Surah At Taghabun (Mutual Loss and Gain): Summary of 64th Chapter of the Holy Quran

Sūrat at-Taghābun is part of the 28th Juz' / Part of the Holy Qur'an with 18 verses and 2 rukuh. And of the five agreed upon surahs that fall under the category of Al-Musabbihat (The Praisers, which are the surahs that declare Allah’s perfection) is the last surah. It  takes its name from the sentence Dhalika yaum-ut taghabun of verse 9. The theme of this Surah is an invitation to the Faith, obedience (to Allah) and the teaching of good morals.

The surah can be divided into three clear segments: First in which all men are addressed, Second in which Disbelievers are dealt with and the Third part which talks of people who listens to Allah's Divine call and believe in Him. Let us now read explanation of the Surah segmented into these three portions:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

The first four verses are addressed to all men, telling them that Allah alone is their Creator, Master, Ruler, and He has not made this universe without purpose and wisdom, that man has not been created and left irresponsible, so that he may act as he may please, and there should be nobody to call him to account, and that the Ruler of this universe is not a care-free and ignorant king so that he may have no knowledge of what is happening in his kingdom:

1. Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah. His is the dominion, and to Him belong all the praises and thanks, and He is Able to do all things.
2. He it is Who created you, then some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers. And Allah is All-Seer of what you do.
3. He has created the heavens and the earth with truth, and He shaped you and made good your shapes, and to Him is the final Return.
4. He knows what is in the heavens and on earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you reveal. And Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts (of men).

The verses 5-10 are addressed to those men, who do not believe in the invitation of the Qur'an. Right from the outset, the disbelievers have been asked that haven't they received the news of those, earlier than therm, who declined the Divine calling?  And it is made amply clear that the evil they tasted in the world in consequence of their misdeeds was neither the real punishment of their crimes nor the full punishment since a day is yet to come when everyone will taste the reward or otherwise of one's deeds. And that in historical events there is a sign which will show conclusively to the one who considers this deeply that the torment of the Hereafter is inevitable, as warned by the Messengers. One can also judge from this how terrible it will be. This knowledge will fill one with such fear that will keep him on the straight way:

5. Has not the news reached you of those who disbelieved afore time? And so they tasted the evil result of their disbelief, and theirs will be a painful torment.6. That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs (signs), but they said: "Shall mere men guide us?" So they disbelieved and turned away (from the truth), and Allah was not in need (of them). And Allah is Rich (Free of all wants), Worthy of all praise.7. The disbelievers pretend that they will never be resurrected (for the Account). Say (O Muhammad ): "Yes! By my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you will be informed of (and recompensed for) what you did, and that is easy for Allah.8. Therefore, believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad ), and in the Light (this Qur'an) which We have sent down. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.9. (And remember) the Day when He will gather you (all) on the Day of Gathering, that will be the Day (to determine) mutual loss and gain (i.e. loss for the disbelievers as they will enter the Hell-fire and gain for the believers as they will enter Paradise). And whosoever believes in Allah and performs righteous good deeds, He will remit from him his sins, and will admit him to Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) to dwell therein forever, that will be the great success.10. But those who disbelieved (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) and denied Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), they will be the dwellers of the Fire, to dwell therein forever. And worst indeed is that destination.

From verses 11-18 onward, the discourse now turns to the believers. While reading this this last portion of the surah, one should keep in mind the fact that at the time when these verses were revealed. Muslims were passing through great hardships. After years of persecution at Makkah they had left their homes and emigrated to Madinah, where the sincere Muslims who had given them refuge had been doubly burdened, who have now been promised to gain double of what they have loaned to Allah by helping their brethren:

11. No misfortune ever befalls unless it be by Allah's leave. And whosoever has faith in Allah, Allah directs his heart along the Right Path. Allah has knowledge of everything.12.  Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger (Muhammad ), but if you turn away, then the duty of Our Messenger is only to convey (the Message) clearly.
13. Allah there is no god but He; in Allah should the believers put all their trust.14. O you who believe! Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you (i.e. may stop you from the obedience of Allah), therefore beware of them! But if you pardon (them) and overlook, and forgive (their faults), then verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
15. Your wealth and your children are only a trial, whereas Allah! With Him is a great reward (Paradise).
16. So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can; listen and obey; and spend in charity, that is better for yourselves. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, then they are the successful ones.
17. If you lend to Allah a goodly loan (i.e. spend in Allah's Cause) He will double it for you, and will forgive you. And Allah is Most Ready to appreciate and to reward, Most Forbearing,
18. All-Knower of the unseen and seen, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat at-Taghābun with English subtitles:

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

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | Al-Musabbihat |
An effort has been made to gather explanation of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, those wanting detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to sites the references of which are given above.

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

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Surah al-Baqarah - The Cow: Chapter 2 of Quran - (Exegesis Overview)

Sūrah Al Baqarah "البقرة" is the longest Sūrah of the Qurān with 286 verses and forty ruku, spanned over Juz' 1-3. 

The name of the Sūrah is from the Parable of the Heifer in ii. 67-71, which illustrates the insufficiency of carping obedience. When faith is lost, people put off obedience with various excuses: even when at last they obey in the letter, they fail in the spirit, which means that they get fossilized, and their self-sufficiency prevents them from seeing that spiritually they are not alive but dead. For life is movement, activity, striving, fighting, against baser things. And this is the burden of the Sūrah.

There are many peculiarities of  Sūrah Al Baqarah:

• While the the Opening Sürah Fatiha sums up in seven beautiful verses the essence of the, Qurân, so this Sürah sums up in 286 verses the whole teaching of the Qurän.
• In it occurs the longest verse (ii. 282) of the Qurän.
• Ayat ul Kursi, the most popular and most read ayat of the Qurän falls in this  Sürah. In fact ayat ul Kursi is one of those verses which is almost remembered by heart by every Muslim.
• Although, the surah has been named as Al-Baqarah (the Cow) , it has not been used as a title to indicate the subject of the Sürah.
• It is generally believed that verse 281 is the last verse that was revealed to the Prophet of Allah at the occasion of the only pilgrimage the Prophet performed after the surrender of Makkah to the Muslims,as narrated by ibn Abbas. [However, majority of the scholars in Islam are of the opinion that the last Aayat of the Holy Quran was this verse in Chapter 5 Surah Maidah Aayat 3: “This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”]
• Thus Sürah Al Baqarah is considered to be the last completed Sürah of the Qurän.
• The last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah, 285-286 are said to have great importance. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) has been reported as saying that one who recites these two verses during the night, these will be sufficient for him.
• This Sürah is said to have taken the longest t be revealed.

Owing to the length of the Sürah and varied subjects mentioned therein, the exegesis has been divided into sections and parts. Already we have posted two posts which contain the Summary of the entire Sürah and it has also been explained as to why it has been named after a cow: Chapter 2 Sūrah al-Baqarah (The Cow) - Why the Surah is so named.

From here onward, we begin the lengthy journey of exegesis of the Sürah verse by verse divided into segments as mentioned herein under:

Introduction: This section extends over the first thirty-nine verses of the surah. It begins with the mention of those among its addressees who shall accept faith and those who would reject it. Herein, Bani Ismael have been warned that this Book of Allah has revealed the truth in its ultimate form upon them. It would be extremely unfortunate for them if they are still led astray by the mischievous machinations of the Jews and thus deprive themselves of this great blessing - the Quran. The introduction ends on the tale of Satan's malicious rivalry and the khilaafat of man.

Section 1: This section ranges from verse 40 to verse 121 (Ruku 5-14) and has been further divided into two parts as under:

• Part I:  (Verses 40-63) In verses 40-46, the Bani Israel have been specifically addressed and urged to profess faith in the Prophet hood of Mohammad (pbuh) to which their own scriptures so clearly testify. In verses 47-63, it has been explained, first of all, that a person shall be rewarded in the Hereafter on account of his faith and deeds and not on the basis of his association with a particular family or clan. 
• Part II: verses 64-121 are actually a history of the breach of promises and the traitor-ship of the Jews as to how they disobeyed the commandments of Allah and how this criminal mentality had been nurtured in them since the very beginning. A mention has also been made of their superstitions and of other activities which were instrumental in debasing the Shariah and the Book of Allah in their eyes.

Section 2: This section starts at verse 122 and ends with verse 163 (ruku 15-19), the part of life of Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham, peace be upon him) which relates to the building of the Baitullah.

Section 3: This section, which ranges from verse 164 to verse 242 mainly consists of the laws and directives of the Shariah revealed to the Muslim Ummah. It has been further sub divided into three parts as under:

• Part I: This part contains verses 164-188 and covers subjects like Tawheed, prayer/zakat, qisas/diyat, wills, fasting and Prohibition of bribery and wealth obtained through ill-means.
• Part II: Verses 189-218 relate to matters related to Haj and then jehad and infaaq on account of the relationship of the latter two with the former because at that time the Baitullah was under the control of the idolaters (189-218),
• Part III: Verses 219-242 relate to matters related to prohibition of intoxicants and gambling, permission of incorporating the affairs of the orphans with their guardians and prohibition of marriage among idolaters and other matrimonial issues like divorce, eela, khula`, radaa`at, naan-u-nafqah of the deceased among the spouses and other issues of marital life

Section 4: In this section (243-83), the Muslims have been induced to wage jihad against the unbelievers to liberate the Baitullah from their hold. The last three verses (284-86) are the concluding verses. explained that everything in this Universe is under the control of the Almighty. The surah ends with a prayer in which every word speaks of the tremendous responsibilities of this Book which the Jews and the Christians were unable to fulfill and which now have been passed on to the followers of this new religion.

Please look for the various parts of the exegesis of the surah in our coming posts.

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

Calligraphy by Shahid Rana | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, those wanting detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to sites the references of which are given above.

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.

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Alhamdulillah - Summaries of 50 Surahs / Chapter of Holy Quran Completed

Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), with the publishing of Surah Nuh (Noah), today we have completed publishing summaries of 50 surahs / chapter of the Holy Qur'an - a great milestone for us and for all those who supported and read our blog regularly and encouraged us to make it more responsive and resourceful.

We started this blog on 13th April 2018 initially to share personal experiences of non Muslims embracing Islam and the reasons why left their faith of both or previous faith. The more we posted, more wiser we got that everyone embracing Islam was in search of the truth - the absolute truth that is embodiment in the religion of Islam.

As the blog progressed, we also started to share many diverse subjects related to Islam, contradictions with other religions to dispel the disinformation spread at a number of religious related sites. We also included subjects like women in Islam, questions and answers that non Muslims seek, life of the prophets with detailed account of the last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), His companions and the living a life according to the tenets of Islam.

However, we think the big contribution of ours has been presenting the summary of each of 114 surahs / chapters of the Holy Qur'an. It is generally not possible to read the reference to the context of revelation of each surah and details of many verse which otherwise may not be understood by the non Arabic speaking Muslims. Therefore an effort has been made to incorporate explanation / exegeses from authentic sources without indulging into specific alienation to various sects of Islam, for our purpose is to present Islam as is mostly practiced by the majority of Muslims around the world.

We started off from the 30th Part / Juz of the Qur'an and are going backward for a reason. Most of the surah in the later part of Qur'an are those which were revealed unto Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in his early days of proclamation of Islam in Makkah. These early surahs, being shorter, provide a base to those with a desire to accept Islam as these contain Allah's Divine message to the non believers. 

So far the five most read posts of our blog have been:

• The Holy Quran (Summary): Chapter 100 Sūrat Al-ʿĀdiyāt (The Coursers / The Charging Battle Horses)
• 114 Chapters (Surahs) of the Holy Qur'an
• Brief History of Compilation of the Holy Quran
• How Islam Differs from Other Religions - Part I
• The Holy Qur'an (Summary): Chapter 85 Sūrat al-Burūj (The Great Constellations)

The more lengthier and elaborate surahs were generally revealed in Madina after Prophet's immigration from Makkah when the pagans of Makkah made his life unlivable due to their hostility to the religion of Islam.

 We hope, In Sha Allah (God willing) to complete the summary of all remaining 64 verses in time for now were progressing towards lengthier surahs winch take time to compile by consulting many sources for it is a SOLO EFFORT. Please pray for me that Allah may bless me strength to complete the summary of the remaining portion of the Qur'an and then continuing to expand the knowledge base by incorporating other related subjects to continuously enlarge and enrich this blog in substance. 

Photo (Arabic text of Praise be to Allah)  | 

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The Holy Qur'an: Chapter 104 Sūrat al-Humazah (The Traducer / The Scorner)

There are many subjects that come repeatedly in various chapters of the Holy Qur'an to stress upon the subject matter and caution man to abstain from such acts as these make draw upon them the wrath of Allah not only in this world  but hereafter too.

In this Surah some of the evils prevalent among the materialistic hoarders of wealth in the pre-Islamic days have been condemned. Every Arab knew that they actually existed in their society; they regarded them as evils and nobody thought they were good. After calling attention to this kind of ugly character, the ultimate end in the Hereafter of the people having this kind of character has been stated. Both these things (i.e. the character and his fate in the Hereafter) have been depicted in a way which makes the listener automatically reach the conclusion that such a man fitly deserves to meet such an end. And since in the world, people of such character do not suffer any punishment, but seem to be thriving instead, the occurrence of the Hereafter becomes absolutely inevitable.

Just yesterday we shared Chapter 102 Sūrat at-Takāthur which cautioned those who have greed for more and enter into rivalry for worldly increase with others till they reach their graves empty handed and for such people the blazing fire of hell awaits. Sūrat al-Humazah also augments what Allah has already mentioned in the 104th chapter.

Before commenting on the text of this very important chapter of the Holy Qur'an, please read the English translation of the Sūrat al-Humazah to understand its plain meaning / translation :

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

• Woe to every scorner and mocker
• Who collects wealth and [continuously] counts it.
• He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal.
• No! He will surely be thrown into the Crusher.
• And what can make you know what is the Crusher?
• It is the fire of Allah, [eternally] fueled,
• Which mounts directed at the hearts.
• Indeed, Hellfire will be closed down upon them
• In extended columns.

Sūrat al-Humazah begins with two words “Humazat il- Lumazah” which together mean the same: The slanderers. While the first word means slanderers who hurt others by word of mouth, the second word means slanderers who hurt others by action. These are Traducers, the Backbiters, the Mockers and many such similar qualities of man which ultimately result into his destruction and have him taken to the fire of hell where he is "crushed" forever. [2]

It is for those people Allah has shown His remorse and sadness who while boasting of their edge over others in the community, take pride by defaming character or mocking the low social status of others, or even calling them with bad names to show their scorn tell lies about others to hurt their feelings and lowering them in eyes of others.

And such are the people who think that their reserves, wealth, properties and social status will enhance their lives and perhaps death would never beget them. And it is for these people Allah warns of them to be thrown into the Crusher - the blazing intense fire of hell, prepared for those who amassed wealth, scorned others due to their wealth and forgot commandments of Allah to spend in the name of Allah rather than keeping their wealth in secure vaults which is no use to the community with no circulation ability.

“Do you construct on every elevation a sign, amusing yourselves? And take for yourselves palaces and fortresses that you might abide eternally?” [Quran, 26: 128-129]

It is for them that a "fire which leapeth over the hearts" is promised. Some scholars like Ibn Kathir, Muhammad bin Ka`b interpret this verse believe that the Fire will devour every part of his body until it reaches his heart and comes to the level of his throat, then it will return to his body." [3]

So be warned, cautioned and watchful for what you do lest wrath of Allah falls both in this world and hereafter. 

You may now listen to the recitation of  Sūrat al-Humazah in Arabic with English subtitles

You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Part backwards for chapters in 30th Part are shorter and easier to understand)
Photo | 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 Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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The Holy Quran (Summary): Chapter 109 Sūrat al-Kāfirūn - The Unbelievers

Propagating a new religion among the desert hardened pagans of Makkah was not an easy task for Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him). The rich and famous of Makkah took pride in their age old traditions and polytheism, the worship of far too many idols for each season and humanly desires. Since over 300 idols placed in and around of Ka'aba, provided a means of sustenance to them as people from all over Arabia came to Makkah to pay homage to their gods and thus brought trade and money. Therefore, an end to their beliefs as manifested by emergence of Islam was taken as a great threat and they did their best to persuade prophet of Allah from propagating the concept of monotheism.

When every effort failed to convince Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the nobles among the Banu Quraysh started offering him different options, like entering into each others beliefs on yearly basis, or else offering him gifts, wine and women to stop talking of his new religion and faith. Then as a last resort they asked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to stop talking against their gods and idols and stop polluting the minds of the non believers. 

This definitely has a a telling effect on the Prophet of Allah who  was finding it difficult to make a headway or breakthrough. It was under such circumstances that Sūrat al-Kāfirūn was revealed by Allah, which provided a relief to the Prophet and a new course of action to keep the non believers at bay and to their beliefs.

Here is the English translation of Sūrat al-Kāfirūn:

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Say: Oh you who turn away

I do not worship what you worship,

nor do you worship what I worship.

And I will not worship what you worship,

Nor will you worship what I worship.

Your way is yours, and my way is mine.

The theme of this Surah is very simple and easy to understand: While it out rightly rejects polytheism, it gave a clear message to the pagans of Makkah that Islam was there to stay and that Muslims would never ever revert to idol worshiping, for it was against their very belief of monotheism, and that they would not tolerate sharing of wordily gods with one absolute Allah, the creator of the universe and mankind.

And this was not the only place where Allah has directed his Prophet to tell the non believers in very clear words that Muslims shall never follow the wordily gods ever again:

 "And if they reject you, then say: 'To me my deeds and to you your deeds and you are innocent of my accounts and I am innocent of yours,' " [Al-Qur'an 10:41] 

"For us our deeds and for you your deeds." [Al-Qur'an 28:55] 

This surah, like many others, also leave a clear message that Muslims believe in one Allah as was believed by Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham, peace be upon him) and all prophets and messengers who came thereafter. Thus anyone who digresses from the concept of monotheism, and shares others with Allah, is not whom we follow or support. This clearly emphasizes that Islam is free from idol worshiping and concept of God sharing or the concept of Trinity. And those who have beliefs and faith tangent to the faith and belief of Muslims and this can be summed up in one sentence: "To you your religion and to me mine."

The Prophet of Allah liked this surah so much which strengthened his faith that by Abdullah ibn Umar. son of second caliph Umer bin Khatab and a prominent authority on hadiths, has quoted that on many an occasion he heard Muhammad recite Sūrat al-Kāfirūn and Sūra al-Iklas in the two Rakats before the Pre-Dawn (Fajr) obligatory Prayer and in the two rakats after the Sunset (Maghrib) obligatory Prayer. He would also recommended reciting all four surahs starting with "Qul" before going to bed and before getting up from the bed in the morning.

Now you may like to listen to recitation of Sūrat al-Kāfirūn:

Calligraphy by Shahid Rana | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 
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.

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Sūrah Al Falak - The Daybreak: Summary of 113th Chapter of The Holy Quran

Sūrah Al Falak and Sūrah An Nas (the last Sūrah of the Holy Qur'an) have the same subject in common: The Evil. However the distinct difference being the form of evil from which refuge is being sought in both the sūrahs: Evil within in Sūrah An Nas while Sūrah Al Falak speaks of evil without. Read the English translation below and you would come to know of the type of evil referred to in this sūrah:

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn,

from anything harmful in Creation,

from the evil of darkness as it spreads,

from the evil of knotted spells,

from the evil of the envier when he envies.

The word Falak  means “to split.” Here the word split refers to the break of dawn because it splits the night and darkness. The daybreak is a relief for the man for all evils, both from men and jinn, are spread in the cover of darkness, that is the time between the sunset and sunrise. It has been quoted in the hadith reference book of Sahih Bukhari that Prophet of Allah has encouraged to bring children inside when the sun begins to set. "When the night falls, keep your children indoors, for the devils are out and about at this time. When an hour of the night goes by, you can let them go."

In this surah while refuges is sought from Allah, who is the lord of the dawn and dusk, it is specified that refuge is being sought from the evil of what created. And then refuge of Allah is being sought from the evil that creeps out in the darkness of night, the evil of magic and the last of all the evil oozing out of someone who envies one's blessing.

And we all know that the three forms of evils talked about in this surah are the one that are very common in our daily lives, specially that of evil of "Naffaathaat (women) who blow in Uqad (knots)" - like the soothsayer techniques to partially tie a knot, utter a curse and spit into the knot and pull it tight. In the pre-Islamic period, soothsayers claimed the power to cause various illnesses. According to soothsayers the knot had to be found and untied before the curse could be lifted. Such women (and men too) were very common in the times when this surah was revealed and once Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, too was victim of such sorcerers and it is believed this surah was revealed then to be recited to ward of the ill effects so desired.

The last of the evils from which refuge is sought is that of envious men who envy others for the favours and blessings or better position or wealth. Remember the story of two sons of Prophet Adam when Allah accepted the devotion of Able and Cane became envious of his own brother and killed him. Thus one seeks refuge from the evil eye of an envious man for it can be harmful.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is often quoted to have been saying to recite both Sūrah Al Falak and Sūrah An Nas at sunset and daybreak time to ward off evils of darkness and day.

Both these sūrahs are easy to remember and should be recited as often as one can to be in Allah's refuge from all evils that reside within and without. May Allah protect us all against all evils.

You many now listen to recitation of Sūrah Al Falak;

Calligraphy by Shahid Rana | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, those wanting detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to sites the references of which are given above.

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.

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The Holy Quran (Summary): Chapter 110 Sūrah an-Naṣr

Sūrah an-Naṣr (The Divine Help) is the last surah that was revealed unto Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It was resealed in Medina after the fall of Makkah, the stronghold of the pagans of Arabia. It is the third shortest surah consisting of just four verses after surahs Al-Asr and Al-Kawthar.

English translation of Sūrah an-Naṣr :

When comes the Help of Allah, and Victory,And you see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds,Celebrate the praises of your Lord, and pray for His Forgiveness: For He is Oft-Returning (in Grace and Mercy).

Sūrah an-Naṣr has many names like The Victory, Help, Divine Assistance or Succor. All pointing towards the most sought out victory over the pagans of Makkah and a big step towards consolidation of Islam as after the fall of Makkah pagans and non Muslims entered the fold of Islam in great numbers. All those who claim that Islam was spread with the sword should know that when Muslim army encircled Makkah, the pagans led them enter the city without any fight and Makkah fell without a drop of blood being shed.

The conquest of Mecca opened a new chapter in the history of Islam. When the call for Islam was made by the Prophet, many of the pagan tribes resisted accepting Islam and waited to see who would emerge victorious between the Prophet and the Quraysh. They reasoned that if the Quraysh were victorious, then Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a fake prophet! But if he was victorious, they reasoned, then he must really be a Messenger of Allah. And the fall of Makkah scored the point against their wishes as Islam in the end became victorious and there was no doubt left of the authenticity of the prophet-hood of Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Muslims waited for the fall of Makkah for a long time since they migrated to Medina and endured many a hardships at the hands of non Muslims and non believers. With the fall of Makkah thus, the victory that had Allah guaranteed to the Muslims finally came. And it also indicated that Allah had completed the mission of His Messenger by making him successful in conveying the message. 

Praising Allah and asking for his forgiveness is the last message of Allah for it is Allah alone who brought joy of fall of Makkah and without the divine help, Muslims could not have seen the greatest of the victories over the non believers. Allah also instructs his believers to seek forgiveness upon reeving good tidings rather than boasting one's achievement out of vanity and pride, for Allah doe not like those who boast and place them at a high pedestal for achieving a landmark. It is Allah alone who can grant us happiness and victories, so we must turn to him and seek forgiveness lest our vanity overtakes our thankfulness.

When this surah was revealed, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) understood the divine message that whatever was revealed unto him has seen its culmination with the fall of Makkah and that his mission has completed. So must therefore he should praise Allah and ask seek Allah's forgiveness. A few months thereafter the Prophet breathed his last.

It is quoted that when this Surah was revealed and the holy Prophet (S) recited it to the followers, they all became happy, but Abbas, the uncle of the holy Prophet (S), began shedding tears. The holy Prophet asked him why he was crying. He answered that he feared the Surah foretoldProphet's death. And the Prophet said: "It is so, my uncle"

Praising Allah and prostrating and asking for forgiveness has been the ways of prophets always. If we recall an earlier verse of Quran (Surah Yousaf), Prophet Yousaf (Joseph) too prostrated in front of Allah when his father joined him and he was exalted to the throne, praising Allah for His many bounties and blessings and asking for forgiveness:

My Lord! You have given me something of sovereignty and power and have taught me something of the interpretation of visions. Creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Protector in this world and the here after. Let me die in submission and join the righteous. (Qur'an 12:101)

You may like to listen to the recitation of Sūrah an-Naṣr in Arabic along with English translation:

References: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, those wanting detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to sites the references of which are given above.

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.

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Surah An Nas - The Mankind: Summary of 114th Chapter of The Holy Quran

Sūrah An-Nās  is the 114th and the last surah of the Holy Quran.  This surah was revealed in Makkah when a witch had put a spell on him, causing him difficulties. Thus this surah was revealed to be recited to remove evil spell on the Prophet. 

In the first surah of the Holy Qur'an, Sūrah al-Fātiḥah,  man seeks protection of Allah and begs of Him to guide him to  the righteous path and protect him from the paths of those upon whom wrath of Allah fell or those who go astray. Now in the last surah of the Qur'an, man seeks Allah's protection from the evil whispers from within. Thus from start till end, man is at the mercy of Allah and those who have firm faith in Allah ask His protection to remain on the righteous path.

It may also be noted that Sūrah Al Falak (Chapter 113) and Sūrah An-Nās both seek refuge of All from the evil. However while the former seeks from the evil that prevails all around us, the latter concentrates on the evil that resides inside the man. Read both surahs in together as both are intended to ward off evil and evil effects.

Here is the English translation of the Sūrah An-Nās:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.The Sovereign of mankind.The God of mankind.From the evil of the whisperer who withdraws.Who whispers in the breasts of mankind.Of Jinn and mankind.

In this the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is asked to seek refuge and protection from the Lord of the mankind and shielding against the evil, the Satan or devil or the shiahteen.

As regards the whispering of the evil into the breasts of the mankind, both jinn and humans, Al-Hafidh Abu Ya'la Musily quoted a Hadith which reported the Prophet as saying:

"Satan puts his hand on the heart of man. If he celebrates the remembrance of Allah, Satan removes his hand and if he forgets Allah, Satan overcomes his heart fully. This is the 'evil of the whisperer.' "

The philosophy behind revelation of Sūrah An-Nās is best understood in the present era when the means to go astray and follow the evil are much more than ever before. The nudity and the pornography has very enchanting ways to attract man from the divine path. But those who really believe and know how to differentiate between right or wrong, good or evil seek Allah's protection from falling into the shackles of Satan. 

Even Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned believers to beware of Satan as it resides inside everyone. The Companions asked, "Is there a devil even with you?" The Prophet said, "Yes, but Allah has granted me protection against him."

Talking of the healing powers hidden in this surah, Paola Garcia, a writer and translator from Chihuahua, Mexico, in her post on "How the Quran Helped Me Defeat Codependency" writes:

Sūrah An-Nāsh encapsulates the central tenet of Islam: there is no God but God. What does this mean in practical terms? It means that no thing, no person, no job, no financial situation, no government, nothing in this world has power over us, only God does. This principle is tremendously empowering and the key to inner strength and peace. We submit to God only and by doing so, we are free, we are never slaves to other human beings or to false gods, such as money or fame. 

If we are unconscious, if we are heedless, if we do not mindfully and purposely direct our thoughts by praying for God’s help and engaging in continuous personal and spiritual development,, then evil whispering (lowly, pessimistic, evil ideas) can enter our hearts through the company we keep, media, books and music we consume. If these have inferior motivations and lower energy, they will influence us and the negativity will seep into our hearts, and with the passage of time, our lives will reflect this. We will find ourselves in a low station in life because of this. If we do not engage in spiritual growth, the external ‘evil’ influences will overpower us. We will come to believe these ideas and false principles and act accordingly. Then we will wonder why we are not at peace. Thus we need God’s protection to avoid this. We need to remember who God is to us: God is Most Powerful, Most Merciful; God is always with us and guides us; we are highly valuable in God’s eyes; God wants us to succeed. Through prayer, we communicate with Him and He gives us what we ask for.

This surah is a protection surah that I love very much. It is seven verses long and each of them is enormously powerful if we reflect upon its meaning deeply and regularly, personally connecting it to our lives. I use this surah to ask God to safeguard me from codependency and help me avoid putting human beings on a pedestal. 

When Eating Disorder thoughts hit your mind, when you are having problems with your heart, conscious, or beliefs, recite this Surah to chase the Demon away and clear your mind. Remember, that no harm can come to you without the permission of Allah and He is the best of protectors.

May Allah protect us from the evil whispering of the Satan and make our faith ever stronger to fight the evil strategies. Aameen.

Now you may like to listen to the beautiful recitation of Sūrah An-Nās:

Calligraphy by Shahid Rana | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, those wanting detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to sites the references of which are given above.

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.

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Surah al-Baqarah - The Cow: Chapter 2 of Quran - Part 1 (Summary)

Surah al Baqarah is the longest surah of the Quran revealed in Medina. Because of its length it is not possible to cover its details and the Divine messages and commandments contained therein in one post. Therefore we have segmented it and will cover the surah in a number of posts for better and easy understanding.

Here in this post, we are presenting a summary of the entire surah. The summary is being published here as it is contained in the Islamic site Al Mawrid with their exclusive permission. The summary has been Translated from Islahi's "Tadabbur-i-Quran" into English by Shehzad Saleem:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

Quranic Exegesis

A subject-wise analysis of Surah Baqarah, the longest of the Quranic surahs, reveals that the surah can be distinctly divided into an introduction, a main body comprising four sections, and a conclusion. A study of this analysis shall not only be helpful in understanding the relationship of its various sections with its central theme, but also give the reader a general idea about the surah itself. We take up these sections in order.

Introduction

This section extends over the first thirty-nine verses of the surah. It begins with the mention of those among its addressees who shall accept faith and those who would reject it. A reference is then made to the mental perplexity and confusion of the latter after the Quran had begun to be revealed. In this regard, the Bani Ismael have been warned that this Book of Allah has revealed the truth in its ultimate form upon them. It would be extremely unfortunate for them if they are still led astray by the mischievous machinations of the Jews and thus deprive themselves of this great blessing---the Quran.

The introduction ends on the tale of Satan's malicious rivalry and the khilaafat of man. This tale is actually a mirror which reflects the whole scene which was created when the Prophet (pbuh) had started disseminating the Message of Allah, and it clearly brings out the supporters and the adversaries of the new religion. The criticism of the angels on the khilaafat of man and their subsequent satisfaction over it is actually the example of those people who initially kept away from Islam because they had some doubts about it, but, later on, as soon as the truth of this religion became evident to them, they became its supporters and allies. This was because they were true seekers of the truth and were not jealous and obstinate like others who had rejected Islam merely on these bases.

On the contrary, the opposition offered by Satan is actually the example of those who were opposing the Prophet (pbuh) due to sheer pride and vanity about their creed and status. The Jews and the leaders of the Quraish are perfect representatives of this category. Such hostile factions do not end their rivalry once they are aware of the truth, instead they get more hostile. Consequently, the more they were convinced of the truth of the Prophet's mission, the more they increased their aggression.

In the light of this tale, the Jews and their supporters have been explained that their malice and jealousy for the Prophet (pbuh) and his mission is exactly the same as was shown by Satan towards the khilaafat of man. It has been emphatically stated, simultaneously, that just as the khilaafat of man was constituted against the wishes of Satan, the Prophet hood of Mohammad (pbuh) shall be established against their wishes as well.

MAIN BODY

Section I

This section ranges from verse 40 to verse 121 and can be further divided into three subsections. In the first of these which ends with verse 46, the Bani Israel have been specifically addressed and urged to profess faith in the Prophet hood of Mohammad (pbuh) to which their own scriptures so clearly testify. They have then been reminded of the covenant they had pledged in supporting and helping this mission and in fact outdoing each other in this cause, as has been mentioned in the Torah. They have been cautioned that they must not forget this promise merely on the bases of malice and envy and have been further advised to refrain from the mean tactics they had adopted of mingling the true with the false. They have been urged to persevere in the cause of truth and pray regularly as both these would bring them Allah's help.

In the next subsection (verses 47-63), it has been explained, first of all, that a person shall be rewarded in the Hereafter on account of his faith and deeds and not on the basis of his association with a particular family or clan. It must be borne in mind that the Jews had fallen prey to the misconception that the position of power and respect they possess is due to the fact they they were the progeny of the prophets Abraham and Jacob. They, therefore, thought that this association would grant them salvation as well in the Hereafter. In fact, this arrogance proved the biggest obstacle for them in their acceptance of the Prophet hood of Mohammad (pbuh). It has consequently been made clear to them in the subsequent verses that whatever position and strength they possess and reckon to possess later are and would be a sheer blessing from the Almighty. They must not forget that if He has showered His favours and blessings upon them, He has also punished them whenever they have been ungrateful to Him. Therefore, they must turn to Him instead of depending on the false bases of race and creed; they must face the reality and give up their superstitious beliefs.

The last subsection (verses 64-121) is actually a history of the breach of promises and the traitor-ship of the Jews as to how they disobeyed the commandments of Allah and how this criminal mentality had been nurtured in them since the very beginning. A mention has also been made of their superstitions and of other activities which were instrumental in debasing the Shariah and the Book of Allah in their eyes.

All these details have been stated to make it clear upon the Jews that though they claim to be the recipients of a Divine Book, yet they have shown total indifference to it, and have broken all their promises with Allah. Therefore, it is necessary that the Almighty should depose them from their position of leadership, and grant this position of trust to those who are worthy of it.

Section II

In this section, which starts at verse 122 and ends with verse 163, the part of Abraham's life which relates to the building of the Baitullah is covered. It must be borne in mind that when Abraham had started to build the Baitullah, he had prayed to the Almighty to raise a Muslim Ummah among his progeny and a Prophet among them as well. Initially, it has been made clear in this section that the religion of Abraham and his descendants was Islam and not Judaism or Christianity. The Almighty created an Ummat-i-wast for the propagation of Islam. In accordance with Abraham's prayer, this Ummah's qiblah was the Baitullah and not the Bait-ul-Muqaddas. The Bait-ul-Muqaddas was only a temporary qiblah and therefore it was soon changed.

A subtle indication is then made that since at that time the Baitullah was under the control of the isolators of Makkah, it would have to be liberated and taken under control. This would require a lot of sacrifice---both of life and wealth---and success in this undertaking would depend on the Almighty's help. The only sources through which this help can be sought are praying to Him and showing perseverance in this cause.

Since the real purpose of narrating this tale is to highlight the fact that Abraham's prayer was answered in the Prophet hood of Mohammad (pbuh) and that he was the true inheritor of Abraham's mission, therefore, all distortions and tampering which the Jews were guilty of committing with their own scriptures in this regard have been brought to light. The Jews, it must be kept in mind, wanted to hide every evidence which related to Abraham and the Baitullah and the alter of Marwah.

Section III

This section, which ranges from verse 164 to verse 242 mainly consists of the laws and directives of the Shariah revealed to the Muslim Ummah. Since the Jews and the idolaters had distorted and twisted many of these and were also responsible for many religious innovations, all these adulteration have been exposed. These laws and directives have not been stated in any juristic order, instead, their order is according to the circumstances which arose. The order aims at the the general education and reformation of the Muslims. Briefly stated these directives are:

(1) Tauheed (163-172),

(2) prayers and zakat (177),

(3) Qisaas and deeyat (178-79),

(4) legacies and wills (180-82),

(5) fasts (183-87),

(6) Prohibition of bribery and wealth obtained through ill-means (188),

(7) Haj and then jehad and infaaq on account of the relationship of the latter two with the former because at that time the Baitullah was under the control of the idolaters (189-218),

(8) Prohibition of intoxicants and gambling, permission of incorporating the affairs of the orphans with their guardians and prohibition of marriage among idolaters (219-21),

(9) Marriage ,divorce, eela, khula`, radaa`at, naan-u-nafqah of the deceased among the spouses and other issues of marital life (222-42).

Section IV

In this section (243-83), the Muslims have been induced to wage jihad against the unbelievers to liberate the Baitullah from their hold. They have also been motivated to spend in the way Allah for this cause. A reference is then made to the battle fought by Bani Israel, which has many similarities with the battle of Badr, to set free their qiblah from the Palestinians. Then after a parenthetical sentence infaaq is further stressed. In this regard, various examples have been cited to elucidate what type of people does the Almighty guide from the gloom of darkness to the radiance of light and who among the people are left by Him to rove in the darkness. A mention is next made of the blessings of infaaq, its conditions and characteristics and of some important sections of the society which should be its recipients. Simultaneously, a prohibition of riba, the very antithesis of infaaq, is made. The section ends with a directive which pertains to precautionary measures that should be undertaken in lending and borrowing.

Conclusion


This section (284-86) is the conclusion of the surah. It has been first of all explained that everything in this Universe is under the control of the Almighty; He shall take account of everything whether hidden or visible and punish and bless according to His law whomsoever He wills. It has subsequently been elaborated that whether anyone else believes or not, the Prophet (pbuh) and his followers firmly believe that this Book has been revealed by the Almighty. The surah ends with a prayer in which every word speaks of the tremendous responsibilities of this Book which the Jews and the Christians were unable to fulfill and which now have been passed on to the followers of this new religion.

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Surah al-Baqarah with English subtitles:

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

Photo  | References: Why Surah named after Cow | Āyat al-Kursī |

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. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• 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. [2] 

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], 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

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

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