said, 'I have divided the prayer between Myself and my servant equally and My servant shall be granted what he asked for.' Therefore when the servant says, 'all praises and thanks are due to Allah, the Lord of the universe' , Allah says, 'My servant has praised Me.' When he says, 'the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful,' Allah says, 'My servant has extolled Me.' When he says, 'Master of the Day of Judgement,' Allah says, 'My servant has glorified Me.' When he says, 'You Alone we worship and Your aid Alone do we seek,' Allah says, 'this is between Me and My servant and My servant shall have what he requested.' When he says, 'guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those whom You have favoured, not of those who have incurred [Your] wrath, neithe r of those who have gone astray,' Allah says, 'this is for My servant and My servant shall have what he asked for.' Muslim reports from Ibn Abbas ( may Allah be pleased with him ) who said: "While the Messenger of Allah ( sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was sitting with Jibril he heard a creaking sound above him. Jibril looked up and said, 'This is [the sound of] a gate that has been opened in heaven today and has never been previously opened.' Then an Angel descended through it and came to the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and said, 'Rejoice in the good news of two lights that have been given to you such as no prophet before you has been given. [They are] Surah Al-Fatihah and the concluding [two] verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. You will never recite a word from them without being given the blessings they contain.'

WHY DO WE ASK FOR THE STRAIGHT PATH?

Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says: "The case mentioned above is similar to what some of them ask concerning His saying, 'Guide us to the Straight Path' saying, 'Allah has already guided the believer, so what benefit is there in seeking guidance?' Then some of them reply by saying that the meaning is 'keep us firm upon guidance' as the Arab would say to the one who is asleep, 'Sleep until I come to you'. Others from amongst them say that the meaning is, 'Keep our hearts firm upon the guidance' and that the request for firmness has been omitted. Yet others from amongst them say that it means, 'Increase me in guidance.' "This question really occurs due to the absence of their contemplating upon the Straight Path to which the servant seeks guid ance to, for the meaning [of the verse] is [seeking guidance to] act according to what Allah ordered, and leave what He forbade in all matters. "This is because the person, even if he has believed that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and that the Qur'an is the truth in a general way, is commonly in need of knowledge of that which would benefit him and harm him. He is in need of knowledge concerning what he has been commanded to do and forbidden from doing in the finer aspects of the matters and in those areas o f which he has no knowledge. Not only this but we find that which he does have knowledge of, he does not put the greater part o f it to practice! Assuming that all of the commands and prohibitions contained in the Qur'an and Sunnah have reached him, then the Qur'anand Sunnah contain laws that are general and universal for which it is not possible to specify to every individual person therefore the person has been commanded due to the likes of this to ask for guidance to the Straight Path. "Guidance to the Straight Path includes all of the following matters: cognizance of what the Messenger ( sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) came with in detail, cognizance of what comes under his general orders and concern for acting according to ones knowledge, for indeed just having knowledge is not a cause for attaining guidance if one does not act according to his knowle dge. "The Muslims have differed as to what Allah Willed from the textual matters - matters of knowledge, belief and action while all of them are agreed that Muhammad is the truth and the Qur'an is the truth. If all of them were to have attained guidance to the Straight Path in totality then they would never have differed. Furthermore the majority of those who know what Allah has orde red disobey Him and do not follow His Way. If they were guided to the Straight Path in these matters then they certainly would ha ve performed what they had been commanded to do, and left what they had been forbidden from. As for those whom Allah guided from amongst this nation until they became from the God-Fearing Friends of Allah, then the greatest reason for this was their supplicating to Allah with this supplication (guide us to the Straight Path) in every prayer along with the knowledge of thei r continuous need of Allah that He guide them on the Straight Path. So due to their continually saying this supplication and th eir acknowledging their continuous need of Him they became God-Fearing Friends of Allah. Sahl ibn 'Abdullah at-Tustori said, 'there is not route between a servant and Allah closer to Him then need.' "The one who has attained guidance in the past is in need of guidance in the future, this is the real meaning behind the sayi ng of those who say that it means: 'establish us and guide us to being firm upon the Straight Path.' The opinion of those who say t hat it means: 'increase us in guidance' includes what has preceded. But all that has been stated refers to His guidance to the Strai ght Path that is to be granted in the future, for indeed action in the future is upon knowledge that is not yet attained. And the pers on is not considered to be one who is guided until he acts according to his knowledge in the future, but it is possible that this knowl edge not be there in the future, rather it could be removed from the heart, and if it still be there it is also possible that it not b e acted upon. Therefore all of mankind is in dire need of this supplication, this is why Allah made it obligatory upon them in every prayer and they are not in need of any other supplication as they are of this one. When guidance is obtained to the Straight Path then help, provision and all of the happiness that the soul seeks are obtained from Allah. Allah knows best ."
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considered to be one who is guided until he acts according to his knowledge in the future, but it is possible that this knowl edge not be there in the future, rather it could be removed from the heart, and if it still be there it is also possible that it not b e acted upon. Therefore all of mankind is in dire need of this supplication, this is why Allah made it obligatory upon them in every prayer and they are not in need of any other supplication as they are of this one. When guidance is obtained to the Straight Path then help, provision and all of the happiness that the soul seeks are obtained from Allah. Allah knows best ."

Surah Al-Fatihah Comprises the Meaning of the Entire Qur'an

As alluded to earlier, Al-Fatihah is named the Mother of the Qur'an because it succinctly summarises the whole of the Qur'an. We are now in a position to analyse this statement further. The Surah includes affirmation of Tawhid in all of its various categories: Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah, meaning unity of Allah's Lordship, contained in His saying, "Lord of the Universe."
Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah, meaning unity of Allah's worship in that all worship is to be done sincerely for His sake Alone, contained in His saying, "You Alone we worship and Your aid Alone we seek."

Tawhid al-Asma wa's-Sifat, meaning the unity of Allah's Names and Attributes in that they are perfect and unique to Him, contained in His saying, "All praise and thanks are due to Allah." Furthermore:
It teaches us to praise and glorify Allah by mentioning His beautiful and perfect Names and Attributes.

It teaches us about His Mercy and His Justice. It teaches us about the Day of Judgement and about the recompense of our deeds. It teaches us that the recompense will be established upon perfect justice. It encourages one to perform righteous actions and dissuades one from performing sins. It teaches the servants of Allah to ask of Him Alone, to humble themselves and worship Him Alone and to put their trust and reliance in Him Alone. It teaches us to ask Allah continuously for guidance to the Straight Path.
It points us towards the nations of the past and warns us against falling into the same acts of transgression and misguidance that they were guilty of.

It teaches us to aspire to the company of the sincerely truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. It teaches that there is nothing in the Qur'an that would give aid to or encourage innovation. Hence never will the innovator be able to find evidence for his misguidance in the Qur'an. Mawdudi states: "It becomes self-evident that in relation to the Qur'an this opening Surah, Al-Fatihah is not just an introduction or foreword; the relationship is really one of prayer and response. Al-Fatihah is a prayer from man, and the rest of the Qur'an is Allah's response to this prayer. Man prays to Allah that He may show him the Straight Way and in response to this prayer Allah offers the Qur'an as the true guidance, the Straight Way which man has sought and prayed for."

Surah al-Baqarah (2)

Overview
The surah's name is in reference to the procrastinating of sacrificing a cow by the Israelites after the order of Allah (God) . Thereafter, in order to know the murderer of a slain man, the flesh of the cow was used to hit the body that turned the man a live again, so he addressed the murderer. (Not to be confused with the popular biblical incident where Moses prohibited worshiping a Calf idol, referenced elsewhere in the chapter) The sura addresses a wide variety of topics, including substantial amounts of law, and retells stories of Adam, Abraham and M oses. A major theme is guidance: urging the pagans (Al-Kuffar) and the Jews of Medina to embrace Islam, and warning them and the hypocrites of the fate God had visited in the past on those who failed to heed His call. Many of the stories in this chapter are shared to help people understand theological truth. Condemnation of alcoholic beverages and gambling is also first found in the chap ter, and it is one of only four chapters in the Qur'an to refer to Christians as Nazarenes instead of the more frequent terms Peop le of the Book or "Helpers of Christ." Al-Baqarah contains several verses dealing with the subject of warfare. Verses [Quran 2:190 ] are often quoted on the nature of battle in Islam. This chapter also consists of five stories regarding Allah giving life to the dead, one story of Allah givin g life to a dead animal (donkey) and one story regarding giving life to a bird. This is the longest Sura of the Quran, and in it occurs the longest verse (ii. 282). The name of the Sura is from the Parable of the Heifer in ii. 67-71, which illustrates the insufficiency of carping obedience. When faith is lost, people put off obedience with various excuses: even when at last they obey in the letter, they fail in spirit, which means that they get fossilised, and their self -sufficiency prevents them from seeing that spiritually they are not alive but dead. For life is movement, activity, striving, fighting ag ainst baser things. And this is the burden of the Sura. He has recalled His goodness ( 2:21 -22); resolved doubts ( 2:23 ); plainly set forth the penalty of wrongdoing ( 2:24 ); given glad tidings ( 2:25 ); shown how misunderstandings arise from a deliberate rejection of the light and breach of the Covenant ( 2:2 6 27).
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prevents them from seeing that spiritually they are not alive but dead. For life is movement, activity, striving, fighting ag ainst baser things. And this is the burden of the Sura. He has recalled His goodness ( 2:21 -22); resolved doubts ( 2:23 ); plainly set forth the penalty of wrongdoing ( 2:24 ); given glad tidings ( 2:25 ); shown how misunderstandings arise from a deliberate rejection of the light and breach of the Covenant ( 2:2 6 27). Now ( 2:28 -29) He pleads with His creatures and appeals to their own subjective feelings. He brought you into being. The mysteries of life and death are in His hands. When you die on this earth, that is not the end. You were of Him and you must return to H im. Throughout this surah runs the five-fold Quranic doctrine that God is the self-sufficient fount of all being (al-qayyum); that the fact of His existence, reiterated by prophet after prophet, is accessible to mans intellect; that righteous living and not merely believing is a necessary corollary of this intellectual perception; that bodily death will be followed by resurrection and judgement; a nd that all who are truly conscious of their responsibility to God need have no fear, and neither shall they grieve.

Verses 21-22
Theme Theme of this passage is God and his created world. The two verses of sura al-Baqarah a Madini surah outline Gods power to create and make arrangements for the sustenance and growth of mankind through all ages. The passage commands humans to identify their real Lord by serving and worshipping Him. It further commands them to reject any form or degree of associating partners with God as he alone is the supreme creator, cherisher and care-taker of all as enunciated repeatedly in the Quran: there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me (21;25) and also, and your God is one God (2:163).
Importance of the Theme The passage conveys the message of inculcating taqwa (piety/fear of God) and a sense of gratitude to God for his countless bounties. Muslims should closely observe Gods favour and blessing as is frequently mentioned in sura 55: then which of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?, the best way of remembering Gods favour is to obey and worship him by rejecting Shir k. Taqwa is the focal point of a Muslims life and the Quran very clearly instructs in this regard: O, you who believe! Fear Go d as he should be feared and die not except in a state of Islam (3:102, al -Imran). So, Muslims should sincerely worship God and refrain from sins.

Verses 30-37
Theme Theme of the passage is Gods messengers. It describes the story of creations of Adam and his especially elevated status granted by Gods decree. This superiority of Adam was duly acknowledged by all angels except Iblis who showed arrogance (since he was a Jinn, not an angel). Adam and Eve were granted paradise but Iblis maneuvered their exile from there, out of jealousy and malice. On repentance on their mistake Adam and Eve were pardoned by God who awarded them a new phase of worldly living. The Quran mentions this phase at another place as: it is We, Who have placed you with authority on earth (7:10).

Importance of the Theme Theme of this passage contains important lessons for Muslims. They are told the reason for making human being superior over a ll other creatures. God appointed man (byway of Adam) as his vicegerent on earth because of the knowledge and free will. The free will is a test for humans as they can be enticed by Satan to commit sins. The Quran warns about this by saying: for Satan is an avowed enemy to man (12:5, Yusuf). The passage further tells about Gods mercy and forgiveness as he accepted repentance by Adam. The Quran reminds Muslims repeatedly of this attribute of God: if anyone does evil, or wrongs his own soul but afterwa rds seek Gods forgiveness. He will find God Oft -forgiving and most Merciful (4:110, Al -Nisa)

Verses 45-46
Allah commanded His servants to use patience and prayer to acquire the good of this life and the Hereafter. Muqatil ibn Hayan said that this ayah means, "Utilize patience and the obligatory prayer in seeking the Hereafter. As for patience (here), they say that it means fasting." There are similar texts reported from Mujahid. Al-Qurtubi and other scholars commented, "This is why Ramadhan is called the month of patience," as is mentioned in the hadith literature. It was also said that patience in the ayah means, re fraining from evil, and this is why patience was mentioned along with practicing acts of worship, especially and foremost, the prayer. Also, Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab said, "There are two types of patience: good patience when the disaster strikes, and a better patience while avoiding the prohibitions of Allah." Ibn Abi Hatim said that Al-Hasan al-Basri was reported to have said similarly.

Verse 74
The sinner's heart gets harder and harder. It is even harder than rocks, of which a beautiful poetical allegory is placed before us. In nature we think there is nothing harder than rocks. But there are rocks that weep voluntarily, like repentant hearts that com e to Allah of their own accord. Such are the rocks from which rivers and springs flow spontaneously, sometimes in small trickles, someti mes in big volumes. Then there are rocks which have to be split or dug into or blown up with dynamite, and underneath we find abunda nt waters, as in wells beneath rocky soil. Such are the hearts of a less degree of fineness, which yet melt into tears when some great blow or calamity calls the mind so higher things.

Verses 83-86
Allah informs us in these Aayaat that he has taken a covenant (Agreement) upon Bani Israa'eel that they do not worship other than Allah and that they should be good to their parents, keep good relations with relatives, and treat the orphans an Masaak een (poor) well. And also to establish (perform) the Salaah and give the Zakaah. However they did not abide by this covenant but rather opposed it and rejected it with the exception small number from amongst them who submitted and believed, and this was the sam e whether it was at the time of Musa (as) (i.e. the time in which the covenant was taken upon Bani Israa'eel) or in the times t hat followed them, and as such it also includes the Jews who were present at the time of the Messenger.
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(poor) well. And also to establish (perform) the Salaah and give the Zakaah. However they did not abide by this covenant but rather opposed it and rejected it with the exception small number from amongst them who submitted and believed, and this was the sam e whether it was at the time of Musa (as) (i.e. the time in which the covenant was taken upon Bani Israa'eel) or in the times t hat followed them, and as such it also includes the Jews who were present at the time of the Messenger. Then Allah informs us that the covenant bound them upon that: They do not kill one another and that they do not turn one another out from their homes. And in spite of their ratification of the covenant, their agreement to it and their witnessing upon it, they broke the covenant of Allah as they killed amongst themselves and they aided other nations against some of them and they expelled some from their homes, whilst all of that was prohibited for them. From this it becomes clear that they violated the first three matters that there covenant was made upon: The leaving of killi ng, expulsion and not assisting others against them (i.e. their own people). They turned away from these matters and only stuck t o the fourth point of their covenant alone: Ransoming of captives. As such they believed in part or some of the book and disbelieve d in some or part of it. This is a form of questioning that reflects denunciation and a censure to them upon the level of badness of what they had done. Allah completes the Aayah by explaining the fate of the one who does that: Humiliation, disgrace and degradation/lowliness which is the recompense in the Dunyaa whilst in the hereafter there will not be a severe punishment but rather the severest of punishments awaiting him. And Allah is not inattentive of your abhorrent acts but rather they are preserved s o that they will be recompensed with what they deserve in terms of disgrace and punishment in this life and the next.

Verses 190-191
War is permissible in self-defence, and under well-defined limits. When undertaken, it must be pushed with vigour (but not relentlessly), but only to restore peace and freedom for the worship of Allah. In any case strict limits must not be transgre ssed: women, children, old and infirm men should not be molested, nor trees and crops cut down, nor peace withheld when the enemy comes to terms. In general, it may be said that Islam is the religion of peace, good will, mutual understanding, and good faith. But it will not acquiesce in wrongdoing, and its men will hold their lives cheap in defence of honour, justice, and the religion which they h old sacred. Their ideal is that of heroic virtue combined with unselfish gentleness and tenderness, such as is exemplified in the life of the Prophet. They believe in courage, obedience, discipline, duty, and a constant striving by all the means in their power, physi cal, moral, intellectual, and spiritual, for the establishment of truth and righteousness. They know that war is an evil, but they will n ot flinch from it if their honour demands it and a righteous Imam (such as Muhammad was) commands it, for then they know they are not servin g carnal ends. In other cases, war has nothing to do with their faith, except that it will always be regulated by its humane pr ecepts.

Surah al-'Imran (3)

This Surah has been especially addressed to two groups - the people of the Book (the Jews and the Christians) and the followers of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him). The message has been extended to the Jews and the Christians in continuation of the invitation in Al-Baqarah, in which they have been admonished for the erroneous beliefs and evil morals and advised to accept, as a remedy, the Truth of the Quran. They have been told here that Muhammad (Allah's peace be, upon him) taught the same right way of life that had been preached by their own Prophets; that it alone was the Right Way, the way of Allah; hence any deviation from it will be wrong even according to their own Scriptures. The second group, the Muslims, who had been declared to be the best Community in Al -Baqarah and appointed torch-bearers of the Truth and entrusted with the responsibility of reforming the world, have been given additional instructions in continuati on of those given in the preceding Surah. The Muslims have been warned to learn a lesson from the religious and moral degeneration of the former communities and to refrain from treading in their footsteps. Instructions have also been given about the reformati ve work they had to perform. Besides this, they have been taught how to deal with the people of the Book and the hypocrites who were putting different kinds of hindrances in the way of Allah. Above all, they have been warned to guard against those weaknesses which had come to the surface in the Battle Uhud.

Verses 35-62
This discourse is particularly addressed to the Christians and invites them to accept Islam. It clears Jesus and his mother not only from the stigma maliciously set upon them by the Jews, but also refutes the erroneous Christian creed of the Divinity of Jesu s which had been formulated because of his miraculous birth. For this purpose the instances of John the Baptist to a barren woman and an extremely aged man and that of Adam without father and mother have been cited to show that there is nothing in the birth of J esus without a father to entitle him to Divinity. When Allah raised `Isa to heaven, his followers divided into sects and groups. Some of them believed in what Allah sent `Isa as, a servant of Allah, His Messenger, and the son of His female-servant. However, some of them went to the extreme over `Isa, believing that he was the son of Allah. Some of them said that `Isa was Allah Himself, while others said that he was one of a Trinity. Allah mentioned these false creeds in the Qur'an and refuted them. The Christians remained like this until the third century CE, wh en a Greek king called, Constantine, became a Christian for the purpose of destroying Christianity. Constantine was either a philo sopher, or he was just plain ignorant. Constantine changed the religion of `Isa by adding to it and deleting from it. He established the rituals of Christianity and the so-called Great Trust, which is in fact the Great Treachery. He also allowed them to eat the meat of swine, changed the direction of the prayer that `Isa established to the east, built churches for `Isa, and added ten days to the fas t as compensation for a sin that he committed, as claimed. So the religion of `Isa became the religion of Constantine, who built more then twelve thousand churches, temples and monasteries for the Christians as well as the city that bears his name, Constantin ople (Istanbul). Throughout this time, the Christians had the upper hand and dominated the Jews. Allah aided them against the Jews because they used to be closer to the truth than the Jews, even though both groups were and still are disbelievers, may Allah 's curse descend on them. Jesus is no more than a man. It is against reason and revelation to call him God or the son of God. He is called the son of Mary to emphasise this. He had no human father, as his birth was miraculous. But it was not this which raised him to his high spiritu al position
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because they used to be closer to the truth than the Jews, even though both groups were and still are disbelievers, may Allah 's curse descend on them. Jesus is no more than a man. It is against reason and revelation to call him God or the son of God. He is called the son of Mary to emphasise this. He had no human father, as his birth was miraculous. But it was not this which raised him to his high spiritu al position as a prophet, but because Allah called him to his office. The praise is due to Allah, Who by His word gave him spiritual stre ngth "strengthened him with the holy spirit." The miracles which surround his story relate not only to his birth and his life and death, but also to his mother Mary and his precursor Yahya. These were the "Clear Signs" which he brought. It was those who misunderstoo d him who obscured his clear Signs and surrounded him with mysteries of their own invention. When Allah sent Muhammad , those who believed in him also believed in Allah, His Angels, Books and Messengers in the correct manner. So they were the true followers of every Prophet who came to earth. They believed in the unlettered Prophet , the Fin al Messenger and the master of all mankind, who called them to believe in the truth in its entirety. This is why they had more r ight to every Prophet than his own nation, especially those who claim to follow their Prophet's way and religion, yet change and alte r his religion. Furthermore, Allah abrogated all the laws that were sent down to the Prophets with the Law He sent Muhammad with, which consists of the true religion that shall never change or be altered until the commencement of the Last Hour. Muhammad's religion shall always be dominant and victorious over all other religions.

Surah al-Qasas (28)

Theme and Topics
The main theme is to remove the doubts and objections that were being raised against the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and to invalidate the excuses which were being offered for not believing in him. For this purpose, first the story of the Prophet Moses has been related, which, by analogy with the period of revelation, impresses the following points in the listeners mind automatically: First, Allah provides the means and motives of whatever He wills to do, in imperceptible ways. Thus, Allah so arranged things that the child through whom Pharaoh had to be removed from power, was bred and brought up in his own house, and he could not know whom he was fostering. Who can then fight God and frustrate Him by his machinations. Secondly, Prophethood is not granted to a person amid festivities by issuing a proclamation from the earth and heavens. You wonder how Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) has been blessed with Prophethood unexpectedly, all of a sudden, but Moses whom you yourselves acknowledge as a Prophet (v. 48) had also become a Prophet unexpectedly, while on a journey, and nobody had known what event had occurred in the desolation at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Even Moses himself did not know a moment before what he was going to be blessed with. He, in fact, had gone to bring a piece of the fire but had returned with the gif t of Prophethood. Thirdly, the person from whom Allah wants to take some service comes out without any army and armour and without an apparent helper or force at his back, yet he puts to rout much stronger and better equipped opponents . The contrast that existed between the strengths of Moses (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh was much more prominent and glaring than that which existed between Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Quraish; yet the world knows who had come out victorious in the end and who had been routed. Fourthly, you refer to Moses again and again and say, "Why has Muhammad not been given the same which was given to Moses? " i. e. miracles of the staff, the shining hand, etc. as if to suggest that you would readily believe only if you were shown th e kind of the miracles that were shown by Moses to Pharaoh. But do you know what sort of response was made by those who were shown those miracles? They had not believed even after seeing the miracles, and had only said, "This is magic", for they were involved in stubbornness and hostility to the Truth. The same malady afflicts you today. Will you believe only when you are slowly the sa me kind of miracles? Then, do you know what fate the disbelievers had met even after seeing the miracles? They were annihilated by Al lah. Do you now wish to meet the same doom by asking for the miracles in your obstinacy? These were the things which were automatically impressed in the mind of every listener who heard this story in the pagan environment of Makkah, for a similar conflict was going on at that time between the Holy Prophet and disbelievers of Makkah a s had already taken place between the Prophet Moses and Pharaoh before. This was the background against which the story of the Prophet Moses was narrated so that a perfect analogy was established automatically in every detail between the conditions prevailing then in Makkah and those existing in the time of the Prophet Moses. Then, from verse 43 onward the discourse turns to the real theme. The episode of Moses' marriage conveys two lessons. (1) A man destined to be a messenger of Allah is yet a man, and must pass through the ups and downs of life like any other man: only he will do it with more grace and distinction than other men. (2) The beautiful relations in love and marriage may themselves be a preparation for the highest spiritual destiny that may await a M essenger of Allah. A woman need not necessarily be a snare and a temptation: she may be the understanding help -mate that the Lady Khadijah was to the Holy Prophet. After the destruction of the Pharaonic Tyranny and other similar Tyrannies before them, Allah began a new age of Revelation, the age of Moses and his Book. Humanity began as it were with a clean slate again. It was a full Revelation (or Shari'ah') which may be looked at from three points of view: (1) as Light or Insight for men, so that they should not grope in darkness; (2) as a Gui de to show them the Way, so that they should not be misled into wrong Paths; and (3) as a Mercy from Allah, so that by following the Way they may receive Allah's Forgiveness and Grace. In conclusion, the excuse that the disbelievers put forward for not believing in the Holy Prophet has been dealt with. What they feared was this: "If we give up the polytheistic creed of the Arabs and accept the doctrine of Tawhid instead, this will put an end to our supremacy in the religious, political and economic fields, which, in turn, will destroy our position of the most influent ial tribe of Arabia and we shall be left with no refuge anywhere in the land." As this was the real motive of the chiefs of the Quraish fo r their antagonism towards the Truth, and their doubts and objections were only the pretences, which they invented to deceive the common people, Allah has dealt with these fully till the end of the Surah, considered each aspect of these in a wise manner a nd

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our supremacy in the religious, political and economic fields, which, in turn, will destroy our position of the most influent ial tribe of Arabia and we shall be left with no refuge anywhere in the land." As this was the real motive of the chiefs of the Quraish fo r their antagonism towards the Truth, and their doubts and objections were only the pretences, which they invented to deceive the common people, Allah has dealt with these fully till the end of the Surah, considered each aspect of these in a wise manner a nd offered the remedy for their basic ailment due to which those people judged the Truth and falsehood only from the viewpoint o f their worldly interests.

Surah al-Duha (93)

Theme
Theme of the passage is Gods special relation with the Holy Prophet. The passage was revealed after a long break that worried the prophet, and his Makkan enemies began to mock him. God consoled him re-assuring that he would not abandon him. God reminded the prophet some of His past favours on him. The prophet was a born orphan but God made arrangements for his growth and upbringing. God then granted him prophet-hood, His greatest reward. Purpose of these reminders is to re-assure him of similar support in future. However, God instructed him to be kind to those in need as this would reflect his gratitude to God.

Importance of the Theme

The theme of this passage teaches Muslims the importance of faith in Gods help . The Holy Prophet (SAW) was re-assured by God in the midst of mockery in Makkah. Muslims today should also retain their faith in difficult times by remembering the Qur'anic p romise: So, verily with every difficulty there is a relief (94:5, al -Inshirah). Muslims should believe that all messengers of God were rejected and ridiculed but they remained firm in their mission. They should also believe that the relationship with God can be strengt hened by their kindness to the weak and unsupported people because such an attitude is an expression of love for God. The Quran says: it is righteous to spend of your substance out of love for Him, for your kins, for orphans (2:177, al -Baqarah).

Commentary
The message of the unity of God was to be preached to those who were worshipping every bit of black wood as their deities. There were persecutors and hypocrites among the Quraishites who wanted to make mockery of the religion of Islam. It is in suc h hour of distress and frustration that these revelations came to the Prophet. After inspiration there were days and periods of waiting. A sense of loneliness might well have weighed on his mind. His own tribe of Quraysh jeered at him, taunted and threatened him, and slandered and persecuted him as well as those who believed in him. But his faith was never shaken, not even to the extent of that cry of agony of Jesus: "My God! why hast Thou forsaken me?": (Mark , 16:34). Much less did it enter the Prophet's mind to think that Allah was angry with him, as the taunts of his enemies sugges ted. He should not be discouraged, nor overcome with a sense of loneliness in his early struggles or difficulties. The end will crown his work. Allah's care is always around him. If unsympathetic or hostile critics laugh at him or taunt him with being "mad" or "old -fashioned" or "ploughing his lonely furrow", his steady faith will uphold him. The Prophet is assured that his Lord has not forsaken him nor is He displeased with him. The implication is that God never forsakes His devoted servants, much less His true prophets. This assurance became necessary when in the beginning of his miss ion there was a period during which the prophet received no revelation, and the pagan Arabs began to mock him as one forsaken by his God. Allah reassures the Prophet by making references to the great phenomena of the morning brightness which signifies the bright part of the day, when the sun shines full out some three or four hours after it has risen; and by night when it becomes still . The changing of the dark night after the bright day is a great phenomenon which Allah alone can make work. He is all-powerful, and therefore surely He will not forsake the Prophet after He has commanded him to preach the message of Islam. The Prophet is further assured that Allah will raise him to still greater ranks in the life hereafter. God shall give him rich and abundant reward. He will be illumined by the divine light, endowed with an inflexible will-power and an ardent spirit, tempered by compassion, charity and tenderness as he has undertaken the difficult mission and the stupendous struggle connected with it. The Prophet on his part did not rest until he had attained what he wanted: until the whole of Arabia proclaimed the lesson of Div ine unity, he message of Islam. Then the Prophet is reminded of his early life when he was merely an orphan, as his father died before he was born and his mother died in his early childhood. An orphan's condition was specially deplorable in pagan Arabia. In such condition Allah s heltered him. Judge the future from the past. Allah has been good to you in your past experience: trust His goodness in the future also. The Prophet is further reminded that he was wandering in the way of God; as he was born in the midst of the worst idolatry, h e was struggling to find the way in search of the true light. Allah guided him to the very source of light, by making him the recipient of revelation. When we cast a glance at the Prophet's life, we find that his character was exemplary even in his youth and exceptional in the most tempting environment of Mecca. Allah also reminds the Prophet that He found him a destitute, so He enriched him. When the Prophet married Khadijah, his financial situation improved. Therefore Allah asks him to express his gratitude in action and in deed. He is asked to be kind to orphans, poor people and destitutes, and to remember the bounties of his Lord.

Surah al-Qadr (97)

Allah informs us that He sent the Qur'an down during the Night of Al-Qadr, and it is a blessed night. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said: "When Ramadhan would come, the Messenger of Allah would say, 'Verily the month of Ramadhan 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.' " A thousand" must be taken in an indefinite sense, as denoting a very long period of time. This does not refer to our ideas of time, but to "timeless Time". One moment of enlightenment under Allah's Light is better than thousands of months or years of animal life,

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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.' " A thousand" must be taken in an indefinite sense, as denoting a very long period of time. This does not refer to our ideas of time, but to "timeless Time". One moment of enlightenment under Allah's Light is better than thousands of months or years of animal life, and such a moment converts the night of darkness into a period of spiritual glory. Aside from the fact that worship during the Night of Al-Qadr is equivalent to worship performed for a period of one thousand months, it is also confirmed in the two sahih collections, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever stands (in prayer) during the Night of Al-Qadr with faith and expecting reward (from Allah), he will be forgiven for his previous sins.". It is recommended to supplicate often during all times, especially during the month of Ramadhan, in the last ten nights, and during the odd nights of it even more so. It is recommended that one say the following supplication a lot: "O Allah! Verily, you are the Oft-Pardoning, You love to pardon, so pardon me."

Surah al-Takathur (102)

Commentary
This world is temporary. So is the life of every individual who is going to leave all his wordly possessions behind him when he goes to the grave. The emulous desire of abundance in wealth, strength and position engrosses men and keeps them heedless of the Hereafter and leaves them no time for spiritual things until they die. On their death they will realise their mistake that the inordinate passion for things temporal is life-long. Our wealth and children should make us remember Allah and not be a source of distraction which distances us from Him. Acquisitiveness, that is, the passion for seeking an increase in wealth, position, the number of adherents or followers or supporters, mass production and mass organisation, may affect an individual as such, or it may affect whole societies or nati ons. Other people's example or rivalry in such things may aggravate the situation. Up to a certain point it may be good and necess ary. But when it becomes inordinate and monopolises attention, it leaves no time for higher things in life, and a clear warning is here sounded from a spiritual point of view. Man may be engrossed in these things till death approaches, and he looks back on a wa sted life, as far as the higher things are concerned. Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah an d approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion? The resurrection after death is certain. Therefore, on rising from their grave, they will know the consequences of their rejection of the commandments of Allah as preached by the Holy Prophet. Then they will behold their punishment with the surety of a vision . On that Day of Judgement they will be asked how they have acquitted themselves with the delights and pleasures they indulged in while in the world. We shall be questioned, i.e., we shall be held responsible for every kind of joy we indulge in; whether it was false pride or delight in things of no value, or things evil, or the enjoyment of things legitimate-the last, to see whether we kept this within reasonable bounds.

Surah al-Kafirun (109)

Commentary
Faith is a matter of personal conviction, and does not depend on worldly motives. Worship should depend on pure and sincere Faith, but often does not: for motives of worldly gain, ancestral custom, social conventions or imitative instincts, or a let hargic instinct to shrink from enquiring into the real significance of solemn acts and the motives behind them, reduce a great deal of the wo rld's worship to sin, selfishness, or futility. Symbolic idols may themselves be merely instruments for safeguarding the privileges of a selfish priestly class, or the ambitions, greed, or lust of private individuals. Hence the insistence of Islam and its Teacher on the pure worship of the One True God. The Prophet firmly resisted all appeals to worldly motives, and stood firm to his Message of eternal Unity. Verses 2-3 describe the conditions as they were at the time when this Surah was revealed, and may be freely paraphrased: I am a worshipper of the One True God, the Lord of all, of you as well as of myself; but you on account of your vested interests hav e not the will to give up your false worship, of idols and self. Verses 4-5 describe the psychological reasons; I, being a prophet of Allah do not and cannot possibly desire to follow your false ancestral ways; and you, as custodians of the false worship, have not the wil l to give up your ways of worship, which are wrong'. The "will" in the translation represents less the future tense than the will, the desire, the psychological possibility. I, having been given the Truth, cannot come to your false ways; you, having your vested interests, will not give them up. For your ways the responsibility is yours: I have shown you the Truth. For my ways the responsibility is mine; you have no right to as k me to abandon the Truth. Your persecutions will be in vain; the Truth must prevail in the end'. This was the attitude of Faith then : but it is true for all time. Hold fast to Truth, "in scorn of consequence". This Surah is freedom from shirk and it is an order to purify our faith (for Allah only) and the Words Say: 'Oh you who disbelieve,' includes all those who disbelieve in the world although those specifically addressed are the pagans of the Quraysh. It was said that they proposed that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, worship their gods for a year, then they would worship that which he worshipped (Allah) for a year, and so on. And so this Surah was revealed containing an order to the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, to declare his rejection of all that which they worship, and to say: I do not worship that which you worship, that is, their idols and the partners they associate with Allah. Abu 'Abdillah ash-Shafi'i says that the verse "To you your religion and to me mine" shows that the disbelievers are one people ... because disbelief in all its many manifestations has one thing in common that is, falsity.

Theme and subject matter.

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religion and to me mine" shows that the disbelievers are one people ... because disbelief in all its many manifestations has one thing in common that is, falsity.

Theme and subject matter.

This Surah was not revealed to preach religio us tolerance as some people of today seem to think, but it was revealed in order to exonerate the Muslims from the disbelievers religion, their rites of worship, and their gods, and to express their total disg ust and unconcern with them and to tell them that Islam and kufr (unbelief) had nothing in common and there was no possibility of their being combined and mixed into one entity. Allah gave the Muslims the eternal teaching that they should exonerate themselves b y word and deed from the creed of kufr wherever and in whatever form it be, and should declare without any reservation that the y cannot make any compromise with the disbelievers in the matter of faith. That is why this Surah continued to be recited when the people to whom it was addressed as a rejoinder, had died and been forgotten, for expression of dissociation from kufr and its rites which is a perpetual demand of Faith. It has also been narrated that Surah Al-Kafirun is equivalent to one quarter of the Qur'an.

Surah al- Ikhlas (112)

Theme:
Theme of this early Makkan surah is God in himself in terms of His unique person. It outlines the most fundamental and cardinal aspects of Tawhid (oneness of God). It out rightly declares Gods unity and emphatically negates the false belief of God having ancestors and descendants. It further highlights Gods unity by saying that Gods nature or person can never be compared to a nyone throughout the universe. It also mentions Gods freedom from time and space by saying that he has always been and will always be there. This way, the passage crystallizes the belief of Tawhid.

Importance of the Theme

Theme of this passage purifies Muslims belief in Tawhid and that is why the passage is named al -Ikhlas (the purity of faith). Muslims learn from this passage that God is unique in all aspects. This uniqueness and supremacy of God highlights human inability an d limitation before his Lord. Thus, it eliminates all forms and degrees of shirk or associating partners with God. Muslims reci te this surah in daily prayers in order to reiterate rejection of shirk. It is so important that the holy prophet declared it equivalent to one third of the Quran. Its theme is so important that the Quran repeatedly mentions this: and your God is one God (2:163, al -Baqarah) and God! there is no God but He (2:255). Belief in Tawhid, in turn affects the conduct of Muslims as they develop a strong sense of Gods presence and knowledge.

Commentary
This Meccan Surah comprises 4 verses which put forth emphatically the unity of God in Islam. The Prophet is asked to declare the unity of Allah. Allah is One both in person and nature. This also implies that He is the Invisible and One who has no second to share in His Lordship, essence or attributes. Allah is independent of everyone and everything and is the Creator of all. He is lacking in nothing and wanting no partner to complement Him. He is the Absolute and the Eternal. He is the Creator of everything, of whom nothing is independent. The vers e strikes at the root of the pagan conception of incomplete God. Allah begets not, as is believed by many polytheistic people. When one compares the Islamic teaching of the unity of God with popular Hinduism, one comes to know that the Creation in Hindu mythology was brought about by Brahma's incest with his daughter. In the Christian creed too " God is the father, the first person of the Blessed Trinity. He begets a co-eternal and co-equal

Son, to whom He imparts the plenitude of His Nature and in whom He contemplates His own perfect image." Allah is not begotten by anyone as believed in by several polytheistic religions. In Vedic India, for example, the father Heaven and the mother Earth were regarded as the parents of not only men but gods as well. In the Vedas, the gods themselves had been th e earliest products of Creation. Many of the Hindu gods are the results of the union of a male divinity with a female, being co nceived almost always irregularly and very often incestuously. Here we are specially taught to avoid the pitfalls into which men and nations have fallen at various times in trying to under stand Allah. The first thing we have to note is that His nature is so sublime, so far beyond our limited conceptions, that the best way in which we can realise Him is to feel that He is a Personality, "He", and not a mere abstract conception of philosophy. He is near us; He cares for us; we owe our existence to Him. Secondly, He is the One and Only God, the Only One to Whom worship is due; all other things or beings that we can think of are His creatures and in no way comparable to Him. Thirdly, He is Eternal, withou t beginning or end, Absolute, not limited by time or place or circumstance, the Reality before which all other things or places are mere shadows or reflections. Fourthly, we must not think of Him as having a son or a father, for that would be to import animal qu alities into our conception of Him. Fifthly, He is not like any other person or thing that we know or can imagine: His qualities and nature are unique. In the last verse of this Surah, it is emphasised that there has never been any co-equal with Him in nature, person or attributes. This is, in fact, the uncompromising monotheism of Islam. Allah is One and only One. From authentic ahadith, it is proven that this Surah is equal to one third of the of the Qur'an. The substance of the statement of Ibn 'Abbas (a Companion of the Prophet) is as follows: that the Qur'an consists of three fundamental objectives: 1. Those commands and prohibitions which contain the laws and practical ways. These form the subject matter of the science of Fiqh(jurisprudence) and Ethics. 2. The tales and narratives which include the stories of the Prophets and Messengers of God and their communities. The punishments and disasters which befell those who resisted and denied the Messengers of God. Also, the promises, rewards, warnings and dooms. 3. The knowledge of Tawhid (the Unity of God) and the description of those matters which relate to the Names of Almighty God and His Attributes, which to have faith in is obligatory upon the servant of God (i.e. each Muslim). This has precedence over the

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punishments and disasters which befell those who resisted and denied the Messengers of God. Also, the promises, rewards, warnings and dooms. 3. The knowledge of Tawhid (the Unity of God) and the description of those matters which relate to the Names of Almighty God and His Attributes, which to have faith in is obligatory upon the servant of God (i.e. each Muslim). This has precedence over the first three. Surah al-Ikhlas contains the third objective and a general description of it. Thus, it is correct to say that this Surah is equal to one third of the Qur'an.

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