Gems from the Quran

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birkah

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Bismillah. Insh'Allah in this thread I will post gems from the Qur'an. A lot of the posts will highlight an aspect of the linguistical miracle of the Qur'an -- the often neglected miracle.

[FONT=&quot]أَوْ كَظُلُمَاتٍ فِي بَحْرٍ لُّجِّيٍّ يَغْشَاهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ سَحَابٌ [/FONT][FONT=&quot]ۚ[/FONT][FONT=&quot] ظُلُمَاتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَا أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَاهَا [/FONT][FONT=&quot]ۗ[/FONT][FONT=&quot] وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُ مِن نُّورٍ[/FONT]
Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds - darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it. And he to whom Allah has not granted light - for him there is no light.[24:40].

Allah wants us to imagine a pitch dark scene, with multiple layers of darkness, and absolutley no light. This scene is so dark that nothing can be seen, to such a degree that if a person wanted to see their own hand, they would be on the brink of not being able to see it.

Why does Allah mention the hands, and not feet or another part? Why would mentioning any other part take away from the literary perfection?

Firstly, the hands are the part of the body, which one can view from all angels (360 deg). Hence they are the easiest to view and require the least amount of effort. For all other parts of the body, one cannot gain this holistic view without a lot of effort and energy; the parts that can be observed in totality are quite limited. The person in the ayah should have no problem seeing his hands, yet due to the intense darkness of the scene, this person barley reaches the threshold required to view his own hands.

This is what kufur and shirk do to one's deeds.
 
[FONT=&quot]فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَافِعِينَ وَلَا صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٍ[/FONT]​
So now we have no intercessors. And not a devoted friend. [26:100-101]​

  • · [FONT=&quot]استحم/استحماما[/FONT] originally meant to have a hot bath (colloquial usage is for a bathroom).
  • · [FONT=&quot]الحميم[/FONT] is boiling water, which will be given to the people of the fire.
  • · Why is a friend called [FONT=&quot]حميم[/FONT]? This is due to the warm feeling that one gets when they are with an intimate friend.
  • · 70:10 we further learn that no friend will ask anything from a friend. In the Dunay, when you need advice, help. .etc. you approach your closest friend. On that day on one will do this. The actuality of the Day of Judgement is the opposite of the reality of this world (husband and the wife are the most intimate being, yet they are enemies; a young child with nothing to worry will become grey haired; sun and the moon will collide; animals who live in isolation with be herded...)
 
SubhanAllah, being a Muslim every body is responsible to learn Islam and share this with other people,, we know better that there alot of people who really really need to learn, but they cant have easy acces to the Quran and Islam, because they are leaving in Muslim minority countries... the cyberspace a unique and great place where every body can easily access any where,, so it would be more attractive to have great sharing on cyberspace FOR Islam and Quran...JAZAKALLAH..
 
[FONT=me_quran]وَلَئِن مَّسَّتْهُمْ نَفْحَةٌ مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ[/FONT]
And if [as much as] a whiff of the punishment of your Lord should touch them, they would surely say, "O woe to us! Indeed, we have been wrongdoers."


  • The word that Allah said was نفحة which means a gentle cold breeze. A similar word is لفحة which means a warm breeze.
  • مسة simply touch something. For example, when you do wudu and you are wearing socks, you do masaa over them.
  • If a gentle cold breeze touched us, we will shout and cry and exclaim that we have been destroyed. What about a warm breeze, and what then about the fire of hell?
 
[FONT=me_quran]حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ[/FONT]

[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back. [23:99]

This person is only speakign to Allah, yet he uses a plural and not a singular. For example, instead of sayign JazaKaAllahu (may you get the reward), someone says JazakumuAllahu (May you all get the reward). So why is he using a plural, even though he is only speaking to one being.

  • Firstly, the plural is used for magnification because of the one spoken to i.e. God. If you are speaking to somone who is very honorable, majestic, holy, then its more appropriate to use the plular.
  • For repetition: send me back, send me back, send me back, send me back, send me back... It is far more eloquent to combine this into a plural.
 
JAZAKALLAH. When ever i read translation of Quran. Most of the time i start feeling a rope tight around my neck as some thing is killing me , i know tha is devil who never want us to be on right path.
 
[FONT=me_quran]نَبِّئْ عِبَادِي أَنِّي أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ وَأَنَّ عَذَابِي هُوَ الْعَذَابُ الْأَلِيمُ[/FONT]
[O Muhammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful. And that it is My punishment which is the painful punishment. [15:49-50]

  • In the first Ayah Allah Mentions His Forgiveness, and along with it, He mentions His two names: Al-Ghafoor (the One who will forgive the biggest sin, regardless of magnitude) and Al-Raheem (the permanently merciful).
  • The Beautiful and Perfect Majestic Names of Allah SWT are uncreated and eternal (if you don't understand this point, then I woudl recommend studying Aqeedah).
  • Jannah is a manifestation of Allah's eternal Name of Mercy and Forgivness. Hence, all scholars agree that Jannah is eternal.
  • When it came to the punishment, Allah did not mention any of His names, in the above ayah.
  • Jahanam comes from the punishment of Allah, which is a creation and not necessarily eternal.
  • From this, some scholars concluded that Jahanam, will cease to exist after a very very very very very very very.......... long-time (this view is also supported by some narration of Umar RA and Ali RA)
  • SubhanAllah! How Merciful is Allah SWT!
Narrated Hadrat Abu Huraira RA: Allah's Messenger SAW said: "When Allah SWT completed the creation, He wrote in His Book which is with Him on His Throne, 'My mercy overpowers My anger.' [Bukhari]​
 
Q: Why was Yunus AS saved from the belly of the whale? One reason we find in Surah Anbiya is that he made Duaa. In Surah Safaat Allah SWT gives us another reason why He saved Him.

[FONT=me_quran]فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطْنِهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ[/FONT]

And had he not been of those who exalt Allah ,He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected. [37:143-144]

Imam Sutiy commenting on this ayah says that Allah saved him because he constantly said لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك إني كنت من الظالمين

There is absolutley no Ilaah (any diety, object worshipped...), except for you. You are Perfect...

If you want the help of Allah in the future, and in times of difficult, do lots of tasbeeh.
 
[FONT=me_quran]يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا[/FONT]​
Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated - [25:69]

  • In the previous verse, Allah SWT tells us who will be the recipeints of the punishment: a person who does shirk, a person who kills, and a person who commits fornication.
  • In this ayah on the fihi, there is a mad -- a stretching.
  • The scholars of Tajweed -- science of the pronounication and articulation of Arabic sound AKA phonetics -- say that this stretnching is not expected.
  • Allah SWT said the madd -- the stretch -- to show that the person who does not repent will have their punishment stretched, just as this word has been stretched.
SubhnAllah.
 
Regarding the preservation of the Quran, Allah SWT says:
[FONT=me_quran]
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
[/FONT]​

And indeed, it is We who give life and cause death, and We are the Inheritor.[15:23]

  • Verily -- no doubt about it. x 2
  • We x2
  • We
  • We sent it down.
  • Lam of Emphasis
  • All of it -- not a single sentence, word, letter, dot... can be moved from its place.
One benefit of the usage of the We is that Allah SWT assigns all credit to Himself for the preservation. The benefit of the repetition is that we marvel at its preservation, and Allah SWT is reminding us that it only happened due to His power, majesty... __________________

Watch this clip on youtube:
youtube.com/watch?v=cPEyiXEDTiY&feature=player_embedded

One point that he mentions about memorization of the Quran and how we can bring it back, because of the millions of hufadh... When I heard this argument sometime ago, I had a slight doubt -- not that th quran isn't preserved or won't be preserved -- regarding whether the hufadh of North American can bring back the Quran (most of us be hurrrrting!).

Alhumdullilah, I was listening to a lecture by Sheikh Suhaib Webb and he explained how in places like North Africa, Murtania, and others, in order for you to get an ijazah in Quran, you must write the entire Quran in two weeks, without a single mistake and iyou do make a mistake you are not awarded ijazaaah (and in places like Murtania, it must be in the Uthmanic script, plus they don't have Mushafs in their Masajids since it all memorized as Sheikh Abu Eesa mentioned, when he went to a masaajid and he couldn't find a mushaaf and when he asked a child, who was completley dumbfounded by the question, since the concept of having a mushaf to them is completley foreign to them).

I personally know quraas that I have never heard making mistakes. Have you ever heard Sudais ever make a mistake? I have heard Shuraim and majority of the other reciters of the Makkah and Madinah, but I have never heard Sheikh Sudais make a mistake.
 
[h=1]الم[/h]
  • The meaning of these letters is only known to Allah. There are no authentic traditions going back to Prophet SAW, and all the opinions are mere conjecture, and hence the benefit is very limited in discussing them.
  • However, these letters do and must have a particular function, as the opposite of it would be contrary to perfection (every ayah is a point of reflection for us).


  1. Mutawalii As-Sharii — Proof that Prophet SAW was chosen by Allah. He was illiterate as was most of the Arab society, save a handful of individuals. How then does an illiterate man knows the letter of the alphabets?
  2. A challenge to the Jewish population of Madinah. They were the learned people. Hence, they need to explain how this man knows the building blocks of the language.
  3. Baqilani — Only half of the alphabet is used in the Quran, implying that if you don’t believe the Quran is from Allah, then produce something like it, since it is in your language and made up of the same building block.
 
[h=1] ذلك الكتاب لا ريبَ فيه هدى للمتقين [/h] That is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah.

  • Allah SWT begins the Quran by describing it with four attributes.
  • Did not say this but that. That is used for objects that are far and high. For example, you would use that — and not this — to refer to stars, as they are above us. Effect: shows the gradenur, nobility, loftiness, and status of the Quran.
  • Allah SWT said the book and not a book. The Quran contains the summaries of all the previous scriptures.
 
[h=1]الذين يؤمنون بالغيب ويقيمون الصلاة ومما رزقناهم ينفقون[/h]
Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,
  • Style of the Quran. Allah mentions a group in one ayah. Then in the subsequent ayah describes them.
  • 1. Believe in the unseen. Ghaiib in that which is covered.
  • 2. Establish Salaah. Not a one time or a Friday occurrence. They are consistently doing it — Fard, Sunnah.. etc.
  • We have provided them. Did not specify what we are provided. Effect: Expansion of meaning. Everything we have is provided by Allah.
  • The past-tense is used. Implication: Since He has given it, He can also take it.
  • 3. Spending is not specified. Effect: Expansion of meaning. Spend from whatever they can: time, wealth, health, knowledge.
 
[h=1]الذين يؤمنون بالغيب ويقيمون الصلاة ومما رزقناهم ينفقون[/h]
Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,
  • Said and; not or. We need to be doing all of these things in order to be successful.
  • The most important action we need is imaan in Allah. Thegreatest
  • manifestation of that is Salaah. Spending is a sign if the Salaah is having an impact.

 
[h=1]وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ[/h]
And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith].[2:4]​
  • What is sent to Prophet SAW. The Quran we have.
  • And all that…
  • Was sent before. This is past revelation.
  • No future revelation is mentioned. Proof against Qadiyaanies.
 
[h=1]أولئك على هدى من ربهم وأولئك هم المفلحون[/h]
Those are upon
guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful.[2:5]​

  • Allah SWT did not say هؤلاء– these. Why those? When something is far, and has a high status, you say that (for example, used for stars). The usage of those shows the high level and rank that they will reach — or have reached — provided they follow the previous ayats.
  • Allah SWT is above the Heavens in a manner that befits Him SWT. Implication: Those are close to Allah, and distant from this transient Earth.
 
أولئك على هدى من ربهم وأولئك هم المفلحون

Those are upon
guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful.[2:5]​



  • Word construction of Faalllah is a noun and not verb, implying that they will always be successful, as verbs are temporary and noun are permanent.
  • Ibn Kathir: Allah did not mention what they will be successful in. Effect: Expansion of Meaning. [They are the ones who will attain success in everything they do in the dunya, and they will attain success in the akhira as well.]
  • This concludes the description of the first group of people.
Insh'Allah I will posting new points here. I will also be posting brief points of balagha about Surah Fatiha on Birkah and a lot of points about Surah Baqarah on Kalamullah, daily.

Links:
http://kalamuallah.wordpress.com/
http://birkah.wordpress.com/
 

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