Commentary of Quran Text

5
A Commentary
of
Selected Surahs
from the
Quran
An explanation of the
short Surahs of the Quran
By Moulana Afzal Ismail
The content of this book may be used for any purpose with the proviso
that it is acknowledged, not edited and the authorʼs permission is
acquired in writing and reflected in the subsequent publication.
First Edition Rabiul Awwal 1438 / December 2016

Second Edition Rabiul Aakhir 1439 / January 2018
Published by:
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 Contents 
7�� Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
9�� Surah Faatiha ‫سورة الفاتحة‬
16�� Surah Naas ‫سورة الناس‬
20�� Surah Falaq ‫سورة الفلق‬
24�� Surah Ikhlaas ‫سورة االخالص‬
27�� Surah Lahab ‫سورة اللهب‬
31�� Surah Nasr ‫سورة النصر‬
34�� Surah Kaafiroon ‫سورة الكافرون‬
38�� Surah Kawthar ‫سورة الكوثر‬
41�� Surah Maaoon ‫سورة الماعون‬
44�� Surah Quraish ‫سورة القريش‬
48�� Surah Fil ‫سورة الفيل‬
52�� Surah Humazah ‫سورة الهمزة‬
56�� Surah Asr ‫سورة العصر‬
60�� Surah Takaathur ‫سورة التكاثر‬
64�� Surah Qaari’ah ‫سورة القارعة‬
68�� Surah Aadiyaat ‫سورة العاديات‬
72�� Surah Zilzaal ‫سورة الزلزال‬
77�� Surah Qadr ‫سورة القدر‬
83�� Surah Teen ‫سورة التين‬
87�� Surah Inshiraah ‫سورة االنشراح‬
92�� Surah Duha ‫سورة الضحي‬
 Introduction 
All praise is due to Allah , the Master of the Worlds. Peace, blessings
and salutations upon our beloved leader, Nabi .
Muslims have been honoured by Allah  to be the bearers of His noble

book, the Quran. The Quran is a book of knowledge and guidance for all of
humanity until Qiyaamah. It needs to be recited and understood so that its
message may be implemented.
While Salaah is supposed to be a dialogue between a Muslim and his Creator,

Allah , many non-Arabic speaking people unfortunately do not
understand what they recite in Salaah. This short book has been compiled so
that people may be able to understand those Surahs which are most commonly
recited in Salaah. Understanding their meanings and pondering over them will
greatly improve concentration during Salaah.
Readers are encouraged to study this compilation instead of merely reading

through it so that the content may be remembered and brought to mind
during Salaah.
While a number of Arabic and Urdu commentaries were consulted, the majority
of the content has been acquired from Ma’aariful Quran of Mufti Shafi .
Together with the translation and explanation of every verse, the virtues,
circumstances of revelation and overall lessons from each Surah have also
been included.
May Allah  accept this publication and reward all those who have
assisted in its compilation.
Afzal Ismail
17 Muharram 1438 / 19 October 2016
 Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem 
5
All the scholars agree that “bismillahir rahmaanir raheem” is a verse of the
Quran because it appears in Surah Naml, verse 30. It is written at the start of
every Surah except Surah Tawbah. According to Imam Abu Hanifah  it
is not part of Surah Faatiha or any other Surah. It is merely written between
Surahs to differentiate between them. According to Imam Shafi’i , it is a
verse of every Surah.
This short phrase served to destroy the pagan custom of the Arabs to take the
name of an idol before doing anything. Before any good deed we say bismillah
to renew our attachment and relationship with Allah . We acknowledge
and pledge that everything we do can only happen with the help and consent
of Allah . In this way, every action of ours such as sleeping, eating,
travelling, cooking, working, etc. can become an act of worship (ibadah).
When we say bismillah before travelling, for example, we are saying that
the conveyance is in the complete control of Allah  and not in our
control. Allah  created it by bringing together the iron, leather, glass,
rubber, etc. into one unit. With one bismillah we acknowledge Allah’s 
powerful hand in the whole process.
Nabi  said, “Any important action that is commenced without the

name of Allah  is without barakah.” (Ahmad)
Rules regarding Bismillah

1. When reciting the Quran it is sunnah to begin with bismillah after ta’awwuz.
It is also sunnah to recite bismillah at the beginning of every Surah during
recital except Surah Tawbah.
2. As “bismillahir rahmaanir raheem” is a verse of the Quran, one cannot touch
it without wudhu. Similarly, a person who is in a state of impurity requiring
7
ghusl or women who are in haiz or nifaas cannot recite it with the intention
of Quran recitation. However, it can be recited as a dua before commencing an
action such as eating, etc.
Bismillah can mean, “In the name of Allah”, “seeking help through the name
of Allah” or “with the barakah (blessings) of the name of Allah.”
The word “Allah” is unique. No being besides Allah  possesses this

name, hence it has no dual or plural.
“Rahmaan” and “Raheem” are two of the qualities of Allah .

“Rahmaan” refers to such a being whose mercy covers the entire creation, past,
present and future. This quality is exclusive to Allah  and beyond the
capability of any man, hence it is not permissible to call any person Rahmaan.
“Raheem” refers to a being whose mercy is perfect and complete. Because a
human being can show complete mercy upon another, it is permissible to call
a person Raheem. Allah  referred to Nabi  as Raheem in
Surah Tawbah, verse 128.
From all of Allah’s  qualities, Allah  chose these two (Rahmaan

and Raheem) to perhaps indicate that He created and sustains the entire
universe out of His mercy, and not due to any compulsion or need.
8
Surah Faatiha  ‫سورة الفاتحة‬
‫الر ِحي ْ ِم‬ َّ ‫الر ْح ٰم ِن‬
ِ
َّ ‫ب ْس ِم ال ّٰله‬
ِ
‫الر ِح ْي ِم‬ َّ ‫ـن‬ ِ ‫الر ْح ٰم‬ َّ ﴾١﴿ ‫ي‬ َ ْ‫َا ْل َح ْمدُ هلِلِ َر ِّب ا ْل ٰع َل ِم ن‬
‫اك‬َ ‫اك َن ْع ُب ُد َوا ِ َّي‬ َ ‫﴾ ا ِ َّي‬٣﴿ ‫ك َي ْو ِم الدِّ ْي ِن‬ ِ ‫ـل‬ ِ ‫﴾ ٰم‬٢﴿
‫اط ا ْل ُم ْست َِق ْي َم‬ َ ‫الص‬ ِ ِ ِ
َ ِّ‫﴾ ا ْهد َنــــا ر‬٤ ﴿ ‫ي‬ ُ ْ‫َن ْستَع ن‬
ِ ْ‫﴾غ ر‬٦﴿
‫ي‬ َ ‫اط ا َّل ِذ ْي َن َا ن َْع ْم َت َع َل ْي ِه ْم‬ َ ‫ص‬ َ ِ‫﴾ ر‬٥﴿
﴾٧﴿ ‫ِّي‬ َّ ‫ب َع َل ْي ِه ْم َو اَل‬
َ ْ‫الض ال ن‬ ِ ‫غض ْو‬ ُ ‫ا ْل َم‬
1. All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the
Worlds.
2. The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
3. The Master of the day of judgment.
4. You alone do we worship and You alone do we
ask for help.
5. Guide us to the straight path,
6. The path of those whom You have favoured;
7. Not the path of those upon whom Your anger
descended, nor the path of those who have gone
astray.
Alternative names of Surah Faatiha

Surah Faatiha is also known by the following names:
1. Ummul Quran
9
2. Ummul Kitab
3. Al-Quran al-Azeem
4. Ash-Shifa
Specialities of Surah Faatiha

1. The Quran begins with it.
2. Every Salaah begins with it.
3. It was the first Surah to be revealed as a whole.
4. It is a summary of the Quran and the rest of the Quran is its commentary.
According to the scholars, the various themes that are discussed in the Quran
such as tawheed, risalah, akhirah, etc. are referred to briefly in Surah Faatiha.
5. One who starts to recite or study the Quran commences with Surah Faatiha
as a reminder that he should clear his mind of all preconceived ideas and
thoughts. It is a reminder that he should study it to realise the truth and follow
the straight path. Hence, in this Surah he asks Allah  to guide him
to the straight path, and praises that Being in Whose court he requests for
guidance on the straight path. The entire Quran is in answer to his request,
hence the second Surah, al-Baqarah, begins with the verse, “This is the book in
which there is no doubt. It is guidance for those with taqwa (piety).”
Virtues
Nabi  said, “Surah Faatiha is the cure for every illness.” (Baihaqi)
Summary of the Surah

It consists of seven verses. The first three verses are in praise of Allah .
The last three verses are a dua which Allah  has taught man to make to
Him. The middle verse is a combination of praise and dua. This is confirmed by
a hadith in which Allah  stated that Surah Faatiha is divided between
Allah  and His servant. Allah  concludes the hadith by stating
that Allah  will grant His servant whatever he had asked for in this
Surah. (Muslim)
10
Verse 1: All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
Firstly, by this verse we declare that all praise belongs to Allah  alone;
secondly, we are turned away from the worship of creation because we praise
Him and should, therefore, worship Him and none else. The verse points to
Allah’s  oneness (tawheed).
All praise certainly belongs to Allah  because, even when we praise

the many beautiful sceneries and beneficial objects of this world, we are in fact
praising Allah  since He is their creator.
Why do we need to praise Allah ? The answer is given in the next part
of the verse: He is Rabbul Aalameen (Lord of the Worlds).
“Rabb” refers to that Being who nourishes, cares for and nurtures His creation
step by step in such a manner that they progress to the level of perfection.
“Aalameen” is the plural of Aalam (world). The use of the plural is not
coincidental. It refers to the existence of the world we know with its sun,
moon, stars, earth, plants, animals, human beings, etc. It is also possible that
Allah  sustains thousands of other worlds besides our own. Imam
Raazi  stated that there are countless other worlds besides the one we
know and it is very possible that these may even function without air, sunlight,
etc. Allah  surely has the power to create as He wills.
In summary, the verse means that Allah  controls and sustains the
entire universe. To produce one grain of rice, for example, Allah 
brings together nutrients from the soil, water from the heavens, sunlight, and
the work of so many human beings to plant, harvest, package and transport it.
Allah  has created this entire system so that man may know that he
has been created for a purpose, just like everything else in the universe. Man
has been created to worship Allah .
11
Verse 2: The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
The words “Rahmaan” and “Raheem” are words of emphasis. They tell us that
Allah  created the universe due to His all-encompassing and perfect
mercy. So, He is in no need and under no compulsion to sustain the universe.
He does so out of His kindness.
Verse 3: The Master of the day of judgment.

“Maalik” is derived from the word mielk, which means to have such ownership
over something which allows one to fully control it. Hence, Allah  will
be the sole owner of all things and decisions on the day of Qiyaamah.
Why is there a need for a day of Judgment? Because, this world is merely a
place of actions and not a place of recompense. Thus, there has to be another
place of justice where man will receive the full reward or punishment for his
actions in this world. Occasionally, punishment is imparted in this very world,
however it is merely a taste of the eternal punishment as a warning to mend
one’s ways. Hence, it does not mean that a person who is wealthy and living
luxuriously in this world is beloved and accepted in Allah’s  sight. It
also does not mean that a person who is afflicted with calamities in this world
is being punished or subjected to the anger of Allah . This is proven
from the fact that the Messengers of Allah  and His righteous saints
suffered the most in this world but were the most beloved to Him. Conversely,
oppressive rulers such as Firawn and Qaarun lived comfortable lives in this
world, but will be severely punished in the Hereafter.
When Allah  is the owner of everything that exists, why did Allah
 specifically mention that He is Master of the day of Qiyaamah? While
Allah  is the actual owner of everything, in this world He has given
man temporary ownership of wealth, land, homes, etc. as a test. Hence, by
saying that He is the Master of the day of Qiyaamah, Allah  cautions
man: “Soon all these temporary owners will die and on the day of Qiyaamah,
the eternal owner, Allah , will be seen to be in control.”
12
Verse 4: You alone do we worship and You alone do we ask for help.
Ibaadah means to display extreme obedience and servitude to someone due to
intense love and respect.
Imam Ghazali  has mentioned that there are 10 types of ibaadah:

1. Salaah
2. Fasting
3. Haj
4. Zakaat
5. Quran recitation and study
6. Remembering Allah  in all conditions
7. Commanding good and forbidding evil
8. Earning halaal sustenance
9. Fulfilling the rights of neighbors and friends
10. Following the Sunnah (lifestyle of Nabi ).
In the preceding three verses, man acknowledges his dependence on Allah

 in the past (because Allah  created him in the best of forms),
present (because Allah  sustains him) and future (because Allah
 will be the Master on the day of Qiyaamah). The natural result of
this dependence is that man should worship Him. Hence, in this verse man
declares that he worships only Allah .
This verse also teaches us that since man should worship only Allah 
and ask only from Allah , prostration, circumambulation or praying to
anybody besides Allah  is incorrect. Rather, one’s love, fear and hope
in Allah  should be greater than for any other being or entity. Nothing
should be more important to man than Allah’s  worship.
By asking Allah  for help, we request His assistance in every matter of

this world and the Hereafter.
13
Verse 5: Guide us to the straight path,
Hidaayah means to guide somebody to their destination with kindness. Man
asks Allah  for hidaayah (guidance) to the straight path because
success in both worlds cannot be achieved without divine guidance. Allah
 has provided this guidance by means of His Messengers and divine
books so that man may believe in His oneness and worship Him only.
The straight path is that course of religion which has no excesses, deficiencies,
negligence and compromise.
Verse 6: The path of those whom You have favoured;

Man has to learn from books as well as experts. Here Allah  directs us
to those experts who we need to follow. In another verse of the Quran, Allah
 tells us who these people are: “Whoever obeys Allah  and
Nabi , then they will be in the company of those whom Allah
 has favoured: the Messengers, the siddiqeen, the martyrs and the
righteous. How excellent these companions are!” (Surah Nisa, 69)
Siddiqeen refer to the awliya, the friends of Allah , who reach the
highest levels of internal spirituality. The martyrs are those who give their
lives for Allah . The righteous are those who follow all the commands
of Allah .
Verse 7: Not the path of those upon whom Your anger descended, nor the path
of those who have gone astray.
Those who angered Allah  were those who opposed His commands due
to arrogance. Historically, these were the Jews. They opposed the Messengers
and rejected their message. They even went to the extent of killing some of
the Messengers.
Those who went astray were those who went to extremes due to ignorance.
Historically, these were the Christians. They fell into the worship of the
14
Messengers.
Lessons
1. The order of the verses in Surah Faatiha teaches us how to make dua. First
we need to praise Allah , then we need to understand Allah 
as the only being worthy of worship, and finally, we should make the dua of
our choice.
2. Man should not praise himself as self-praise is detestable. Allah 

does not need praise but He has praised Himself to teach us how we should
praise Him.
3. We should always make dua for guidance to the straight path.
4. We should not be hypocritical by asking for protection from the Jews’ and
Christians’ way of life in our every Salaah but imitating their ways out of
Salaah.
15
Surah Naas ٍ  ‫سورة الناس‬
‫الر ِحي ْ ِم‬
َّ ‫الر ْح ٰم ِن‬
ِ
ِ
﴾2﴿ ‫اس‬ ِ ‫ك ال َّن‬ ِ ‫﴾ م ِل‬١﴿ ‫اس‬ ِ ‫ُق ْل َا ُع ْو ُذ بِ َر ِّب ال َّن‬
َ
ِ ‫اس ا ْل َخ َّن‬
ِ ‫ش ا ْل َو ْس َو‬ ِ ِ ‫ا ِل ٰ ِه ال َّن‬
‫اس‬ ِّ َ‫﴾ م ْن ر‬3﴿ ‫اس‬
﴾5﴿ ‫اس‬ ِ ‫﴾ ال َِّذ ْی ُي َوس ِوس ِفى ُص ُد ْو ِر ال َّن‬4﴿
ْ ُ ْ
﴾٦﴿‫اس‬ ِ ‫ِم َن ا ْل ِج َّن ِة َوال َّن‬
1. Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind...”

2. “...the King of mankind...”
3. “...the Deity of mankind...”
4. “...from the evil of the whisperer who
withdraws...”
5. “...who whispers in the hearts of mankind...”
6. “...be he from among the jinn or man.”
Background
In this last Surah of the Quran, Allah  teaches us to seek refuge and
protection in Him from the root of all sin – Shaitaan and his promptings. This
raises the question: Why did Allah  end the Quran with such a theme?
Well, Shaitaan and his evil play a critical role in our lives. If we succumb to his
evil influences we are bound to pay the penalty in the Hereafter. Failure in the
Hereafter is the worst failure of all. Thus, the Quran ends with an emphasis
16
upon the need to be safe from such an eternal failure in the Hereafter.
Shaitaan is devoted to leading man astray. He incites man in various ways to

commit sin. Once Nabi  was walking with his wife Safiyya bint
Huyay . Two Sahaba suddenly appeared, so Nabi  said to
them, “This is Safiyya bint Huyay.” The two Sahaba explained that they would
never imagine Nabi  committing evil by walking with a strange
woman. Nabi  then said, “Shaitaan runs though the body of man
like blood flows through the veins.”1 (Bukhari)
If man overcomes Shaitaan and does acts of worship, Shaitaan then tries to
destroy the reward of these acts by creating pride in man. Shaitaan also creates
doubts in the hearts of those who are learned.
Verse 1- 3: Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind...” “...the King of

mankind...” “...the Deity of mankind...”
Allah  attached the word “Naas” (mankind) to “Rab”, “Malik” and
“Ilaah” because the whisperings of Shaitaan are specific to man, not animals
and other creation.
Allah  mentioned the three qualities Rab (Lord), Malik (King) and
Ilaah (deity worthy of worship) since all these three protect that which is in
their dominion. A lord protects what he owns. A king protects his subjects. A
deity worthy of worship protects His creation. Allah  is the only being
who is a lord, a king and a deity worthy of worship. Thus, His protection is the
best protection.
Verse 4 - 5: “...from the evil of the whisperer who withdraws...” “...who

whispers in the hearts of mankind...”
“Waswaas” refers to a Shaitaan who calls man to his obedience by such a silent
whisper that the meaning of it enters the heart of man without any sound
1 Nabi  feared that they may misconstrue the situation because Safiyya’s
 face could not be seen due to her having donned the niqaab (face veil).
17
being heard.
Why do we need to seek protection from a whisper? What power is there in a

whisper? Well, a whisper leads to a thought. A thought becomes an intention.
An intention becomes a resolution. A resolution leads to an action. If the
whisper is evil the action will be evil. Thus, we need to nip the evil in the bud
by seeking protection from the whisper.
“Khannaas” means one who retreats or withdraws. In other words, Shaitaan

retreats when we take Allah’s  name, but when we are negligent, he
attacks by whispering evil ideas to us. When we again take Allah’s 
name, he again retreats. This is the continuous cycle of events throughout
our lives.
Verse 6: “...be he from among the jinn or man.”

The last verse tells us that men and jinn both whisper evil thoughts. The
whispers of shaytan are obvious: he discreetly introduces an evil idea into the
heart. But how can men whisper evil? Firstly, men sometimes say such things
which create doubts in the hearts of people. Secondly, man’s base desires
sometimes whisper evil thoughts to him. For this reason Nabi 
taught us to make dua for protection against Shaitaan and our base desires.
Lessons
1. Always be careful of Shaitaan. Nabi  warned us against Shaitaan
when he said: “Shaitaan runs though the body of man like blood flows through
the veins.” (Bukhari)
2. Sin only occurs if man consciously brings evil thoughts into the mind. If evil
thoughts come into the mind by their own accord there is no sin; however if
such evil thoughts are cultivated, they become sinful.
3. Does the power of Shaitaan reign supreme? Man is taught in this Surah that
Shaitaan is not to be underestimated. However, his plotting and planning can
18
be overcome. Allah  says, “The plot of Shaitaan is weak.” (Surah Nisa,
76) Allah  also tells us in another verse of the Quran: “And when you
recite the Quran, seek refuge in Allah  from Shaitaan the rejected one.
Certainly he has no power over those who believe and have trust in their Lord.
His power is only over those who befriend him and those who ascribe partners
unto Him (Allah ).” (Surah Nahl, 99)
4. There is a link between the first and last Surahs of the Quran (Surah Faatiha
and Surah Naas). In Surah Faatiha we ask Allah  to guide us on the
straight path. The rest of the Quran guides us towards this straight path.
Shaitaan is, however, always ready to distract and divert us from it. In Surah
Naas Allah  teaches us how to overcome his evil distractions.
5. In Surah Falaq, only one quality of Allah  (the Lord of daybreak) is

mentioned, and protection is sought from three evils (darkness, witchcraft and
jealousy). In Surah Naas, three qualities of Allah  (Lord, King and deity
worthy of worship) are mentioned, and protection is sought from only one evil
(Shaitaan). Why? The reason is that the power of Shaitaan is the greatest of all
evils. Shaitaan sees us whereas we cannot see him. He influences us in hidden
ways. Secondly, the harms of the other evils are limited to this world, while
the evil effects of Shaitaan will cause man to suffer in the Hereafter. Thirdly,
other evils can be treated with medication and means, however Shaitaan can
only be defeated by Allah’s  zikr and His protection.
6. The Quran instructs us to deal with human enemies by means of kindness,

forgiveness and cordial conduct because these soften hearts. However, those
human enemies who are by nature resilient to good conduct should be fought
against because they are open enemies. In comparison, Shaitaan cannot be
defeated by good conduct nor by combat. He is an open enemy who can only
be resisted by Allah’s  zikr.
19
Surah Falaq ٍ  ‫سورة الفلق‬

ِ ِ
﴾2﴿ َ‫﴾ ِم ْن َش ِّر َما َخ َلق‬١﴿ ‫ُق ْل َا ُع ْو ُذ بِ َر ِّب ا ْل َف َل ِق‬
ِ ‫﴾ و ِمن َشر الن ّٰفث‬٣﴿ ‫اس ٍق ا ِ َذا و َقب‬
‫ٰت‬ ِ َ‫و ِمن َشر غ‬
َّ ِّ ْ َ َ َ ِّ ْ َ
﴾٥﴿ َ‫اس ٍد ا ِ َذا َح َسد‬ ِ ‫﴾ و ِمن َشر ح‬٤﴿ ‫ِفى ا ْلع َق ِد‬
َ ِّ ْ َ ُ
1. Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak...”

2. “...from the evil of that which He has created...”
3. “...from the evil of the darkness when it
spreads...”
4. “...and from the evil of those who practice
witchcraft when they blow on knots...”
5. “...And from the evil of the jealous one when he
acts upon his jealousy.”
Introduction
Surah Falaq was revealed together with Surah Naas. In Surah Falaq we are
taught to seek the protection of Allah  from worldly calamities. In
Surah Naas we are taught to seek the protection of Allah  from the
cause of eternal failure in the Hereafter - Shaitaan.
Circumstance of Revelation
Nabi  was bewitched by a Jew by the name of Labid ibn A’sam.
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The effect of this black magic upon Nabi  was that he would think
that he had done a certain action whereas he had not. Two angels came to him
in a dream and informed him that Labid ibn A’sam had bewitched him. He was
also informed of the place where the spell was hidden.
Labid ibn A’sam had actually bribed a slave boy of Nabi  to give
him some of Nabi’s  hair together with teeth from his comb. He
then made knots in the hair and placed it under a rock in the well of Zarwaan.
Nabi  had all the water removed from the well and the comb
and hair were found. Each of the knots was untied by reciting Surah Falaq
and Surah Naas. There were a total of eleven knots and the two Surahs have
a combined total of eleven verses. Nabi  was, hereby, freed from
the spell.
Aisha  asked Nabi : “Why did you not expose the evil of
Labid in public? He replied: “Allah has cured me. I now do not want to become
a source of discomfort for the people.” (Bukhari) The companions would have
killed him if they knew he had caused such harm to Nabi .
Virtues of Surah Falaq and Surah Naas

Allah  is in control of everything. He is the protector and sustainer of
everything that exists. By reciting these Surahs in the prescribed manner one
will surely enter the protection of Allah .
Nabi  encouraged us to recite Surah Falaq and Surah Naas before

sleeping and when waking up (Nasai). In another narration Nabi 
encouraged us to recite these Surahs after every Salaah (Abu Dawood).
Aisha  says: “When a disease used to afflict Nabi  he used

to recite these two Surahs and blow on his hands. He then used to rub his
hands over his entire body. In his last illness I read them and blew over his
hands. He then rubbed his hands over his body. I did not do this with my own
hands because my hands were not as blessed as his. (Maalik)
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In a hadith it is mentioned that recitation of these two Surahs together with
Surah Ikhlaas three times morning and evening is a protection from all evils.
(Abu Dawood) These Surahs are extremely powerful as a protection from black-
magic, the evil eye, and all types of physical and spiritual evils.
Verse 1: Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak...”

“Falaq” literally means to break open or crack. It is, thus, used for daybreak
because the light of day breaks and removes the darkness. Daybreak is one of
the signs of Allah’s  power because it brings light and activity.
When Allah  is the Lord of everything, why did He specifically use His
quality of being the Lord of daybreak? It is perhaps an indication that just as
Allah  removes the darkness of night and brings day in its place, He
can replace the darkness of evil with the light of good.
Verse 2: “...from the evil of that which He has created...”

This verse serves as a general protection from all evils. The verse is completely
general and can include every type of evil which exists. Three special evils
have, however, been mentioned in the following verses.
Verse 3: “...from the evil of the darkness when it spreads...”

“Ghaasiq” comes from the word ghasaq which means ‘spreading of darkness’.
“Waqab” means for the darkness to fill something completely. Thus, according
to many of the scholars this verse refers to the night. The night has been
mentioned specifically because dangerous animals, insects, thieves, robbers,
hijackers, etc. usually attack at night. Black-magic is also generally done at
night.
Verse 4: “...and from the evil of those who practice witchcraft when they blow
on knots...”
Witchcraft is generally done by blowing upon knots. “Naffaathaat” comes from
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the word nafath which means to blow. “Uqad” is the plural of uqdah - a knot.
“Naffaathaat” refers to those women who do witchcraft. Witchcraft is an evil

because it is based on obedience to Shaitaan. Through it, marriages, families,
homes and lives are broken, hence we are taught here to seek Allah’s 
protection from it.
Why have women specifically been mentioned? Scholars mention two possible
reasons:
1. Women indulge in witchcraft more than men do.
2. Labid ibn Asam’s daughters bewitched Nabi .
Some scholars have stated that “naffaathaat” refers to those ‘souls’ who do
witchcraft. This would then include both men and women.
Verse 5: “...And from the evil of the jealous one when he acts upon his jealousy.”
Jealousy is linked to black magic because the latter stems from the former. A
jealous person is always looking to harm the one he is jealous of. The enemies
of Nabi  were led to black magic and even war because of their
jealousy towards him.
Jealousy is when a person desires the bounty bestowed upon another person
to be removed from him. Jealousy was the first sin committed in the heavens
and earth. In the heavens Iblis was jealous of Adam . On earth Qaabil
killed Haabil due to jealousy.
A concept similar to jealousy but distinct from it is called ghibtah (admiration).

Ghibtah is when a person desires the bounty of another but does not want it
to be removed from him. Ghibtah is not only acceptable, but good when one
admires the good actions or qualities found in another person.
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Surah Ikhlaas  ‫سورة االخالص‬

ِ ِ
ْ‫﴾ َل ْم َيلِد‬٢﴿ ُ‫الص َمد‬ ُ ‫﴾ َا‬١﴿ ‫ُق ْل ُه َو اهللُ َا َح ٌد‬
َّ ‫هلل‬
﴾٤﴿ ٌ‫﴾ َو َل ْم َيكُ ْن َّل ه كُ فُ ًوا َا َحد‬٣﴿ ْ‫َو َل ْم ُي ْو َلد‬
1. Say, “He Allah is One.”

2. Allah is independent.
3. He has no children and is not the child of
anyone.
4. And there is none equal to Him.
The Surah was revealed in response to a question posed by the Mushrikeen
(polytheists) of Makkah. They asked about the attributes and lineage of Allah
. According to some narrations they also asked whether Allah 
was made of gold, silver or something else. This Surah answered them simply
and concisely.
Virtues of the Surah

A person once said to Nabi : “I love this Surah greatly.” Nabi
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 replied: “Love for this Surah will surely enter you into paradise.
(Ahmad)
Once Nabi  instructed the people to gather, as he would recite

a third of the Quran to them. Once they had gathered, Nabi 
recited Surah Ikhlaas and explained: “This Surah is equal to one third of the
Quran.” (Muslim)
Nabi  also said: “A person who reads Surah Ikhlaas and the
Muawwazatain (Surah Falaq and Surah Naas) morning and evening it would
be sufficient as protection from all evil.” (Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Nasai)
Verse 1: Say, “He Allah is One.”

The word “ahad” incorporates various meanings:
1. Allah  is not composed of one or more parts or components.
2. Allah  is one. He is not part of a trinity or one from amongst other
deities.
3. Allah  is unique – nothing is like Him.
Verse 2: Allah is independent.

The scholars have explained “samad” in many ways. Simply put, however,
Allah  is not dependent on any being or entity, rather everything and
everyone is dependent on Allah .
Verse 3: He has no children and is not the child of anyone.

This verse served as an answer to those who wanted to know the lineage of
Allah . Allah  bears no resemblance to His creation, who
come into existence by birth and later beget children.
Verse 4: And there is none equal to Him.

Nobody is like Allah  nor can anybody be compared to Him.
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Lessons
Surah Ikhlaas establishes the oneness of Allah  and negates all forms
of Shirk (polytheism). It negates the belief of all the following groups of people:
1. Those who do not believe in a God.
2. Those who believe in a God but not in His perfect qualities.
3. Those who associate partners with Allah .
4. Those who worship Allah  but rely on others for help and assistance.
5. Those who believe that God has a son.
This Surah is truly miraculous. It is one of the shortest Surahs of the Quran but
it’s meaning is vast. Concepts that would ordinarily have taken many pages to
explain, have been concisely mentioned in four short verses.
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Surah Lahab  ‫سورة اللهب‬

ِ
ِ
‫﴾ َمٓا َا ْغ ٰنى َع ْن ُه َما ُل ه‬١﴿ ‫َب‬ ٍ ‫ت ََّب ْت َي َدٓا َابِی َل َه‬
َّ ‫ب َّوت‬ ْ
﴾٣﴿ ‫ات ل َهب‬ ٍ َ ٰ
َ ‫﴾ َس َي ْصلى ن ًَارا ذ‬٢﴿ ‫َو َما َك َس َب‬
َ
‫﴾ ِف ْی ِجي ْ ِد َها َح ْب ٌل‬٤﴿ ‫ب‬ ِ ‫َّوا ْم َر َاتُ ه َح َّما َل َة ا ْل َح َط‬
﴾٥﴿ ‫ِّم ْن َّم َس ٍد‬
1. May the hands of Abu Lahab be destroyed and

may he be destroyed.
2. His wealth and earnings did not benefit him.
3. He will soon enter into a fire of blazing flames.
4. And his wife, the carrier of firewood,
5. Around her neck will be a rope of palm fibre.
Background
This is one of the few places in the Quran where Allah  condemns a
person by name. Abu Lahab was actually his title. His real name was Abdul
Uzza. He was one of the sons of Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of Nabi
. He was, thus, an uncle of Nabi . He was, however,
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an archenemy of Islam and Nabi . When Nabi  used
to invite to Islam, Abu Lahab would follow him and refute his claims.
In this Surah, Allah  defends Nabi  against this wretched

individual and his wife who spared no effort in harming Islam. Allah 
angrily warns them of a severe punishment for their evil actions.
In the early days of Islam Nabi  was commanded to invite his
close family to Islam. Nabi  climbed upon Mount Safa and called
the various tribes of Quraish to him. When they had gathered he asked them:
“O gathering of Quraish! If I tell you that there is an army behind this mountain
about to attack you, will you believe me? They replied in one voice: “Yes.”
Nabi  then said to them: “I warn you of a terrible torment. Save
yourselves from the Fire.” Abu Lahab who was present stood up and declared:
“May you be destroyed! Did you gather us for this?” He then picked up a stone
to throw at Nabi . Allah  then revealed this Surah as an
answer to his rebuke.
Verse 1: May the hands of Abu Lahab be destroyed and may he be destroyed.
In the first verse Allah  curses Abu Lahab. Allah  states
that Abu Lahab would be destroyed, and events transpired as Allah 
described. After the battle of Badr he became ill with a dreadful disease. His
family abandoned him in fear of it affecting them. He died in this miserable
plight. For three days his body lay deserted and nobody would touch him.
When his body began to decompose, a number of slaves picked it up with
sticks, threw it into a hole and filled the hole with rocks.
The Surah begins with the word “tabbat” (destroyed) which sets the tone for
the remaining verses of the Surah.
The verse refers to destruction of his hands. As we do majority of our work

with our hands, this is symbolic of complete destruction of the body.
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Verse 2: His wealth and earnings did not benefit him.
Neither could his wealth nor his children save him from destruction. This
was in reality a refutation of an earlier claim made by Abu Lahab. Ibn Abbaas
 says: “When Nabi  warned his people about punishment
in the Hereafter Abu Lahab said: ‘I have much wealth and children. If what my
nephew says is true I will save myself from punishment by giving my wealth
and children.”’
As Abu Lahab used his wealth to harm the cause of Islam, it had no blessings
or benefit in it; rather it was a curse for him.
Verse 3: He will soon enter into a fire of blazing flames.

In the first two verses we are told of his worldly failure and punishment. In
this verse we are told of his punishment in the Hereafter. He will enter the
blazing flame in Jahannam and in his grave.
Verse 4: And his wife, the carrier of firewood,

In this verse Allah  informs us of the wife of Abu Lahab. She was the
sister of Abu Sufyaan. She was famously known as Umm Jameel.
The phrase “hamma latal hatab” literally means one who carries firewood.
This phrase has been explained in different ways by the mufassireen
(commentators):
1. It refers to a tale carrier in the Arabic language because tale carrying lights
fires of hatred between individuals and families. The wife of Abu Lahab used
to carry tales to harm Nabi  and the Sahabah.
2. She used to carry thorny branches from the forest and place them in the
path of Nabi  to give him difficulty and pain.
3. She will kindle the fire of Jahannam for her husband by throwing firewood
into it in order to increase his pain just as she had assisted him in this world
by increasing the pain of Nabi .
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Verse 5: Around her neck will be a rope of palm fibre.
“Masad” refers to a strong rope made of palm leaves or iron. This unfortunate
woman will wear a necklace of disgrace and pain, instead of gold and jewels
because she adorned her life with disbelief and evil instead of imaan and good
deeds.
Lessons
1. Enemies of Islam and people who accuse Nabi  unjustly will
be punished by Allah  in this world and the Hereafter. Orientalist
scholars and modern day critics who have labelled Nabi  as a
terrorist, child-molester, etc. will surely meet their fate.
2. People who use their wealth and resources to harm Islam and Muslims will
see their end in destruction and humiliation.
3. A married couple should be partners in good and virtue rather than sin and
evil.
4. Carrying tales is a major sin. Nabi  said: “One who carries tales
will not enter Jannah.” (Bukhari)
5. This Surah proves the truth of Islam. It prophesied the failure and destruction
of Abu Lahab. It played out just as the Quran predicted. Abu Lahab lived for
many years after it was revealed and could have accepted Islam, but he never
did. He died in humiliation.
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Surah Nasr  ‫سورة النصر‬
ِ
ِ
ِ ِ
‫اس‬ َ ‫﴾ َو َر َاي ْ َت ال َّن‬١﴿ ‫َص اهلل َوا ْل َف ْت ُح‬ ُ ْ‫ا َذا َجا َء ن ر‬
‫﴾ ف ََس ِّب ْح بِ َح ْم ِد‬٢﴿ ‫اجا‬ ِ ِ ِ
ً ‫َيدْ ُخ ُل ْونَ ف ْی دي ْ ِن اهلل َاف َْو‬
﴾٣﴿ ‫اس َتغْ ِف ْر ُه ا ِ َّنه كَ انَ َت َّوابًا‬
ْ ‫َر ِّب َك َو‬
1. When Allah’s help and the victory come...
2. ... and you see people entering the religion of
Allah in crowds.
3. Then express the purity and praise of your Lord,
and seek His forgiveness. He is Most Forgiving.
Background
The Surah is also called Surah Towdee’. Towdee’ means bidding farewell to
someone. In this Surah there is an indication towards the demise of Nabi
 which was imminent.
When this Surah was revealed Nabi  recited it before a gathering

of eminent Sahaba. All remained silent except Abbaas  who began crying.
Nabi  asked him why he was crying. He replied: “News of your
demise is hidden herein.” Nabi  confirmed this.
An interesting point regarding this Surah is that it was the last Surah as a
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whole to be revealed, as narrated by Ibn Abbaas . (Muslim)
Verse 1: When Allah’s help and the victory come...

“Fath” (the victory) refers to the conquest of Makkah.
Verse 2: ... and you see people entering the religion of Allah in crowds.
Before the conquest of Makkah many people were already sure of the truth
of Nabi’s  message but did not accept Islam due to fear of the
Quraish and other reasons. After Makkah was conquered a large number of
tribes and people accepted Islam.
Verse 3: Then express the purity and praise of your Lord, and seek His
forgiveness. He is Most Forgiving.
As Allah  was the One who granted victory to Islam, it is only
appropriate that Nabi  expresses his appreciation to Him. Aisha
 narrates that after this Surah was revealed Nabi  used to
say after every Salaah:
‫اللهم اغفر يل‬

ّ ،‫سبحانك ربنا وبحمدك‬
Subhaanaka Rabbana Wa bihamdika Allaahummagh firly. (Bukhari)
In other words, Nabi  dutifully fulfilled the order of the verse by

praising Allah  and seeking His forgiveness.
Forgiveness here does not necessitate that Nabi  had committed

sins in his life. Nabi  and indeed all the Messengers were sinless.
This forgiveness which Nabi  sought was from any such actions
which he might have done which were not appropriate. No matter what good
a person does, in relation to the grandeur of Allah , it is deficient.
Abu Hurairah  narrates that after this Surah was revealed Nabi
 used to exert himself in worship to such an extent that his feet
would swell.
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Lessons
1. Here we see the superiority of Nabi  as compared to any other
world leader. History has shown that many world leaders after bringing about
a revolution or accomplishing a mission celebrated the occasion in pomp and
glory. Nabi  was the complete opposite. The revolution brought
about by him was the greatest in human history. He had brought about a change
in the beliefs, customs, morals, economy, politics and social life of a nation and
made them leaders of other nations. At the end of all this he was enjoined not
to celebrate his accomplishments but to praise and glorify Allah  and
seek forgiveness from Allah . From the narrations quoted above we see
that he humbly devoted the remainder of his life to fulfilling this command.
2. We as imperfect mortals should not regard any of our worship or religious

services as having fulfilled the right of Allah  on us. Even if we have
sacrificed our entire lives in this cause we should consider our efforts as small.
In a similar vein we should regard any victory or success as a bounty of Allah
 and not due to our excellence. We should then humbly beg Allah’s
 forgiveness rather than boasting of our achievements.
3. Never lose hope when starting a new venture. If it is done with sincerity and
truth then it is sure to succeed. Like Makkah Mukarramah took many years
to conquer, similarly our life ambitions and undertakings may take years to
mature. We need to persevere and be patient and ensure that our goals are
compliant with the teachings of Islam. Allah  knows when to give us
success and victory.
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Surah Kaafiroon  ‫سورة الكافرون‬
ِ
ِ
﴾٢﴿ َ‫﴾ ٓاَل َا ْع ُب ُد َما َت ْع ُب ُد ْون‬١﴿ َ‫ُق ْل يٰٓاَي ُّ َها ا ْل ٰك ِف ُر ْون‬
‫﴾ َو ٓاَل َان َا َعابِ ٌد َّما‬٣﴿ ‫َو ٓاَل َانْ ُت ْم ٰعبِ ُد ْونَ َمٓا َا ْع ُب ُد‬
‫﴾ َلكُ ْم‬٥﴿ ‫﴾ َو ٓاَل َانْتُ ْم ٰعبِ ُد ْونَ َمٓا َا ْع ُب ُد‬٤﴿ ‫َع َب ْد ُّت ْم‬
.﴾٦﴿ ‫ِد ْي ُنكُ ْم َولِ َی ِدي ْ ِن‬
1.Say “O disbelievers!”
2. “I do not worship that which you worship.”
3. “Nor do you worship that which I worship.”
4. “And I do not worship that which you have
worshipped.”
5. Nor do you worship that which I worship.
6. For you is your religion, and for me is my
religion.

Aisha  narrates that Nabi  said: “The two best Surahs to
be recited in the Sunnah Salaah of Fajr are Surah Kaafiroon and Surah Ikhlaas.
(Ibn Hishaam)
Many Sahabah narrate that they observed Nabi  reciting these

two Surahs frequently in the Sunnah Salaahs of Fajr and Maghrib.
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Nabi  encouraged that this Surah be recited before sleeping at
night as it is a protection from shirk. (Tirmidhi)
Ali  narrates that once a scorpion bit Nabi . He asked for

some water and salt and began applying it to the affected area while reciting
Surah Kaafiroon, Surah Falaq and Surah Naas.
A number of non-Muslims of Makkah once came to Nabi  and
attempted to bribe him. They offered to make him the wealthiest man in
Makkah and marry him to the woman of his choice on condition that he did
not speak against their idols. If Nabi  refused this they were
willing to compromise: “You could worship our gods for one year and we
could worship your God the next.” According to another narration, they asked
Nabi  to simply touch their idol, and they would accept him. Nabi
 was clearly commanded in this Surah to abstain from any such
compromise.
Verse 1: Say “O disbelievers!”

Disbelievers here refer to all those who refuse to accept Allah  as the
one and only God and Nabi Muhammad  as the final Messenger
of God.
Verse 2 - 5: “I do not worship that which you worship.” “Nor do you worship
that which I worship.” “And I do not worship that which you have worshipped.”
Nor do you worship that which I worship.
There is a repetition of two sets of verses here. Why? The commentators have
given different answers to this question:
1. As narrated by Bukhari, numerous scholars state that the first verses explain
the present condition, while the second verses explain the future. In other
words, it is not possible at this stage that I worship your idols and you worship
my God, neither is it possible for us to worship each others deities in the future
35
while we remain faithful to our own beliefs.
2. In the first verses reference is made to Gods, meaning that neither party
worships the others deities. In the second set of verses the reference is to the
mode of worship. In other words, the method of worshipping Allah 
in Islam is different from the method of worshipping idols. This is precisely
the meaning of the founding kalimah of Islam. When we say Laa illaha illallah
Muhammadur Rasoolullah we actually acknowledge that only Allah  is
the one true deity and the true method of worship is the one taught to us by
Nabi .
3. Repetition is indeed intended and both sets of verses mean the same thing.
The verses were repeated to emphasise that there can never be a compromise
between Islam and disbelief (kufr) and to completely silence the Quraish who
were continuously attempting to bribe Nabi .
Verse 6: For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.

It does not mean that the non-Muslims’ disbelief is acceptable to Allah .
It means that the non-Muslims will have to answer to Allah  and will
be punished for their disbelief.
Lessons
This Surah appears to provide no scope for compromise in Islam. However,
did Nabi  not make a peace treaty with the Jews of Madinah and
compromise with the Quraish at Hudaibiyah? Outwardly there appears to be
a contradiction here. A deeper study reveals that this is not the case. There
is no contradiction. The type of compromise which Surah Kaafiroon prevents
applies to a fundamental principle of Islam - tawheed or the Oneness of Allah
. The compromise made by Nabi  was of a different type
- it was political and not religious - and agreements of this type are acceptable
for the Muslims even today. The crucial factor to distinguish between the two
would be the conditions attached. In a hadith Nabi  explained
this clearly. He said that agreements with the non-Muslims are acceptable
36
provided a haraam thing is not made halaal and vice versa. Now, if we look
at the compromise forbidden in Surah Kaafiroon we see that it necessitated
transgression of Islamic principles. It clearly promoted kufr and shirk. In the
agreement with the Jews of Madinah and the Quraish of Makkah there was no
such clause which violated any principle of Islam.
In summary, compromise in certain cases of human interaction is acceptable

within limits but there can be no compromise in the laws and principles made
by Allah .
37
Surah Kawthar  ‫سورة الكوثر‬
ِ ِ
‫﴾ َف َص ِّل لِ َر ِّب َك َو ا ْن َح ْر‬١﴿ ‫ا ِ َّنا ٓ َا ْع َط ْي ٰن َك ا ْلكَ ْو َث َر‬
﴾٣﴿ ‫ال ْبت َُر‬ َ ْ‫َك ُه َو ا‬ َ ‫﴾ ا ِ َّن َشانِئ‬2﴿
1. Surely We have granted you Kawthar.
2. So, perform Salaah for your Lord and sacrifice.
3. Certainly it is your enemy who will be cut off.
A person whose male offspring died in infancy used to be referred to by the
Arabs as “abtar”. When the son of Nabi , passed away the non-
Muslims of Makkah began passing nasty remarks. A person by the name of Aas
ibn Waail was the foremost from amongst such people. Whenever the name
of Nabi  was mentioned to him he would remark: “Leave him
aside! He is not to be taken seriously because he is “abtar”. When he dies he
will leave nobody behind to take his name.” In answer to this, Surah Kawthar
was revealed.
It has also been narrated that Ka’b ibn Ashraf once came to Makkah. The
non-Muslims of Makkah came to him and said: “Do you not see this man who
claims to be better than us (spiritually) whereas we are the ones who serve the
pilgrims and we are the custodians of the Ka’bah.” Ka’b replied: “No, you are
better than him.” In refutation of this, Surah Kawthar was revealed.
38
Verse 1: Surely We have granted you Kawthar.
In order to honour Nabi , Allah  granted him “Kawthar”.
“Kawthar” literally means goodness in abundance. In the commentary, Al-Bahrul
Muheet, twenty six different meanings of “Kawthar” have been mentioned in
the context of this Surah. Some of these are prophethood, Islam, the Quran,
wisdom, etc. Many scholars feel that all the bounties of this world and the
Hereafter are included in “Kawthar”. According to some scholars “Kawthar”
refers to a pond in the plains of Qiyaamah, called the Howdh Kawthar, which
will be exclusively reserved for the Muslims to drink water therefrom. Its
drinking utensils will equal the number of stars in the sky. The pond will be
filled from the river of Kawthar which originates in Jannah. So many narrations
of this river in paradise have been mentioned that we are convinced of its
truth. According to a narration, its banks are of gold and its water is whiter
than milk and sweeter than honey. (Bukhari) This gift of Kawthar far surpasses
every other gift that a person may receive in this world. It is a gift which is
eternal and unique to Nabi .
Verse 2: So, perform Salaah for your Lord and sacrifice.

Gratitude for such a great bounty (Kawthar) should be just as great. For this
reason, two great forms of worship are commanded in this verse - Salaah and
sacrifice. These two types of worship have been mentioned together at another
place in the Quran also: ‘’Say: ‘Verily my Salaah, my sacrifice, my living and
my dying are for Allah  the Lord of the worlds.’ “ (Surah An’aam, 162)
Here a question may be posed. If Allah  wanted gratitude why did

He command Salaah and sacrifice instead? The answer is simple. Gratitude is
expressed in three ways: acknowledgement with the heart, praise with the tongue
and by engaging in physical actions. All of these three are combined in Salaah.
Another important point emerges from this verse. Nabi  is

commanded to perform Salaah and make sacrifice exclusively for Allah
. In the days of ignorance the pagan Arabs used to worship and offer
39
sacrifices in the name of their idols. This verse makes it clear that Islam abhors
worship of and sacrifice for deities other than Allah .
Verse 3: Certainly it is your enemy who will be cut off.

“Shaani” (enemy) refers to a person who bears enmity and criticises others.
Here it refers to those non-Muslims like Aas ibn Wail, Ka’b ibn Ashraf and
others who called Nabi  “abtar” (cut off). It also refers to all
those who abuse and vilify him until the day of Qiyaamah. In a single sentence
Allah  defended the honour of His beloved Nabi  and
informed his enemies that their insults apply better to themselves than to
Nabi .
Those who assumed that Nabi’s  message would come to an

end were wrong. History proved this. Even though Nabi’s  male
offspring did not live to carry his name and lineage, he had many followers
(spiritual children) who carried his message to all parts of the world. In fact,
Nabi  will have more followers than any Messenger before him.
Let alone Nabi’s  name being forgotten, it is publicly announced

five times a day from every masjid in the world. Millions of people send durood
(salutations) upon him taking his blessed name hundreds of times daily. His
words are taught from the mimbars and madrasahs. Every Muslim who is named
Muhammad is actually expressing his gratitude to Nabi . How can
he ever be cut off when the scholars draw from his knowledge, the martyrs are
inspired by his bravery, the pious communicate with their Creator through his
teachings, and when his message has illuminated every part of the world?
Lessons
1. Salaah is a foundational pillar of Islam. It is the distinguishing factor between
Islam and disbelief.
2. All worship should be done solely for Allah .
3. The enemies of Islam and their propaganda will be forgotten with the passing
of time, but the name and message of Nabi  will remain forever.
40
Surah Maaoon  ‫سورة الماعون‬
ِ
ِ
‫﴾ َف ٰذ لِ َك‬١ ﴿ ‫الد ْي ِن‬ ِ
ِّ ِ‫َا َر َء ْي َت ا َّلذ ْی يُ َك ِّذ ُب ب‬
‫﴾ َو اَل َي ُح ُّض َع ٰلى َط َعا ِم‬٢﴿ ‫ا َّل ِذ ْی َيدُ ُّع ا ْل َيتِ ْي َم‬
‫﴾ ا َّل ِذي ْ َن ُه ْم‬٤﴿ ‫﴾ ف ََو ْي ٌل ِّل ْل ُم َص ِّلي ْ َن‬٣﴿ ‫ا ْل ِم ْس ِك ْي ِن‬
َ‫﴾ ا َّل ِذي ْ َن ُه ْم ُي َرا ُء ْون‬٥﴿ َ‫اه ْون‬ ُ ‫َع ْن َص اَلتِ ِه ْم َس‬
﴾٧﴿ ‫اع ْو َن‬ ُ ‫﴾ َو َي ْمن َُع ْو َن ا ْل َم‬٦﴿
1. Have you seen the person who denies the day
of Recompense?
2. He is the one who repels the orphan...
3. ... and who does not encourage feeding the
poor.
4. Destruction be to those performers of Salaah...
5. ... who neglect their Salaah...
6. ... who want to be seen...
7. ... and who refuse to give even minor articles!
Background
In this Surah four evil actions of the disbelievers and hypocrites have been
mentioned. The end result of such people will be eternal destruction in Hell-fire.
41
Muslims who do such evil actions are not eternally damned because their belief
in Allah  and the day of Qiyaamah will ultimately save them, although
they may have to suffer for a certain period of time in Hell-fire. Nevertheless,
there is a definite indication in the Surah that it is not appropriate for a Muslim
to do any such evil - only a disbeliever can stoop to such a level.
Verse 1: Have you seen the person who denies the day of Recompense?
“Deen” can refer to Islam or to Qiyaamah / Hereafter. Most of the scholars
have preferred the second meaning. Allah  draws the attention of the
reader at the start of the Surah by posing a question: Do you know the qualities
of a person who denies the day of Recompense? A question creates a desire in
the reader to read on and find an answer to the question.
Verse 2 - 3: He is the one who repels the orphan... ... and who does not
encourage feeding the poor.
The answer to the question begins here. A denier of the Hereafter has no
feelings for those who are less fortunate than him. He therefore behaves
harshly towards orphans and is an extreme miser. Let alone him spending on
the poor from his wealth, he does not encourage others to do it either.
Verse 4 - 5: Destruction be to those performers of Salaah... ... who neglect their

Salaah...
The verse does not mean that any person who makes mistakes while performing
Salaah is doomed to Hell. No! Islam is not such a harsh religion that punishes
people for mistakes.
This verse is, rather, an apt description of the condition of a hypocrite. In

order to make people believe that he is a Muslim he performs Salaah. However,
because he does not believe in Islam he performs Salaah irregularly and
halfheartedly. He regards Salaah as a burden upon himself. Another Quranic
verse provides further insight into a hypocrite’s Salaah: “When they stand
for Salaah they do so lazily, showing people and they do not remember Allah
42
except a little.” (Surah Nisa, 142)
Verse 6: ... who want to be seen...

In addition to his Salaah he does all his other deeds to show people as well.
He has no sincerity in his actions. His purpose is to please people rather than
please Allah . Regarding this Nabi  said: “A person who
shows off his actions to people, Allah will disgrace him on the day of Qiyaamah.
A person who shows off his good deeds to gain honour in the sight of people
Allah will expose his secrets to all creation.”
Verse 7: ... and who refuse to give even minor articles!

“Maaoon” literally means a small or insignificant thing that benefits people.
In this case, the verse would mean that such people withhold beneficial things
from others even though such things will be returned to them.
According to many scholars, however, in this verse “Maaoon” refers to

Zakaat. Zakaat has been described using the word “Maaoon” because it is a
small amount (2.5%) in proportion to a person’s total wealth. If one takes the
meaning of “Maaoon” as an insignificant thing then it would mean that such
people are exceedingly miserly; let alone discharging their Zakaat, such people
are reluctant to part with even small things of little value.
Lessons
1. As Muslims we need to be careful that we do not have qualities like the
disbelievers and hypocrites. We need to be kind and generous to the poor;
we need to perform our Salaah with discipline and concentration and not
just for the sake of getting it over with; and we should discharge our Zakaat
meticulously.
2. Eternal damnation and Hell is for the disbelievers and hypocrites. A good
Muslim will directly enter paradise. A sinful Muslim will enter paradise after
being punished for his sins.
3. Sincerity of intention should be the core of every action. Good deeds should
not be done for name and fame.
43
Surah Quraish  ‫سورة القريش‬
ِ ِ
‫ف‬ ِ ‫﴾ ا ٰل ِف ِهم ِرح َل َة الشِّ تا ِء والصي‬١﴿ ‫ش‬ ٍ ‫ف ق َُر ْي‬ِ ‫لي ٰل‬ِ ِ‫ا‬
ْ َّ َ َ ْ ْ ْ
‫﴾ ا َّل ِذ ْٓی‬٣﴿ ‫ت‬ ِ ‫﴾ َف ْليعبدُ و ا ر ٰب ٰه َذ ا ا ْلبي‬٢﴿
َْ َّ َ ْ ُ ْ َ
ٍ
﴾٤﴿ ‫َا ْط َع َم ُه ْم ِّم ْن ُج ْو ٍع َّو ٰا َمن َُه ْم ِّم ْن َخ ْوف‬
1. Because of the habit enjoyed by the Quraish...

2. ... their habit of travelling in Winter and
Summer...
3. ... they ought to worship the Lord of this
House...
4. ... Who fed them in hunger and gave them
safety from fear.
Background
The Quraish were a noble tribe. Nabi  mentioned: “From the
progeny of Ismail  Allah  selected Kinanah. From Kinanah Allah
 selected the Quraish. From the Quraish Allah  selected the
Banu Haashim. From the Banu Haashim Allah  selected me.” (Muslim)
From this hadith we learn that the Quraish were the noblest tribe amongst all
44
the Arabs.
One of the reasons for the superiority of the Quraish was that they were,
generally, noble in character both before and after Islam. For this reason
many of the great companions of Nabi , such as Abu Bakr, Umar,
Uthmaan, Ali  etc., were from the Quraish.
In this Surah Allah  reminds the Quraish of two bounties which He

had given them in the past as logical proof to convince them to worship Him.
Verse 1 - 2: Because of the habit enjoyed by the Quraish... ... their habit of
travelling in Winter and Summer...
Geographically, Makkah is situated in such a place where there is little
vegetation. Fruits, vegetables and other foodstuffs are brought to Makkah from
other areas. We learn from the dua of Ibrahim  that this was the case
from the very beginning. He asked Allah  to provide the inhabitants
of Makkah with sustenance from outside. Thus, the Makkans used to travel
to neighboring areas to engage in trade. Syria was a land of cold climate
and Yemen was hot. They, therefore, travelled to Syria during their warmer
months and to Yemen in their colder months. It is these two journeys that
Allah  describes in this verse. During these journeys the Quraish
would earn profits and, as a result, they became wealthy. In addition to their
wealth, Allah  also granted them honour by destroying the people of
the elephant who wanted to destroy the Ka’bah. As the Quraish were regarded
as the custodians of the Ka’bah the Arabs respected them.
Verse 3: ... they ought to worship the Lord of this House...

As an expression of gratitude for the bounties mentioned earlier the Quraish
are instructed to worship Allah . Allah  described Himself
with the title of “the Lord of this House” because the Ka’bah was the source of
their honour and virtues.
45
Verse 4: Who fed them in hunger and gave them safety from fear.
Here Allah  mentions two bounties which He bestowed upon the
Quraish. Firstly, they were hosted and fed by the various tribes on their
journeys to Yemen and Syria because of their position of being custodians of
the Ka’bah.
The second bounty which Allah  mentions here refers to their peace
and comfort during their travels. Being the custodians of the Ka’bah they were
respected amongst all the Arabs when they travelled. They were not attacked,
harassed or troubled in any way. Instead they were given protection and
security wherever they went.
Lessons
1. Food and peace are two of the most crucial elements which are necessary
to guarantee happiness and contentment. Scholars have mentioned that when
a person worships Allah  according to the dictates of this Surah then
he will be safe from fear and hunger in this world and the next. However,
if one ignores this command then Allah  would remove these two
bounties. Allah  has explained this very concept in another verse:
“Allah presents the parable of a town that was in peace and contentment: its
provision used to come to it in abundance from every place. But, it did not
appreciate the favours of Allah. So, Allah gave it a taste of hunger and fear as
a result of its actions. (Surah Nahl, 112)
Abul Hasan Qazwini  mentioned that a person who fears an enemy or

faces a difficulty should recite this Surah to be safe. Imam Jazri  and
others stated that they experienced the success of this prescription in their
own lives.
2. The Quraish were told to swallow their pride and worship Allah 
instead of their idols for the mere fact that He had given them two essential
bounties. Of the numerous bounties that we as humans enjoy every day we
cannot truly express our gratitude to Allah  for even one. Nevertheless,
46
we should try to live our lives as prescribed by Allah  as an expression
of gratitude for these bounties.
47
Surah Fil  ‫سورة الفيل‬
ِ
ِ
‫﴾ َا َل ْم‬١﴿ ‫ب ا ْل ِف ْي ِل‬ ِ ‫َا َل ْم َت َر كَ ْي َف َف َع َل َر ُّب َك بِ َا ْص ٰح‬
‫﴾ َّو َا ْر َس َل َع َل ْي ِه ْم‬٢﴿ ‫َي ْج َع ْل َك ْي َد ُه ْم ِف ْی َت ْض ِليْ ٍل‬
‫﴾ َت ْر ِميْ ِه ْم بِ ِح َج َار ٍة ِّم ْن ِس ِّجيْ ٍل‬٣﴿ ‫َط ْي ًرا َابَابِ ْي َل‬
﴾٥﴿ ‫ف َّماْكُ ْو ٍل‬ ٍ ‫﴾ فَجع َلهم كَ عص‬٤﴿
ْ َ ْ ُ َ َ
1. Did you not see how your Lord dealt with the
owners of the elephants?
2. Did He not bring their plans to failure.
3. And He sent against them flocks of birds...
4. ... which pelted them with stones of baked
clay...
5. ... and He made them like eaten fodder?
Background
In this Surah Allah  reminds the Quraish of one of His great bounties
upon them. Allah  describes how He defeated the ‘owners of the
elephants’ who had intended to destroy the Ka’bah.
This event took place during the same year in which Nabi  was
born. It was almost like a sign pointing to the fact that Allah  would
48
protect His last Messenger just as He had protected His house.
The Arabs attached great importance to this event. They instituted a new
calendar from the date of its occurrence. The Quraish were now looked upon
with respect because people began saying regarding them: “These are people
of God. God defeated their enemy and they did not even need to fight their
assailants.”
The story
Abraha, the viceroy of Negus the king of Abyssinia, decided to build an
imposing cathedral in San’a (Yemen) in order to divert the Arabs’ pilgrimage
from Makkah to Yemen. As a Christian, he could not accept the Ka’bah as the
great national shrine which attracted pilgrims from almost every Arabian clan.
He wanted his new cathedral to replace the Ka’bah as the most adored place
in the region. He decorated it with gold, silver and precious stones. He then
announced that people should worship in it instead of the Ka’bah.
The Arabs, however, preferred the Ka’bah and would not accept this new
cathedral. Some dare-devils from amongst them retaliated against this idea by
defecating in the cathedral. When Abraha heard about this he was enraged and
took an oath that he would not rest until he destroyed the Ka’bah.
Abraha set forth towards Makkah at the head of a powerful army which
included a large number of elephants. Some of these elephants were so huge
that none similar to them had been seen before. His idea was to tie chains
to the pillars of the Ka’bah and then use the elephants to break it down by
making them charge in the opposite direction. The Quraish knew that they
could never face such an army and took to the hills surrounding Makkah to
save themselves and their families. They left the protection of the Ka’bah in
the hands of Allah . Abraha on the other hand was preparing to strike.
At a place called Muhassar his army was suddenly attacked by flocks of birds
carrying stones in their beaks and claws. Such force did Allah  place
in each stone that it penetrated through the body of its assigned target. The
49
entire army was struck and fled. Many, including Abraha, died a painful death.
Verse 1-2: Did you not see how your Lord dealt with the owners of the
elephants? Did He not bring their plans to failure.
The ‘owners of the elephants’ refers to the army of Abraha. Their intention
was to destroy the Ka’bah but Allah  destroyed them instead.
Verse 3: And He sent against them flocks of birds...

Allah  used an army of birds to destroy the powerful and arrogant
army of Abraha. According to historians these birds came from the direction
of the sea and were like none that had been seen before.
Verse 4: ... which pelted them with stones of baked clay...

The stones were made of baked clay which is a product of sand. It is described
as such to indicate that sand, which has little power on its own, was used, by
the power of Allah , to destroy a powerful army. In addition, Allah
 ensured that every stone hit its target with absolute precision.
Verse 5: ... and He made them like eaten fodder?

The word “asf ” has been interpreted differently by the scholars. Some say that
it is the outer part of a grain which is discarded and trampled underfoot. Other
meanings given to “asf ” are fodder, leaves and straw. The meaning in all cases,
however, would be that Abraha’s army was totally destroyed.
Lessons
1. The Ka’bah is divinely protected. No army or force, no matter how powerful,
can destroy the Ka’bah. Allah  will certainly preserve it until such a
time as He deems fit.
2. Allah  is the most powerful and omnipotent. He can ruin a powerful

army or nation using small stones and little birds. History has shown that
Allah  has used tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, storms, fire and other
50
natural phenomena to destroy entire nations. He is certainly in control of
every condition and circumstance.
3. Those who dare to disrespect any of the divine signs or laws of Allah 
should be aware that Allah  may punish them severely in this world in
addition to the certain punishment in the Hereafter.
51
Surah Humazah  ‫سورة الهمزة‬
ِ ِ
‫﴾ ا َّل ِذ ْی َج َم َع َم اًال‬١﴿ ٍ ‫َو ْي ٌل ِّل ُك ِّل ُه َمزَ ة ٍ ُّل َمزَ ة‬
‫﴾ َك اَّل‬٣﴿ ‫﴾ َي ْح َس ُب َا َّن َما َل ٓه َا ْخ َلدَ ه‬٢﴿ ‫َّو َع َّد َده‬
ُ‫﴾ َو َٓما َا ْد ٰر َك َما ا ْل ُح َط َمة‬٤﴿ ‫َل ُي ْنبَ َذ َّن ِفی ا ْل ُح َط َم ِة‬
‫﴾ ا َّلتِ ْی َت َّط ِل ُع َع ىَل‬٦﴿ ‫ار اهللِ ا ْل ُم ْو َقدَ ُة‬ُ ‫﴾ َن‬٥﴿
‫﴾ ِف ْی‬8﴿ ‫﴾ ا ِ َّن َها َع َل ْي ِه ْم ُّم ْؤ َصدَ ٌة‬٧﴿ ‫ال ْفئِدَ ِة‬ َ ْ‫ا‬
﴾9﴿ ‫َع َم ٍد ُّم َم َّد َد ٍة‬
1. Destruction be to every backbiter and insulter...

2. ... who gathers wealth and counts it.
3. He thinks that his wealth will make him live
forever.
4. Never! He will be flung into the crushing fire.
5. And do you have any idea what the crushing
fire is?
6. It is Allah’s kindled fire...
7. ... which penetrates into the hearts.
8. It will certainly be locked in over them...
9. ... in extended pillars.
52
According to some scholars this Surah was revealed regarding disbelievers
like Umayyah Ibn Khalaf and Waleed Ibn Mughirah who slandered Nabi
 and the Muslims.
The Surah promises a severe punishment for three types of sins. Because
these sins are severe in nature, their punishment is equally severe. May Allah
 save us from them!
Verse 1: Destruction be to every backbiter and insulter...

“Wail” means destruction and punishment. It could also refer to a specific
dreadful valley in Hell. “Humazah” and “lumazah” have the same meaning
according to many scholars. The reference is to a person whose habit is to
criticise, backbite and carry tales causing division and splits between friends,
couples and families. According to some scholars “humazah” refers to a person
who backbites while “lumazah” refers to a person who ridicules or insults
another to his face.
Verse 2: ... who gathers wealth and counts it.

The verse specifically refers to a person who hoards wealth with evil intentions.
From other verses of the Quran and ahadith we learn that accumulation of
wealth is not wrong in itself. Hoarding wealth becomes a curse due to the
following reasons:
1. The rights of wealth, such as Zakaat, are not discharged.

2. Wealth brings with it pride, extravagance and show.
3. Love for the wealth leads to neglect of compulsory religious responsibilities
such as Salaah.
Counting money repetitively as mentioned in this verse gives the indication

that such a person is obsessed with wealth.
53
Verse 3: He thinks that his wealth will make him live forever.
A person is so pre-occupied with accumulating riches that he begins to believe
that he will live forever and his assets will never perish. He forgets (ignores!)
the reality of death and regards himself as immortal. In modern terms he
secures countless insurance policies to protect himself and his possessions
from destruction.
Verse 4 - 5: Never! He will be flung into the crushing fire. And do you know
what the crushing fire is?
Allah  here breaks the train of thought of the capitalist. Allah 
says that his wealth will not even enter his grave with him. Despite being
wealthy and respected in the world, such a miser will be hurled into the fire
like a worthless commodity. In this verse the fire of Hell has been described
with the word, “hutamah”. “Hutamah” comes from the Arabic word hatama
which means to crush and break something into pieces.
Verse 6: It is Allah’s kindled fire...

The fire is now described in more detail. It is extremely severe and has been
kindled by the command of Allah . The association of the fire to Allah
 here aims to show the severity and intensity of it.
Verse 7: ... which penetrates into the hearts.

The flames of the fire will rise, encircle and devour the heart. Fire of this world
kills a person before it burns his heart, but the fire of hell will burn the heart
while one is alive. From all of man’s organs Allah  chose the heart as
the point of punishment. According to scholars this is because the heart is the
most delicate part of the anatomy and it feels the greatest pain. It is also the
source of belief.
Verse 8: It will certainly be locked in over them...

Two further qualities of the fire are mentioned here. It will trap and seal its
occupants so that they can never escape from it.
54
Verse 9: ... in extended pillars.
The flames will form pillars like those of a closed room. Some scholars interpret
this verse to mean that those in the fire will be securely tied to pillars so that
they cannot move.
Lessons
1. Backbiting is an extremely severe sin for a number of reasons. Firstly,
the person who is being discussed is absent from the conversation and can,
therefore, not present a defense and clear his name. This is injustice and
oppression. Secondly, such gossip is bound to spread causing the original sin
of backbiting to be multiplied as more people come to know of it. Backbiting,
slandering and rumors destroy homes. A person who indulges in this should
know that it is a severe crime in Islam. The Quran has referred to back-biting
as ‘eating the flesh of one’s dead brother’. The hadith has labeled it as ‘worse
than adultery’.
2. Capitalism is detestable. How perfectly does Allah  not describe the

capitalist mentality! The capitalist is constantly in search of new markets to
increase his financial worth, ignoring every divine injunction and principle.
It is worth noting that Allah  has described the punishment of a
capitalist in the severest of terms. May Allah  protect us from such
an evil punishment.
3. The heart is an important part of the human body physically and spiritually.
In modern medicine the role of a heart specialist is critical. He treats a multitude
of diseases which are exclusive to the heart but which affect the entire body.
From a spiritual point of view the heart is the seat of man’s feelings, desires,
beliefs, intentions and consciousness. If the heart is not spiritually pure, love
of the world, hatred, anger, jealousy, hypocrisy, pride and many other evils
emanate from it. It is a paradox that modern man spends thousands and
millions to cure the heart physically but does little to cure it spiritually!
55
Surah Asr  ‫سورة العصر‬
ِ
ِ
‫﴾ ا ِ اَّل‬٢﴿ ‫النْ َسانَ َل ِف ْی ُخ ْس ٍر‬ ِ ْ‫﴾ ا ِ َّن ا‬١﴿ ‫وا ْلعص ِر‬
ْ َ َ
‫اص ْوا بِا ْل َح ِّق‬
َ ‫ت َو َت َو‬ ِ ‫ا َّل ِذين ٰامنُوا و َع ِم ُلوا الص ِلح‬
ٰ ّٰ َ ْ َ َْ
﴾٣﴿ ‫الص ْب ِر‬ ِ َ ‫َو َتو‬
َّ ‫اص ْوا ب‬ َ
1. By the oath of time
2. Verily man is at a loss,
3. Except those who have imaan, do good deeds,
encourage one another to the truth and encourage
one another to patience.

Abdullah ibn Hisn reported that whenever any two companions of Nabi
 used to meet they would not part until one of them recited
Surah Asr to the other. (Tabarani)
Surah Asr is one of the shortest Surahs of the Quraan but its meaning is
extremely vast. Imam Shafi’i  said with regards to this Surah: “If people
were to ponder over this Surah it would be sufficient for them.” (Ibn Kathir)
Background
Allah  mentions that mankind as a whole is at a loss except those
people who are characterised by four qualities. The first two of these qualities
56
deal with personal reformation (fulfilling Allah’s  rights) and the
second two deal with reformation of others (fulfilling the rights of humanity).
History has proven that nations which practiced upon these four qualities
were successful, while those that did not were unsuccessful.
Verse 1: By the oath of time

Allah  takes an oath on “asr” at the start of this Surah. “Asr” has been
differently interpreted by the scholars. Some say it refers to time. Others say
it refers to Asr Salaah. Yet others say it refers to the time in which Asr Salaah
is performed.
Throughout the Quran Allah  has taken oaths on His own Being and
His creations like the sun, the moon, time, etc. Allah  takes an oath on
His own Being at six different places in the Quran to raise the awareness of the
reader about the importance of the subject matter which follows. In addition,
Allah  at many places takes an oath on His creation as a reminder to
man of His greatness as the Creator.
Verse 2: Verily man is at a loss,

The word “al-insaan” in this verse has been interpreted in two ways. Firstly, it
could mean that any individual, group or nation is at a loss if the four qualities
mentioned in this Surah are not found. Thus, mankind as a whole has been
addressed. The second interpretation is that “al-insaan” refers to specific
individuals like Walid Ibn Mughirah, Aas Ibn Wail and other disbelievers who
said that Nabi  was at a loss. Allah  addressed them here
saying that they were at a loss and not Nabi .
Verse 3: Except those who have imaan, do good deeds, encourage one another
to the truth and encourage one another to patience.
Allah  now mentions the four qualities of those people who are not
at a loss. These are:
57
1. Imaan (Faith),
2. A’amaal us-Saalihah (Good deeds),
3. Tawaasi bil haq (advising towards haq) - Haq can refer to Imaan, the Quran
or any good which relates to belief or practice,
4. Tawaasi bis Sabr (advising towards patience) – Sabr can refer to abstention
from sin, remaining steadfast upon good deeds or exercising patience in
distress.
Lessons
1. Allah  takes an oath on time to show how important time is. Every
second has the scope for either good or evil. If time is used profitably it will
earn one great rewards. If time is used sinfully it will earn the punishment of
Allah . A scholar mentions a thoughtful couplet regarding time:
Your life is composed of a limited number of breaths;

With each breath a fragment of life has elapsed.
Time is almost like a business venture with every second as the capital
investment. These seconds can earn immense profits if they are wisely invested
in good deeds. If, however, a second of time is wasted the capital is lost and
no profit accrues. In fact, spending time wrongly earns much harm and divine
punishment.
A scholar once stepped into an ice-seller’s shop, in the days when there were
no freezers, and understood the meaning of Surah Asr when he heard the
seller calling out: “Have mercy on the one whose capital is melting away.”
2. Encouraging others towards good and preventing them from doing evil
is extremely important. Simply practicing on the dictates of the Quran and
Sunnah is not sufficient. A Muslim has to do this as well as encourage others
to do likewise. No matter how pious a person might be in his private life, he
has to reach out towards his family, relatives and community and encourage
good according to his capacity. Muslims are not individuals living in cocoons
58
but people who affect and revolutionise society in a positive way.
3. All hardships, trials, losses, difficulties, calamities and diseases need to be

endured with patience. Each Muslim should strengthen himself in this regard
and provide support to others so that they too may remain firm in times of
difficulty.
59
Surah Takaathur  ‫سورة التكاثر‬
ِ
ِ
﴾٢﴿ ‫﴾ َح ّٰتى ُز ْر ُت ُم ا ْل َم َقابِ َر‬١﴿ ‫َا ْل ٰهكُ ُم ال َّت َكا ُث ُر‬
َ‫﴾ ُث َّم كَ اَّل َس ْو َف َت ْع َل ُم ْون‬٣﴿ َ‫كَ اَّل َس ْو َف َت ْع َل ُم ْون‬
‫﴾ َلت ََر ُو َّن‬٥﴿ ‫﴾ كَ اَّل َل ْو َت ْع َل ُم ْونَ ِع ْل َم ا ْل َي ِق ْي ِن‬٤﴿
‫﴾ ُث َّم‬٧﴿ ‫﴾ ُث َّم َلت ََر ُو َّن َها َع ْي َن ا ْل َي ِق ْي ِن‬٦﴿ ‫ا ْل َج ِح ْي َم‬
﴾8﴿ ‫َلتُ ْس َئ ُل َّن َي ْو َمئِ ٍذ َع ِن ال َّن ِع ْي ِم‬
1. Competition in amassing wealth has made you

negligent...
2. ... until you reach the graves.
3. Never! You shall soon come to know!
4. Again never! You shall soon come to know!
5. Never! If only you had sure knowledge!
6. You will definitely see the hell fire!
7. And again you will surely see it with the eye
of certainty.
8. Then, on that day, you will be questioned about
the bounties.
Background
In this Surah Allah  gives humanity an important message: ‘Your
arrogance due to your wealth, progeny, lineage and your fascination with the
life of this world has distracted you from doing actions which will guarantee
60
you success in the Hereafter. You continue roaming blindly in this state until
death comes to you. Then you will realise your folly.’
Verse 1 - 2: Competition in amassing wealth has made you negligent... ... until
you reach the graves.
The chase for riches, power and entertainment has made man blind and
neglectful of his objective of life. He will only realise his blindness once he
comes face to face with death.
The root of the word “takaathur” is kathrah meaning abundance. Other

commentators have taken “takaathur” to mean boasting and bragging. Ibn
Abbaas  narrates that Nabi  once recited “Alahaakumut
takaathur” and explained: “This refers to the accumulation of wealth in an
unacceptable way and not to fulfil the divine rights which that wealth brings
with it.”
Verse 3 - 4: Never! You shall soon come to know! Again never! You shall soon
come to know!
This verse seeks to correct man’s train of thought: ‘You think that an abundance
of riches, power and influence translates into success, but you are in deception.’
Allah  uses the word “kalla” three times to emphasise a grave warning
to man: ‘Beware! Don’t let this world distract you from the Hereafter.’
Verse 5: Never! If only you had sure knowledge!

The verse means: If you only knew the reality of the questioning and
accountability in the Hereafter, your preparation for this event will take
preference over worldly pursuits and attractions.
Verse 6 - 7: You will definitely see the hell fire! And again you will surely see
it with the eye of certainty.
In emphasis Allah  repeats the fact that man will definitely see the
61
fire of Hell. “Ainul yakeen” is an expression meaning to see something with
one’s own eyes.
Verse 8: Then, on that day, you will be questioned about the bounties.
On the day of Qiyaamah man will be questioned regarding the bounties he
enjoyed in this world. He will be asked: ‘Did you fulfill the rights of these
bounties and did you use them as Allah  had prescribed?’
The verse is general, according to scholars, meaning that Allah  will

question man regarding each of his bounties such as food, drink, clothing,
home, family, authority, etc.
Lessons
1. In the modern world of today, man pursues riches and pleasures
unscrupulously, ignoring good principles and failing to observe the rights of
Allah  and fellow man. He has lost track of death and accountability in
the Hereafter. The inevitability of the Hereafter should be a reminder for man
to live according to the dictates of the Quran and the life of Nabi .
2. The bounties of this world are countless and unlimited. The Quran declares:
“If you try to enumerate one bounty of Allah you will not be able to do so.”
These bounties are in reality a test and trial regarding which man will be
questioned by Allah . Hence, they need to be acquired correctly and
utilised sensibly.
In a verse of the Quran Allah  explains: “The ears, the eyes and the
heart will be questioned.” (Surah al-Isra, 36) Nabi  mentioned:
“On the day of resurrection a person shall not be able to move until he has
answered five questions. Firstly, what did he do with all the years of his
life? Secondly, how did he spend the strength of his youth? Thirdly, did he
accumulate his wealth in a permissible manner or not? Fourthly, how did he
spend his wealth? Fifthly, to what extent did he practice on the knowledge
Allah gave him? (Tirmidhi)
62
3. How accurately does the Quran and ahadith not describe the nature of man?
In two words of the first verse Allah  eloquently summarises man’s
base desire to acquire more and more.
Nabi  also accurately described man’s base desire: “If man owns
one valley of gold he would love to own a second. Nothing will fill his mouth
except the sand (of the grave). Allah  forgives those who repent to
him.” (Bukhari)
4. Nabi  mentioned that reciting this Surah once is equivalent to

reciting a thousand verses of the Quran. (Haakim)
63
Surah Qaari’ah  ‫سورة القارعة‬
ِ
ِ
ِ ‫﴾ و ٓما َا ْد ٰر َك َما ا ْلق‬٢﴿ ُ‫َار َعة‬
ُ‫َار َعة‬ ِ ‫﴾ َما ا ْلق‬١﴿ ُ‫َار َعة‬ ِ ‫َا ْلق‬
َ َ
ِ ‫اش ا ْلمب ُثو‬
﴾٤﴿ ‫ث‬ ْ ْ َ ِ ‫اس كَ ا ْل َف َر‬ ُ ‫﴾ َي ْو َم َيكُ ْونُ ال َّن‬٣﴿
‫﴾ َف َا َّما َم ْن‬٥﴿ ‫ش‬ ِ ‫َو َتكُ ونُ ا ْل ِج َبالُ كَ ا ْل ِع ْه ِن ا ْل َم ْنفُ ْو‬
ْ
ٍ ِ ٍ ِ ِ
‫﴾ َو َا َّما‬٧﴿ ‫﴾ َف ُه َو ف ْی ع ْيشَ ة َّراض َية‬٦﴿ ‫َثقُ َل ْت َم َواز ْي ُن ه‬ ِ
‫﴾ َو َٓما َا ْد ٰر َك‬9﴿ ٌ‫او َية‬ ِ ‫﴾ َف ُامه َه‬8﴿ ‫َّت َم َو ِاز ْي ُنه‬ ْ ‫َم ْن َخف‬
ُّ
﴾11﴿ ٌ‫ام َية‬ ِ ‫﴾ نَار ح‬10﴿ ‫ما ِهيه‬
َ ٌ َْ َ
1. The sudden disaster!
2. What is the sudden disaster?
3. And do you have any idea what the sudden disaster
is?
4. A day when men will be like scattered moths...
5. ... and the mountains will be like carded wool.
6. As for him whose scales are heavy...
7. ... he will live a pleasant life.
8. As for him whose scales are light...
9. ... his abode will be the pit.
10. And, do you have any idea what this is!
11. A blazing fire.
Background
Al-Qaari’ah is a another name for the day of Qiyaamah. This Surah describes
the scenes of the day of Qiyaamah and the reward and punishment that will
64
be meted out according to one’s scales of deeds.
Verse 1: The sudden disaster!

The word “qaari’ah” comes from the Arabic word qara’ which means to strike
one thing against another forcefully producing a loud noise. In this Surah the
day of Qiyaamah has been called al-Qaari’ah because the sudden sound of the
trumpet on that day will deafen the ears of man and crush their hearts by its
severity.
Verse 2 - 3: What is the sudden disaster? And do you have any idea what the
sudden disaster is?
Allah  asks the question to create a feeling of awe within the reader
regarding the greatness and seriousness of the subsequent verses.
Verse 4: A day when men will be like scattered moths...

Man cannot possibly comprehend the horror of that day until he has seen
it with his own eyes. However, to give us an idea of it, some of the events
describing the panic of that day have been mentioned.
The similarity of man with moths on that day can be due to various reasons:
1. Like a large number of moths in a small area, all of man from the first to the
last will be gathered together in one plain.
2. Like moths are weak and helpless, so shall man be on that day.
3. Like moths in a storm fly in disarray, man shall be in a similar state on that
day. The exceptions to this would be the pious and righteous Muslims who will
rise from their graves in peace and will not be in a state of confusion.
4. Like moths are attracted to a light, all of humanity will heed to the call and
gather before Allah  to be questioned for their deeds.
Verse 5: ... and the mountains will be like carded wool.

“Ihn” refers to such wool whose strands are of diverse colours. As the mountains
on that day will be flying about, their colours will appear like that of carded
65
wool. It is also possible that the varying colours of wool are due to the varying
colours of mountains.
Verse 6 - 7: As for him whose scales are heavy... ... he will live a pleasant life.
A person whose scale of good deeds is weightier will enter into paradise. The
plural, “mawaazeen”, has been used here rather than the singular, meezaan.
Some scholars state that this is because there will be many different scales on
that day.
Verse 8 - 9: As for him whose scales are light... ... his abode will be the pit.
A person whose scale of evil deeds is heavier will have the fire of hell as his
abode. The word “umm”, which means mother in Arabic, has been used here
in the meaning of abode since a mother is a shelter and protective fort for
her child.
Verse 10- 11: And, do you have any idea what this is! A blazing fire.
Allah  describes the severity of the fire of hell in these verses.
Lessons
1. Qiyaamah is certainly an event to be feared. Allah  makes reference
to Qiyaamah at many places in the Quran to continuously remind man of his
final accountability before his Creator. When mighty mountains will be reduced
to wool, what will happen to those sinful souls who dared to sin openly and
fearlessly while walking on the earth?
2. A skeptic of the modern world might question how can abstract actions and
deeds be weighed? This question can be answered in many ways:
a. We learn from a number of ahadith that man’s good and bad deeds will take
a physical form or shape in the grave and the Hereafter. For example, a hadith
teaches us that Zakaat which was not paid will come to a person in the form
of a poisonous snake on the day of Qiyaamah and torment him.
b. In today’s world man measures and weighs things which centuries ago
66
seemed impossible. Sophisticated instruments measure air, temperature, the
speed of sound and light, energy and various other abstract things. Allah
 is All-powerful. He is the Creator of the entire universe. If He can
allow man to develop sophisticated instruments to measure abstract worldly
phenomena, He can allow for the weighing of abstract actions in the Hereafter.
3. A number of ahadith mention certain special good deeds and traits which
will be weighty on that day. A few of these are mentioned below:
a. To recite ‘Subhaanallaahi wabihamdihi subhaanallahil azeem’
b. Good character
c. To keep silent or to talk only when necessary
d. Crying due to the fear of Allah  and the Hereafter
e. Teaching Islamic laws and regulations to others
f. Accompanying the body of a deceased person to the grave
g. Spending on one’s family and fulfilling their needs
h. Books and writings of the scholars of Islam.
4. Deeds and actions will be weighed and not counted on the day of Qiyaamah.
This difference is critical because it points to the importance of quality rather
than quantity. If a person’s actions were few but were filled with sincerity and
conformed to the Sunnah these will outweigh another person’s abundance of
Salaah, fasting, Sadaqah and Haj which were not filled with sincerity or were
done contrary to the Sunnah.
67
Surah Aadiyaat  ‫سورة العاديات‬
ِ ِ
﴾٢﴿ ‫ت َقدْ ًحا‬ ِ ‫﴾ فَا ْلمو ِري‬١﴿ ‫ت َضبحا‬ ِ ‫وا ْلع ِدي‬
ٰ ُْ ً ْ ٰ ٰ َ
﴾٤﴿ ‫﴾ َف َاثَ ْرنَ بِه َن ْق ًعا‬٣﴿ ‫ت ُص ْب ًحا‬ ِ ‫فَا ْلم ِغير‬
ْٰ ُ
ِ ٰ ِ ِ ِ
َ ‫﴾ ا َّن اْال ْن َس‬٥﴿ ‫ف ََو َس ْط َن به َج ْم ًعا‬
‫ان ل َر ِّبه َلكَ ُن ْو ٌد‬
ٰ ٰ
‫﴾ َوا ِ َّنه لِ ُح ِّب‬٧﴿ ٌ‫﴾ َوا ِ َّنه َع ٰلى ذٰلِ َك َلشَ ِه ْيد‬٦﴿
‫﴾ َاف اََل َي ْع َل ُم ا ِ َذا ُب ْعثِ َر َما ِفی ا ْلقُ ُب ْو ِر‬8﴿ ٌ‫ا ْل َخ ْي ِر َلشَ ِد ْيد‬
‫﴾ ا ِ َّن َر َّب ُه ْم‬10﴿ ‫الص ُد ْو ِر‬ ُّ ‫﴾ َو ُح ِّص َل َما ِفی‬9﴿
﴾11﴿ ‫بِ ِه ْم َي ْو َمئِ ٍذ َّل َخبِ ْي ٌر‬
1. By the horses that pant as they gallop!
2. By the horses that cause sparks to fly by the
striking of their hooves!
3. By the horses that attack the enemy at dawn...
4. ... causing the dust to fly...
5. ... and penetrating into the midst of the enemy,
6. Indeed man is very ungrateful to his Lord.
7. Indeed he is actually a witness to this.
8. Indeed he has a profound love for wealth.
9. Does he not know of the time when the contents
of the graves shall be raised ...
10. ... and that which is in the hearts will be exposed?
11. On that day their Lord will be perfectly informed
about them.
68
Background
In this Surah Allah  takes three oaths on horses, since the Arabs were
a warring nation and were experts in the art of horsemanship. Horses were so
important to them that some of them even memorised their horse’s lineages.
They would train them with zeal and rearing them was a matter of pride. Like
in other verses of the Quran an oath is taken here to highlight the importance
and credibility of the subject matter which follows. The oaths in this Surah
have been brought to highlight the obedience of the Arabian stallion and the
general disobedience of man.
Verse 1: By horses that pant as they gallop!

The word “aadiyaat” comes from the word adwa which means to run. “Dhabh”
is the panting sound that emerges from the chest of a horse in full gallop.
Verse 2: By the horses that cause sparks to fly by the striking of their hooves!
The word “mooriyaat” comes from the word iraa meaning to produce sparks.
This verse portrays the image of a horse’s hooves producing sparks while
running in the dark of night.
Verse 3: By the horses that attack the enemy at dawn...

Attacking the enemy at daybreak was a custom amongst the Arabs since they
regarded attacks at night as cowardly.
Verse 4: ... causing the dust to fly...

Horses that run extremely swiftly produce dust. The reference to the time of
daybreak points to the fact that these horses are running at extreme speed
since the morning is wet with dew and not usually a time of wind and dust.
Verse 5: ... and penetrating into the midst of the enemy,

The horse plunges fearlessly into the enemy ranks in total obedience to its
rider despite the danger of arrows, spears, bullets, etc.
69
Verse 6 - 7: Indeed man is very ungrateful to his Lord. Indeed he is also a
witness to this.
“Kanood”, according to Hasan Basri , refers to a person who remembers
calamities that befall him but ignores the bounties bestowed on him. Other
scholars feel that “kanood” refers to a person who enjoys the bounties he has
been blessed with but forgets the One who grants those bounties, Allah .
In summary, these verses mean: Man is ungrateful to Allah  and he

knows it well. His actions and statements testify to his ungratefulness.
Verse 8: Indeed he has a profound love for wealth.

Man is an ardent lover of wealth. He gives preference to worldly gain over
morality and is even prepared to destroy his credibility in the sight of Allah
 in satisfying his capitalistic desires.
The word “khair” (good) has been used to refer to wealth in this verse because
this was the common usage of the word in the spoken language of the Arabs.
Also, wealth is in itself not evil; external factors such as greed make it evil.
Verse 9-10: Does he not know of the time when the contents of the graves shall
be raised ... ... and that which is in the hearts will be exposed?
Allah  explains the consequences of greed and love for wealth: all of
humanity will be brought back to life and the secrets of their hearts will be
made apparent. Then all those base desires and evil intentions will be disclosed
and man will be punished accordingly. Allah  indirectly warns man: If
you knew that the Hereafter was a reality and you could witness it just once,
you would not be capitalistic and monopolistic in your thinking.
Verse 11: 11. On that day their Lord will be perfectly informed about them.
On the day of Qiyaamah Allah  will reward or punish people based
on His knowledge of their actions and intentions. Hence man should not be
disobedient to Allah , nor should he be so immersed in his love for
70
wealth that he breaks Allah’s  commands in acquiring and spending it.
Lessons
1. Allah  discourages greed and ingratitude in this Surah by presenting
the example of a horse. Ponder for a moment over this brilliant example which
the Quran presents: A horse trained in the art of warfare plunges into the midst of
battle in the face of grave danger. Why? Because the rider gives it food to eat and
water to drink. The horse in return for this little kindness is more than prepared to
give its life in defending its rider whenever and wherever he gives the command.
Now cast a glance at man. Allah  created man, gave him powers of
intelligence, perception and understanding and saw to his every need and
necessity in this world, not just food and water. Yet man does not appreciate
these bounties of Allah  upon him. Instead he openly sins and
transgresses without any fear of his Creator!
To be grateful for the bounties of Allah  means that one uses them
sparingly and in accordance with Islamic teachings. Using these bounties but
ignoring the Creator by not worshipping Him is also a form of ingratitude.
2. Earning wealth for oneself and one’s family is necessary, however love for
wealth should not become such an obsession in man that he sacrifices all
moral and divine principles in attaining it. Just as man does not love taking
medication and undergoing surgery but regards them as a necessity, wealth
should be acquired as a necessity. Wealth should never become an obsession.
Maulana Rumi  has explained this concept beautifully:

When water remains at the bottom of the ship, it floats.
When water enters the ship, it sinks.
Similarly, when wealth remains outside the heart it is earned and used correctly.
When love for wealth enters the heart of man, he sinks to his lowest ebb, by
lying, bribing, threatening, stealing and even murdering to increase his worth.
71
Surah Zilzaal  ‫سورة الزلزال‬
ِ
ِ
ِ ‫﴾ و َا ْخرج‬١﴿ ‫الر ُض ِز ْلزا َلها‬ ِ ِ
‫ال ْر ُض‬ َ ْ‫ت ا‬ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ‫ا َذا ُز ْل ِز َلت ا‬
‫﴾ َي ْو َمئِ ٍذ ُت َح ِّد ُث‬٣﴿ ‫ال ْن َسانُ َما َل َها‬ ِ ْ‫﴾ وقَالَ ا‬٢﴿ ‫َا ْثقَا َلها‬
َ َ
ٍ ِ ِ
‫﴾ َي ْو َمئذ َّي ْص ُد ُر‬٥﴿ ‫﴾ ب َا َّن َر َّب َك َا ْو ٰحى َل َها‬٤﴿ ‫َا ْخ َب َار َها‬
‫﴾ ف ََم ْن َّي ْع َم ْل ِم ْثقَالَ َذ َّر ٍة‬٦﴿ ‫اس َا ْشتَا ًتا ِّل ُي َر ْوا َا ْع َما َل ُه ْم‬ُ ‫ال َّن‬
ٍ ِ
﴾8﴿ ‫﴾ َو َم ْن َّي ْع َم ْل م ْثقَالَ َذ َّرة َش ًّرا َّي َر ه‬٧﴿ ‫َخ ْي ًرا َّي َر ه‬
1. When the earth is shaken most violently ...
2. ... and the earth throws out its burdens ...
3. ... and man says: “What is the matter with it?”
4. On that day it will relate its stories ...
5. ... because your Lord had commanded it to do so.
6. On that day mankind will proceed in scattered
groups so that they may be shown their deeds.
7. Whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will
see it ...
8. ... and whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil
will see it.
Background
In this Surah man is reminded about the severity of the day of Qiyaamah. Man
is also reminded that the earth which he thought to be lifeless will testify
72
in detail regarding the time and place where every good and evil deed was
committed. Allah  will then judge with perfect justice taking into
account every good and evil deed.
Verse 1: When the earth is shaken most violently ...

Allah  will cause an earthquake of such ferocity that no building,
mountain or tree will remain in place. Everything will be completely flattened.
The earthquake mentioned here has been interpreted differently by the

scholars. According to some it refers to the one which will occur after the
first blowing of the trumpet. Others suggest that it refers to the one which will
occur after the second blowing of the trumpet when the dead will be brought
back to life.
Verse 2: ... and the earth throws out its burdens ...
The burdens of the earth refer to the treasures of the earth and the deceased
corpses. On that day Allah  will give the earth the power to spew out
these treasures and bodies just like the earth had the power to cause plants
and trees to grow from its soil. Every human being from the first man to
the last including the Messengers, saints, martyrs, righteous, kings, leaders,
ministers, rich, poor, sinners and oppressors will come forth and move towards
the plains of reckoning. Each person will bear his actions, good or bad, and will
be concerned about his salvation from eternal damnation.
Nabi , while speaking about this earthquake, mentioned that the

earth would spew out columns of gold. A murderer will see this and remark:
“Was this the reason I had killed?” A person who had broken family ties over
wealth will remark: “Was this the reason I had broken ties?” A thief whose
hands had been cut will remark: “Was this the reason my hand was cut?”
Thereafter, nobody would even cast a glance at the gold. (Muslim)
73
Verse 3: ... and man says: “What is the matter with it?”
Because the disbelievers denied the occurrence of Qiyaamah, they will cry out
in fear: “Why is the earth shaking like this and why are all the treasures being
exposed?”
There is no mention of believers here. What will they say? In another verse
Allah  explains that the believers will proclaim: “This is what Rahmaan
(Allah ) promised and the Messengers were indeed truthful.” (Surah
Yaaseen, 52)
Verse 4 - 5: On that day it will relate its stories .... ... because your Lord had
commanded it to do so.
A hadith teaches us regarding this verse that on that day the earth will testify
to every good and bad deed which was done on it. For example the earth would
declare: “So-and-so person performed Salaah on me”, or “So-and-so person
stole and spoke lies on me.”
Upon the command of Allah , the earth will reveal the truth and not
conceal anything. It will relate every act of piety, righteousness, obedience,
worship, charity and goodness it witnessed. It will also relate every incident of
bloodshed, theft, oppression, injustice, animosity, adultery and sin it witnessed.
Verse 6: On that day mankind will proceed in scattered groups so that they
may be shown their deeds.
This verse has been interpreted in two ways. Some scholars suggest that
it refers to the time when the questioning will be over and people will be
separated into groups. Those who had been successful in their questioning will
be destined for Jannah while the unsuccessful will be headed for Jahannam.
One that day only actions will be of benefit; wealth, power, status, lineage and
offspring will be of no avail.
Other scholars suggest that it refers to the time when people will emerge from
74
their graves in various groups: righteous, sinful, adulterers, thieves, etc.
Verse 7: Whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will see it ...
This verse promises that a Muslim who had done any good in this world will
see the reward of it in the Hereafter. If he had done no good at all but had
Imaan (faith) in his heart this will also be regarded as good. It is for this reason
that this verse has been used as proof to show that a Muslim who had even an
atom’s equivalent of Imaan in his heart will eventually be removed from the
fire of Jahannam.
Good in this verse refers to such good which is accompanied by Imaan. A good
deed performed in the state of disbelief will not be rewarded in the Hereafter
because the qualifying factor of Imaan is not found.
This verse encourages us towards hastening in doing good actions, no matter

how insignificant they may seem. Every smile, remembrance of Allah, gesture
of kindness and encouragement towards good will assist a person on that day.
Verse 8: ... and whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil will see it.
Evil in this verse refers to such evil which a person had done in the world
and not asked forgiveness from Allah  regarding it. From other verses
and hadith we learn that sins followed by sincere repentance are completely
forgiven.
This verse encourages us towards abstaining from all forms of sin, no matter
how insignificant they may appear. Allah  will call us to account for
every act of injustice, oppression or disobedience.
Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud  said with regard to these verses that they are the
most concise verses of the whole Quran.
Lessons
1. As Muslims we need to be thankful to Allah  for having given us
75
the gift of Imaan. This same gift will eventually be the decisive factor between
eternal success (Jannah) or eternal damnation (Jahannam). As Muslims we
have been given Imaan by Allah  not because of any perfection of
our own. Allah , in His mercy, has chosen us to be Muslims. We need
to acknowledge this favour upon us and live up to the commands of Allah
.
2. On the day of Qiyaamah man will realise his folly and immaturity in the
world where he fought, lied, bribed and broke ties in order to acquire wealth.
He would regret not doing more good actions and spending his time more
fruitfully.
3. The earth will replay each and every action of man just like a cassette or CD
player does in this world.
4. Man will have to account for every deed he has done, minor and major.
Unfortunately, many people nowadays commit minor sins without any
conscience whatsoever thinking that Allah  will forgive these sins.
However, this Surah teaches us that every minute sin will have to be accounted
for. Nabi  cautioned Aisha : “Be careful to abstain from
such sins which are regarded as minor because Allah  will question
one regarding them also.” (Nasai, Ibn Majah)
Similarly, every minute good deed will be rewarded. Nabi  said:

“Do not underestimate any good deed, even if it means meeting your brother
with a cheerful face.” (Muslim)
5. Nabi  referred to this Surah as being equivalent to half of the

Quran. (Tirmidhi)
76
Surah Qadr  ‫سورة القدر‬
‫الر ِحي ْ ِم‬َّ ‫الر ْح ٰم ِن‬
ِ
ِ
ُ‫﴾ َو َمٓا َا ْد ٰر َك َما َل ْي َلة‬١﴿ ‫ا ِ َّنٓا َان َْز ْل ٰن ُه ِفی َل ْي َل ِة ا ْلقَدْ ِر‬
ْ
﴾٣﴿ ‫ف َش ْه ٍر‬ ِ ‫﴾ َلي َلةُ ا ْلقَدْ ِر َخي من َا ْل‬٢﴿ ‫ا ْلقَد ِر‬
ْ ِّ ٌ ْ‫ر‬ ْ ْ
ِ ِ
‫الر ْو ُح فيْ َها بِا ْذ ِن َر ِّب ِه ْم ِّم ْن كُ ِّل‬ ِ
ُّ ‫َتن ََّز ُل ا ْل َملٰئ َكةُ َو‬
﴾٥﴿ ‫﴾ َس ٰل ٌم ِه َی َح ّٰتى َم ْط َلعِ ا ْل َف ْج ِر‬٤﴿ ‫َا ْم ٍر‬
1. Verily, We revealed it (the Quran) on the night

of Qadr.
2. And do you have any idea what is the night of
Qadr?
3. The night of Qadr is better than a thousand
months.
4. The angels and the spirit descend on this
night, by the command of their Lord, with every
decision.
5. It (the night) is full of peace and lasts until the
break of dawn.
Once Nabi  explained to his companions about a certain person
from the Bani Israeel who had fought continuously for a thousand months
77
in the path of Allah . The companions expressed surprise when they
heard this. Upon this, Surah Qadr was revealed in which it has been explained
that a Muslim’s one night of worship is better than a thousand months of that
person who had fought for a thousand months in the path of Allah .
From this narration we learn that Laylatul Qadr is a speciality of the Muslim
Ummah. No nation before Islam had this great fortune.
Background
“Qadr” means greatness or virtue. It implies that the night itself is great
because a great book was revealed by a great angel to a great Messenger for
a great nation. It could also mean that a person who spends the night in
repentance and worship becomes a great person in the eyes of Allah .
“Qadr” can also mean order or destiny. In this case it means that on this night
the news of the pre-ordained events for the coming year are handed over to
the angels. Thus, news of death, sustenance, Haj, rain, disasters, etc. are all
written and handed over to the chief angels on this night. There are four such
angels, according to Ibn Abbaas : Israfeel , Mikaaeel , Israeel
 and Jibraeel .
When is Laylatul Qadr?

Scholars have expressed differing opinions regarding the exact date of Laylatul
Qadr. Some scholars feel that the night is fixed on a single date every year.
Others feel that it is not fixed but changes every year. According to Ibn Abbaas
 it is on 27th of Ramadhaan.
Nabi  mentioned: “Search for Laylatul Qadr in the last ten

nights of Ramadhaan.” (Bukhari) Nabi  also said that the night
should be searched for in the odd nights of the last ten nights of the month
of Ramadhaan. Nabi  exerted himself more in worship in the last
ten days of Ramadhaan.
78
Virtues of the night
a. The night is better than a thousand months of worship.
b. The Quran was revealed on this night.
c. A person who remains awake in worship on this night with complete hope
and faith of reward, all his past sins are forgiven.
d. Angels descend with Jibraeel  to earth and make dua of mercy for
every Mu’min male and female who is engaged in worship.
e. A hadith states: “Whoever is deprived of the blessings of Laylatul Qadr is
truly deprived.”
Verse 1: Verily, We revealed it (the Quran) on the night of Qadr.

The first verse explains that the Quran was revealed on Laylatul Qadr. There
are two possible explanations regarding exactly how the Quran was revealed.
a. The entire Quran came down from the Lowh Mahfooz (the Protected Tablet)
to the Baitul Izzah (a special place in the lowest heaven above the earth) on
this night. Thereafter, Jibraeel  brought verses to Nabi 
according to need over a period of twenty three years.
b. On this night the first few verses of the Quran were revealed to Nabi
 signifying the beginning of revelation.
It is reported in a hadith that the previous divine scriptures (Taurah, Zaboor

and Injeel) were also revealed in the month of Ramadhaan.
Verse 2: And what will make you understand what is the night of Qadr?
The night is so virtuous that human intelligence cannot truly comprehend
its greatness. Because the best of speeches, the word of Allah , was
revealed on this night, it is one of greatness and honour. Due to the revelation
that began its descent from this night, the world changed, man was spiritually
reborn and the light of guidance pierced the darkness of disobedience and sin.
79
Verse 3: The night of Qadr is better than a thousand months.
Any worship on this night is equivalent in reward to a thousand months of
worship. A person who performs Esha and Fajr Salaah with congregation will
receive the blessings of the night. Whoever does more than this will benefit
more according to the intensity of his worship. Nabi  mentioned:
“A person who performs his Esha Salaah in congregation receives the reward
of half the night in worship. A person who also performs Fajr in congregation
receives the reward of a full night in worshipping Allah.” (Muslim)
Verse 4: The angels and the spirit descend on this night, by the command of
their Lord, with every decision.
“Rooh” refers to Jibraeel . Nabi  explained: “On Laylatul
Qadr Jibraeel  comes down to earth with a large number of angels
and makes dua of mercy for any such person who is engaged in Salaah or in
remembering Allah.” (Qurtubi)
The last portion of the verse, “Min kulli amr”, has been explained in different
ways by the scholars:
a. It is connected to the first portion of the verse meaning that the angels
descend with news of all the events for the coming year on this night.
b. It is connected with the word “salaam” following it, meaning that the night
is peaceful and protected from all evils and calamities.
Verse 5: It (the night) is full of peace and lasts until the break of dawn.
The night is filled with goodness, peace and serenity. No frightening
elements like thunder, lightning, wind, etc. are found on this night. Another
interpretation given by the scholars is that the angels descend with goodness
on this night.
The blessings of this night are not restricted to one portion of the night but
stretch from the beginning of the night to the time of Fajr.
80
Those with a mathematical mind may ask if Laylatul Qadr is better than a
thousand months then, would there not be a Laylatul Qadr in every twelve
months of these thousand months? How would the calculation of reward be
done in this case? The scholars of tafseer have stated that these thousand
months refer to such months which would not have a Laylatul Qadr therein.
Those with a geographical mind may ask how can the entire world have
one Laylatul Qadr despite the differences in time. It is very possible that the
blessings of Laylatul Qadr can be achieved at different times in different places.
Allah  has the power to allow this to happen.
What to do on this night

1. Devote oneself in dua for as long as one can. Aisha  asked Nabi
 what dua to read on the night. He replied:
‫َا ّٰللهُ َّم ا ِ َّن َك عَ ُف ٌّو ُت ِح ُّب ْالعَ ْف َو َفاعْ ُف عَ ِّن ْي‬
“Allaahumma innaka afoowun tuhibbul afwa fa’fu anni.
(O Allah! You are most forgiving, You love to forgive, so forgive me.)” (Ibn
Maajah)
2. Perform Nafl Salaah, make Zikr of Allah , recite Quran, give charity,
etc.
Lessons
1. Laylatul Qadr is a unique characteristic of the Muslim Ummah. Muslims are
very fortunate to have been given the ability to earn so much reward with so
little effort.
2. The descending of angels to earth on a night of such merit shows that the
descending of angels is a great event. From other ahadith we learn that angels
also descend when the Quran is recited, when Allah  is remembered
(Zikr) and angels lower their wings in respect for a student of knowledge.
81
3. We have been encouraged to make dua to Allah  abundantly in
Ramdhaan and more specifically on the odd nights of the last ten nights of
Ramadhaan.
4. Aisha , being the wife of Nabi , was in a privileged

position to learn about Islam directly from the fountain of prophethood. The
entire Muslim Ummah is greatly indebted to her for her narration of over 2200
ahadith. She ranks fourth in the narration of the largest number of hadith. Her
zeal for knowledge is a quality to be emulated by Muslim females.
5. In Islam certain things are superior to others. For example, Allah’s 

Zikr is the best of all speeches; the masjid is the best of places; Jibraeel is the
best of angels; Zamzam is the best of water; Ramadhan is the best of months;
Jumu’ah is the best of days; and Laylatul Qadr is the best of nights.
6. The exact date of this night is not known to us just as the hour of acceptance
of duas on Jumu’ah is not known. Scholars mention that it has been kept vague
for a number of reasons:
a. Muslims should spend every night in trying to find it.
b. A person exerting himself more will be rewarded for his effort as well as
his worship.
c. Allah’s  anger would have been increased if we sinned knowing the
greatness of the night, had we been aware of the exact date of this night.
d. Allah  praises those who worship on this night before His angels,
saying: “My servant does not know which night is Laylatul Qadr, but is striving
for it. If he knew it he would strive even more.”
82
Surah Teen  ‫سورة التين‬
ِ
ِ
‫﴾ َو ٰه َذا ا ْل َب َل ِد‬٢﴿ ‫﴾ َو ُط ْو ِر ِس ْينِ ْي َن‬١﴿ ‫الز ْي ُت ْو ِن‬ َّ ‫َوالتِّي ْ ِن َو‬
﴾٤﴿ ‫ال ْن َسانَ ِف ْٓی َا ْح َس ِن َت ْق ِوي ْ ٍم‬ ِ ْ‫﴾ َلقَد َخ َل ْقنَا ا‬٣﴿ ‫ال ِمي ِن‬
ْ ْ ْ‫ا‬
َ
‫﴾ ا ِ اَّل ا َّل ِذيْ َن ا َٰم ُن ْوا َو َع ِم ُلوا‬٥﴿ ‫ُث َّم َر َد ْد ٰن ُه َا ْس َف َل ٰس ِف ِل ْي َن‬
‫﴾ ف ََما يُ َك ِّذ ُب َك َب ْع ُد‬٦﴿ ‫ت َف َل ُه ْم َا ْج ٌر غَ ْي ُر َم ْم ُن ْو ٍن‬ ِ ‫الص ِلح‬
ٰ ّٰ
ِ ِ ِ
﴾8﴿ ‫هلل ب َا ْح َك ِم ا ْل ٰحكمي ْ َن‬ ُ ‫﴾ َا َل ْي َس ا‬٧﴿ ‫الدي ْ ِن‬ ِّ ِ‫ب‬
1. By the fig and the olive!
2. By Mount Sinai!
3. By this peaceful city!
4. Undoubtedly We created man in the best of forms.
5. Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low...
6. ... except those who have imaan and do good deeds.
For them there is a never-ending reward.
7. Then what causes you to deny the day of recompense?
8. Is Allah not the best of judges?
Verse 1 - 3: By the fig and the olive! By Mount Sinai! By this peaceful city!
Allah  takes an oath on four things in this Surah: the fig, the olive, the
mountain called Sinai and the city of Makkah. There are a number of possible
83
reasons why these have been specifically mentioned:
1. All four have an abundance of barakah (blessings) in terms of their benefit
to man. The fig and olive are nutritionally beneficial, while Mount Sinai and
Makkah have spiritual virtue.
2. The fig and olive are not intended here but the reference is to two mountains
close to Baitul Maqdis where these trees are found in abundance. The area in
and around Baitul Maqdis is blessed because it was the birthplace of many
Messengers. Ibraheem  stayed there; and Isa  was born and resided
there.
3. Mount Sinai was where Moosa  conversed with Allah . Seeneen
or Sinai means a place of blessing or beauty.
4. Makkah was the birthplace and home of the last Messenger 
and is the home of the Ka’bah.
The city of Makkah has been called “ameen” because a person who enters it
believing in Allah  is at peace and safe from danger. It is a city which
is under the divine protection of Allah .
Verse 4: Undoubtedly We created man in the best of forms.

Allah  describes man here as having the best of forms. “Taqweem”
literally means to make the foundation of a thing firm and solid. In other
words, man’s natural disposition, features and structure are superior to all
other animals and creation on earth. Ibn Arabi  has mentioned that
man’s superiority to all creation is because Allah  has given him life
together with power, speech, hearing, sight and intelligence. Allah 
has so honoured man that He gave him a portion of the qualities which He
Himself possesses such as hearing, seeing, knowledge understanding, speech,
wisdom, etc.
Man is the most beautiful of creation in terms of his external and internal
qualities. His every limb is perfect, appropriately formed and placed. The
functioning of the organs and systems of the body are an intricate and
wonderful creation of Allah . Man is said to be a ‘miniature world’
84
meaning that all the systems of the world have a representation in the body
of man.
Verse 5: Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low...

This verse has been interpreted in various ways:
1. Allah  explains that even though man is the best of creation there
comes a time when the beauty of his youth is replaced with the unattractive
features of old age such as wrinkles, sickness, weak limbs, etc. The vitality and
vigour of young age gives way to dependence on others for the simplest of
tasks like eating and walking. Even the memory fades. Animals do not reach
this state of uselessness because their services are utilised till the very end.
They provide milk or serve as conveyances till death; and after death their
skin, bones and other body parts are valuable to man. Man’s body after death
is not usable like that of animals. Thus, the reference to man becoming the
lowest of the low refers to his physical body.
2. According to some scholars, the lowest of the low refers to the disbelievers
and open sinners who waste their beauty in vain pursuits and base desires. They
are even worse than animals because they do not carry out the requirements
attached to the beautiful form that Allah  gave to them.
Verse 6:... except those who have imaan and do good deeds. For them there is
a never-ending reward.
Allah  now mentions the believers who do good as an exception to the
lowest of the low. The exception does not mean that these believers are not
weakened by old age. It means that they are concerned about their life after
death and make preparations for it. They use their beautifully created bodies
in the appropriate manner by doing good deeds. Despite their old age their
reward is eternal comfort in the Hereafter. Even if they slacken in worship due
to their frailty, their book of deeds will record an equivalent of the worship
they used to do when they were young.
A hadith of Nabi  mentions: “When a Muslim takes ill then Allah
85
commands the angels who record his deeds that they should write for him the
very same good deeds that he used to do in healthy times.” (Bukhari)
Verse 7: Then what causes you to deny the day of recompense?

After describing the changes in the body of man, Allah  poses a
question: after seeing the power of Allah  to transform man from a
point of power to a point of complete weakness, are there any grounds to deny
Qiyaamah?
Verse 8: Is Allah not the best of judges?

Allah  is most just in reward and punishment and in the execution of
His plans.
Lessons
1. Allah  has created man as an honourable and respectable creation.
If man practices on the Quran and the teachings of Nabi  he can
rise to a level even superior to the angels. If he follows the dictates of his
desires and he sins without fear of Allah  he becomes even lower than
the animals.
2. The power of Allah  can be seen from man’s drastic transformation

of youth to old age. Similarly, Allah’s  power is evident from His
creation of such a perfect human being.
3. Allah  has given man foods like the fig and olive for his physical
development and nourishment. For his spiritual development Allah 
sent Messengers to guide him.
4. Man should utilise his youth in a constructive manner. It should not be

wasted away in sin.
5. Just as Allah  can cause man to pass through various phases of life,
He can also bring man back to life for accountability on Qiyaamah.
86
Surah Inshiraah  ‫سورة االنشراح‬
ِ ِ
﴾٢﴿ ‫﴾ َو َو َض ْع َنا َع ْن َك ِو ْز َر َك‬١﴿ ‫ش ْح َل َك َصدْ َر َك‬ َ ْ‫َا َل ْم َن ر‬
‫﴾ فَاِ َّن‬٤﴿ ‫﴾ َو َرف َْع َنا َل َك ِذكْ َر َك‬٣﴿ ‫ا َّل ِذ ْٓی َا ْنق ََض َظ ْه َر َك‬
‫﴾ فَاِ َذا‬٦﴿ ‫سا‬ ِ ِ
ً ْ‫﴾ ا َّن َم َع ا ْل ُع رْس ُي ر‬٥﴿ ‫سا‬
ِ
ً ْ‫َم َع ا ْل ُع رْس ُي ر‬
﴾8﴿ ‫﴾ َوا ِ ٰلى َر ِّب َك ف َْارغَ ْب‬٧﴿ ‫ف ََر ْغ َت فَان َْص ْب‬
1. Did We not expand for you your chest?

2. And we relieved you of your burden...
3. ... which bent your back
4. And we elevated your mention
5. For verily, with every difficulty there is ease.
6. Verily, with every difficulty there is ease.
7. So when you have completed, then exert yourself ...
8. And turn to your Lord.
Background
In this Surah Allah  mentions a number of spiritual bounties that
He bestowed upon Nabi . Allah  eloquently refers to
these bounties in question form. Allah  addresses Nabi 
directly in order to personally console him.
87
Verse 1: Did We not expand for you your chest?
The word “sharaha” means to open. Opening of the chest here would mean to
enlarge it so that it could be a source of knowledge, wisdom, faith, guidance,
contentment and good character. Thus, the intellectual superiority and noble
character of Nabi  was such that he could never be challenged by
any man of his time. In fact, he will remain the most intelligent, knowledgeable
and noble man till the end of time.
This widening of his chest also meant that his attention towards humanity
was not an obstruction or hindrance to his relationship with Allah .
He was prepared by Allah  to bear difficulties and torture with patience

and fortitude. Thus, when the Quraish, hypocrites and Jews gave him endless
hardships he was a pillar of strength.
Some scholars have also advanced the possibility of this verse referring to
the incident when his chest was cut and his heart washed with the water of
Zamzam.
Verse 2-3: And we relieved you of your burden... ... which bent your back.
The burdensome load which bent his back was removed by Allah .
This burden referred to all those permissible actions which Nabi 
chose to do thinking them to be the most appropriate. Later he realised that
his choice was not the most appropriate. Due to his high status and closeness to
Allah , Nabi  used to feel displeasure and grief regarding
these actions even though they were not sins. Allah  consoled him in
this verse by saying that he would not be punished for such choices.
Another interpretation of the burden upon Nabi  could be the

responsibility of prophethood he had to shoulder. Nabi  was
originally commanded to warn people against idol worship and direct them
towards one Allah . He was commanded to remain steadfast in this
88
mission. This proved to be a heavy task for him and he once mentioned that
some of the white hairs in his beard had been due to this command. With this
Surah, this task and responsibility was now being eased upon him. Thus, the
following verses explain that ease would now follow the initial difficulty.
The verse could also refer to the fact that Nabi  was free and
protected from all sin and evil. In other words, the burden of sin had been
lifted from him.
Verse 4: And we elevated your mention.

Allah  has elevated Nabi ’s name in this world in a
variety of ways:
1. His name is mentioned with the name of Allah  in the Shahaadah

of Islam, azaan, iqaamah, tashahhud, khutbah, etc.
2. Five times a day in every part of the world the name of Muhammad
 is called in the Azaan.
3. His name is taken with respect and love and countless blessings are invoked
upon him every time his name is heard or spoken.
4. Even intelligent non-Muslims take his name with respect.
5. His name was mentioned in the previous divine scriptures revealed to the
Messengers.
6 Allah  linked obedience to Him with following in the footsteps of
Nabi .
Verse 5- 6: For, verily, with every difficulty there is ease. Verily, with every
difficulty there is ease.
The essence of the repetition in these two verses according to the laws of
Arabic grammar is that a single difficulty is followed by many blessings and
comforts. In the life of Nabi  this was noticed many times. Tasks
which seemed huge and impossible were easily accomplished by him.
The repetition here could also mean that Nabi  would encounter
89
many difficulties and obstacles during his mission of propagating Islam,
however Allah  here reassures him that each of these would be
overcome.
The principle explained in this verse was applicable to Nabi 

and his companions but applies in part to others as well. Allah 
will certainly create ease and comfort for a person who endures difficulties
with patience, puts his trust and hope in Allah  and is not hasty in
expectation of results. The verse provides tremendous solace and comfort for
those who are in difficulties, tribulations and problems.
Verse 7 -8: So when you have completed, then exert yourself ... And turn to
your Lord.
Allah  commands Nabi : “When you have completed the
task of inviting people to Allah  and His message then you should
prepare for solitary or individual worship in the form of Salaah, dua and zikr
(remembrance of Allah )”. Da’wah (invitation to Allah ) is a
form of worshipping Allah  also but it is a process via the creation
of Allah . Apart from this, Salaah, dua and zikr are direct forms of
worshipping Allah . Thus, Nabi  was commanded to
worship Allah  in abundance in solitude.
Some scholars provide a different interpretation. After one has completed

performing Salaah then one should beg Allah  fervently in dua because
duas are readily accepted at this time.
An interesting word has been used in this verse: “fansab”. It means to exert
oneself until one feels tired. Thus, a Muslim should worship Allah  to
the extent that he begins to feel tired. Worship should not only be done as a
casual ritual but with heart and soul.
Lessons
1. Every teacher or preacher in Islam must spare some time to worship Allah
90
 in solitude in order to generate sincerity within himself and to
ask the assistance of Allah  in his teaching and preaching. Spiritual
purification and zikrullah greatly increase the effectiveness of propagation.
2. Nabi  is the most honoured of all creation. His name is and will
remain elevated despite attempts to discredit him by non-Muslims.
3. A Muslim should bear difficulties with patience and hope in the mercy of
Allah .
4. A Muslim should worship Allah  as a devoted slave pouring his

heart, mind and soul into his worship. Salaah, Zakaat, Sawm, recitation of
Quran, etc. should not be ritualistic but intrinsic.
91
Surah Duha  ‫سورة الضحي‬
‫الر ِحي ْ ِم‬َّ ‫الر ْح ٰم ِن‬
ِ ِ
‫﴾ َما َو َّد َع َك‬٢﴿ ‫﴾ َوا َّل ْي ِل ا ِ َذا َس ٰجى‬١﴿ ‫الض ٰحى‬ ُّ ‫َو‬
‫ال ْولٰى‬ ِ
ُ ْ‫لخ َر ُة َخ ْي ٌر َّل َك م َن ا‬ ِ ٰ ْ‫﴾ َو َل ا‬٣﴿ ‫َر ُّب َك َو َما قَلٰى‬
‫﴾ َا َل ْم‬٥﴿ ‫﴾ َو َل َس ْو َف ُي ْع ِط ْي َك َر ُّب َك َفت َْر ٰضى‬٤﴿
﴾٧﴿ ‫ضا اًّل ف ََه ٰدى‬ َ ‫﴾ َو َو َج َد َك‬٦﴿ ‫يَ ِج ْد َك َيتِ ْي ًما َفا ٰٰوى‬
‫﴾ َف َا َّما ا ْل َيتِيْ َم ف اََل َت ْق َه ْر‬8﴿ ‫َو َو َج َد َك َع ائِ اًل َف َاغْ ٰنى‬
‫﴾ َو َا َّما بِنِ ْع َم ِة َربِّ َك‬10﴿ ‫السا ئِ َل ف اََل َت ْن َه ْر‬ َّ ‫﴾و َا َّما‬9﴿
َ
﴾11﴿ ‫ف ََح ِّد ْث‬
1. By the morning light!
2. And by the night when it envelops!
3. Your Lord has not forsaken you nor is He displeased.
4. The Hereafter is certainly much better for you than
this world.
5. Your Lord will soon give you so that you will be
pleased.
6. Did He not find you an orphan and granted you
shelter?
7. And He found you uninformed and guided you.
8. And He found you poor and made you independent.
9. So, do not oppress the orphan ...
10. ... and do not scold the beggar.
11. And proclaim the bounties of your Lord.
92
Once the finger of Nabi  was injured and began to bleed. He
remarked: “You are but a finger that is bleeding; whatever pain you are feeling
is in the path of Allah.” (Bukhari)
After this incident revelation was delayed for a few days. The Quraish of
Makkah began mocking at him saying that his God had cast him aside and had
become angry with him. Upon this, Surah Duha was revealed wherein Allah
 explained that He had not deserted His Messenger.
Verse 1: By the morning light!

Allah  takes an oath on the early morning as the sun is rising. This is
the time when light replaces darkness and when man, usually, begins his daily
actions. The rising of the sun in its purity, serenity, magnificence, uniformity
and beauty points to Allah’s  greatness as the Creator.
Verse 2: And by the night when it envelops!

Allah  takes an oath on the dead of night. This is the time of quiet and
solitude; a time when darkness encompasses everything. The change of light
into darkness with the coming of night does not mean that Allah  is
angry with His servants. In a similar way, the delay in revelation for a few days
is no proof that Allah  is angry with His chosen Messenger.
Verse 3:Your Lord has not forsaken you nor is He displeased.

Allah  addresses Nabi  saying that He has not forsaken
him nor is He displeased with him. Allah  reassures Nabi 
that His love, assistance and forgiveness has not left him. This verse served as
consolation to Nabi  for the harsh words which the non-Muslims
had hurled at him.
Verse 4: The Hereafter is certainly much better for you than this world.
This verse can have two meanings depending on the meaning of the words
93
“aakhirah” and “ula”:
a. If “aakhirah” is taken to mean the Hereafter, the verse means that those who
mocked at Nabi  would realise the folly of their words since he
would be victorious in this world and the Hereafter.
b. If “aakhirah” is taken to mean the latter portion and “ula” the earlier portion,
the verse means that Nabi ’s status was being continuously
elevated. His future condition would always be better than his previous
condition in terms of knowledge, closeness to Allah , worldly honour,
leadership, etc.
Verse 5: Your Lord will soon give you so that you will be pleased.
Allah  mentions here that he would give Nabi  so much
that he would become pleased and contented. The verse does not mention
what would be given to Nabi . Thus, in a general sense, it could
mean that Islam would become dominant in the world, it would spread, its
enemies would be defeated, and so forth. It could also mean that Allah would
honour Nabi  in the Hereafter with many bounties such as the
river of Kawthar, etc. It may also mean that Allah  would please Nabi
 by allowing him to intercede for every one of his followers.
Nabi  mentioned: “Allah would accept my intercession for my

followers until such a time when He would ask , ‘O Mohammad! Are you
pleased now?’ Then I would reply, ‘I am pleased.’ (Tabarani)
It has also been narrated that Nabi  once began to weep regarding
the forgiveness of his followers. Jibraeel  came to him and consoled him
saying that Allah  would please him regarding his followers. (Muslim)
Verse 6: Did He not find you an orphan and granted you shelter?
In the next three verses Allah  explains three outward favours which He
bestowed to Nabi . Firstly, Nabi  was an orphan. His
father had passed away before he was born and his mother passed away when
94
he was a young boy. Allah  placed him in the care of his grandfather,
Abdul Muttalib and then his uncle, Abu Taalib. Allah  cared for him so
much that He made them love him more than their own children.
Verse 7: And He found you uninformed and guided you.

Nabi  did not know about the laws of Allah  before
receiving revelation. Once he became a Messenger, Allah  taught
him and guided him by His book and teachings so that he became a light of
guidance for all of humanity.
Verse 8: And He found you poor and made you independent.

Nabi  was poor and Allah  made him rich. This began
when Nabi  was employed by Khadija . He later married
her and she placed all her wealth at his service. The verse could also mean that
Allah  made him completely independent. He felt at ease and content
with what Allah  had given him. He did not fear poverty, hence he
distributed wealth freely.
Verse 9: So, do not oppress the orphan ...

Having mentioned three bounties Allah  now commands Nabi
 with three things in order to express his gratitude to Allah
. Firstly, an orphan’s wealth and rights should not be usurped or
violated due to his young age or weakness. Nabi  repeatedly
encouraged that orphans be treated with kindness and mercy.
Verse 10: ... and do not scold the beggar.

This second command can have two meanings:
a. A person asking for help or assistance should not be chased away or addressed
in a harsh manner. If one can render assistance one should do so. If one cannot
then one should excuse oneself with soft and kind words.
b. A person asking a question in order to increase his knowledge should not be
switched off or silenced. He should be answered courteously.
95
Verse 11: And proclaim the bounties of your Lord.
Thirdly, Nabi  was commanded to mention the favours of Allah
 to the people as a form of gratitude.
It is of paramount importance that a person expresses gratitude for every

bounty he has been given by Allah . For the bounty of wealth this is
achieved by spending it in the path of Allah . For the bounty of bodily
strength one should do good deeds. Regarding the bounty of knowledge one
should teach others.
However, a person who does not have control over his base desires and may
end up boasting should not mention his good to people.
Lessons
1. One of Nabi’s  greatest worries was the success of every one
of his followers. It is our belief that he will intercede for every Muslim in the
Hereafter. The bare minimum that Muslims can do in return for this blessing
is to lead their lives according to his Sunnah.
2. We should not oppress orphans and beggars.
3. We should express our gratitude to Allah  for every one of His

bounties by using them in the manner prescribed by Him.
4. Nabi  was protected, consoled and taught by Allah .

His system and teachings should, therefore, be regarded as perfect.
96

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5

First Edition Rabiul Awwal 1438 / December 2016

Acknowledgement - Cover image - Designed by Starline - Freepik.com

Distributor in the UK - Azhar Academy Ltd. London

Distributor in North America - Mecca Books

Muslims have been honoured by Allah  to be the bearers of His noble

While Salaah is supposed to be a dialogue between a Muslim and his Creator,

Readers are encouraged to study this compilation instead of merely reading

Nabi  said, “Any important action that is commenced without the

Rules regarding Bismillah

The word “Allah” is unique. No being besides Allah  possesses this

“Rahmaan” and “Raheem” are two of the qualities of Allah .

From all of Allah’s  qualities, Allah  chose these two (Rahmaan

Alternative names of Surah Faatiha

Specialities of Surah Faatiha

Summary of the Surah

All praise certainly belongs to Allah  because, even when we praise

Verse 3: The Master of the day of judgment.

Imam Ghazali  has mentioned that there are 10 types of ibaadah:

In the preceding three verses, man acknowledges his dependence on Allah

By asking Allah  for help, we request His assistance in every matter of

Verse 6: The path of those whom You have favoured;

2. Man should not praise himself as self-praise is detestable. Allah 

3. We should always make dua for guidance to the straight path.

1. Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind...”

Shaitaan is devoted to leading man astray. He incites man in various ways to

Verse 1- 3: Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind...” “...the King of

Verse 4 - 5: “...from the evil of the whisperer who withdraws...” “...who

Why do we need to seek protection from a whisper? What power is there in a

“Khannaas” means one who retreats or withdraws. In other words, Shaitaan

Verse 6: “...be he from among the jinn or man.”

5. In Surah Falaq, only one quality of Allah  (the Lord of daybreak) is

6. The Quran instructs us to deal with human enemies by means of kindness,

‫الر ِحي ْ ِم‬

1. Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak...”

Virtues of Surah Falaq and Surah Naas

Nabi  encouraged us to recite Surah Falaq and Surah Naas before

Aisha  says: “When a disease used to afflict Nabi  he used

Verse 1: Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak...”

Verse 2: “...from the evil of that which He has created...”

Verse 3: “...from the evil of the darkness when it spreads...”

“Naffaathaat” refers to those women who do witchcraft. Witchcraft is an evil

A concept similar to jealousy but distinct from it is called ghibtah (admiration).

‫الر ِحي ْ ِم‬

1. Say, “He Allah is One.”

Virtues of the Surah

Once Nabi  instructed the people to gather, as he would recite

Verse 1: Say, “He Allah is One.”

Verse 2: Allah is independent.

Verse 3: He has no children and is not the child of anyone.

Verse 4: And there is none equal to Him.

‫الر ِحي ْ ِم‬

1. May the hands of Abu Lahab be destroyed and

In this Surah, Allah  defends Nabi  against this wretched

The verse refers to destruction of his hands. As we do majority of our work

Verse 3: He will soon enter into a fire of blazing flames.

Verse 4: And his wife, the carrier of firewood,

When this Surah was revealed Nabi  recited it before a gathering