Why does Allah give leverage to the tyrants and demagogues

The world is full of tyrants, usurpers, demagogues and criminals who roam around the helpless scot-free while the poor and hapless continue to live a life of oppression and miseries. These criminals are generally above the law as the law to is afraid of them and even these known culprits cheat the justice by bribery and coercion and have the cases against them settled in their favour and rule the world without any fear. This equally applicable to many politicians who when seeking votes make larger than life big promises but when they walk into the power corridors their lust for looting public money and enforce a regime of oppression and make their people bleed rather then affording them a happy living.

The poor and oppressed often wonder why the Divine One extend leverage to them while the blatantly disobey His rules and  create chaos on the land at their will? Does Allah favour them or does Allah let the helpless be oppressed forever? They often wonder what is the Wisdom behind delaying the Punishment ?

There is indeed a rationale behind this and Allah explains this in the 45th verse / ayat of Surah 35. Fatir:

وَلَوۡ يُـؤَاخِذُ اللّٰهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوۡا مَا تَرَكَ عَلٰى ظَهۡرِهَا مِنۡ دَآ بَّةٍ وَّلٰـكِنۡ يُّؤَخِّرُهُمۡ اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّىۚ فَاِذَا جَآءَ اَجَلُهُمۡ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهٖ بَصِيۡرًا

(35:45) If Allah were to take people to task for their deeds, He would not leave any living creature on earth, but He grants them respite to an appointed time. When their appointed time comes to an end, surely Allah fully observes His servants.

This is a self explanatory answer to the woes of many. None of us clean and free of faults and crimes. All of us have wounded hearts, intentionally or even intentionally, and hurt others even if we thought were not. and that is how crimes germinate from small incidents to larger and bigger crimes. I f seen from the perspective of Allah, we all are criminals of some kind. So if Allah starts to catch  everyone of us, there wouldn't be any one  living or being misery. Allah being most compassionate and entirely merciful, thus gives us leverage so that we may amend our attitudes and let everyone live in peace. But this leverage is time barred for every dog has its day. So Allah grants these criminals and demagogues respite to an appointed time. And when despite the respite so given, if the criminals do not mend their ways, repent their crimes and seek forgiveness, the wrath of Allah is ferocious and unending.

Ever seen a deadly snake who scares the hell out of us and everyone fears of their life. But when the snake is killed, it lies lifelessly and people come and kick it at leisure with no fear. Same happens to these usurpers and tyrants. When wrath of Allah descends on them, the fall to grace to utterly misery and are even hanged and robbed of their once tyrannical and wealthy life. The world is replete with such examples. Even many mighty people of Ad and empires like the Roman Empires vanished leaving only the remnants of their might. These remnant are for us as reminders of Godly justice which strikes at the appointed time and for us to shun our wrong notions and follow the way of God - The Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - The Straight Path.

Renowned Muslim scholar Yusuf Ali explains this verse as under:

Cf. xvi. 61. " If Allah were to punish men for their wrongdoing He would not leave on the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated term: when their term expires they would not be able to delay (the punishment) for a single hour just as they would not be able to anticipate it (for a single hour)."

There would be no salvation for any of us if we went merely on our deserts. It is Allah's mercy that saves us and helps us to a better and better life until we attain the goal of our existence.

A single living creature. This may refer to man, the living crawling creature, with so many possibilities and yet so many weaknesses. But it may mean all creatures literally, as the life of this planet more or less centres round the life of man. He has been given dominion on this earth, and in his state of purity he is Allah's vicegerent.

Has in His sight all creatures: i.e., to deal with, according to His laws of Forbearance, Mercy and Justice. The respite does not mean that any one escapes His vigilant eye. All will be dealt with according to their deeds, with justice tempered with Mercy.

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth;) meaning, if He were to punish them for all of their sins, He would destroy all the people of the earth and all that they own of livestock and crops. 

Sa`id bin Jubayr and As-Suddi commented on the Ayah: (He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth;) "This means, He would have stopped sending rain to them, and all the animals would have died as a result.''

(but He gives them respite to an appointed term,) means, but He is delaying until the Day of Resurrection, when He will bring them to account and will reward or punish each one according to his deeds: He will reward those who obeyed Him and will punish those who disobeyed Him. 

He says: (and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever All-Seer of His servants.) This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Fatir. All praise and gratitude is due to Allah.

Explanation Qur'an Wiki:

The last verse in the sūrah speaks of God’s forbearance and compassion, juxtaposing these with His power and knowledge. It emphasizes that people are given a chance, not punished immediately, but that this does not affect the eventual accurate reckoning of their deeds or the fairness of the results at the end. All this is an aspect of His grace.

People commit all sorts of bad actions, showing ingratitude for God’s favours, spreading evil and corruption on earth, committing all manner of injustices and excesses. Were God to mete out fair punishment to people for their actions, His punishment would have gone beyond them to include every living thing on the face of the earth. The whole planet would then be unsuitable for any type of life, not merely human life.

This highlights the terrible nature of what people perpetrate as a destructive force that could end life in its entirety. However, God does not take people to task straightaway; He forbears and gives them chances: “However, He grants them respite for a term set [by Him].” He grants respite to individuals until the end of their lives on earth, and gives communities respite to fulfil their responsibility in performing the task He has assigned mankind to build human life on earth, until they hand over to the next generation. He also grants respite to the human race until the end of human life in this world when the Last Hour arrives. He provides us with all these chances so that we mend our ways and improve our actions.

“When their term comes to an end...” when the time for work and earning reward is over; when it is time for reckoning and administering reward; God will not begrudge them anything of their reward. On the contrary, He will be fair to all: “God has all His servants in His sight.” The fact that He has them all in His sight ensures that they will be fairly requited for whatever they have done in their lives. Nothing serious or trivial will be discounted for or against them.

Thus ends this sūrah which started with praising God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, “who assigns angels to be messengers, endowed with wings,” delivering His message, with its warnings and happy news to people on earth.

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 help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 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  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 

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.

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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Our Lord! Guide us on Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - The Straight Path

Today in our series of posts on Selected Invocations  (Dua / دُعا) from Qur'ān, we share a very short yet very powerful invocation  (Dua / دُعا) from Qur'ān which in fact is the essence of the whole Qur'ān. No other invocation is as strong as the 6th verse of the first Chapter Sürah Al-Fātiḥah. Although the entire chapter is an invocation itself, yet after invoking the very mercy of Allah, a Muslim must beseech his Creator to show him the Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - " الصراط المستقيم  " The Straight Path. 

Simply going by the translation, the Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - " الصراط المستقيم  " is just a Straight Path. But that is not what is meant by this invocation, not even in the most plain translation. If a believer truly understands the essence of this invocation and then remains steadfast, his entire life will transform into a life of truth and guidance, duly supervised by none other Allah Himself.

Allah tells the Muslims to be on the middle way, the straight path, and not to go upon the 'other paths', which Mujāhid said, it refers to innovations and doubtful matters. Doubtful, or disliked, matters are Makruh (Arabic: مكروه), and are not considered a sin, but as the grey area between good and evil. It is said that if you do the Makruh things, you will not be punished, but if you avoid them, Allah will reward you. [1]

In one of his lectures, eminent Muslim scholar compared Sirat al Mustaqim to a motorway. The straight path is just like a major motor way that may have many lanes, yet following the same motorway one reaches its destination. If en route, one accidently takes an exit, it is tantamount of being derailed from one's intended path and for getting back on to it, one has to make a detour of many extra miles and be on the main road again. Likewise, the straight guided path of Allah has not exits. If one gets on to the straight path and remains steadfast he is sure to be guided by Allah and helped to remain on the path despite distractions by the evil machinations of the Satan. The exits are like distractions by evil forces which one must avoid to be on the right path. If one gets distracted and takes an exit, then he has to carryout a whole lot of efforts by cleansing his heart and mind of those distracted ideas and be on the path of Allah once again. 

Thus it can be said that those follow the guidance contained in the Al Qur'an and Sunnah (teachings and way of life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) will never get astray. The concluding part of the last sermon of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stressed on Muslims to never leave the guidance provided by the Al Qur'an:

"I have left among you the Book of Allah, and if you hold fast to it, you would never go astray."

Let us go deeper into its meaning as many eminent Muslim scholars have tried to unfold its meaning and effect on the life of a true believer:

اِهۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِيۡمَۙ‏ 

(1:6) Direct us on to the Straight Way,

In fact in response to this invocation, And in response, Allah has revealed the whole Quran for our guidance to show us exactly what is the Siraat al Mustaqeem, what are the trials and tribulations, and what honor and reward awaits those who follow the Straight Path.

The very next verse qualifies which is the straight path:

صِرَاطَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ‏ غَيۡرِ الۡمَغۡضُوۡبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا الضَّآلِّيۡنَ

(1:7) The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace Those whose (portion) is not wrath and who go not astray.

That is that the Straight Path is the one on whom Allah bestowed His Grace, and not the path of those who played in hands of the Evil, and upon whom the wrath of Allah would befall on the Day of resurrection.

Every Muslim owes it to his Creator to read and understand the Message that was revealed for his guidance. If anyone deliberately does not want to understand the guidance, then he will be guilty in the Court of Allah. Allah will not accept the excuse that you believed so and so of the holy men and invoked them and did so many ziyaarat to their graves! There is one way and one way only, to understand which is the Path acceptable to Allah; and that is to read the Holy Quran with understanding! Once you have read the Holy Quran with understanding, Allah puts so much courage and wisdom in your hearts, that all the things that look strong and formidable today, are powerless, compared to the strength of Allah. [2]

Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi notes that by this innovation we beseech Allah to show us that way which may lead us aright in every walk of life and keep us absolutely free from errors and evil consequences and bring us success in the end." , This is the request which the servant of Allah makes to Him when he begins the study of the Qur'an. He prays to Him to guide him in every walk of life and save him from the labyrinths of doubt and uncertainty, which result from the lack of true knowledge. The servant also requests the Master to show him the right and the straight way of life from among the many by-paths and crooked ways.

The straight way for which we are praying is the way which has always been followed by the people favored by Thee and which has always brought Thy favors and blessings.

This is to show that the favored people are not those who go astray and incur the wrath of Allah, though apparently they might be enjoying the transitory good things of life. The really favored people are those who receive blessings on account of their righteous living. From this it also becomes clear that by favors are meant those real and permanent rewards, which result from righteous living and from winning the pleasure of Allah, and not those transitory good things of life which have been enjoyed even by the tyrants and worshipers of mammon and which are being enjoyed even today by all sorts of evildoers who have gone astray from the straight way.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

If we translate by the English word "guide," we shall have to say: "Guide us to and in the straight Way." For we many be wandering aimlessly, and the first step is to find the Way; and the second need is to keep in the Way: our own wisdom may fail in either case. The straight Way is often the narrow Way, or the steep Way, which many people shun (xc.11). By the world's perversity the straight Way is sometimes stigmatized and the crooked Way praised. How are we to judge? We must ask for God's guidance. With a little spiritual insight we shall see which are the people who walk in the light of God's grace, and which are those that walk in the darkness of Wrath. This also would help our judgment.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

The verb اِهْدِنَا occurs here without the preposition اِلٰي. Thus, according to linguistic principles, the expression اِهۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِيۡمَ now does not simply mean “give us guidance.” More aspects are added to this; ie., “set our hearts on this path; instil in us the desire to tread this path, give us the resolve and determination to stay on this path and guide us in its ups and downs, and forever give us the urge to tread on it in this manner.”

The actual words are: اِهۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِهۡمَ. The article ال signifies عهد (definition). That is the straight path which has been explained in the next verse.

Qur'an Wiki:

With these words a believer pleads to be shown the Right Way and to be helped along it, which cannot be achieved without God’s guidance, care and mercy. To acknowledge that is in itself a recognition of God’s sovereignty and dominance over all things and events.

Guidance to the right way of life guarantees man’s happiness in this world and in the hereafter. It comes about, in effect, by guiding human nature and man’s instincts, desires and inspirations towards the recognition and comprehension of the divine will, so bringing human activity into rhythm with the natural order and the physical world.

The sūrah reveals the nature of the “straight path” as being one taken by those whom God has favoured, not the way of those who have earned His displeasure by their deviation from the Truth, nor that of the heedless who have no knowledge of the truth. It is the path of happiness and salvation.

We now share a very informative video on the subject by Abdur Raheem McCarthy, which clearly explains the very meaning of Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm and how we as Muslims can follow it so that we not only please Allah but also being guided to Paradise, In Sha Allah, one day:

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. May Allah help us remain steadfast and continue to be on the Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm and let us not be distracted by the evil forces which may try their best to derail from this guided past and let us go astray. Aameen.

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.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

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.

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

Seek help from Allah and be steadfast - The end belongs to the God-fearing

No matter how tyrant or strong a ruler may be or how much can suppress his people with force and power, the ultimate success lies for those who are God fearing, steadfast and humble for they know the end belongs to them as promised by Allah.

Surah 7. Al-A'raf  is one of the many Surahs of Qur'an in which mention of Prophet Musa (Moses, علي السلام ) is made to recall the tyranny of Pharoah and how his end came when he challenged the Sovereignty of Allah. Throughout the Qur'an, the arrogance of Pharoah and humbleness and patience of Prophet Musa ( علي السلام ) is pitched against each other.  In the end the arrogance was humbled, and humility and faith were protected and advanced.

We share the 128th verse from Surah 7. Al-A'raf  in which Prophet Musa ( علي السلام ) advises his people to be steadfast and firmly hope for the help of Allah for it is He to Whom belongs to the entire universe and the end will be belong to those who are firm in their faith and are God fearing. This verse is as true as today and if the oppressed believers cling faithfully and firmly to Allah and seeks His help, they will have a blessed ending in the end: 

قَالَ مُوۡسٰى لِقَوۡمِهِ اسۡتَعِيۡنُوۡا بِاللّٰهِ وَاصۡبِرُوۡا​ ۚ اِنَّ الۡاَرۡضَ لِلّٰهِ ۙ يُوۡرِثُهَا مَنۡ يَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهٖ​ ؕ وَالۡعَاقِبَةُ لِلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَ‏ 

(7:128) Moses said to his people: 'Seek help from Allah and be steadfast. The earth is Allah's, He bestows it on those of His servants He chooses. The end of things belongs to the God-fearing.'

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

Moses (sws) was a Messenger of God. Hence, this is a reference to the established practice of God in accordance with which He necessarily grants dominance to the messenger and his followers over their enemies.

(Seek help from Allah) Ie., prostrate before God in the prayer and request His help. The same way has been mentioned in the Qur’ān to seek help from God. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

... It is very difficult to remain steadfast during trials and tribulations. It is not possible without God’s help. The Qur’ān mentions this fact in the following words in verse 127 of Sūrah al-Naḥl: وَمَا صَبْرُكَ اِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ (You can only acquire patience through God’s help). This means asking for God’s help is the prayer. In fact, it also refers to that special prayer to which the Prophet (sws) and his companions were directed to in the early part of the Makkan period that was replete with trials and difficulties. It is precisely this which Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws) were directed to as well. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 3, 351)

Qur'an Wiki:

This is how a prophet sees the nature of Godhead and how it enlightens his heart. He is aware of what takes place in the universe, the forces operating in it, the laws God has established in it and what those who remain steadfast, holding firmly to their faith, may hope for the future. The advocates of the true faith have only one safe haven and one protector who is God Almighty. They have to be patient in adversity until God, their protector, in His perfect wisdom, determines the time when He grants them victory. They may not precipitate matters because they cannot foretell the future and they do not know what will work for their own good.

 

The whole earth belongs to God; while Pharaoh and his people are there only for a transitory period. God will allow, in His wisdom and according to the rules He has established, the earth to be inherited by whomever He chooses of His servants. Hence, the advocates of the true faith may not judge by appearances, which could give the impression that tyranny is firmly established on earth and cannot be driven out. It is the owner of the earth who decides when to kick those tyrants out. The God- fearing will sooner or later be triumphant. Hence, the advocates of the true faith must not worry about the future or consider for a moment that those unbelievers will continue to have the upper hand for ever.

May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى‎) 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  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 |

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.

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

Understanding Al Qur'an - Reference to specific subjects for easy access

Qur'an is not only a religious book of DOs and DONTs but it is a book of guidance for the entire mankind. There is hardly subject that has been missed out of the Qur'an for which readers may feel wanting of more references or seek guidance from another source. From the childbirth to death, all stages of a man's life are beautifully encompassed in these less than a thousand pages one books only as against dozens of books and stories of other Divine religions. That is why more and more non-Muslims today find Qur'an a wholesome book for guidance and how to live a life liked by none other than our Creator, Allah the Almighty.

However, it is very difficult to locate verses specific to a subject as many subjects are mentioned at numerous places in Qur'an and for an ordinary reader, it be very difficult to find verses related to one specific subject. Many good men and Muslim scholars have taken upon them to compile verses specific to a subject and tabulated for easy access. Such listings are very useful for the reverts who have recently embraced Islam or even for non-Muslims if they want to know what Qur'an says about something they may be looking for.

We have been sharing selected verses from Qur'an and have tabulated these under different headings so that our viewers could consult these when looking for a specific subject. You may consult our page: Selected Verses from Qur'an in this regard.

However, it may be appreciated that selecting verses at random, and then adding translation and explanation / Exegesis “التفسير “takes time and the add on verses process is rather slow. That is why we are tabulating specific subjects for which we will find related verses and their translation for easy reference. At the same time, we will continue to add explanation / Exegesis “التفسير “concurrently. 

Some of the specific subjects that we have chosen include:

• Previous Prophets (mentioned in Qur'an)
• Repentance / Forgiveness
• Life: The word(s) "Life" appears 219 times in 187 verses (In Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation of Qur'an)
• Death: The word(s) "Death" appears 80 time(s) in 74 verse(s) (In Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation of Qur'an)
• Muslim: The word(s) "Muslim" appears 16 time(s) in 15 verse(s) in Quran in Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation.
• Man: The word(s) "man" appears 656 time(s) in 577 verse(s) in Quran in Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation.
• Woman: The word(s) "woman" appears 26 time(s) in 23 verse(s) in Quran in Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation.
• Islamic Laws 
• Family Laws
• Laws of Inheritance
• Rewards / Punishments
• Palmistry / Lots / Gambling
• Alcohol / Intoxicants
• Relations / Social etiquettes
• Characteristic of good Muslims (men and women)
• Characteristics of those who anger their Creator
• Day of Resurrection: The word(s) "resurrection" appears 20 time(s) in 19 verse(s) (In Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation of Qur'an) 
• Heaven: The word(s) "heaven" appears 249 time(s) in 244 verse(s) in Quran in Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation.
• Hell: The word(s) "hell" appears 95 times in 95 verse(s) in Quran in Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation.
• ... and more being added

We have taken a start and we will soon be adding pages specific to each subject mentioned above. We hope out endeavors to help Muslims, especially the Reverted Muslims, and even the non-Muslims will add to their knowledge and assist them in learning Qur'an and Islam.

Reading, learning and understanding the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. An effort has been made to gather links to verses containing specific subjects for easy reference. 

You may refer to our reference page: Understanding Al Qur'an for more information on how to understand Qur'an better.

Photo | More 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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Understanding Al Qur'an (Reference Page)

Al-Qurʾān " القرآن " is the last of the four Divine Scriptures that was revealed to last of the prophets Muhammad ﷺ by Allah through archangel Jibraeel (Gabriel). The language of Qur'an is Arabic and contains 114 chapters, called Sūrah " سورة " which consist of varying number of verses (آيات ʾāyāt,). These 114 chapters are divided into thirty parts called Juz'. 

The Qur'an was revealed onto Prophet Muhammad ﷺ both in Makkah (Mecca) and Medinah over a period of 23 years of his prophethood. That is why the revelations during the Meccan period are called Meccan Sūrahs and those revealed in the Medinah are called Medinan Sūrahs. The Meccan Sūrahs are generally shorter for these contained general invitation to Islam and modalities. However, verses of the Medinan Sūrahs are much longer as these contain the detailed instructions and commandments encompassing all matters related to life, relations with non-Muslims and Divine Laws to administer daily lives of the Muslims, beside social and community etiquettes. Besides these also contain references and mention of previous prophets, especially Prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (may peace be upon them) beside others.

The Arabic language of Qur'an differs from the textual Arabic being the Divine language. For this reason, it is widely regarded as the finest work in Arabic literature, and has significantly influenced the Arabic language.

Since the language of Qur'an is Arabic, many reverts, those non-Muslims embracing Islam, find it difficult to grasp the real essence of this Divine Scripture as mere translation does not convey the true meaning and correlation of verses and Sūrahs with previous and following chapters/Sūrah as many subjects are interrelated, yet scattered throughout the Qur'an.

In order to assist the reverts, we have taken upon us to present the simple translation followed by detailed explanation / exegesis (called Tafsir in Arabic “التفسير “) by more than one Islamic scholar and exegetes for better simulation and understanding. Some of these scholars include:

• Abu al-Fiḍā ‘Imād Ad-Din Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Umar ibn Kathīr al-Qurashī Al-Damishqī, known as Ibn Kathīr ابن كثير, died 1373, was a highly influential Arab historian, exegete and scholar during the Mamluk era in Syria.
• Abul A'la Al-Maududi (1903-1979) an Islamic scholar, Islamist ideologue, Muslim philosopher, jurist, historian, journalist, activist and scholar active in Hyderabad Deccan and later, following partition and the annexation of Hyderabad, in Pakistan.
• Muhammad Asad, (1900-1992) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Jew and revert to Islam who worked as a journalist, traveler, writer, linguist, political theorist, diplomat. His translation of the Quran in English, "The Message of The Qur'an" is one of the most notable of his works.
• Abdullah Yusuf Ali, (1872-1953) was an Indian-British barrister and Muslim scholar who wrote a number of books about Islam including a translation of the Qur'an.
• Jāvēd Ahmed Ghāmidī is a Pakistani Muslim theologian, Quran scholar, Islamic modernist, exegete and educationist. He is also the founding President of Al-Mawrid Institute of Islamic Sciences and its sister organisation Danish Sara.
• Nouman Ali Khan is a Pakistani-American Islamic speaker and Arabic instructor who founded the Bayyinah Institute for Arabic and Qur’anic Studies after serving as an instructor of Arabic at Nassau Community College. 
• And others whose mention is made separately in the References given after each exegesis. 

We have also included videos of recitation of Qur'an by some of the best reciters of Qur'an and explanation of complete or part of the Sūrahs by eminent Muslim scholars.

The modus operandi of our effort is divided into five parts as under:

* General Information:

• What is Holy Qur'an - The Book of Allah
• Brief History of Compilation of Holy Qur'an
• Essence of Holy Qur'an
• Surahs of the Holy Quran Known as Al-Musabbihat "The Praisers"
• Understanding the Holy Quran: Huroof Muqatta’at - Disjoined Letters
• Who can benefit from the Guidance of al Qur'an?
• The easiest way to memorize Al Qurʾān القرآن

* 114 Chapters (Surahs) of the Holy Qur'an: Summary /Translation, Exegesis / Tafsir “التفسير “

• Selected verses from Sūrahs of Qur'an to highlight important topics with detailed explanation
• Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject 

* Selected Invocations  (Dua / دُعا) from Qur'ān

* Important DOs and DON'Ts from Qur'an (Understanding Qur'an)

* Reference to specific subjects in Al Qur'an for easy access

* Lessons from selected Surahs of Quran:

• Surah Al Hujuraat: Teaching Mannerism to believers

Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. 

May Allah (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.

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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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Beware! Following the majority may mislead from path of Allah

New ideas and concepts are always hard to digest and are generally shot down the moment these are offered to the world. If we look back many scholars and men of literature had to face extreme resistance when they floated new ideas. Likewise all Divine religions too were heavily and harshly contested by the followers of the previous religions or those following the traditions and culture of their ancestors. The prophets sent in by Allah really had to wade their way through to convince their people to the ultimate straight path as professed by them based on Divine Commandments.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ too was no exception and he and his few followers had to endure extreme physical and mental torture, yet he never gave in to the voice of the majority and the world later witnessed how a small community of believers expanded and today ranks as the second biggest religion of the world.

Even today, the dominating majority is extremely aggressive and every effort is being made to tarnish the image of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by way of speech and caricatures and creating hurdles in the way of progression of expansion of Islam. Yet Muslim scholars, men of pen and even ordinary Muslims are not giving in and continuing to extend invitation to the non Muslims to come under the fold of Islam. The following 116th verse of Surah 6. Al An'am is one of the many verses from Qur'an which is the driving force behind the Muslims to never give in to the voice of the majority of the people of the world and continue unabated in their efforts to invite people to Islam:

وَاِنۡ تُطِعۡ اَكۡثَرَ مَنۡ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ يُضِلُّوۡكَ عَنۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ​ؕ اِنۡ يَّتَّبِعُوۡنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَاِنۡ هُمۡ اِلَّا يَخۡرُصُوۡنَ‏ (6:116) (O Muhammad!) if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path. They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.

The right thing for a seeker-after-truth is not to consider what way the majority of the people are following because that is based on guess-work instead of knowledge. Their beliefs, theories, philosophies, principles of life and laws are the result of guess-work and are, therefore, sure to mislead. In contrast to that, the way of life with which Allah is pleased, can only be the Way which Allah Himself has taught. Therefore, the seeker-after-truth should adopt that way and steadfastly follow it, even though he is left alone on it. 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

Most People are Misguided - Allah states that most of the people of the earth, are misguided. 

Allah said in other Ayat:

(And indeed most of the men of old went astray before them.) [37:71]  and,

(And most of mankind will not believe even if you eagerly desire it.) [12:103] 

That is they are misguided, yet they have doubts about their way, and they rely on wishful thinking and delusions. and (They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.) Thus, they fulfill Allah's decree and decision concerning them,

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

I.e., regarding the true nature of human life and its ultimate destiny, the problem of revelation, the relationship between God and man, the meaning of good and evil, etc. Apart from leading man astray from spiritual truths, such guesswork gives rise to the arbitrary rules of conduct and self-imposed inhibitions to which the Qur'an alludes, by way of example, in verses {118} and {119}.

Qur'an Wiki:

Having stated that the truth is simply what is contained in the Book revealed by God, the surah states that what human beings legislate is the result of following conjecture which is devoid of all certainty. To follow it leads to one clear outcome: error. It also explains that human beings cannot be certain of the truth and cannot follow it unless they receive it from its only source. The surah also warns God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) against obeying people in what they say or advocate, no matter how great their number may be. Ignorance remains the same even though it gathers a very large following: 

At the time when the Qur’an was revealed, most people on earth belonged to the world of jahiliyyah (period of ignorance), as is certainly the case today. They did not refer to God for judgement in all their affairs. Nor did they make the divine law contained in His revealed Book the law which they implemented. Nor did they derive their concepts, ideas, thoughts and code of living from God’s guidance. Hence, they followed the way of ignorance, as they certainly do today. They could not formulate any opinion or advocate any ruling based on the truth, and they could not lead anyone who followed them except into error. Just as people do today, they abandoned certitude in order to follow conjecture and guesswork. Hence, God warns His Messenger and his followers against obeying them so that they do not stray from His path. This warning has a general import, although it is given in connection with the prohibition of certain types of slaughtered animals and permitting others, as is later explained.

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

May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى‎) 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.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 

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.

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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No one can share burden of sin committed by another - even though he be a near of kin

Sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. No religion or culture advocates committing of sins or wrongdoings. Islam lays immense attention to committal of sins and cautions the believers to stay away from everything that has been ordained to be stayed away from.

And if the sin is committed, only the person who committed the sin will be help responsible and none other than him can carry the burden of his sin, no matter how close he may be. Even a son cannot bear the load of his father's sins, nor can father carry his son's sins.

There are many verses that caution men about committing sin for none will help them sharing even a small sin of his on the Day of Resurrection. We choose today 18th verse of Surah 18. Fatir with the same theme:

وَ لَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِّزۡرَ اُخۡرَىٰ ؕ وَاِنۡ تَدۡعُ مُثۡقَلَةٌ اِلٰى حِمۡلِهَا لَا يُحۡمَلۡ مِنۡهُ شَىۡءٌ وَّلَوۡ كَانَ ذَا قُرۡبٰى ؕ اِنَّمَا تُنۡذِرُ الَّذِيۡنَ يَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّهُمۡ بِالۡغَيۡبِ وَاَقَامُوا الصَّلٰوةَ ؕ وَمَنۡ تَزَكّٰى فَاِنَّمَا يَتَزَكّٰى لِنَفۡسِهٖ ؕ وَاِلَى اللّٰهِ الۡمَصِيۡرُ‏ 

(35:18) No one can bear another's burden. If a heavily laden one should call another to carry his load, none of it shall be carried by the other, even though he be a near of kin. (O Prophet), you can warn only those who fear their Lord without seeing Him and establish Prayer.41 Whoever purifies himself does so to his own good. To Allah is the final return.

"Burden": the burden of the responsibilities of actions. It means: In the sight of Allah every one is responsible for his own actions and for no one else's. There is no possibility that Allah will place the burden of one man's responsibility upon the other, nor is there the possibility that a person will take the burden of another's responsibility upon himself and get himself seized for the crime committed by the other. This thing has been said here because the polytheist kinsmen and relatives of the people who were embracing Islam in Makkah, used to urge them, saying, Give up Islam and return to your ancestral faith. We take the responsibility of any punishment etc. on ourselves."

In the preceding sentence, Allah's law of justice has been enunciated, according to which He will not seize any person for the sin committed by another, but will hold everyone responsible for his own sin. In this sentence the Muslims have been told: `Those who urge you to give up faith and commit evil on the assurance that they will take on themselves the burden of your sins on the Day of Resurrection, are in fact giving you a false hope. When Resurrection comes and the people see what fate they are going to meet in consequence of their misdeed, everyone will be concerned only about himself. Brother will turn away from brother and father from son, and no one will be prepared to take even an atom's weight of another's burden on himself." 

In other words, "Your warnings cannot have any effect on obstinate and stubborn people. Your admonitions can bring only such people to the right path, who have fear of God in their hearts, and who are inclined to bow before their real Master." 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(And no bearer of burdens shall bear another's burden;) means, on the Day of Resurrection.

(and if one heavily laden calls another to (bear) his load, ) means, if the person who is carrying a heavy burden calls someone else to help him carry his load, all or part of it,

(nothing of it will be lifted even though he be near of kin.) means, even if he is closely-related to him, even if he is his father or son, for each person will be preoccupied with his own self and his own situation. Then Allah says:

(You can warn only those who fear their Lord unseen and perform the Salah.) means, `the only ones who will draw a lesson from what you have brought are those who are possessed of insight and wisdom, who fear their Lord and who do as He commands.'

(And he who purifies himself, then he purifies only for the benefit of himself.) means, who does righteous deeds, the benefit of that will come back to him,

And to Alla0h is the Return. means, to Him everything will ultimately return, and He is swift in bringing to account. He will reward or punish everyone according to his deeds: if they are good, then the end will be good, and if they are bad, then the end will be bad.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

( AND NO BEARER of burdens shall be made to hear another's burden; ) I.e., on Judgment Day - for "whatever [wrong] any human being commits rests upon him alone" ( 6:164 , which is followed by a sentence identical with the one above).

( and if one weighed down by his load calls upon [another] to help him carry it, nothing thereof may be carried [by that other], even if it be one's near of kin. ) Thus, any transfer of moral responsibility from one person to another is shown to be impossible. Whereas the first part of the above statement implies a negation of the Christian doctrine of "original sin" with which mankind is supposedly burdened, the second part categorically refutes the doctrine of the "vicarious atonement" of that sin by Jesus. (See also 53:38 and the corresponding note [31].)

( Hence, thou canst [truly] warn only those who stand in awe of their Sustainer although He is beyond the reach of their perception, ) For an explanation of this rendering of bi'l-ghayb, see surah {2}, note [3]. The meaning is that only those "who believe in the existence of that which is beyond the reach of human perception" can really benefit by the "warning" inherent in the preceding statement. (See also {27:8-81} and {30:52-53}.)

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

Natural relationship may be considered as a reasonable cause or opportunity for bearing each other's burdens. For example, a mother or a father might offer to die for her or his child, and vice versa. But this does not apply to spiritual matters. There the responsibility is strictly personal and cannot be transferred to another. In xxix. 13 we are told that the misleaders "will bear other burdens along with their own"; but the context shows that the "other" burdens are the burdens of deluding others with their falsehoods. Both sins are their own, viz., their original sin, and the sin of deluding the others. But the responsibility will be doubled.

Bil-gaibi "  بِالۡغَيۡبِ ": unseen in the adverbial sense. The man, who, though he does not see Allah, so realizes Allah's Presence in himself as if he saw Him, is the man of genuine Faith, and for him Allah's Revelation comes through many channels and is always fruitful.

Prayer is one of the means of purifying ourselves of lower motives in life, for in prayer we seek the Presence of Allah. But the purity which we seek is for our own souls: we confer no favour on Allah or on any Power in the spiritual world, as some imagine who make "gifts" to Allah. In any case the destination of all is to Allah.

Qur'an Wiki:

The sūrah then emphasizes individual responsibility, which means that everyone will have what they deserve. No one benefits anyone else in any way. The Prophet has no personal interest in guiding people to the truth. Everyone bears his or her own burden, alone, without help. Therefore a person who seeks to be pure will be the only one to benefit from this endeavour. The matter is ultimately left to God to determine. The fact of individual responsibility and reward has a decisive effect on morality and behaviour. When people are fully aware that they are rewarded according to their own deeds, that none will be responsible for anyone else, and that none can escape responsibility, they realize the need to take stock of their actions before they have to answer for them. At the same time, this is reassuring, because no individual needs to worry about answering for the actions of his community. As long as he has done his duty, giving advice to his community to follow divine guidance, no further responsibility is laid on him. God Almighty does not hold mankind to account for their collective actions. They account to Him individually, each for their own work. It is the duty of the individual to advise others and try hard to bring them into line. Once he has done this, however, he bears no responsibility for their wickedness or corruption. He will he credited for his own good work. Similarly, if he lives in a good community, its goodness will not benefit him if he himself is wicked.

We see, then, an image of a multitude, each person carrying his or her own burden, with none able to help others. Even if someone requests help from the closest of relatives, none will oblige. It is thus a long queue, with people carrying loads and moving towards the check-point where the load will he weighed. Everyone is tired, preoccupied with the heaviness of their load, unable to think of others, even their own kin.

At this point, the sūrah’s address is directed to the Prophet: “Hence, you can truly warn only those who stand in awe of their Lord, even though He is beyond the reach of their perception, and attend regularly to prayers.” It is such people that can really appreciate the warning: they are the ones who fear God even though they have not seen Him, and who attend to their worship so as to maintain relations with Him. The Prophet is told that these are the ones to benefit by admonition. Others, who have no fear of God, need not worry him.

“Whoever purifies himself does so for his own benefit.” No one receives the benefit of purification except the one who does it. Moreover, purification has pleasant and transparent connotations that apply to one’s heart, thoughts, feelings, behaviour and attitudes. “With God is all journeys’ end.” He is the one who reckons people’s actions and rewards them accordingly. Nothing good or evil is overlooked.

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 help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more selected verses on the subject, refer to our Reference Page: Selected Verses from Qur'an: Slandering and False Accusations and Sins

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.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

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.

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