In Surah Faith we ask Allah for guidance. Allah answers that in our Salah everytime, since we recite Qur'an right away (the choice is ours whether we want to listen or think about other things). The theme of the entire Quran is guidance. The summary of it is found in Surah Baqarah. Everytime, you read Surah Baqarah, ask yourself, what does each of these verses have to do with guidance.
Here is the general layout of Surah Baqarah (you will only understand this, if you memorized and understand the Surah, or if you read it a lot, hence even reading/memorization can be a motivation to come closer to the book of Allah)
Layout
- Begin with mentioning three types of people: Mutaqieen (those who will be guided), Kafirr (guidance is blocked, since Allah has sealed their hearts), and Munafiqoon, pretend to be on the guidance but are far away from it, and are the worst group, who are in between the Mutaqieen and Kafiroon)
- All of humanity mentioned. Now Allah address them Allah and invites them to voluntarily accept guidance (2:21), challenge to produce a guidance like this, and consequences good and evil for not accepting guidance.
- Methodology of this guidance (2:26). Allah will use parables to make crystal the guidance. If you come with an open heart you will be guided, otherwise you will find nothing but criticism.
- How can you disblieve in Allah? (2:28). Not take the guidance. Where did you come from?
- Story of Adam -- first man to be guided/iblees misguided (2:30).
- Address to the scholars of Jews-- they should be the first to accept guidance. (2:40)
- Address to the laymen of Jews (2:47)-- follow the guidance, remember all of the favours of Allah, and how you didn't follow the guidance and He SWT still forgave.
- Discussion ends with the Jews 2:123 (Implied is that you are no longer the chosen community of Allah. 2:41 vs. 2:123 has the exact same wrods but the sequence is changed to show that a shift is about to occur and a new community is being chosen by Allah.)
- Allah mentions Ibrahim AS and his progency as they are the link between the Muslim Ummah and the Jewish Ummah. (2:124).
- Introduction fo the new Ummah (2:142). Allah SWT warns us about avoiding extremisim as we are teh middle nation. SubahanAllah! Imagine if Muslims only pondered over the Quran, and this ayah.
- Specific rules and laws related to guidance are revealed (2:158). The purpose of all of these is to attain taqwa as the second ayah of the Surah mentions.
- Conclued with 2:284-- Doesn't matter if you are upon guidance; the choice is yours and you will bare the consequences. Excluisvely to Allah belongs everything that is in the heavens and the earth.
- Sumary of guidance and all that has been mentioned (2:285)
- Concludes with a prayer for guidance, just as surah fatiha centered aroudn a prayer for gudiance (2:286)
SubhanaAllah, how amazing is the interconnection of these ayats. One criticism of the Quran is that it lacks conherence, as the subjects shift abruptly. But after a deep study, one sees how crystal clear the connections are, and how amazing the logic, progression, etc. are.
PS. JKHair to the OP for suggesting to make one post. Insh'Allah will do that. However, sometimes I can't control myself. Secondly, I had not posted for a few days, so made those posts as a bonus. I understand the effectiveness decreases with multiple posts, so Insh'Allah I will exercise patience and make only one post here.
