The Holy Qur'an (Summary): Chapter 87 Sūrat al-Aʻlā (The Most High)

Sūrat al-Aʻlā is one of the seven chapters of the Holy Qur'an which are called the "Al-Musabbihat " meaning by the chapters that commence with glorification of name of Allah. 

The subject matter shows that this too is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed, and the words: "We shall enable you to recite, then you shall never forget" of verse 6 also indicate that it was sent down in the period when the Holy Messenger (upon whom he Allah's peace) was not yet fully accustomed to receive Revelation and at the time Revelation came down he feared lest he should forget its words. If this verse is read along with verse 114 of Surah Ta Ha and verses 16-19 of Al-Qiyamah and the three verses are also considered with regard to their styles and contexts, the sequence of events seems to be that first in this Surah the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was reassured to the effect: "Do not at all worry: We shall enable you to recite this Word, then you shall not forget it." Then after a lapse of time, on another occasion, when the Surah Al-Qiyamah was being revealed, the Holy Prophet involuntarily began to rehearse the words of the Revelation. Thereupon it was said: "O Prophet do not move your tongue to remember this Revelation hastily. It is for Us to have it remembered and read. Therefore when We are reciting it, listen to its recital carefully. Again, it is for Us to explain its meaning. "Last of all, on the occasion of the revelation of Surah Ta Ha, the Holy Prophet on account of human weakness, again became afraid lest his memory should fail to preserve some portion of the 113 verses which were continuously revealed at that time, and therefore, he began to memorize them. Thereupon, it was said: "And see that you do not hasten to recite the Quran before its revelation is completed to you." After this, it never so happened that he felt any such danger, for apart form these three places, there is no other place in the Quran where there might be a reference to this matter.

This short surah contains three themes: Tauhid, instructions to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and the Hereafter.

• In the first verse, the doctrine of Tauhid has been compressed into a single sentence, saying that Allah's name should be glorified and exalted, i. e. He should not be remembered by any name which mighty reflect a deficiency, fault, weakness, or an aspect of likeness, with created beings, for the root of all false creeds in the world are wrong concepts about Allah, which assumed the form of an erroneous name for His glorious and exalted Being. Therefore, for the correction of the creed, the primary thing is that Allah Almighty should be remembered only by the beautiful names which suit and befit Him.
• In the next three verses, it has been said: "Your Lord, glorification of Whose name is being enjoined, is He Who created everything in the Universe, proportioned it, set it a destiny, taught it to perform the function for which it is created, and you witness this manifestation of His power day and night that He creates vegetation on the earth as well as reduces it to mere rubbish. No other being has the power to bring about spring nor the power to prevent autumn."
• Then, in the following two verses, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) his been consoled, as if to say: "Do not worry as to how you will remember word for word the Qur'an that is being revealed to you. It is for Us to preserve it in your memory, and its preservation is not in any way the result of any excellence in you but the result of Our bounty and favor, otherwise if We so will, We can cause you to forget it."

Then, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been told: "You have not been made responsible to bring everyone on to the right path; your only duty is to convey the truth, and the simplest way of conveying the truth is that admonition be given to him who is inclined to listen to the admonition and accept it, and the one who is not inclined to it, should not be pursued. The one who fears the evil consequences of deviation and falsehood, will listen to the truth and accept it, and the wretched one who avoids listening to and accepting it, will himself see his evil end."'

The discourse has been summed up, saying: "Success is only for those who adopt purity of belief, morals and deed, and remember the name of their Lord and perform the Prayer. But, on the contrary, the people are wholly lost in seeking the ease, benefits and pleasures of the world, whereas they should actually endeavor for their well being in the Hereafter, for the world is transitory and the Hereafter everlasting and the blessings of the Hereafter are far better than the blessings of the world. This truth has not been expressed only in the Qur'an but in the books of the Prophets Abraham and Moses too, it had been brought to the notice of man.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

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

سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى
Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High

This single verse sums up the concept of Allah, for He alone is to be glorified, worshiped and eulogized. He is to be revered above all livings beings and "should not be remembered by any name which might reflect a deficiency, fault, weakness, or an aspect of likeness, with created beings, for the root of all false creeds in the world are wrong concepts about Allah, which assumed the form of an erroneous name for His glorious and exalted Being." [1]

Surah Al Ikhlas the 112th chapter best describes the oneness of Allah in just three simple verses: "He is Allah, (the) One. "The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks'. "He begets not, nor was He begotten; "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."

Allah has 99 names and each name describe Allah's glory and might. So those who remember these names and believes in them and recite these frequently are the best of the people and shall enter paradise. [3]

Verses 2-5 describe the creativity of Allah, which no human can even think of having any parallel to it. Man may go to moon, mars and frontiers beyond, but will not able to fathom the vastness of the universe Allah created. Allah reminds those who equate others with His oneness and ability create: "O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully) : Verily! Those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatched away a thing from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought." [Surah Al-Hajj 22:73]

• That He has created, then proportioned (designed it).
• And that He has decreed a destiny. Then guided.
• And that He brought forth the herbage (greens) from earth. 
• Then turned it into black refuse. 

The verses 6-8 were revealed specially for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), for He would try to remember the previously revealed verses, since He could neither read or write. These verses were thus revealed to console Him and assure Him that Allah has revealed these verses on to him, and it is the responsibility of Allah alone to make you remember these.

• We will make you recite (the Qur’ân) so you will not forget it. 
• Nevertheless (this is) what Allah wills; surely He knows what is manifest, and what is hidden.
• And We shall make (it) easy for you so that it may be easy. 

This promise of Allah also appears at few other places in the Holy Quran too:

Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'an, O Muhammad SAW) to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you (O Muhammad SAW) the ability to recite it (the Qur'an)And when We have recited it to you [O Muhammad SAW through Jibrael (Gabriel)], then follow you its (the Qur'an's) recital.Then it is for Us (Allah) to make it clear to you. [Surah Al-Qiyamah 75:16-19]

In verses 9-10th Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has been told: "You have not been made responsible to bring everyone on to the right path; your only duty is to convey the truth, and the simplest way of conveying the truth is that admonition be given to him who is inclined to listen to the admonition and accept it, and the one who is not inclined to it, should not be pursued. The one who fears the evil consequences of deviation and falsehood, will listen to the truth and accept it, and the wretched one who avoids listening to and accepting it, will himself see his evil end. [1]

• So remind, if the reminder should benefit;
• He who fears [ Allah ] will be reminded.

And then comes a stark warning in the verses 11-13 for those wretched, addicted to their evil and corrupted desires,  and unfortunate, who despite having known the truth and a way to the righteous path, will find them no recuse when in the world hereafter they will be thrown into naked burning flames a blazing fire - a place where they will not be able to live and die !!

• But the wretched one will avoid it.
• [He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire,
• Neither dying therein nor living.

A similar warning has been served to these unfortunate people in Surah An-Nazi'at 79:37-39:  "Then, for him who transgressed all bounds, in disbelief, oppression and evil deeds of disobedience to Allah), And preferred the life of this world (by following his evil desires and lusts) Verily, his abode will be Hell-fire."

The discourse has been summed up, saying: "Success is only for those who adopt purity of belief, morals and deed, and remember the name of their Lord and perform the Prayer. But, on the contrary, the people are wholly lost in seeking the ease, benefits and pleasures of the world, whereas they should actually endeavor for their well being in the Hereafter, for the world is transitory and the Hereafter everlasting and the blessings of the Hereafter are far better than the blessings of the world. (verses 14-17) [1]:

• He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself
• And mentions the name of his Lord and prays
• But you prefer the worldly life
• While the Hereafter is better and more enduring

The two verses (18-19) of Sūrat al-Aʻlā affirm that a similar message was also revealed to Prophets Ibrahim and Musa (Abraham, Moses, peace be upon them) in their scriptures:

• Most surely this is indeed in the former Pages as well.
• In the pages of Abraham and Moses. 

In substance, Sūrat al-Aʻlā and Surat Al-Ghāshiyah are said to complement each other. It has been quoted that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be up[on him) would recite Sūrat al-Aʻlā and Surat Al-Ghāshiyah (the 88th chapter) in Jummah prayers, and would also recite these two surahs Eid prayers. He is also reported to recite Sūrat al-Aʻlā in the first cycle (rakah) of Witr prayers, Surah Kaafiroon in second cycle and  Surah Ikhlas in the third cycle. [3]

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat al-Aʻlā 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 |

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

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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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The Holy Qur'an (Summary): Chapter 88 Surat Al-Ghāshiyah ( The Overwhelming Event )

Surat Al-Ghāshiyah, the 26-versed 88th chapter of the Holy Qur'an, 30th Part, is like most of the following chapters was revealed in Makkah and contain the similar messages of calling nonbelievers to Islam and tidings of reward and punishment in life that would befall on every born human being after he dies and is raised again on the Day of Judgment. 

To understand the subject matter well one should keep in view the fact that in the initial stage the preaching of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) mostly centered around two points which he wanted to instill in the people's minds: Tauhid and the Hereafter: and the people of Makkah were repudiating both. Let us now consider the subject matter and the style of this Surah.

At the outset, in order to arouse the people from their heedlessness, they have been plainly asked:"Do you have any knowledge of the time when an overwhelming calamity will descend?" Immediately after this details of the impending calamity are given as to how the people will be divided into two separate groups and will meet separate ends. One group of the people will go to Hell and they will suffer punishment; the second group will go to the sublime Paradise and will be provided with, blessings.

After thus arousing the people the theme suddenly changes and the question is asked: Do not these people, who frown and scorn the teaching of Tauhid and the news of the Hereafter being given by the Qur'an, observe the common things which they experience daily in their lives? Do they never consider how the camels, on whom their whole life activity in the Arabian desert depends, came into being, endowed precisely with the same characteristics as were required for the beast needed in their desert life? When they go on their journeys, they see the sky, the mountains, or the earth. Let them ponder over these three phenomena and consider as to how the sky was stretched above them, how the mountains were erected and how the earth was spread beneath them? Has all this come about without the skill and craftsmanship of an All- Powerful, All Wise Designer? If they acknowledge that a Creator has created all this with great wisdom and power and that no one else is an associate with Him in their creation, why then do they refuse to accept Him alone as their Lord and Sustainer? And if they acknowledge that that God had the power to create all this, then on what rational ground do they hesitate to acknowledge that that God also has the power to bring about Resurrection, to recreate man, and to make Hell and Heaven?

After making the truth plain by this concise and rational argument, the address turns from the disbelievers to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and he is told: "If these people do not acknowledge the truth, they may not; you have not been empowered to act with authority over them, so that you should coerce them into believing: your only task is to exhort, so exhort them. Ultimately they have to return to Us; then We shall call them to full account and shall inflict a heavy punishment on those who do not believe."

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

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

1. Has there reached you the report of the Overwhelming [event]?
2. [Some] faces, that Day, will be humbled,
3. Working [hard] and exhausted.
4. They will [enter to] burn in an intensely hot Fire.
5. They will be given drink from a boiling spring.
6. For them there will be no food except from a poisonous, thorny plant
7. Which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger.

In the verses 8-16, the good tidings are explained for those who bring faith on Oneness of Allah and walked the righteous path:

• [Other] faces, that Day, will show pleasure.
• With their effort [they are] satisfied
• In an elevated garden,
• Wherein they will hear no unsuitable speech.
• Within it is a flowing spring.
• Within it are couches raised high
• And cups put in place
• And cushions lined up
• And carpets spread around.

Then Allah throws a number of questions to the non believers in verses 17-20 with a surprise that even after seeing the miracles and landmarks they see in their daily life whether at home or outside or while traveling, they still do not accept the divinity and Oneness of Allah, Who alone is the creator of everything that has been created?

• Do (these unbelievers) not observe the camels: how they were created?
• And the sky: how it was raised high?
• And the mountains: how they were fixed?
• And the earth: how it was spread out?

The best explanation of verses 17-20 is given by Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi in his Tafhim al Qur'an:[2]

Do not these people, who frown and scorn the teaching of Tauhid (oneness of Allah) and the news of the Hereafter being given by the Qur'an, observe the common things which they experience daily in their lives? Do they never consider how the camels, on whom their whole life activity in the Arabian desert depends, came into being, endowed precisely with the same characteristics as were required for the beast needed in their desert life? When they go on their journeys, they see the sky, the mountains, or the earth. Let them ponder over these three phenomena and consider as to how the sky was stretched above them, how the mountains were erected and how the earth was spread beneath them? Has all this come about without the skill and craftsmanship of an All- Powerful, All Wise Designer? If they acknowledge that a Creator has created all this with great wisdom and power and that no one else is an associate with Him in their creation, why then do they refuse to accept Him alone as their Lord and Sustainer? And if they acknowledge that that God had the power to create all this, then on what rational ground do they hesitate to acknowledge that that God also has the power to bring about Resurrection, to recreate man, and to make Hell and Heaven?

In the last six verses (21-26), Allah then advises His Prophet (s) to only counsel the non believers and in no way 'compel' them to abide by the divine commandments, for that will be taken care of Allah Himself when the time comes:

• So render good counsel, for you are simply required to counsel,
• and are not invested with the authority to compel them.
• But whoever will turn away (from the Truth),
• Allah will chastise him with the most terrible chastisement.
• Surely to Us is their return;
• and then it is for Us to call them to account.

In view of the Divine message above, we must make an endeavour to call non / dis / mis-believers to the truth as contained in the commandments of Allah in the Holy Qur'an. But in no way we should force anyone to accept our faith for it is Allah who creates a space in the hearts of the people to accept His message. We must therefore continue to exhibit the message of Allah through our actions and way of life, for actions speak louder than words to send home the message rather than persuasion.

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Surat Al-Ghāshiyah 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 |

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.

Read More

The Holy Qur'an (Summary): Chapter 89 Sūrat al-Fajr (The Daybreak)

Sūrat al-Fajr, the 89th chapter of the Holy Quran consists of 30 verses and is part of the 30th Part of Holy Qur'an. The Sūrah begins with the word Fajr, the daybreak and mentions people of the bygone days who disobeyed Allah and His prophets and were destroyed. And it also gives good tidings to those who did good and obeyed commandments of Allah with bounties and rewards of Paradise in the hereafter.

The Surah begins with four solemn pledges that Allah take to show His eternal powers and warns those who disobey Him and His commandments brought to them by His prophets (verses 1-4):

• By the dawn
• And [by] ten nights
• And [by] the even [number] and the odd
• And [by] the night when it strolls away

There are many interpretations of the above four vows that Allah has taken in this surah, beginning with the Daybreak, the dawn when the sun rises, a similar pledge Allah has taken in Sūrat ash-Shams (The Sun), the 91st chapter, and the darkness comes to an end. 

• Fajr in fact means to tear or rip open something completely.So the earliest time when the light tears through the darkness of the night - Fajr has begun. Thus Fajr is the time when those fearing Allah wake up willingly by choice to worship Allah, while the disbelievers remain asleep. This makes the believing slave of Allah have a high rank in His sight. When Allah swears by the morning - He is swearing by death and life. Because the night sleep is a sign of death, and the waking up is like the Resurrection after that death. 
• Taking oath of the 'Ten nights' has been explained by scholars as either the Last 10 Nights of Ramadan (when Qur'an was revealed and Laylat-al-Qadr occurs in any of the odd nights) or the First 10 Nights of Dhul Hijjah (the month Hajj, the great annual pilgrimage).
• The swearing  by the even and the odd also has many interpretations. The even and odd means that every creation has been made in pairs: Earth / Sky. Day /Night, Sun / Moon, Male / Female, Hell / Paradise. Which means that without the one, we cannot appreciate the other. Likewise the good and the evil - of which good is even and the evil is odd. So on the day of Judgment, the injustices and justices would be balanced out and reward and punishment would be decided.
• "I swear by the night as it strolls away" implies that people don't have power over time, rather Allah has power over time, and humans - with the limited abilities given to them - use the different times for their benefit. [2]

[Verses 5-10]
Allah having taken the four solemn pledges, which shows His might and control over everything that happens to us, asks the non/disbelievers "Is there [not] in [all] that an oath [sufficient] for one of perception?" And if this was not enough, then Allah tells them how His wrath befell of people of  Aad and Iram (who had lofty pillars, the likes of whom had never been created in the lands, people to whom Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) was sent and when they did not obey the prophet, the city was destroyed in a great storm - Read more about these people in Surah Hud, Chapter 11)), Thamud (mentioned in the 91st chapter Sūrat ash-Shams who disobeyed Prophet Saleh (peace be upon him) and were destroyed) and the Pharaoh (who despite all his might and large armies, referred here as Possessor of Pegs could not stop Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) and was finally drowned chasing the Prophet.

The mention of these four mighty people and kings and the wrath that befell on them to completely obliterate them from the earth has been used as a forewarning to the pagans of Makkah, who boasted of their wealth and rich ancestral lineage, and tell them in clear words that if the do not obey the message of Allah, sent to them trough Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and hurt and torture him, their fate will be similar to the people long gone and perished. And we see today that in the lands of Arabia, none of the erstwhile today exist for not believing in the words of Allah and His Prophet (s).

This is then followed by Allah's pledge to destroy who stands disbelieved (Verses 11-14):

• Who (all) were rebellious (to Allah) in these lands,
• so they increased in corruption.
• So your Lord poured on them different kinds of severe torment.
• There is no doubt, your Lord is waiting in observation

Allah then mentions of ungrateful people, even among the believers besides the non/disbelievers, that those who are given in abundance are grateful to Him. But if the face hardships they lament and complain and become ungrateful (verses 15-26):

• And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me."
• But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
• No! But you do not honor the orphan
• And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.
• And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,
• And you love wealth with immense love.
• No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed -
• And your Lord has come and the angels, rank upon rank,
• And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell - that Day, man will remember, but what good to him will be the remembrance?
• He will say, "Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life."
• So on that Day, none will punish [as severely] as His punishment,
• And none will bind [as severely] as His binding [of the evildoers].

While for the ungrateful, a long list is given as above, for the grateful there is promise of eternal rewards (verses 27-30):

• [To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul,
• Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him],
• And enter among My [righteous] servants
• And enter My Paradise."

The theme of this surah thus revolves around the rewards and punishments in the Hereafter, which the people of Makkah were not prepared to acknowledge then, and even thereafter. We still find many believers following the path of people mentioned in verses 11-26 and oblivious of the day of justice when all injustices will be equated with justices - and those having a negative net effect will find them in hell with blazing fire, boiling water and torture that one cannot even imagine.

Allah has forewarned everyone of the consequences of what we prefer to do and has given us knowledge to differentiate between good and evil. It is up to us now to prepare for our hereafter and ask repentance of all sins we have thus far committed, lest time runs out for confessions and asking forgiveness.

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat al-Fajr 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 |

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.

Read More

The Holy Qur'an: Summary Chapter 90 Sūrat Al Balad (The City)

The Sūrat Al Balad  was revealed on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when tired of pursuing the Prophet (s) of leaving what He was preaching to "pollute' the minds of the people of Makkah, the chieftains finally decided to openly oppose the Prophet of Allah and took a solemn pledge to use every means to pain and torture Him with a view of finally persuading Him to leave them on their own.

Please read English translation of Sūrat Al Balad  to understand its plain meaning / translation, followed be a summary of its purpose of revelation and the Divine message intended::

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

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

1. I swear by this city, Makkah
2. And you, [O Muhammad], are free of restriction in this city
3. And [by] the father and that which was born [of him],
4. We have certainly created man into hardship
5. Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?
6. He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."
7. Does he think that no one has seen him?
8. Have We not made for him two eyes?
9. And a tongue and two lips?
10. And have shown him the two ways?
11. But he has not broken through the difficult pass.
12. And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?
13. It is the freeing of a slave
14. Or feeding on a day of severe hunger
15. An orphan of near relationship
16. Or a needy person in misery
17. And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.
18. Those are the companions of the right.
19. But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.
20. Over them will be fire closed in.

The great Muslim scholar of Pakistan Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi sums up the comprehensive meaning and theme of this chapter of the Holy Qur'an [1]:

In this Surah a vast subject has been compressed into a few brief sentences, and it is a miracle of the Qur'an that a complete ideology of life which could hardly be explained in a thick volume has been abridged most effectively in brief sentences of this short Surah. Its theme is to explain the true position of man in the world and of the world in relation to man and to tell that Allah has shown to man both the highways of good and evil, has also provided for him the means to judge and see and follow them, and now it rests upon man's own effort and judgment whether he chooses the path of virtue and reaches felicity or adopts the path of vice and meets with doom.

The surah begins with the solemn pledge of Allah, this time taking the name of the holy city of Makkah where the Prophet (s) was born and and endured many a hardship during His early life and then after proclaiming the religion of Islam openly to the pagans of Makkah. The opening verses clearly explain that this wordily life is not easy to live, especially for those who choose the righteous path and are fearful of Allah. and those who struggle for good, are rewarded accordingly. This is the same message that has been conveyed to man in the 39th verse of Chapter Surah An-Najm (Laisa lil insani illa ma saa: there is nothing for man but what he has striven for).

Allah through this surah amply clarifies man's position to his actions. It is said that having been given the ability to reason, a man is given two choices in life: The good and otherwise. Those who seek the easier path of worldly pleasures will one day be the end losers and will ultimately end up in the blazing and torturous fire of Hell. While those who toil and embrace the hardships of life and abstain from evil t please Allah, shall have the eternal rewards in the hereafter.

Hence one must not be boastful of one's wealth for its given to him to help others and not to please own self. They should instead invest for their future life in the hereafter by helping the poor, protecting the orphans and even freeing slaves and "then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion."

Sayyid Qutb (d. 1966), who was an Egyptian author, Islamist, and leading intellectual of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, summarized the overall theme of Surat Al-Lail in the introduction to his extensive Quranic commentary, Fi Zilal al-Qur'an (In the shades of the Qur'an) by saying: This short sūrah touches on a great many facts which are of central importance to human life. Its style is characterized by powerful allusions. Numerous facts of this nature are not easily combined in any form of concise writing except that of the Qur’ān, with its unique ability to hit the right chords with such swift and penetrating strokes. — Sayid Qutb, Fi Zilal al-Qur'an

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat Al Balad with English subtitles:

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

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

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

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

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.

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)

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 and explanation have 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 (links to Reference Pages given below):  

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

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

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 Qur'an (Summary): Chapter 91 Sūrat ash-Shams (The Sun)

Sūrat ash-Shams, the 91st chapter of the Holy Qur'an is one of those sūrahs have been named using incipits (i.e. the first few words of the sūrah). Sūrat ash-Shams, which means the Sun open with a vow of the Almighty Allah taking name of the brightest of its visible celestial objects. However besides the sun, in this surah, Allah also takes vows of the Moon, that follows the Sun, and the Day followed by the Night, the Firmament and its (wonderful) structure, the Earth and the Soul of the man.

Please read English translation of Sūrat ash-Shams to understand its plain meaning / translation, followed be a summary of its purpose of revelation and the Divine message intended:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

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

• By the Sun and its (glorious) splendour;
• By the Moon as it follows it (the sun);
• By the Day as it shows up (the Sun's) glory;
• By the Night as it enshrouds it;
• By the Firmament and its (wonderful) structure;
• By the Earth and its (wide) expanse:
• By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it;
• And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right;-
• Truly he succeeds that purifies it,
• And he fails that corrupts it!
• The Thamūd (people) rejected (their prophet) through their inordinate wrong-doing,
• Behold, the most wicked man among them was deputed (for impiety).
• But the Messenger of Allah said to them: "It is a She-camel of Allah. And (bar her not from) having her drink!"
• Then they rejected him (as a false prophet), and they hamstrung her (She-camel). So their Lord, on account of their crime, obliterated their traces and made them equal (in destruction, high and low)!
• And He does not fear the consequence thereof.

According to the scholars, this surah has two parts: Part One (verses 1-10) are the Divine Oaths that man’s happiness and misery depends on the purity or corruption he hath wrought in it", and Part 2 (verses 11-15) explain the destruction of people of "Thamūd  for rejecting their prophet." 

In the first part, a pairing of objects, sun/moon, day/night, Firmament/earth which are completely opposite to one and other is used to show the two states that reside inside a man: The good and the Evil. Thus it has been indicated that a man has two choices in his life which are instilled into his unconscious; either to do good and seek eternal reward or do otherwise and draw the wrath of Allah as did the people of Thamūd. 

The second part that relates to the Prophet Saleh (peace be upon him), a pious man selected by Allah to show the righteous path to the wicked and evil minded people of Thamūd. But they instead mocked the prophet and labelled him as a false prophet. And when Allah sent down a she-camel to the people of Thamūd, Prophet Saleh (peace be upon him) urged them not to harm the animal, one of the most wicked of all of the community at the behest of their collective will hamstrung the heavenly she-camel. Thus the wrath of all fell on them and the entire tribe became a history.

And be warned (the last verse) that Allah does not fear the consequence thereof. Allah being the sole creator of the entire universe has His own way to run the universe. Those who understand the divine will and obey Allah's commandments will cherish forever, but those who do not fear of the consequences of their evil doings, tangent to the divine commandments, then Allah does not fear the consequence thereof. A similar reminder is also given in Sūrah Al Anbiya 21:23: ‘He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned. [2]’

Here are two views of the prominent Muslims scholars about the interpretation of this chapter [3]:

Abul A'la Maududi on summing up the success and failure of man: "Success depends on keeping the soul pure and failure depends on corrupting it, people of Thamūd were leveled to the ground for that very reason. 

Professor Javed Ahmad Ghamidi: "While narrating this story of the Thamūd nowhere in the Surah has it been said "O people of Quraish, if you rejected your Prophet, Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings), as the Thamūd had rejected theirs, you too would meet with the same fate as they met." The conditions at that time in Makkah were similar to those that had been created by the wicked among the people of Thamūd against the Prophet Saleh (peace be upon him). Therefore, the narration of this story in those conditions was by itself enough to suggest to the people of Makkah how precisely this historical precedent applied to them."

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat ash-Shams 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 |

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.

Read More

The Holy Qur'an (Summary): Chapter 95 Sūrat at-Tīn ( The Fig )

Being a layman, sometimes it becomes very difficult to understand a chapter of the Holy Qur'an which seemingly gives one simple meaning, but in itself hides meanings that stretch one's imagination to greater lengths. And Sūrat at-Tīn (The Fig) is one such Sūrah of Holy Qur'an. It is one my favourite chapters of Holy Qur'an for I learnt it by heart by listening to my morning prayers' Imam who would recite this Sūrah in the first cycle of the Fajar  (The pre dawn) prayer.

Please read the simple translation of Sūrat at-Tīn to understand its plain meaning / translation :

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

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

• By the fig and the olive;
• and by the Mount Sinai,
• and by this city (of Makkah), a haven of peace:
• surely We created man in the best mould;
• then We reverted him to the lowest of the low,
• except those who have faith and do righteous deeds. Theirs is a never ending reward.
• Who, then, can give the lie to you, (O Prophet), about the Reward and the Punishment?
• Is not Allah the Greatest of all sovereigns?

Going by the plain textual meanings, this chapter is very easy to understand for here Allah has taken vows of four things: The fig (considered to be a fruit of paradise), Olives (a healthy oil), the Mount Sinai, where the Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) spoke to Allah and the peaceful city of Makkah. And then explains how best He created man who due to his wrong doings went down to the lowest of esteem, barring those who believed in Allah and His messengers/prophets and Books. And those who did not believe in oneness of Allah and got astray, there will be severe punishment in waiting.

But then I came across some very enlightened tafsirs and explanations which are really mind boggling and that which provide true understanding of this small yet very complicated and hard to understand chapter.

According to many scholars, Allah does not take a vow that is not interconnected to the remaining text of a chapter.  Thus they believe the mention of four different things has to be interconnected to understand the remaining text of the chapter. The base their translation on the fact that: [1]

"There was a practice among the people of Arabia that they generally named a land where a certain fruit was produced in plenty after the name of the fruit itself. Accordingly, the meaning of teen (fig) and zaytun (olives) can be the land where these fruits are grown, and it is the land of Syria and Palestine, for among the Arabs of that period this very land was well known for the production of fig and olive."

Another explanation is based on the fact that "teen implies Damascus and zaytun Bait al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). 

Another view of Ibn Abbas is quoted as saying "Teen implies the mosque of the Prophet Noah, which he built on Mt. Judi, and zaytun implies Bait al-Maqdis, but hearing the words wat-tin waz-zaytun, no ordinary Arab could think of these meanings, nor was it well known among the Arabs, who were the first addressees of the Quran that teen and zaytun were names of the places."

And we all know that the indirect mention of the four places is attributed to favourite prophets of Allah: "The land of Syria and Palestine is the land where a large number of Prophets, from the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) to the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), were raised. Mt. Toor is the place where the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was blessed with prophet-hood. As for Makkah, it was founded by the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael (peace be upon them) themselves. 

Now this correlation makes sense and based on it, Allah created man in the best mould, that is referring to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) for he was born and raised in Makkah and it was here that he received his prophet-hood.

Allah made man in perfect balance, as have all prophets been and all righteous people who follow Allah's path and seek His guidance. But when an imbalance is created and man digresses from the true path and prefers wordily pleasures, he goes down to the lowest ebb, "Except those who have faith and do righteous deeds. Theirs is a never ending reward. Who, then, can give the lie to you, (O Prophet), about the Reward and the Punishment? Is not Allah the Greatest of all sovereigns?"

I have tried to summaries this rather complex explanation of Sūrat at-Tīn based on my reading of various references. Please refer to these reference given below to read further details and be better educated. However, the end message by Allah remains uncaged: Those who do good and choose the righteous path as enunciated in the Holy Qur'an will be rewarded which will never end, and those who did not believe or disobeyed, made alterations in earlier scriptures sent down by Allah or got disarrayed, their end will be extreme miserable in the blazing fire of hell.

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat at-Tīn 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 | 

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.

Read More

The Holy Qur'an (Summary): Chapter 94 Sūrat al-Inshirāḥ ( The Relief / Solace )

Sūrat al-Inshirāḥ or Sūrat al-Sharḥ as it is also called so is the 94th chapter contained in the 30th part of the Holy Qur'an. As the text and meaning suggest, this chapter was revealed in Makkah during the early days of prophet-hood of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The main theme revolves around the concept "with each difficulty there is ease."

The aim and object of this Surah too is to console and encourage the Holy Messenger (upon whom be Allah's peace). Before his call he never had to encounter the conditions which he suddenly had to encounter after it when he embarked on his mission of inviting the people to Islam. This was by itself a great revolution in his own life of which he had no idea in his life before Prophethood. No sooner had he started preaching the message of Islam than the same society which had esteemed him with unique honor, turned hostile to him. The same relatives and friends, the same clansmen and neighbors, who used to treat him with the highest respect, began to shower him with abuse and invective. No one in Makkah was prepared to listen to him; he began to be ridiculed and mocked in the street and on the road; and at every step he had to face new difficulties. Although gradually he became accustomed to the hardships, even much severer ones, yet the initial stage was very discouraging for him. That is why first Surah Ad-Duha was sent down to console him, and then this Surah.

In it, at the outset, Allah says: "We have favored you, O Prophet, with three great blessings; therefore you have no cause to be disheartened. The first is the blessing of Sharh Sadr (opening up of the breast), the second of removing from you the heavy burden that was weighing down your back before the call, and the third of exalting your renown the like of which has never been granted to any man before. Further below in the notes we have explained what is implied by each of these blessings and how great and unique these blessings indeed are!

After this, the Lord and Sustainer of the universe has reassured His Servant and Messenger (upon whom be peace) that the period of hardships which he is passing through, is not very long, but following close behind it there is also a period of ease. This same thing has been described in Surah Ad-Duha, saying: "Every later period is better for you than the former period, and soon your Lord will give you so much that you will be well pleased."

In conclusion, the Holy Prophet has been instructed, so as to say, "You can develop the power to bear and resist the hardships of the initial stage only by one means, and it is this: `When you are free from your occupations, you should devote yourself to the labor and toil of worship, and turn all your attention exclusively to your Lord'." This same instruction has been given him in much greater detail in Surah Al-Muzzammil 1-9.

Before commenting on the circumstance under which of Sūrat al-Inshirāḥ was revealed, please read the English translation of the Sūrat al-Inshirāḥ to understand its plain meaning / translation :

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

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

• Did We not expand for you, [O Muhammad], your breast?
• And We removed from you your burden
• Which had weighed upon your back
• And raised high for you your repute.
• Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.
• So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].
• And to your Lord direct [your] longing.

Since proclamation of Islam, the Prophet of Allah (s) was in great distress as everyone seemed to have turned against Him. Most pf his friends, clansmen, relatives and acquaintances who respected and honoured him as a just and truthful person before his proclamation of Islam, turned bitterly against Him and their animosity pained Him.

Under such trying days, Sūrat al-Inshirāḥ was revealed to console the Prophet of Allah and assure Him of the full divine support and help against those who had been the cause of his distress and sufferings. 

The word “Sharh” is also mentioned in Surah al-Anaam Ayah 125 which means “to cut something, to open up, enlarge, expand or uncover.” This word also appears in Surah Ta-Ha Ayah 25, when Prophet  Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) said, “My Lord, expand for me my chest.” In the context, it means opening up of the heart so that Divine wisdoms and mysteries could be comprehended and accepted. Comprehension and acceptance both are essential because sometimes we understand something but are unable to accept it. [3]

In fact in this chapter, Allah had mentioned three of His blessings to ease Prophet's discomfort: The first is opening up of the breast, the second of removing from the heavy burden that was weighing down on His back before the call, and the third of exalting His renown the like of which has never been granted to any man before. 

And then in fifth verse, Allah says it all: "Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease." This in fact is a reassurance from Allah the period of hardships which the Prophet of Allah (s) was passing through at that time, shall too pass soon and He would find solace and comfort very soon. A similar reassurance was given to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Sūrat aḍ-Ḍuḥā: "Every later period is better for you than the former period, and soon your Lord will give you so much that you will be well pleased."

And then as usual, Allah asks His prophet to turn to Him and thank Him for the bounties He has bestowed upon the Prophet (s) and seek Him alone and let nothing whatsoever distract him. This is the lesson for everyone for us: After whatever we do, our daily chores and work, we should never forget to bow in front of Allah to thank Him for the life He had given to us, though with many ups and down. For these ups and downs are the tests that Allah takes of us to see how steadfast we are and how grateful. And for those who are grateful, there is solace and relief here in this world and thereafter too.

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat al-Inshirāḥ 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 |

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.

Read More