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Coherence in Group 2

1. The Quranic surahs are divided into seven groups, with each group having a distinct central theme and containing both Meccan and Medinan surahs. 2. Group 2 contains four surahs (Surahs 6-9) that progressively discuss the consequences of rejecting Muhammad, with Surah 6 inviting the Quraysh to accept Islam, Surah 7 warning of rejection, Surah 8 preparing Muslims for confrontation, and Surah 9 declaring war against rejecters. 3. These four surahs form two paired groups, with Surahs 6-7 addressing similar themes and Surahs 8-9 also being closely related, demonstrating coherence within the overall group

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158 views2 pages

Coherence in Group 2

1. The Quranic surahs are divided into seven groups, with each group having a distinct central theme and containing both Meccan and Medinan surahs. 2. Group 2 contains four surahs (Surahs 6-9) that progressively discuss the consequences of rejecting Muhammad, with Surah 6 inviting the Quraysh to accept Islam, Surah 7 warning of rejection, Surah 8 preparing Muslims for confrontation, and Surah 9 declaring war against rejecters. 3. These four surahs form two paired groups, with Surahs 6-7 addressing similar themes and Surahs 8-9 also being closely related, demonstrating coherence within the overall group

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Muhammad Shakirin Shaari
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According to Amin Ahsan Islahi

1. The surahs of the Qur’an are divided into seven discrete groups. Each group
has a distinct theme. Every group begins with one or more Makkan Surah and
ends with one or more Madinan Surah. In each group, the Makkan Surahs
always precede the Madinan ones. The relationship between the Makkan Surahs
and Madinan Surahs of each group is that of the root of a tree and its branches.

2. In every group, the various phases of the Prophet Muhammad’s mission are
depicted.

3. Two surahs of each group form a pair such that each member of the pair
complements the other in various ways. Surah Fatihah, however, is an exception
to this pattern: it is an introduction to the whole of the Qur’an as well as to the
first group which begins with it. There are also some surahs which have a
specific purpose and fall in this paired-surah scheme in a particular way.

4. Each surah has specific addressees and a central theme around which the
contents of the surah revolve. Every surah has distinct subsections to mark
thematic shifts, and every subsection is paragraphed to mark smaller shifts.
Following is a brief description of the seven Qur’anic groups:

Group I {Surah Fatihah (1) - Surah Maidah (5)}


Central Theme: Islamic Law.

Group II {Surah An‘am (6) - Surah Tawbah (9)}


Central Theme: The consequences of denying the Prophet (sws) for the
Mushrikin of Makkah.

Group III {Surah Yunus (10) - Surah Nur (24)}


Central Theme: Glad tidings of the Prophet Muhammad’s domination in Arabia.

Group IV {Surah Furqan (25) - Surah Ahzab (33 }


Central Theme: Arguments that substantiate the prophethood of Muhammad
(sws) and the requirements of faith in him.

Group V {Surah Saba (34) - Surah Hujrat (49)}


Central Theme: Arguments that substantiate the belief of Tawhid and the
requirements of faith in this belief.

Group VI {Surah Qaf (50) - Surah Tahrim (66)}


Central Theme: Arguments that substantiate the belief of Akhirah and the
requirements of faith in this belief.

Group VII {Surah Mulk (67) - Surah Nas (114)}


Central Theme: Admonition (indhar) to the Quraysh about their fate in the
Herein and the Hereafter if they deny the Prophet (sws).
Coherence in group 2

This group is composed of four surahs: An‘am (6), A‘raf (7), Anfal (8), and Tawbah (9) in that order. The first two are
Makkan while the two latter ones are Madinan. The central theme of the group is: retribution by the Prophet (sws) and
his companions on all the religious groups who had denied the truth in spite of being convinced about it.

The Quraysh claimed to be the followers of Abraham (sws) and heirs to the religion established by him. An‘am accuses
them of distorting the religion of Abraham (sws), presents Islam as the true Abrahamic religion, and invites them to
become Muslims. Since the Quraysh were meant to be the direct recipients of the Islamic message, the next surah,
Araf, warns them of the grave consequence of rejecting the message. The third surah, Anfal, instructs the Muslims to
unite under the banner of Islam in preparation for a confrontation with the Quraysh. Tawbah, the last surah in the
group, throws an ultimatum to all the adversaries of the Prophet (sws). The four surahs would thus appear to be
systematically arranged in the Qur’an. Anam is a surah of invitation: in invites the Quraysh to embrace Islam. A‘raf is
a surah of warning: it warns the Quraysh against repudiating Islam. Anfal is a surah of preparation: it exhorts the
Muslims to prepare for combat with the Quraysh. Tawbah is a su#rah of war: it announce war against the Quraysh,
the People of the Book and the Hypocrites for their unfaithfulness to the religion of Abraham, declares Muslims to be
the rightful heirs to that religion, and replaces the Quraysh by Muslims as the custodians of the Ka‘bah – the symbol
and legacy of the Abrahamic religion.

This is an incisive analysis of the central themes of the four surahs and of the relationship between the surahs. It
needs to be appreciated that a greater affinity will be found to exist between surahs 6 (An‘am) and 7 (Araf), and 8
(Anfal) and 9 (Tawbah), than, for example, between surahs 6 and 8 or 7 and 9. A number of verses in surah 6 (like
verses 5-6, 22-24, 30-31, 42-45, 49, 65, 92, 157-158) contain themes that are discussed more elaborately in surah 7.
Similarly, a number of verses in surah 8 (like verses 5-12, 15-16, 19, 34, 39, 41-45, 60-62, 64-65) introduce themes
that find a fuller treatment in surah 9. Such close affinity, as we said, does not exist between surahs 6 and 8 or 7 and
9. This fact should remind us that, in the scheme of surah-pairs, su#rahs 6 and 7 form one pair, and surahs 8 and 9,
another pair. In effect, what this means is that, in studying the Nazm of a surah-group, it is helpful to keep in mind
the Nazm of the surah-pairs that make up the surah-group. This would facilitate the establishment of Nazm
connections in a group-for it is easier to see Nazm connections between larger, and fewer, units. More important, the
interaction of surah-pairs, and not simply of individual surahs, would yield a wider, richer perspective for the study of
the relationship between Qur’anic surahs. Incidentally, just as a surah is a self-contained whole, but assumes a
complementary character upon becoming a member of a surah-pair, so a surah-pair, in itself a self-contained whole,
becomes complementary to the other pair or pairs with which it forms a surah-group.

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