Allah is sufficient for me; there is no god but He - The Lord of the Mighty Throne

When prophets are confronted with people who do not listen to what Allah has ordained for them, they are ordained to tell them that whether they listen to them or not, it does not matter much for one day truth shall prevail. They are thus told to tell that Allah is sufficient for them, for it is the pleasure and guidance of Allah which is they seek for them and for those who believe in Allah.

The last verse (129th) of Surah 9. At Tauba (Repentance) is one such commandment from Allah for Prophet of Allah, Muhammad ﷺ, which tells the revered prophet to disregard the indifferent attitude of those who turn away from listening to him and tell them that even if they close their ears to what he says, Allah alone is sufficient for him and those who believe. It should be borne in mind that it is not the Prophet of Allah telling those who do not listen to him, but in fact these is a Divine Commandment which tells the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that he is the messenger, and whoever turned away from this message has nothing to do with Allah and his messenger ﷺ.

This verse has thus become a sort of supplication for the believers to recite when they encounter difficulties, especially when extending invitation of Islam to the non-Muslims:

فَاِنۡ تَوَلَّوۡا فَقُلۡ حَسۡبِىَ اللّٰهُ ۖ  لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ ؕ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُ​ ؕ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الۡعَرۡشِ الۡعَظِيۡمِ

[9:129] Yet, if they should turn away, then tell them: "Allah is sufficient for me; there is no god but He. In Him I have put my trust. He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne."

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ but if they turn away), from the glorious, pure, perfect and encompassing Law that you -- O Muhammad -- brought them, (then say: فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ اللَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ "Allah is sufficient for me. There is no God but He,) Allah is sufficient for me, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, and in Him I put my trust.

Similarly, Allah said, (رَّبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلاً (He alone is) the Lord of the east and the west; there is no God but He. So, take Him alone as a guardian.) [73:9]. 

Allah said next, (Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from among yourselves ...) [9:128]'' until the end of the Surah It is recorded in the Sahih that Zayd bin Thabit said, "I found the last Ayah in Surah Bara'ah with Khuzaymah bin Thabit.'' This is the end of Surah Bara'ah, all praise is due to Allah.

(وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne) [9:129]. He is the King and Creator of all things, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne (`Arsh), which is above all creation; all that is in and between the heavens and earths is under the Throne (`Arsh) and subservient to Allah's power. His knowledge encompasses all things, and His decision will certainly come to pass over all matters. He is the guardian of all things. 

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that Ubayy bin Ka`b said, "The last Ayah revealed from the Qur'an was this Ayah, ( لَقَدْ جَاءكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from among yourselves. . . ) until the end of the Surah It is recorded in the Sahih that Zayd bin Thabit said, "I found the last Ayah in Surah Bara'ah with Khuzaymah bin Thabit . 'This is the end of Surah Bara'ah, all praise is due to Allah.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: 

But if the Message is rejected, he still proclaims the burning Faith of his heart, which is unquenchable. Allah is sufficient to all. To trust Him is to find the accomplishment of all spiritual desires. His grandeur is figured by a lofty Throne, supreme in glory! Thus, have we been led, through a notable incident in Al-Mustafa's earthly career, to truths of the highest spiritual import.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

Ie., if they are not being able to understand the Prophet’s earnest message that the favours of this world and the next which are hidden in his call to waging jihād for the cause of God at His behest, then he should not be concerned about them. He should clearly tell them that these are not his needs and that God is self-sufficient.

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:

The Sūrah addresses the Prophet, showing him what attitude to take when people turn away from him and his message. It points to the source of power which gives him all the protection he needs. To Him belong all power, dominion, greatness and honour. His support is sufficient for everyone who seeks His patronage.

The Sūrah which concentrates mainly on fighting and striving for God’s cause is thus concluded with the directive to rely on God alone, trust Him and seek His powerful support. After all, “He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.”

This Sūrah outlines the final rulings on the permanent relations between the Muslim community and the outside world, as explained in our commentary on its various passages. Hence, we have to refer to its latest statements since these represent the final say on these relations. These statements must not be restricted or narrowed down in their applicability on the basis of earlier statements and rulings, which we described as provisional. In doing so, we have relied on the chronological order of the revelation of these verses and statements, and on the progress of the Islamic movement at the time of the Prophet, as well as the events marking that progress.

We have also been guided by our understanding of the nature of the Islamic message and its method of action which we have explained in our presentation of the sūrah and our commentary on its verses. This method of action is only understood by those who deal with this faith of Islam as a movement striving to establish itself in human life. As we have explained, the goal of that striving is to liberate mankind from submission to others so that they submit to God alone.

There is a wide gap between an understanding based on active striving and one based on academic study which is bound to ignore action. The first type of understanding looks at Islam as it conducts its direct confrontation with the system of jāhiliyyah, taking one step after another and moving from one stage to the next. It also looks at it as it proclaims its legislation to deal with the changing situation in its confrontation.

Moreover, these final laws and verdicts outlined in this last sūrah were actually revealed when the general situation of the Muslim community and the world around it required such legislation. Prior to that, when the situation required different rulings, these were given in earlier sūrahs to serve as provisional rulings.

When a new Muslim community emerges again and starts to strive for the establishment of this faith in human life, it may be appropriate for this community to apply the provisional rulings, provided that it remains well aware that these are only provisional. It should also be aware that it must strive to reach the stage when only the final rulings govern its relations with the world around it. God will certainly help that community and guide it on its way.

Herein under, please listen to eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explaining the 129th verse of Surah 9 Al Tauba:

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.

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.

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

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.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān 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 order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

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

Tafseer References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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He it is Who has sent the True Religion to prevail over all religions

Everything that is made is set to function as per the design of manufacture and no machine is ever so perfect that once it is made it will be functional and useful for all times to come. Modifications and design features are updated to make it more efficient and useful. 

Same is true for the Divine religions. The religions have been sent upon different people in different times to provide guidelines to the people to live a life as ordained by our Lord, the Creator of the entire universe. The set of rules which were sent in Psalms were meant for a particular time to condition people to absorb the initial set of directives by the Lord of the worlds. Psalms was followed by Torah and Injeel (The Bible). And then finally Qur'an was sent as the final Book of Guidance to last till the end of this world. 

The people of earlier Books often reject Qur'an for they think that whatever was revealed to them was the final world of God. But they fail to understand that each new scripture was an update of the previous one, making the previous redundant as new set of rules were included in the following scriptures. Likewise, Qur'an being the last of the Divine Scriptures, thus, embodies the final commandments of God to prevail over all previous Books. 

This has been contested since revelation of Qur'an. But now gradually followers of earlier Books have started to realize ethe universality of Qur'an and more and more people today are entering the fold of Islam for they know what is contained therein the Qur'an is a final update and does not leave any space for more modifications. This is the theme on which the 33rd verse of Surah Taubah (The Repentance) is based and is being shared today herein under:

It maybe added that the 33rd verse is in fact an answer to the efforts of others to overshadow the presence of Qur'an as is mentioned in the 32nd verse: 32. "They want to extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths, but Allah will not allow except that His Light should be perfected even though the disbelievers hate (it)."

هُوَ الَّذِىۡۤ اَرۡسَلَ رَسُوۡلَهٗ بِالۡهُدٰى وَدِيۡنِ الۡحَـقِّ لِيُظۡهِرَهٗ عَلَى الدِّيۡنِ كُلِّهٖۙ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ الۡمُشۡرِكُوۡنَ‏ 

[9:33] He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the True Religion that He may make it prevail over all religions, howsoever those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity might detest it.

The Arabic word ad-din has been translated into 'ways'. For the word din, as has already been explained for 193rd verse of Surah 2. Al-Baqarah (as reproduced below), is used for the 'way of life' or the 'system of life', which is followed in obedience to the supreme authority.

وَقٰتِلُوۡهُمۡ حَتّٰى لَا تَكُوۡنَ فِتۡنَةٌ وَّيَكُوۡنَ الدِّيۡنُ لِلّٰهِ​ؕ فَاِنِ انتَهَوۡا فَلَا عُدۡوَانَ اِلَّا عَلَى الظّٰلِمِيۡنَ‏ 

(2:193) Keep on fighting against them until mischief ends and the way prescribed by Allah prevails. But if they desist, then know that hostility is directed only against the wrong-doers.

An investigation of the usages of the word din (which occurs in this verse) reveals that the core of its meaning is obedience. In its technical usage, the word refers to that system of life which arises as a result of a person recognizing someone as his Lord and Sovereign and committing himself to following his commands and ordinances. This explanation of the word din makes it quite clear that when some human beings establish their godhead and absolute dominance over others, this state of affairs is one of fitnah. Islam seeks to put an end to this and replace it by a state of affairs in which people live in obedience to the laws of God alone.

Now let us try to understand the significance of this verse. The object of the Mission of the Messenger is to make the Guidance and the Right Way he has brought from Allah dominant over all the other ways and systems of life. In other words, the Messenger is not sent to allow Allah's Way to remain subordinate to other ways in order to enjoy concessions from them. He is sent by the Sovereign of the earth and the heavens to make His Way dominant over all other ways. And if a wrong way is at all allowed to remain on the earth, it should be tolerated only under its own protection by the payment of Jizyah under the limits conferred by the Divine System as in the cast of the system of life of the Zimmis who pay Jizyah. 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

( هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth.) `Guidance' refers to the true narrations, beneficial faith and true religion that the Messenger came with. `religion of truth' refers to the righteous, legal deeds that bring about benefit in this life and the Hereafter.

(لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ to make it (Islam) superior over all religions) It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said:

(Allah made the eastern and western parts of the earth draw near for me ﴿to see﴾, and the rule of my Ummah will extend as far as I saw.) 

Imam Ahmad recorded from Tamim Ad-Dari that he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,

(This matter (Islam) will keep spreading as far as the night and day reach, until Allah will not leave a house made of mud or hair, but will make this religion enter it, while bringing might to a mighty person (a Muslim) and humiliation to a disgraced person (who rejects Islam). Might with which Allah elevates Islam (and its people) and disgrace with which Allah humiliates disbelief (and its people).) Tamim Ad-Dari ﴿who was a Christian before Islam﴾ used to say, "I have come to know the meaning of this Hadith in my own people. Those who became Muslims among them acquired goodness, honor and might. Disgrace, humiliation and Jizyah befell those who remained disbelievers.'

Yusuf Ali Explanation: 

Every religion which commends itself widely to human beings and lasts through some space of time has a glimpse of Truth in it. But Islam being the perfect light of Truth is bound to prevail. As the greater Light, through its own strength, outshines all lesser lights, so will Islam outshine all else, in spite of the displeasure of those to whom light is an offence. See also explanation of xlviii. 28, and lxi. 9.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

This dominance was to be achieved through Muhammad (sws) in spite of the desires of the idolaters who were his foremost addressees and which are mentioned by the words وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُوْنَ. Hence it is essential that the word كُل (all) be understood in this background in the specific sense that this writer has stated in the translation. History shows that this prophecy of the Qur’ān was fulfilled word for word and in the very lifetime of the Prophet (sws), the religion of truth prevailed in the whole of the Arabian peninsula. This was a manifestation of an established practice of God that has been mentioned at various instances by the Qur’ān regarding His messengers: after the truth is conclusively communicated by God’s messengers, God grants them dominance and punishes those who disbelieve their respective messenger. The purpose is to validate the concept of reward and punishment in the Hereafter to the same extent as scientific facts are validated through laboratory experiments. It has no relation to any revolutionary struggle, as understood by some thinkers of current times. Here it has been mentioned to inform Muslims that it is a decision of God and the directive of the last onslaught given against the idolaters and the People of the Book was to implement precisely this decision.

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:

The sūrah re-emphasizes the promise and the threat at the same time

It is clear from this statement that the religion of Islam, preached by God’s last Messenger, is the one to which reference is made in the previous Qur’ānic statement: “Fight against those who — despite having been given Scriptures — do not truly believe in God and the Last Day, and do not treat as forbidden that which God and His Messenger have forbidden, and do not follow the religion of truth, till they [agree to] pay the submission tax with a willing hand, after they have been humbled.” (Verse 29) It is also clear that this order to fight is targeted against those who do not believe in this religion.

This is true however we may interpret this verse. Generally speaking, the religion of truth means submission to God alone as reflected in beliefs, worship rituals and laws. This is the basic foundation of all divine faith which takes its final form in the message of the Prophet Muhammad (peace he upon him). Any individual and any community who do not clearly submit totally to God alone in beliefs, worship and laws may be described as ones who do not believe in the religion of truth. Therefore, they are included among those to whom the verse of fighting applies. However, we have always to consider the nature of the Islamic method of action, and the different stages the message of Islam may go through and the tools and means it may employ.

“It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, so that He may cause it to prevail over all [other] religions, however hateful this may be to the idolaters.” (Verse 33) This statement confirms God’s first promise: “But God will not allow anything but to bring His light to perfection, however hateful this may be to the unbelievers.” (Verse 32) The confirmation, however, takes a much more specific form. The light which God, who is limitless in His glory, has decided to bring to full perfection is the religion of truth with which He has sent His last Messenger so that He may cause it to prevail over all other religions.

As we have already explained, the religion of truth is submission to God in beliefs, worship and laws altogether. It is represented in every divine message given to any former prophet. Needless to say, it does not include any form of the distorted versions that the Jews and Christians of today profess, as these have been adulterated with pagan beliefs. Nor can be included under it any situation that raises the banner of faith while at the same time assigning lordship to beings other than God, and associating partners with God in the form of following laws and legislations enacted by those partners without reference to God’s law.

God, limitless is He in His glory, says that He has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth in order to make it prevail over all other religions. We must take the term ‘religion’ in its broader sense which we have outlined in order to appreciate the scope of God’s promise. Since ‘religion’ means ‘submission’, then it includes every creed and system which requires people to submit to its edicts and follow its rules. God also declares His ruling that the religion of truth will surely prevail over all religion, in this broad sense of the word. This means that all submission will be to God alone, and the final triumph will be for the system which reflects this total submission.

This promise was fulfilled once at the hands of God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) and his successors, as well as those who succeeded them, for a very long period of time when the religion of truth was the one which prevailed. All other religions, which were not based on true submission to God alone, stood in awe. Then there followed a time when those who professed to believe in the religion of truth started to abandon it, step by step, due to various factors relevant to the internal structure of Muslim societies on the one hand, and to the long war against this religion by its different enemies. In this war a wide variety of weapons and tactics are employed in order to suppress Islam. But this is not the end of the road. God’s promise will always come true. It will be fulfilled by the Muslim community which will raise the banner of Islam and start its activities at the very beginning where the Prophet himself started when he began his call, preaching the religion of truth and guided by God’s light.

The sūrah takes the final step in this passage, describing how the people of earlier revelations do not treat as forbidden what God and His Messenger have declared forbidden.

Now you may listen to the following short clipped video to explanation of the aforesaid Ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

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.

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.

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

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.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to 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 | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān 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 order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Yusuf Ali Translation
• Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition, 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.

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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Believers !! Beware of anchorites who devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way of Allah

All Divine religions have been very simple and revealed in easy to understand languages so that even an illiterate could understand, if not all, but the central theme of a verse or a chapter. However, this has been most unfortunate that the religious men, priests, monks and  anchorites, since the revelation of Divine religions  have befooled the ordinary servants of God and made fortunes by robbing them by false information and misguiding them on paths that lead the servants of God away from God and to the wretched paths of the priests.

It is not only the Divine religions alone, but other man made religions too have been marred by these ills. The places of worships abound in heaps of wealth, gold and money artfully usurped by the religious men for their use. One would often find these priests filthy rich, of course their riches attributed to money of their followers.

Unfortunately, these ills have made their inroads in the religion of Islam, specially in countries like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan where priests, imams, and handlers of shrines of by gone religious men continue to rob their followers and live a richly life themselves. Recently, on the death of a so called scholar, it was found that the dead "good" man had fortunes worth billions. With no soure of income, how could head of an organization amass so much of wealth?

And this is despite the fact that Allah had warned the believers to be watchful of such priests and anchorites more than 1400 years ago when the religious men of Jewism and Christianity fed false information to their followers, devoured on their hard earned wealth and substance. And yet, mislead them to paths other than those leading to Allah so that their authority and greed is not compromised. What happens in shrines is no different. Poor men and women with low grade quality of faith come with their hard earned money so that their prayers are answered, so they are told. Had these so called priests been truthful, they would lead their followers closer to Allah by teaching them the real substance of religion rather than robbing them.

We share the 34th verse of Surah 9 At Tauba (The Repentance) which is based on the same theme as explained above.

يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِنَّ كَثِيۡرًا مِّنَ الۡاَحۡبَارِ وَالرُّهۡبَانِ لَيَاۡكُلُوۡنَ اَمۡوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالۡبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّوۡنَ عَنۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ​ؕ وَالَّذِيۡنَ يَكۡنِزُوۡنَ الذَّهَبَ وَالۡفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنۡفِقُوۡنَهَا فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِۙ فَبَشِّرۡهُمۡ بِعَذَابٍ اَلِيۡمٍۙ‏ 

[9:34] O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests and anchorites who in falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah: announce unto them a most grievous penalty.

Explaining the above said verse, one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi is of the opinion that these religious leaders are guilty of two sins. First, they devour the wealth of the common people by selling false decrees, and by taking bribes, gifts and presents on different pretexts. They invent religious regulations and rituals as tempt people to buy their salvations and fortunes in life from them and make deaths and marriages dependent on the payment of due `price' to these "monopolists" of Paradise. To add to this another sin, they debar the people from the Way of Allah by involving them into different sorts of deviations and by obstructing the way of every Righteous Mission with the obstacles of `learned' doubts and `pious' suspicions.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

Most probably this is, in the first instance, an allusion to the wealth of the Jewish and Christian communities, and their misuse of this wealth. Some of the commentators, however, are of the opinion that the reference is wider, comprising all people, including Muslims, who hoard their wealth without spending anything thereof on righteous causes.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

Bil-batili = in falsehood, i.e., by false means, pretences, or in false or vain things. This was strikingly exemplified in the history of Mediaeval Europe. Though the disease is apt to attack all peoples and organisations at all times. Priests got rich by issuing indulgences and dispensations; they made their office a stepping stone to worldly power and possessions. Even the Monastic Orders, which took vows of poverty for individuals grew rich with corporate property, until their wealth became a scandal, even among their own nations.

Misuse of wealth, property, and resources is frequently condemned, and in three ways: (1) do not acquire anything wrongfully or on false pretences; (2) do not hoard or bury or amass wealth for its own sake but use it freely for good, whether for yourself or for your neighbours; and (3) be particularly careful not to waste it for idle purposes, but only so that it may fructify for the good of the people.

Please listen to explanation of the ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

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 life 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 to make 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.

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.

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

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.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to 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 | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān 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 order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

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.

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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Allah suffices me: there is no god but He

Faith in One True God is the very basis of Islam. None other than He is to be worshipped for He alone commands the entire universe being its sole Creator. Non Muslims may come up with any logic to justify their religion and faith, yet the truth can never be denied and it would ultimately prevail on their biased and artificial thoughts about the Creator and the Creation.

Whenever anyone embarks upon a journey to invite non-Muslims to Islam, he may come up with many counter arguments to his belief and may then turn away. The same situation was confronted by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the last of the all the messengers chosen by Allah to spread His Divine Commandments and perfect His religions into one last religion: Islam. And many a times the revered prophet ﷺ was dejected by the rigidity of the polytheists of his time. At such times, many a verse had been revealed unto him telling him to be steadfast in his mission and turn away from the polytheists and continue in his endeavours to find a new audience for the reality and truth would finally prevail. In Sha Allah.

In this regard we share today the last verse of Surah 9. At Tauba with the same theme:

فَاِنۡ تَوَلَّوۡا فَقُلۡ حَسۡبِیَ اللّٰہُ ۫٭ۖ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا ہُوَ ؕ عَلَیۡہِ تَوَکَّلۡتُ وَ ہُوَ رَبُّ الۡعَرۡشِ الۡعَظِیۡمِ

But if they turn away Say: "Allah sufficeth me: There is not god but He: On Him is my trust - He the Lord of the Throne (Of Glory) Supreme!  

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

( فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ But if they turn away), from the glorious, pure, perfect and encompassing Law that you -- O Muhammad -- brought them, 

(فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ اللَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ then say: "Allah is sufficient for me. There is no God but He,) Allah is sufficient for me, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, and in Him I put my trust. 

Similarly, Allah said, ((He alone is) the Lord of the east and the west; there is no God but He. So take Him alone as a guardian.) [73:9].

Allah said next, (Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from among yourselves ...) [9:128]'' until the end of the Surah It is recorded in the Sahih that Zayd bin Thabit said, "I found the last Ayah in Surah Bara'ah with Khuzaymah bin Thabit.'' This is the end of Surah Bara'ah, all praise is due to Allah.

(وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne) He is the King and Creator of all things, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne (`Arsh), which is above all creation; all that is in and between the heavens and earths is under the Throne (`Arsh) and subservient to Allah's power. His knowledge encompasses all things, and His decision will certainly come to pass over all matters. He is the guardian of all things. 

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

But if the Message is rejected, he still proclaims the burning Faith of his heart, which is unquenchable. Allah is sufficient to all. To trust Him is to find the accomplishment of all spiritual desire. His grandeur is figured by a lofty Throne, supreme in glory! Thus, have we been led, through a notable incident in Al-Mustafa's earthly career, to truths of the highest spiritual import.

Explanation Qur'an Wiki:

The sūrah addresses the Prophet, showing him what attitude to take when people turn away from him and his message. It points to the source of power which gives him all the protection he needs. To Him belong all power, dominion, greatness and honour. His support is sufficient for everyone who seeks His patronage.

The sūrah which concentrates mainly on fighting and striving for God’s cause is thus concluded with the directive to rely on God alone, trust Him and seek His powerful support. After all “He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.”

This sūrah outlines the final rulings on the permanent relations between the Muslim community and the outside world, as explained in our commentary on its various passages. Hence, we have to refer to its latest statements since these represent the final say on these relations. These statements must not be restricted or narrowed down in their applicability on the basis of earlier statements and rulings, which we described as provisional. In doing so, we have relied on the chronological order of the revelation of these verses and statements, and on the progress of the Islamic movement at the time of the Prophet, as well as the events marking that progress.

We have also been guided by our understanding of the nature of the Islamic message and its method of action which we have explained in our presentation of the sūrah and our commentary on its verses. This method of action is only understood by those who deal with this faith of Islam as a movement striving to establish itself in human life. As we have explained, the goal of that striving is to liberate mankind from submission to others so that they submit to God alone.

There is a wide gap between an understanding based on active striving and one based on academic study which is bound to ignore action. The first type of understanding looks at Islam as it conducts its direct confrontation with the system of jāhiliyyah, taking one step after another and moving from one stage to the next. It also looks at it as it proclaims its legislation to deal with the changing situation in its confrontation.

Moreover, these final laws and verdicts outlined in this last sūrah were actually revealed when the general situation of the Muslim community and the world around it required such legislation. Prior to that, when the situation required different rulings, these were given in earlier sūrahs to serve as provisional rulings.

When a new Muslim community emerges again and starts to strive for the establishment of this faith in human life, it may be appropriate for this community to apply the provisional rulings, provided that it remains well aware that these are only provisional. It should also be aware that it must strive to reach the stage when only the final rulings govern its relations with the world around it. God will certainly help that community and guide it on its way.

End note by Nouman Ali Khan:

Now that is the messenger. This word is not that of the messenger, but the word of Allah. The Surah began and ended in the same place. Whoever turned away from this message has nothing to do with Allah and his messenger ﷺ.  He, the Prophet Muhammad, is being told that if people turn away then you, who love them so much, tell them " Allah is enough for me."

Basically this is Prophet ﷺ declaring baraa from his own people if they turn away. This is at the end. In the beginning it was about disassociating from the people who do shirk. Now it is those who abandon the Prophet’s mission, those who stayed behind the messenger ﷺ. This is such a powerful ending. Allah (swt) challenges the Muslims. 

If this Surah can be summarized, one of its main concluding themes is loyalty to the mission of Allah’s messenger ﷺ  We as people have to feel a sense of loyalty that he ﷺ was on a mission and that mission is not over. Especially the immediate aspects of that mission if you look: Prophet ﷺ had already prepared a battalion to take over the Persians before he p assed. When he passed, that bat talion wasn’t cancelled. The Prophet ﷺ may not be with us. But his mission is. The chain of commanders was already set in place. Their loyalty was on to that. The hardest day on Ummah was the day of passing of Prophet ﷺ.

Aboobacker Siddeq (ra) says: “Whoever used to worship Mohammed, he ﷺ is dead. Allah is living He doesn’t die. And Allah’s word doesn’t die. Hence, the Prophet’s mission never dies.” The word of Allah keeps the mission of Allah going; t he mission that was charged to the messenger ﷺ.

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 life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

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.

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.

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

For more Selected Verses, please refer to 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 | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān 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 order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

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.

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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Who are recipient of glad tidings of Allah

The month of Ramdan 2022/1443 has entered its second part, which is considered to be the part of seeking mercy and forgiveness from Allah from ones sins and wrong doings. Allah knows that His servants will be liable to worldly lewdness and Satanic machinations. That is why He has left open the door of His merch for those who realize their wrong doings, yet repent their actions and invoke Allah's countless mercies for forgiveness. And this has been promised by Allah at many places in Qur'an:

 “And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden the extensiveness of which is the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who guard against evil. (Surah 3. Ali 'Imran:132) 

Will they not turn to Allah and seek His forgiveness, and Allah is oft-forgiving, Merciful? Surah 5 Al-Ma'idah:74)

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has been quoted as saying ( reported by Abu Huraira (RA), “Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.” – Sahih Bukhari 2: 37

So we have this blessed month of Ramadan and lucky will be those whose prayers, supplications and invocations will be accepted and whose repentances will be accepted and thus forgiven.

Today we share the 112th verse of Surah 9. At Tawba in which Allah asks His Prophet  ﷺ to give glad tidings to those who will be blessed and will have greater rewards both in this world and in the hereafter. So let us try to be among those in this Ramdan and even after this blessed month is over to be in continuous pursuit to be in the list of those who will be the recipient of glad tidings of Allah. And the verse is appended and explained below:

اَلتَّاۤـئِبُوۡنَ الۡعٰبِدُوۡنَ الۡحٰمِدُوۡنَ السّاۤـئِحُوۡنَ الرّٰكِعُوۡنَ السّٰجِدُوۡنَ الۡاٰمِرُوۡنَ بِالۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ وَالنَّاهُوۡنَ عَنِ الۡمُنۡكَرِ وَالۡحٰـفِظُوۡنَ لِحُدُوۡدِ اللّٰه ِ​ؕ وَبَشِّرِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ‏ 

[9:112] Those who constantly turn to Allah in repentance, who constantly worship Him, who celebrate His praise, who go about the world to serve His cause, who bow down to Him, who prostrate themselves before Him, who enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and who keep the limits set by Allah. Announce glad tidings to such believers.

The abovesaid eight traits are of those who will be given Allah's glad tidings. We invariable exhibit all these traits but have no consistency and tend to sway away and lose our way to please Allah. 

We are to rejoice that by giving up such small things as ourselves and our possessions we are to be rewarded with such a great thing as the eternal life of felicity. The truly righteous, whose lives in various aspects are described in this verse, do so rejoice. The good news is to be proclaimed to all Believers, including the weakest among us, so that they may profit by that example.

Let us now see how some of the eminent Muslim scholars explain this verse and how can we make an endeavour to be among the blessed:

Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi; 

(Those who constantly turn to Allah in repentance) The Arabic word (atta-i-bun) literally means "those who repent" . But in the context it occurs it implies "those who possess repentance as their permanent characteristic", that is, they repent over and over again. Moreover, the literal meaning of (taubah) is "to turn to" or "to turn back" . Therefore its explanatory translation will be "....those who turn back to Allah over and over again" . This is the first and foremost characteristic of a true Believer because even a true Believer is liable to forget the bargain he makes with Allah by which he sells his life and property to Him. As this matter does not concern his sense organs but pertains to his mind and heart, he is liable to forget that these things are not really his property but they belong to Allah. Therefore, even the true believer occasionally forgets the bargain, and behaves in a way as if he were their owner. But as soon as he becomes conscious of this transitory lapse and realizes that he had violated the terms of his agreement, he feels sorry and ashamed of his conduct and turns to his God, begs His pardon and renews the terms of the bargain with Him, and pledges his allegiance to Him after every slip of its violation. This kind of repentance alone is the guarantee that one will always come back to one's Faith: otherwise it is not possible for man because of the inherent human weaknesses, to observe strictly and deliberately the terms of the bargain without ever falling a prey to negligence and error. That is why Allah says in praise of the true Believer that ".....he turns back to Allah over and over again" and not that "he never slips into error after making the bargain of obedience and service to Him" . And this is the greatest excellence that man can accomplish. Let us now consider the wisdom of placing this characteristics first in the list of the characteristics of the true Believers. It is to admonish those who had been guilty of crimes after the profession of their Faith, They have been told in v. III that the true Believers are those who sell their lives and property to Allah. After this they are being told that if they sincerely intend to become true Believers they should first of all create in themselves this characteristic and at once turn to Allah without showing any obduracy so that they should not deviate further into error.

(who constantly worship Him, who celebrate His praise, who go about the world to serve His cause) Some commentators are of the opinion that here (Assn `ihun) means " . . . those who observe fast" . As this is not the lexical meaning of the word but only its figurative sense, which has been based on an unauthentic tradition attributed to the Holy Prophet, we are of the opinion that there is no need to depart from its lexical meanings, that is,".....move about in the land (for His sake...,... "). For here the Arabic word does not mean merely to "...move about in the land" but "move about in the land for the sake of noble and high aims, e.g. to propagate Islam, to do Jihad, to emigrate from those places where the unbelievers are in power, and to reform the people, to seek True Knowledge, to earn a lawful livelihood and the like" . This characteristic of the Believers has been especially mentioned here to reprove those who had not gone forth to Jihad, in spite of their claim that they were "Believers" . They have been admonished that a true Believer is the one who goes forth into the land to raise high His Word, and exerts his utmost to fulfill the implications of his Faith, and not the one who stays behind when he is called upon to move about in the land.

(who bow down to Him, who prostrate themselves before Him, who enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and who keep the limits set by Allah.) That is those who "strictly observe the limits prescribed by Allah . . . . . " in regard to the Articles of the Faith, worship-morality, social behavior, culture, economics, politics, judiciary, peace and war- in short, in all the aspects of their individual and collective lives. They neither transgress these limits in order to follow their lusts nor invent laws nor replace the Divine Law by other laws. They establish these limits and prevent their violations. Hence, the true Believers are those who not only strictly observe the limits prescribed by Allah, but also do their very best to establish them and safeguard them so as to prevent their violation to the best of their powers and capabilities.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation: The inchoative (mubtadā’) is suppressed here. The actual construction would be: هُمْ التائبون. Here the attributes which every true believer should have so that he is able to decide the requisites of faith and the attitude which is regarded as disbelief and hypocrisy are explained to the hypocrites. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

Of the various components of the character of believers that are mentioned here, the first one is penitence. It means “turning to God.” The first step that a person should do in worshipping and obeying God is that instead of wandering about in satanic ways he turns to his Lord and shows determination in treading the straight path. It is this penitence that gets hold of him in every task. Whenever he deviates from the straight path, it is penitence that comes to his rescue and sets him back on the straight path.

After penitence, worship is mentioned. It is the greatest right of God imposed on the person who turns towards God. And since there is no one else except God Who has this right, hence no one else should have a share in this worship nor in obedience because obedience is a natural requisite of worship. After worship, gratitude is mentioned because it is the essence of all forms of worship. This is precisely why rituals like the prayer and the zakāh ... are manifestations of gratitude to God and an acknowledgement of His favours. If the sentiments of gratitude and acknowledgement of favours are not deeply engendered in a person, he is not able to befittingly worship God nor is His worship braced with its true spirit.

After this, exertion is mentioned ... It is a comprehensive expression of all efforts, exercises and struggles which a person undertakes to reform his inner and outer self, to understand and teach religion and to disseminate and spread it with fervour and altruism and for whose cause he sacrifices the pleasures and comforts of his life without any hesitation.

After that, the prayer is mentioned. The expression used to refer to it is الرّٰكِعُوۡنَ السّٰجِدُوۡنَ. Wherever the prayer is mentioned in this manner in the Qur’ān, it does not merely refer to the obligatory prayer. It also alludes to the ones offered in seclusion. It is these prayers which protect all the attributes mentioned earlier and it is they who enliven and nurture the exertion for the cause of God called sayāḥah by the Qur’ān.

After this, forbidding from evil and urging towards virtue is mentioned. The attributes stated earlier refer to individual reform. Now the collective conduct of people is clarified: they enjoin virtue and forbid vice. They are not unconcerned with the right and wrong of others and in fact have great concern in them to reform others, and according to their capacity try to set right wrongs.

At the end, the bounds of God are mentioned. This in fact is an expression of piety. This is a reference to an attribute which is the most comprehensive: in other words, these people remain very vigilant in every phase of life to abide by the bounds set by God and not to cross them. Neither do they themsleves dare to break any limit nor, as far as they are can, permit others to do so. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 3, 647) 

Qur'an Wiki:

The first of these qualities is that they “turn to God in repentance.” They appeal to Him for forgiveness, regretting any slip they may make and resolving to turn to Him and follow His guidance in their future days. They will not revert to sin. They will endeavour to do only good actions in order to make their repentance a reality. It is then a means of purging themselves of the effects of temptation and of mending their ways so that they can earn God’s acceptance.

“Who worship and praise Him.” They submit and dedicate their worship to Him alone, acknowledging that He is God, the only Lord. This is a basic quality of theirs which is manifested by their worship, and also by their dedicating all their actions and statements to the pursuit of God’s pleasure. Their worship, then, is meant as a practical confirmation of their belief in God’s oneness. They praise God acknowledging His grace which He bestows on them. They praise Him continuously, in times of happiness and in times of adversity. When they are happy they praise God for His blessings, and when they go through difficult times they praise Him because they know that the difficulty is a test which they need to pass. They realize that God will show them His mercy when they prove their metal by going through the test with their faith unshaken. True praise is not that expressed only in times of ease and happiness. It is the praise genuinely expressed in times of adversity, recognizing that God, the Just and Merciful, would not put a believer through a trial unless it is eventually for his own good. A believer may not know that at the time, but God certainly knows it.

“Who contemplate [God and His creation.]”  The meaning of the Arabic term which is translated here in this fashion is not readily apparent. There are several interpretations of what it means.

Some people suggest that it refers to those who leave their homes to support God’s cause, while others suggest that it refers to those who strive hard for its triumph. Other scholars suggest that it refers to those who travel in pursuit of knowledge, and still others say that it refers to people who fast. We feel that the interpretation we have chosen is closer to its meaning. It is in reference to such a quality that God says elsewhere in the Qur’ān: “In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of night and day, there are indeed signs for men endowed with insight, who remember God when they stand, sit and lie down, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: ‘Our Lord, You have not created all this in vain. Limitless are You in Your glory. Guard us, then, against the torment of the fire.’” (3: 190-191) The quality of contemplation and reflection is better suited to the context here. With repentance, worship and praising of God comes the quality of reflecting on God and His dominion which will inevitably lead to turning to Him, acknowledging His wisdom manifested in all His creation. The contemplation and reflection are not meant for their own sake or for gaining more knowledge of the world around us, but they should be made the basis on which human society is built.

“Who bow down and prostrate themselves.” They attend to their prayers which becomes an essential part of their life. Praying is thus made one of their distinctive characteristics.

“Who enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong.”  When a Muslim community that conducts its life in accordance with God’s law is established, making clear that it submits to God and no one else, then the quality of enjoining the doing of what is right and forbidding what is wrong is seen to be fully operative within this community. It addresses any errors of implementation of, or deviation from, the code of living God has revealed. But when there is no Islamic community which gives supremacy to the implementation of God’s law, then this quality of enjoining what is right should be addressed totally to the most important thing, which is acceptance of God’s oneness, submission to His authority and the establishment of a truly Islamic community.

Similarly, the forbidding of what is wrong should also address the greatest wrong, namely, submission to authorities other than God’s through enforcing laws that are at variance with His law. Those who responded to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and believed in his message, migrated, and strove to establish the Muslim state that implements God’s law and a Muslim community that is governed on its basis. When this was achieved, they continued to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, addressing matters that related to the details of worship or violation of the Islamic code of living. They never spent any time addressing these details before the establishment of the Islamic state and its Muslim community, because these details only arose as a later and practical development. The concept of doing what is right and forbidding what is wrong must be understood in the light of reality. No matter of detail, whether right or wrong, need be addressed before the basic and essential one is completed, as happened when the first Islamic community came into being.

“And keep within the limits set out by God.” That is to say, they make sure of the implementation of God’s law in their own life and in the life of the community, and they resist anyone who tries to forestall it. Like the previous one, this quality can only work in a Muslim community governed by God’s law in all its affairs. By definition, such a community acknowledges God’s sovereignty as the only God, Lord and Legislator, and rejects any authority which seeks to implement laws that are not revealed by God. Efforts must concentrate first of all on the establishment of such a community. Only when it comes into being, will those who “keep within the limits set out by God” have their rightful place in it, as happened in the first Islamic community.

Such is the Islamic community with whom God has made this deal, and such are its distinctive qualities: repentance brings a human being back to God’s way, stops him from committing sin and motivates him to do what is right; worship maintains a close relationship with God and sets the winning of His pleasure as people’s aim; praising God in times of happiness and in adversity is a manifestation of total submission to Him alone and complete trust in His justice and wisdom; reflecting on God’s attributes and the signs that indicate His wisdom and perfection of creation; enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong to expand people’s role so as to ensure that the whole community is set on the right course; and keeping within the limits set out by God to ensure their implementation and to prevent any violation.

Such is the believing community which is bound by a deal with God which guarantees heaven in return for their lives and property which they sell to God. It thus implements a rule that has been in force since the start of the divine faith, and the revelation of God’s first message to mankind. The deal means fighting for God’s cause with the aim of making His word supreme, killing those who stand in opposition to God’s message or falling as martyrs in the continuing battle between the truth and falsehood, Islam and jāhiliyyah, God’s law and tyranny, divine guidance and error.

Life is not all play, or all enjoyment and eating as animals eat. Nor is it cheap, humble safety and comfort. True living means doing what is necessary in support of the truth, striving for the cause of goodness, the achievement of victory for God’s cause or sacrificing one’s life for that, and then earning God’s pleasure and admittance into heaven. This is the true life which the believers are called upon to seek: “Believers, respond to the call of God and the Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life.” (8: 24) 

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān 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 Qur'ān.

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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.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān 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 order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

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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