Who is more unjust than he who turns away from the Lord of universe even after seeing the signs

There is a large number of people who, despite seeing the huge universe through own eyes and pictures taken of the ever expanding universe by Hubble Space Telescope, do not believe in the presence of One Supreme Being that not only evolved the whatever is their in the fathomless universe but is also controlling the movement of trillions of stars and planets without any collision or the One who created diverse means of sustenance for the man to live pleasantly.

This is not something new which we are seeing, it has always been so and people have been denying the existence of One True God while still benefitting from the food He has provided in countless forms, provided wisdom to how to harness the rough seas or make airplanes taking cue from the birds God has created. of Surah 32.

It is with premise at the background that we share the 22nd verse from Surah 32 As Sajdah in which God cautions and warns those who unjustly turn away  from worship of the Lord of the Universe even after seeing the signs of His presence:

The Verse

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا ۚ إِنَّا مِنَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ مُنتَقِمُونَ

“And who is more unjust than he who is given good counsel through the Signs of his Lord and yet he turns away from them?34 Surely We will exact full retribution from such criminals.” (32:22)

Context in Surah as-Sajdah

Surah as-Sajdah is a Makkan surah, revealed when Quraysh were rejecting the Qur’an despite clear signs. The earlier verses (32:20–21) describe the punishment of the disbelievers in the Hereafter and in this world (with trials before the final judgment). Then this verse (32:22) pinpoints the core reason for destruction: deliberate turning away from Allah’s reminders after being warned.

So the context is:

• Allah’s guidance was sent (through Qur’an and prophets).
• Disbelievers refused out of arrogance, not ignorance.
• This will bring about Allah’s retribution.

The Signs

“The signs of his Lord” include all kinds of the signs. A perusal of all the Quranic verses in this regard shows that these signs are of the following six kinds:

• The signs which are found in everything from the earth to the heavens.
• The sign which are found in man’s own creation and in his constitution and body.
• The signs which are found in man’s intuition, his unconscious and subconscious mind and in his moral concepts.
• The signs which are found in the continuous experience of human history.
• The signs which are found in the coming down of the earthly and heavenly calamities on man.
• And, over and above all these, the revelations which Allah sent through His Prophets so that man may be made conscious in a rational way of those realities, which are pointed out by all the above-mentioned signs.

Meaning of the verse

• “Who is more unjust…” The greatest injustice is ignoring Allah’s guidance after being reminded. Shirk and kufr are the worst injustices (31:13). That is To hear truth and still reject it is even more blameworthy.
• “…reminded of the verses of his Lord, then turns away…” This refers both to the Qur’an and earlier revelations. The Quraysh are an example: they acknowledged the Qur’an’s eloquence but still denied it.
• “…We will take retribution…” In dunya: humiliation, downfall of arrogant nations. And in ākhirah: certain punishment in Hell.

Parallel Verses in the Qur’an

• 6:157 – Condemns those who turn away after clear signs.
• 7:179 – Those with hearts, ears, and eyes but refusing to use them are “like cattle, even more astray.”
• 45:9 – Whoever hears Allah’s verses but persists arrogantly will face a humiliating punishment.

Relevant Hadith

Prophet ﷺ said:

• “The Qur’an is an argument either for you or against you.” (Muslim, 223) Those who reject its reminders after hearing it will have no excuse.
• Another hadith: “The one who turns away from my Sunnah is not from me.” (Bukhari, 5063; Muslim, 1401) Linking Qur’an and Sunnah as reminders of Allah.

Lessons & Relevance Today

• Ignoring the Qur’an is injustice to oneself → Reading without acting is a form of turning away.
• Modern “turning away” → Knowing Islamic rulings yet preferring worldly laws or desires.
• Selective obedience (following what suits us, ignoring the rest).
• Apathy towards prayer, Qur’an, and divine guidance.
• Warning against arrogance → Many know Islam is true but resist due to pride, traditions, or worldly power.

In short: 32:22 warns that the worst oppression is rejecting Allah’s message after receiving it.  However, if they continue to turn away when they are reminded of God’s revelations and signs, and if they fail to return to the truth after their suffering in this present life, then they are confirmed wrongdoers: “Who does a greater wrong than one who is reminded [of the truth] by his Lord’s revelations but he, nevertheless, turns away from them?” In such a situation, they deserve strong retribution both in this life and in the life to come: “We shall certainly inflict Our retribution on the evildoers.” What a serious and fearful warning from God Almighty to those who deserve such punishment.

This applies not only to Quraysh, but also to Muslims today who knowingly neglect Allah’s commands and feel proud of claiming themselves to be atheists.

You may refer to more Selected Verses from Sürah 32. As-Sajdah "The Prostration" already published.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.

For more Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. .

You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Al-Qurʾān: Selected verses from: Sürah 32. As-Sajdah "The Prostration"

Prostration is an ancient form of worship which is practiced by almost all religions of the world, and also found in Orthodox traditions, in ancient Persian and Greek cultures where it was used to honor divine beings or political leaders. But in Abrahamic religions, prostration is a profound act of worship and submission to God ONLY. It can be traced back to ancient Jewish origins as documented in the Old Testament. It is a foundational practice in Islam (Sujud) and is also performed in Christianity,  In contrast, in Hinduism and some other cultures, prostration can be a gesture of honor, seeking blessings, or acknowledging respect for elders.

Prostration is one of the essential act during the five daily prayers of the day of the Muslims and is repeated twice in each “rak‘ah” (cycle) of the salah. Prostration, thus, is an act of utter humility expressed by a believer to show one's respect and love for one's our Creator. It may be added here that the first ever prostration was performed by the angels who prostrated in front of the first ever man that was created, called (Prophet) Adam (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) as ordered by the Creator of the universe. All angels obeyed Allah and prostrated except Iblis / Shaitan / the Devil, who was then expelled form the court of Allah and was later expelled from Jannah (Paradise) and to finally sent to the world.

Owing to importance of prostration in Islam, a Sūrah titled The Prostration was revealed called Sūrah As-Sajdah (السجدة) “The Prostration” the 32nd Surah of the Qur'an with 30 āyāt / verses, 3 Rukus and one Sajdah, denoted with the symbol ۩, part of the Juzʼ 21. It takes its title from āyāt 15 where the believers are described as falling in prostration when Allah’s verses are recited. 

We have already shared the Tafseer / Exegesis of the Surah which can be read from links given below:

| Overview | Exegesis / Tafseer |

Herein under we will only present a condensed overview of the entire Sūrah, for the scope of this post is to only to introduce the Sūrah and provide links to some of the selected verses from this Sūrah for selective reading / references. The following bird eye view includes the context, major themes and subjects and lessons that we can learn from this Sūrah, followed by references to  some of the selected verses already published.

Context of Revelation

Regarding the timing and contextual background of the believed revelation, it is an earlier "Makkan / Meccan surah", which means it is believed revealed in Makkah / Mecca. Makkan sūrahs generally focus on: Tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah).Risālah (Prophethood) and Ākhirah (Hereafter)

Central Theme

The Surah is visibly divided into two parts: The first half of the chapter covers some of Islam's theological concepts, including revelation, God, creation of human beings, resurrection and the judgment day. The second half discusses the contrast between those who "fall prostrate" before God and those who "turn away" from God's sign. The chapter then mentions the Children of Israel as an example of people who follow God's guidance through Moses.

Major Pointers (Structure of the Surah)

• a. Qur’an is from Allah (Verses 1–3)
• Starts with Alif Lām Mīm, affirming the Qur’an is revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
• Not a fabrication of the Prophet ﷺ.
• b. Creation and Resurrection (Verses 4–11)
• Allah created the heavens and the earth in six periods.
• Man was created from clay, then given a soul.
• Disbelievers’ denial of resurrection is addressed.
• c. Contrast: Believers vs. Disbelievers (Verses 12–22)
• On the Day of Judgment, disbelievers will wish to return and do good.
• Believers who prostrate to Allah will find eternal reward.
• Those who turn away will face punishment.
• d. History as a Sign (Verses 23–30)
• Reminder of the revelation to Mūsā (Moses).
• The Qur’an confirms previous scriptures.
• Past nations who denied their prophets were destroyed.
• A warning to Quraysh: their end could be the same.

Key Lessons

• Prostration as true submission: Real believers humble themselves when hearing Allah’s words (v. 15).
• Purpose of life: Allah created life and death to test us, not for play.
• Accountability: Resurrection is certain; denying it won’t change reality.
• Contrast of destinies: The righteous and wicked will never be equal.
• History teaches: Nations that denied the truth were destroyed—learn from them.

Relevance Today

• Against materialism: Reminds us life is not just work, wealth, and pleasure but a preparation for eternity.
• Against arrogance: Encourages humility before divine guidance—true honor is in prostration, not pride.
• In modern skepticism: Refutes denial of the Hereafter, which is common in secular worldviews.
• Personal spirituality: Encourages us to respond to the Qur’an emotionally and spiritually—not just intellectually.
• Societal lesson: Just as past civilizations fell for arrogance and disbelief, modern nations can face the same fate if they ignore justice, faith, and morality.

Summary:

Surah as-Sajdah affirms the divine origin of the Qur’an, the reality of resurrection, and the difference between sincere believers and arrogant rejecters. It calls us to humility, prostration, and readiness for accountability. Today, it challenges materialism, arrogance, and disbelief, teaching us to live with purpose, humility, and awareness of the Hereafter.

Now let us share herein some of the selected ayat / verses from this surah already shared:

• Unique Correlation between Surah As Sajda and Surah Al Insān (The Surahs Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recited in Fajr prayer on Fridays)
• Verses 15-16: The Traits of True Believers
• Verse 32: Who is more unjust than he who turns away from the Lord of universe even after seeing the signs 

In time we will add more selected ayat / verses from this surah.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.

For more Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. .

You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Unique Correlation between Surah As Sajda and Surah Al Insān (The Surahs Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recited in Fajr prayer on Fridays)

In one of our recent posts on Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, we mentioned that the revered Prophet of Allah used to recite Surah 32. As Sajda and Surah 76. Al Insān in the first and second rakat of pre-dawn prayer Fajr on Fridays. Both these surahs are rather long and one wonders why would Prophet Muhammad ﷺ choose these long surahs for Fajr prayer. Even once some companion asked Prophet Muhammad ﷺ the why and he shrugged him off for there cannot be an explanation for everything, but only Prophets of Allah know the wisdom behind.

While we cannot fathom the realities and wisdom of such acts of prophets, we can find correlation between these two far apart placed surahs. But before we do that do that, let us recapitulate the themes of the two surahs:

Here let us briefly know the two surahs before drawing the correlation between the two:

Surah 32. As Sajda:

• Basic Information: Surah As Sajdah السجدة is the 32nd surah with 30 ayahs with three rukus and one Sajdah, part of the 21st Juzʼ of the Holy Qur'an. The Surah appears to have been sent down during the middle Makkah period, more particularly in its initial stage. 
• Theme: The Surah aims at removing the doubts of the people concerning Tauhid, the Hereafter and the Prophethood, and to invite them to all these three realities. The surah also answers to many doubts of the disbelievers of Makkah when the Prophet extended them invitation to Islam. And the disbelievers have been told: "Most certainly it is Allah's Word, which has been sent down in order to arouse a people who are sunk in heedlessness, being deprived of the bounties and blessings of Prophethood. How can you call it a fabrication when its having been sent down from Allah is manifest and self-evident?"

Surah 76. Al Insān (Man) / also called Surah Al Dahr (The Endless Time):

• Sūrah Al-Insān (The Man) is the 76th surah / chapter of the Holy Qur'an with 31 verses and two rukuh. 
• Theme: The surah has three distinct parts: The opener that briefly touches upon the creation of man from a very humble beginning, the Main which is full of news of bounties for those who lived the life as was expected of them in this life and the plentiful rewards that would be bestowed upon to them in the life in the hereafter, and the Concluding part that is addressed to the Prophet of Allah and is told that Allah sent this Quran gradually according to the issues faced by mankind Allah, the all-powerful, will show mercy only to those who seek mercy, and for those who are proud and arrogant, there will be utter punishment awaiting in the hereafter.

Now we share herein under an enlightening video below on the unique relationship between Surah As Sajda and Surah Al Insān by one of the most eminent scholars of present times, Nouman Ali Khan:

Nouman Ali Khan, born to a Pakistani family, is an American Muslim speaker and Arabic instructor who founded the Bayyinah Institute for Arabic and Qur’anic Studies, after serving as an instructor of Arabic at Nassau Community College. He has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is our duty to convey only to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the video above are those of the scholar concerned. We have shared this view as added information in better understanding of Islam. The reader may or may not agree with the view owing to their own perception. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | Read more: Surah As Sajda: | Overview | Exegesis | Surah Al Insān: | Summary | Exegesis |

For more Scholarly views and videos, please read our reference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on Important Issues Related to Islam.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Selected Verses from Quran: The Traits of True Believers

At many a place, Allah spells out traits of true Muslims - those who scarifies their comforts and continue to prostrate in front of their Creator to thank Him for the innumerous bounties and blessings showered on them. We have been sharing such verses from time to time. Today we share two verses from Surah 32 As Sajdah (The Prostration) in the same context:

اِنَّمَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِاٰيٰتِنَا الَّذِيۡنَ اِذَا ذُكِّرُوۡا بِهَا خَرُّوۡا سُجَّدًا وَّسَبَّحُوۡا بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُوۡنَ ۩‏

تَتَجَافٰى جُنُوۡبُهُمۡ عَنِ الۡمَضَاجِعِ يَدۡعُوۡنَ رَبَّهُمۡ خَوۡفًا وَّطَمَعًا وَّمِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰهُمۡ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَ

None believes in Our Signs except those who, when they are given good counsel through Our verses, fall down prostrate and celebrate the praise of their Lord and do not wax proud. ۩ Their sides forsake their beds, and they call upon their Lord in fear and hope, and expend (in charity) out of the sustenance We have granted them (Surah 32 As Sajdah 15-16)

Note: Whenever ۩ symbol appears at the end of a verse, the reciter must prostrate twice.

In the verses above, it is being said that they, the true Muslims and believers,  do not regard it as below their dignity to give up their false notions and believe in Allah’s revelations and adopt His service and obedience. Their conceit does not hinder them from accepting the truth and obeying their Lord.

They worship their Lord instead of enjoying sensuous pleasures at night. They are not like the world worshipers, who seek entertainments in music and dancing, drinking and merry-making, in the night in order to get relief from the day’s fatigue and labor and toil. Instead, when they are free from their day’s work and duties, they devote themselves to the adoration of their Lord, spend their nights in His remembrance, tremble out of fear of Him, and pin all their hopes on Him. “Who forsake their beds” does not mean that they do not sleep at all at night, but that they spend a part of the night in Allah’s worship.

In the original, rizq means lawful provisions. Unlawful provisions have nowhere been called rizq by Allah. The verse therefore means: They spend from whatever little or much of pure provisions We have given to them; they do not overspend and do not grab unlawful wealth in order to meet their expenses.

Yusuf Ali Explains these two verses as under:
"In adoration": Sujjadan, or in a posture of prostration, expressive of deep humility and faith. This is the keyword of the Surah, which bears the title of Sajda. All the Signs of Allah lead our thoughts upwards towards Him, and when they are expounded, our attitude should be one of humble gratitude to Allah. At this passage it is usual to make a prostration.
Men and women "breathless with adoration" shun soft, comfortable beds, and luxurious sleep. Their limbs are better exercised in offices of devotion and prayer, especially by night. Commentators specially refer this to Prayers called Tahajjud, which are offered after midnight in the small hours of the morning.

In Fear and Hope: in spiritual fear lest their dedication to Allah should not be sufficiently worthy to be accepted, and a spiritual longing or hope that their shortcomings will be overlooked by the Mercy of Allah. And their adoration is not shown only in Prayer, but also in practical Service and Charity, out of whatever gifts they may have received from Allah.

May Allah help us understand Qur'an and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

Photo | Read More of Surah As Sajdah:  | Overview | Exegesis |

Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the Sūrahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. 

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Exegesis by Maulana Mufti Muhammad Sharif, revised by Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi  Usmani
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given in each page. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Surah As Sajdah -The Prostration: Overview of 32nd Chapter of the Holy Quran

Surah As Sajdah السجدة is the 32nd surah with 30 ayahs with three rukus and one Sajdah, part of the 21st Juzʼ of the Holy Qur'an. The Surah appears to have been sent down during the middle Makkah period, more particularly in its initial stage, for one does not find in its background that severity of the persecution and tyranny which one finds in the Surahs sent down in the later stages. 

The Surah has been titled As-Sajdah after the theme of Sajdah (prostration) as expressed in verse 15, which mentions those who "... fall prostrate and hymn the praise of their Lord". Alternative names of the chapter include Alif Lam Mim Tanzil ("Alif, Lam, Mim, The Revelation") after the first words of the chapter (verses 1 and 2), and Al-Madajiʻ ("The Beds"), after a mention of those who "shun [their] beds" in order to worship God at night (tahajjud).

Sajdah (سجدة) is an Arabic word meaning prostration to Allah in the direction of the Kaaba at Makkah which is usually done during the daily prayers (salat). While in sajdah, the Muslims praise and glorify Allah. The position involves having the forehead, nose, both hands, knees and all toes touching the ground together.

A hadith narrated by Abu Huraira said that Muhammad often recited As-Sajda together with Al-Insan (chapter 76 of the Quran) for the early morning prayer (fajr) every Friday. This report also appears in Tafsir ibn Kathir. Another report said that he often recited the chapter before going to sleep.

Before we post our next post on the exegesis . tafseer of the Surah As Sajdah, it would be appropriate to present an overview of the Surah, its background. The overview is followed by an a commentary on the salients of the surah by Nouman Ali Khan.

The Main Theme

The Surah aims at removing the doubts of the people concerning Tauhid, the Hereafter and the Prophethood, and to invite them to all these three realities. The disbelievers of Makkah, when they talked of the Holy Prophet in private, said to one another, "This person is forging strange things sometimes he gives news of what will happen after death. He says: when you have become dust, you will be called to render your accounts, and there will be Hell and Heaven. Sometimes he says: these gods and goddesses and saints are nonentities: One God alone is the Deity. And sometimes he says: the discourses which I recite are not my own but Allah's Word. All these are strange things which he presents." The answer to these doubts and misgivings forms the theme and subject matter of this Surah.

In this connection, the disbelievers have been told: "Most certainly it is Allah's Word, which has been sent down in order to arouse a people who are sunk in heedlessness, being deprived of the bounties and blessings of Prophethood. How can you call it a fabrication when its having been sent down from Allah is manifest and self-evident?"

Then, they have been asked, "Use your common sense and judge for yourselves which of the things presented by the Quran is strange and novel?Look at the administration of the heavens and the earth: consider your own creation and structure. Don't these things testify to the teaching which this Prophet is presenting before you in the Quran? Does the system of the universe point to Tauhid or to shirk? When you consider this whole system and your own creation, does your intellect testify that the One Who has given you your present existence, will not be able to create you once again?"

Then a scene of the Hereafter has been depicted, the fruits of belief and the evil consequences of disbelief have been mentioned and the people exhorted to give up disbelief even before they meet their doom and accept the teaching of the Quran, which will be to their own advantage in the Hereafter.

Then they have been told: It is Allah's supreme Mercy that He does not seize man immediately for his errors to punish him finally and decisively but warns him beforehand by afflicting him with small troubles and hardships and calamities and losses and strokes of misfortune so that he may wake up and take admonition.

Then it is said: "This is not the first and novel event of its kind that a Book has been sent down upon a man from God. Before this the Book had been sent upon Moses also, which you all know. There is nothing strange in this at which you should marvel. Be assured that this Book has come down from God, and note it well that the same will happen now as has already happened in the time of Moses. Leadership now will be bestowed only on those who will accept this Divine Book. Those who reject it shall be doomed to failure."

Then the disbelievers of Makkah have been admonished to the effect:"See the end of the doomed communities of the past by whose ruined habitations you pass during your trade journeys. Will you like to meet the same doom yourself? Do not be deluded by the apparent and superficial. Today you see that no one is listening to Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) except a few young men and some slaves and poor men, and he is being made the target of curses and ugly remarks from every side. From this you have formed the wrong impression that his mission will fail. But this is only a deception of your eyes. Don't you see the phenomenon in your daily life that a land previously lying absolutely barren starts swelling with vegetation and plant life everywhere just by a single shower of the rain though before this no one could ever imagine that under the layers of its soil there lay hidden such treasures of greenery and herbage?"

In conclusion, the Holy Prophet has been addressed to the effect: "These people mock at what you say and ask as to when you will attain this decisive victory. Tell them: when the time comes for the final judgment regarding you and us, believing then will not profit you at all. If you have to believe, believe now. But if you intend to await the final judgment, then await it as you please."

You may now like to listen to an enlightening commentary of Surah As Sajdah by Nouman Ali Khan:

You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary / exegesis of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Juzʼ / Part backwards for chapters in 30th Juzʼ / Part are shorter and easier to understand). 

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Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, the exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran are basically based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. 

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