04. WHAT DOES ALLAH SEE IN YOU?
Literary gems are highlighted. Charity is quantified in a metaphorical comparison with the term sumbala: an ear of grain spent in the path of Allah gives birth to 7 ears, with 100 grains inside each. In His own way, He multiplies its rewards.
INTRICATE WORD CHOICE
1. Two different expressions for "Ears of grain"
Sunbula is an ear of grain.
Sunbulaat is the plural= ears of grain
Sanaabil is another form of plural of ears of grain.
In Arabic, it is common to have different forms of plurals:
e.g. Kafir also has different plurals, we can say Kafiroon or Kuffaar or Kaffara.
e.g. Nabi has the plural nabiyyoon, Anbiyaa
What is the difference between these plurals?
Sanaabil is considered a strong plural, while Sunbulaat is relatively weak. The powerful plural is used when something is stronger in number, while the weaker plural is used when something is less in number.
The Qur'an uses ears of grain only thrice, but it is used both times when referring to "seven". The number is the same. Allah used the weak plural for the story of Yusuf AS because it implied that food would not be enough for seven years because of drought, so there would be a deficiency.
When Allah says in Surah baqarah that you spend very little, and Allah will multiply it manifold for you, so here Allah uses the strong plural. This refers to the barakah of spending.
2. Two different plurals for "blessings"
Nimah means blessings
Anum= plural meaning blessing (weak plural)
Niam= Many many blessings. (strong plural)
Ibrahim AS was described as Anum (weak plural). Why did Allah use Anum although he was very grateful?
He realised onto you His blessings, the one you can see and the ones you cannot. Here Niam, the strong plural is used.
WHY?
In another Ayah, Allah says that if you were to count the favour of Allah, you wouldn't be able to count them. It means we cannot even count one nemat properly.
And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah , you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful. (14:34)
Ibrahim AS achieved a remarkable feat by spending his entire existence in shuker. Even if we spend our entire lives in counting the nemat, it can still not compete with HIS nemat, because we can never thank Allah enough. It is not possible for us to enumerate all of them.
3. The difference between the sky and the skies
Saarioo= rush
Sabiqoo= race
When do we run faster? When we are racing i.e. Sabiqoo, so this is more intense
And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous.Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people - and Allah loves the doers of good; (3:133-134)
The first ayah: Jannah is the size of the skies (Samawaat= seven skies) and Earth. It is for the people who have taqwa. Not every muslim is a muttaqi although we all strive to get it. These are the people who spend money when its difficult, and who swallow their anger, and they also pardon people. These group of people is very small because of the associated conditions. So only a few people can meet these conditions.
Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allah and His messengers. That is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. (57:21)
1. Ikhtiar اختيار= comes from khayr i.e. good. So this Ikhtiar is when we make a choice based on the good of something
2. Istafa اصطفى = for a personal choice, without any outside influence. It was entirely from you. It comes from safwa meaning pure, so its a pure choice.
Allah used the word Istifaa for choosing RasulAllah SAWW and angels, and Quraysh used to object why the Quran came to an Arab, and Jews argued that why did the Quran not come to them, and they also complained about Jibreel AS bringing the Quran. Allah is saying it was HIS personal and pure choice.
3. Ijtibaa اجتبى = choice based on qualifications
e.g. If someone applies for a job, we look at his qualifications and CV to figure out if he's suited for this job. In an interview process, you make a choice based on qualification.
If we go to the store to buy something e.g. chocolates, we just pick the chocolate we like irrespective of qualification. Similarly, if we buy clothes for ourselves, it just depends on our personal preference and choice
Allah says HE chose us to be Muslims. Ijtibaa is a choice based on qualifications, so it means that we had some abilities within us. We may think we are incapable, but Allah believes in us MORE than we believe in ourselves e.g. if we apply for a job and think that we do not meet the qualifications, but the interviewer still gives us the job and tells us that HE thinks we are worthy for the job, although we don't meet the apparent qualifications.
And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you “Muslims” before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper. (22:78)
Allah says struggle the way I deserve it. Do as much struggle as I am worthy off. By saying that, Allah made us unqualified for this job, as this is a task we cannot claim to do. Allah says that He chose us for this task, and adds that HE will make it easy for us. This makes us feel relaxed for a moment, but then Allah immediately says that it is the religion of your father Ibrahim AS. How can that be easy? Ibrahim AS had the most difficult struggles e.g. jumping into the fire, putting a knife to the throat of his son, leaving his family in the desert. Allah is trying to say that HE made such difficult and impossible tasks easy for Ibrahim AS, then what to worry about our small tasks? Allah can make them easy for us.
We have to ask ourselves: What does Allah seen in us that we can't even see in ourselves? It makes us develop the desire to find our hidden abilities and talents. No two people are the same. Everyone has unique strengths and abilities.
QIST has more to do with individual moral compass. Allah loves those who are MUQSIT (just, privately and publicly). We should be fair in all our dealings and relationships.
Yumahissa= Allah may cleanse/purify those who believe.
This ayah is about the Battle of Uhud in which many Sahaba were martyred. Allah says he put muslims through this scenario so he could cleanse those who believe.
تمحيص Tamhees is used when we purify gold. Gold has to be melted into liquid to remove all the impurities. It is not the same as cleaning dishes or clothes, those tasks are much easier. By using Tamhees, Allah is saying believers have to be put through a flame in order to be cleansed fully.
Hypocrites got exposed through the difficult tests at Uhud. Allah called the hypocrites impurities through this imagery. Their impurity was deeply embedded within Muslims, and the only way to remove them was to use intense heat. So Allah called the Sahaba gold and the hypocrites filth.
16. زوج vs. امراة
Allah addressed Bani Israel in the first ayah and said "You" to address them, emphasising that they were given blessings but disobeyed Allah. Then Allah was so angry with them that Allah stopped addressing them directly, just like we say: I don't even want to talk to you. Allah shifted to 'they' to address everyone who is listening, and say that they harmed their own souls, so we shouldn't repeat their mistakes.
2.
3.
4.
لا means "No". But no can have different connotations
1. لا followed by a common noun/tanween is لا نفى جنس. This means that it is "no" for the most part but some exceptions are possible
2. لا followed by a noun without tanween would mean an absolute no. NO exceptions are possible
e.g. لا اكراه فى الدين = There is absolutely no coercion/force in deen
e.g. لا ريب فيه = There is absolutely no doubt in the revelation
e.g. لا اله الا الله = There is no God but Allah
5.Two prayers of Ibrahim AS
1. Two different expressions for "Ears of grain"
Sunbula is an ear of grain.
Sunbulaat is the plural= ears of grain
Sanaabil is another form of plural of ears of grain.
In Arabic, it is common to have different forms of plurals:
e.g. Kafir also has different plurals, we can say Kafiroon or Kuffaar or Kaffara.
e.g. Nabi has the plural nabiyyoon, Anbiyaa
What is the difference between these plurals?
Sanaabil is considered a strong plural, while Sunbulaat is relatively weak. The powerful plural is used when something is stronger in number, while the weaker plural is used when something is less in number.
The Qur'an uses ears of grain only thrice, but it is used both times when referring to "seven". The number is the same. Allah used the weak plural for the story of Yusuf AS because it implied that food would not be enough for seven years because of drought, so there would be a deficiency.
When Allah says in Surah baqarah that you spend very little, and Allah will multiply it manifold for you, so here Allah uses the strong plural. This refers to the barakah of spending.
2. Two different plurals for "blessings"
Nimah means blessings
Anum= plural meaning blessing (weak plural)
Niam= Many many blessings. (strong plural)
Ibrahim AS was described as Anum (weak plural). Why did Allah use Anum although he was very grateful?
He realised onto you His blessings, the one you can see and the ones you cannot. Here Niam, the strong plural is used.
WHY?
In another Ayah, Allah says that if you were to count the favour of Allah, you wouldn't be able to count them. It means we cannot even count one nemat properly.
Ibrahim AS achieved a remarkable feat by spending his entire existence in shuker. Even if we spend our entire lives in counting the nemat, it can still not compete with HIS nemat, because we can never thank Allah enough. It is not possible for us to enumerate all of them.
3. The difference between the sky and the skies
Saarioo= rush
Sabiqoo= race
When do we run faster? When we are racing i.e. Sabiqoo, so this is more intense
The first ayah: Jannah is the size of the skies (Samawaat= seven skies) and Earth. It is for the people who have taqwa. Not every muslim is a muttaqi although we all strive to get it. These are the people who spend money when its difficult, and who swallow their anger, and they also pardon people. These group of people is very small because of the associated conditions. So only a few people can meet these conditions.
Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allah and His messengers. That is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. (57:21)
The second ayah: that its size is like the sky (Samaa= everything above) and the Earth. Apparently, we think Samawaat is the plural and Samaa is singular, but in reality, Samawaat is limited while Samaa has a broader meaning. And when Allah uses Samaa, the word SABIQOO is used which means we should race. It is for people who believe in Allah and the messenger, so this is a larger group of people. This Jannah is an open invitation and it is a bigger favour from Allah. The doors are wide open so here Allah adds that this is a FAVOUR from Allah.
4. Two different words for "selection"
The Qur'an uses three words for choice/selection.
1. Ikhtiar اختيار= comes from khayr i.e. good. So this Ikhtiar is when we make a choice based on the good of something
2. Istafa اصطفى = for a personal choice, without any outside influence. It was entirely from you. It comes from safwa meaning pure, so its a pure choice.
Allah used the word Istifaa for choosing RasulAllah SAWW and angels, and Quraysh used to object why the Quran came to an Arab, and Jews argued that why did the Quran not come to them, and they also complained about Jibreel AS bringing the Quran. Allah is saying it was HIS personal and pure choice.
e.g. If someone applies for a job, we look at his qualifications and CV to figure out if he's suited for this job. In an interview process, you make a choice based on qualification.
If we go to the store to buy something e.g. chocolates, we just pick the chocolate we like irrespective of qualification. Similarly, if we buy clothes for ourselves, it just depends on our personal preference and choice
Allah says HE chose us to be Muslims. Ijtibaa is a choice based on qualifications, so it means that we had some abilities within us. We may think we are incapable, but Allah believes in us MORE than we believe in ourselves e.g. if we apply for a job and think that we do not meet the qualifications, but the interviewer still gives us the job and tells us that HE thinks we are worthy for the job, although we don't meet the apparent qualifications.
Allah says struggle the way I deserve it. Do as much struggle as I am worthy off. By saying that, Allah made us unqualified for this job, as this is a task we cannot claim to do. Allah says that He chose us for this task, and adds that HE will make it easy for us. This makes us feel relaxed for a moment, but then Allah immediately says that it is the religion of your father Ibrahim AS. How can that be easy? Ibrahim AS had the most difficult struggles e.g. jumping into the fire, putting a knife to the throat of his son, leaving his family in the desert. Allah is trying to say that HE made such difficult and impossible tasks easy for Ibrahim AS, then what to worry about our small tasks? Allah can make them easy for us.
We have to ask ourselves: What does Allah seen in us that we can't even see in ourselves? It makes us develop the desire to find our hidden abilities and talents. No two people are the same. Everyone has unique strengths and abilities.
05. CONSISTENCY IN THE QUR'AN
Two terms for the heart are identified in connection to maternal love in the story of the Musa (AS). A healthy heart is one of love, belief, and fear of Allah. Antithetical to it is a sick heart qualified by hatred, jealousy, and discord
5. Two different words for "heart"
There are 2 words for ‘heart’ used in the Qur’an & both carries different meaning:
1. [Qalb] is the typical word for ‘heart’; it comes from the word [taqallub] which means to change because the heart is constantly changing / beating. Figuratively, our feelings & emotional states also change.
2. [Fu’ad] is not used in normal circumstances; it comes from [fa’ada] which means roasting meat on an open flame. So this word is used to describe a heart that is intensified and on fire – when a heart is overwhelmed by any extreme emotions.
Fu’ad: “Sorry, I didn’t really mean it.”
Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart [fu’ad], of each of those one will be questioned (by Allah). [Al-Israa’ 17:36]
On Judgment Day, we will be questioned about what we heard, what we saw, & our heart [fu’ad]. Why does Allah s.w.t. mention the excited heart in this Ayah? Here is one of its benefits:
Imagine you’ve had a really bad day at work. You’ve got yelled at by your boss, you’re tired & stressed out. On top of that, on your way back home, you got stuck in traffic. For a really long time. When you finally got home… guess who gets to be the recipient of your bad mood? Your spouse. Later on when you’ve calmed down, you say: “Sorry, I had a really bad day. I didn’t mean what I said. What happened just then wasn’t me. That wasn’t my [qalb]. That was just my [fu’ad].”
Sometimes when we get really angry, we say things we don’t mean. When we’re excited, we do things that we shouldn’t have done. Some of us have a very short temper and get agitated easily. Then to justify what we did, we say things like:
“I get like that sometimes.”
“That wasn’t really me, it was just the hormones.”
“It was a difficult time, you can’t hold it against me.”
“I get like that sometimes.”
“That wasn’t really me, it was just the hormones.”
“It was a difficult time, you can’t hold it against me.”
Does one think that they can give such an excuse on Judgment Day?
Allah says in this Ayah that He s.w.t. will interrogate about our hearing, seeing & our [fu’ad]. There will be no excuses. “I didn’t really mean it” STILL got recorded anyway & we will be asked about it. So one of the important lessons of this Ayah is that we don’t get to blame our excited emotional state in order to justify our bad behavior or mistakes. We don’t get to say, “I was really scared, that’s why I lied.” “I was really angry, that’s why I hit you.” Not good enough. Our [fu’ad] will still be interrogated.
This is the precision & perfection of Kalamullah. [Fu’ad] is mentioned so we don’t get away with anything. If only Qalb was mentioned, we could have gotten away with it.
The Heart of the Mother of Musa AS.
And the heart [fu’ad] of the mother of Musa became empty [from every thought, except the thought of Musa]. She was very near to disclose his (case, i.e. the child is her son), had We not strengthened her heart [qalb], so that she might remain as one of the believers. [Al-Qasas 28:10]
Both [qalb] & [fu’ad] are used in this Ayah. When the mother of Musa a.s. put her baby in the water, her heart was emptied as she could not see her baby anymore. The overwhelming emotions, fear, sadness and stress was so extreme that her heart was described as Fuad - intensified. Allah says she almost gave up her secret. It is not possible for a mother to see her baby in danger or in the hands of someone who could possibly harm the baby. The first impulsive reaction is that she would immediately rush towards her baby without even realising it.
Allah s.w.t. says Musa’s mother was so close in exposing her secret & the ONLY thing that stopped her & strengthened her heart was because of Allah’s intervention – notice that the word [qalb] is used at this point. Allah tied and strengthened her heart as she was not capable of such sabr on her own. It is Allah s.w.t. who calmed her [fu’ad] into [qalb] and the entire psychological transformation through Allah’s intervention is captured with just these 2 words.
All human beings will suffer emotionally traumatic experiences & sometimes we are convinced that we will never be able to recover from it. Sometimes, we are so hurt by certain people that we do not want to think about them again in our lives, or see them. We cannot forgive and forget. We feel that our hearts are scarred and it is impossible to let go of the scars and move on. But this Ayah teaches us that Allah s.w.t. can intervene & give us a peace of mind & heart; to let us heal so we can move on. Allah gave peace to the heart of Musa AS's mother after the traumatic experience, so Allah can do the same to us. Musa AS's mother was not a prophet, but Allah gave her qalb sukoon.
Our heart has love for Allah and love for the people around us. All positive and negative emotions live inside our heart. If we have negative feelings towards others, we cannot go to Allah with a Qalb e Saleem.
Fu’ad: The Good Kind!
Usually at the beginning of our endeavour to serve the Deen, we get really enthusiastic like doing a da’wah project or helping out those who are in need. But over time, as weeks or months or years pass by, we get totally burned out. In comparison to that, Rasulallah s.a.w. didn’t serve Islam part-time like we do. He s.a.w. was committed full-time yet his zeal, energy & enthusiasm to serve the Deen never burned out.
And those who disbelieve say: “Why is not the Qur’an revealed to him all at once?” Thus (it is sent down in parts), that We may strengthen your heart [fu’ad] thereby… [Al-Furqan 25:32]
Allah s.w.t. gave him s.a.w. a heart that always remains [fu’ad], through the Qur’an, to serve the Deen. So here’s the gem: If we want to have a passionate heart when it comes to matters or serving the Deen, we need to have a strong relationship with the Qur’an – it is our fuel to keep our hearts going.
6. The word مصر
Misran= countryside
Misra= Egypt
Musa AS helped Bani Israel escape Firaun. Allah gave them clouds that would follow and protect them. Allah gave them Mann o Salwa. They got tired of eating Mann o Salwa over and over again and went to Musa AS to tell him they missed the food of Egypt.
In Egypt, they faced:
1. humiliation of slavery
2.they were stuck/unable to progress
3. they had to face the rage/wrath/zulm of Firaun as he used to kill their babies
Musa AS was shocked that they asked for the food they used to ask in Egypt (the time of their prison). Musa AS said: go to Misran (it means countryside, but actually Musa AS was being sarcastic and using a word similar to Misr to allude to the fact they were asking for another Egypt again).
And [recall] when you said, "O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions." [Moses] said, "Would you exchange what is better for what is less? Go into [any] settlement and indeed, you will have what you have asked." And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with anger from Allah [upon them]. That was because they [repeatedly] disbelieved in the signs of Allah and killed the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and were [habitually] transgressing. (2:61)
When they went there, they were slapped with humiliation, being trapped, and they drew upon themselves rage (of Allah). They faced again what they had faced in Egypt.
7. Musa AS's address to the nations vs the address of Isa AS
Isa AS did not address the nation as his nation, while Musa AS did address them as his own. This is because one is only considered to be of a nation if his father is of that nation. Isa AS had no father and was born of virgin Maryam AS, so Allah protected that pure birth of Isa AS in the Quran.
06. TRANSITIONS IN THE QUR'AN
The interplay of word choice is found in Quranic concepts of “justice,” “peace,” and “purification.” Their source is in the Divine attributes and the contrast of meaning surfaces when they are subject to human limitations.
8. Two words for Justice
Allah says if A and B are fighting, C should make peace as a third party.
If C made peace, and then A fight again, then B and C should fight A because they violated the agreement.
If A stops fighting and wants to make peace again, then C should make peace between A and B with justice, and not be unfair.
And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allah. And if it returns, then make settlement between them in justice and act justly. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.(49:9)
Allah didn't use the word justice initially. In the beginning, C was just a peace negotiator and had no personal preferences. But, when A violated the agreement and you became involved in the fight, you would be angry and probably biased against A.. C is angry because the agreement was violated, and disrespect was shown towards it. He is also angry because he was involved in the fight. This is why Allah reminded C to do justice!
Allah says make settlement between them in justice, and act justly. Why did Allah say it twice?
1. ADL=justice. It is open/public/transparent. The court is called Adalat because its open.
2. Qist=lack of injustice. It could be public or private
The matter was initially involved privately as it was between Momineen/ Muslims, to avoid any public embarrassment. But, when A took advantage of it and broke the agreement, now the justice needs to be done publicly (ADL), to prevent future violations and also to make sure it is fair. ADL is more about justice on a communal level.
QIST has more to do with individual moral compass. Allah loves those who are MUQSIT (just, privately and publicly). We should be fair in all our dealings and relationships.
9. To filter out/ cleanse
Yumahissa= Allah may cleanse/purify those who believe.
This ayah is about the Battle of Uhud in which many Sahaba were martyred. Allah says he put muslims through this scenario so he could cleanse those who believe.
تمحيص Tamhees is used when we purify gold. Gold has to be melted into liquid to remove all the impurities. It is not the same as cleaning dishes or clothes, those tasks are much easier. By using Tamhees, Allah is saying believers have to be put through a flame in order to be cleansed fully.
Hypocrites got exposed through the difficult tests at Uhud. Allah called the hypocrites impurities through this imagery. Their impurity was deeply embedded within Muslims, and the only way to remove them was to use intense heat. So Allah called the Sahaba gold and the hypocrites filth.
10. Their brother Shuayb or Just Shuayb?
In Surah Shura, Allah mentions different prophets and says "their brother xyz said to them". For Shuayb AS, Allah did not use the word "their brother". Why? At other places in the Qur'an, Allah refers to him as their brother (To Madyan we sent their brother Shuayb).
Madyan is the name of the place and of the people. These people were also known as Ashaab ul aaiyka (People who worshiped the tree). By race and region, he was their brother. But, when Allah mentions them as Ashaab al aaiyka, Shuayb AS is not mentioned as a brother because he is not their brother in dee. There is no brotherhood and deen is above all family and societal ties.
11. Yathrib vs. Madinah
Before Prophet SAWW came, Madinah was known as Yathrib. Later it came to be known as Madinah tul Nabi, and shortened as Madinah. But, in Surah Ihzaab, both Madinah and Yathrib are used. Why?
The people of Yathrib had to give up their leadership when RasulAllah SAWW became the leader. So, when in the battle of Ihzaab, things were going against the hypocrite muslims, they said "O people of Yathrib! Let's go back to what it was before". This exposed their true allegiance.
12. Makkah vs Bakkah
Makkah is the actual name, and Bakkah is the nickname, and it means crowded. In the ayah where Hajj is mentioned, Allah uses the word Bakkah to refer to its meaning of "crowd", while Makkah is used at the remaining places.
13. No two hearts inside of any man
Allah did not put two hearts inside of any man i.e. two different opposite intentions (e.g. faith and kufr, certainty and doubt.) Why is "man" used and women are excluded. Women can become pregnant, and when they become pregnant, they have two hearts within them (literally) so Allah made His speech literally and figuratively perfect.
14. Tranquility INSIDE the heart vs. UPON the heart
Allah sometimes says in the Qur'an: He sent tranquility INSIDE the heart and sometimes UPON the heart. The arabic word for tranquility is sakeenah.
Two primary negative sentiments mentioned in the Qur'an are fear and grief/anger. Anger has always been described as something that rages in our heart, and does not go away easily. Allah mentions in Surah Fath when Muslims went with the intention of Hajj, but had to return without being able to perform it, that He sent tranquility INSIDE the heart.
Fear, is something, that is triggered by a stimulus and is usually short lived i.e. it goes away when the situation changes. Fear is usually felt on the skin. When our Messenger SAWW was in the cave with Abu Bakr RA, it was a situation of fear, so Allah sent tranquility UPON them. When Allah promised that they will enter the city of Makkah peacefully without fear, Allah mentioned tranquility upon them.
15. That book vs. This Qur'an
Allah sometimes says "That book" and sometimes He says "This Qur'an".
Kitaab is from kataba yaktubu i.e. to write. It refers to that which is documented/etched/written. The Qur'an was already written in the tablet lauh e mahfooz. The actual book is far so Allah says THAT book.
The word Qur'an is from qara yaqrau i.e. to recite. The recitation is taking place in dunya so THIS is more appropriate.
But, at one place in Quran, Allah says "haazal kitabu anzalnahu" This is a book that we sent down. Allah used haaza with kitaab but mentioned that it was sent down.
The Arabic word امراة means woman. When it occurs at Mudhaaf, it means wife. In Qur'an, Allah mentions the wife of Nuh, wife of Lut, wife of Abu Lahb, wife of Zakariyya, wife of Minister in Surah Yusuf, wife of Firaun etc so it is used both for good and bad wives.
Another word for wife in Qur'an is زوج. It literally means pair e.g. the night and day are pairs, the sun and moon are pairs, and man and woman are pairs. The purpose of pairing is to increase good in the society, protect from fitnah, and to continue progeny. Zauj is only used when both these functions are being fulfilled.
In the marriage of Nuh AS and Lut AS, goodness was missing. Abu Lahb and his wife both lacked goodness. Ibrahim AS's wife was called امراة before the child was born. Wife of Zakariyya AS did not have a child, but after the child was born, she was called zauj. Firauns marriage lacked goodness and children. Prophet's SAWW wives are together called Azwaaj as we don't separate them.
TRANSITIONS IN THE QUR'AN
Let's take an example. Imagine a teacher is addressing these 3 groups:
1. People who have an exam tomorrow
2. People who failed their exam
3. People who are Teacher's assistants
Suppose the teacher is scolding the students who failed their exam. Then, the teacher turns to the assistant and asks them to help the students prepare for future exams. Then, he turns to the people who still have to appear for the exam, and remind them about the exam.
So, this teacher is addressing all three groups simultaneously. All of them are listening, and each one of them is nervous for different reasons.
1.
Sometimes multiple parties are addressed simultaneously in one Ayah by Allah.
An example of Transition التفات:
2.
Allah begins the ayah with "They", mentioning the people enjoying the blessings of Jannah. Then, Allah shifts to the pronoun "you" instead of saying that 'they' will eat and drink.
Why? Allah forced us in this Ayah to imagine that WE are in Jannah. Allah wanted us to experience Jannah in our imagination, so we don't think it is a distant prospect for us.
Then, Allah says: Eat and drink because of the good deeds you used to do. This brings us back to the present, as we begin to ponder about our actions. This reminds us that we need to work on our Amaal right now, in the present.
Allah began the Ayah by saying 'they' have taken a son. Then, Allah shifted to 'you' and said that YOU have done a monstrous thing. Why?
Imagine, a teacher discovered that a student copied another student's exam. He enters class and angrily says: Some people think that people can get away with teaching, they think that I am blind to their behaviour and they can hide in the back. At this point, the cheater is only mildly nervous because he thinks hat he has not been discovered yet. Then, the teacher suddenly says: Zayd, Shuayb, come to my office. This is terrifying as they realise they have been discovered.
'They' show their ingratitude for the favours we have given them. Allah switches to "Go ahead and enjoy yourself. You will find out soon". This is done to give them a direct warning.
In modern English, it is considered incorrect to shift pronouns within a sentence. But, Allah has his own standards for the Qur'an and this language is truly unique.
5.
Imagine a camera shooting this scene:
Allah is the one who facilitates travel for us in the land and the ocean. This brings the image of a shore to our mind. Then, the people board the ships, and the ships begin to sail with pleasant winds. Allah paints a beautiful scene that brings happiness to the traveler.
Then, Allah describes a stormy wind and the waves hitting people from all sides. Allah shifts from "you" to "they" because now they are distant from the shore, and are in the middle of a storm in the sea. These people turn to Allah in their desperation as they are anticipating death. They become "Mukhlis" and make sincere dua to Allah. Allah focuses the camera on one of the people making dua: If you save us from this, we will be from the people who are grateful!
'From' shows that they already had examples of people around them who were grateful, but they had opted for a different path. Now, in their desperation, they promised to change and become from those people.
SENTENCE STRUCTURES
1. A change in Sentence component sequence to deliver a special message:
Allah is the ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light. And those who disbelieve - their allies are Taghut. They take them out of the light into darknesses. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein. (2:257)
Wali ولى is a friend who has the intent/desire to protect you. Wali does not have to be actively protecting you.
When he is engaged in the act of protecting, he would be called مولى
The relationship between Allah and believers, and that between Tagoot and disbelievers is that of a Wali.
In every relationship, there is usually a primary and secondary e.g. Teacher is primary and student is secondary, Parents are primary and children are secondary, Allah is primary and believers are secondary, Tagoot is primary and disbelievers are secondary.
In this ayah, Allah says that He is the Wali of those who believe, so Allah mentioned himself as primary first. In the mention of Tagoot, Allah said: their allies are Tagoot, so the secondary was mentioned first. Allah switched the order of the sentence on purpose. This was done to show the majesty of Allah and the low rank of Tagoot. Tagoot cannot be mentioned as a primary along with Allah.
That is because Allah is the protector of those who have believed and because the disbelievers have no protector.(47:11)
Allah says that the believers have Allah as a Wali and Maula at some places in the Qur'an and Hadith. Allah negates the existence of a "Maula" for the disbelievers. The disbelievers can have a Wali but they cannot have a Maula.
2. Manipulating the subject of the Verb
1.
I intended= The doer is known
It was intended= We cannot know the doer
Was evil intended for those on Earth OR did their Lord intend right for them? It is part of adab that evil was not attributed to Allah, but Rashada was attributed to Allah. All khayr is from Allah.
Say, [O Muhammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an. (72:1)
When the Qur'an was revealed, Allah denied access to the heavens for Jinns. When they heard the Qur'an for the first time from Muhammad SAWW, they immediately recognised that the Qur'an was the reason the skies were locked.
2.
In Madani Surahs, Allah says: Allah struck an example.
In the Makkan Surah Hajj, Allah says: An example has been struck.
What is the significance? The disbelievers were tired of listening to Allah's name, so instead of saying Allah's name, a passive sentence was used. People might not listen to the message because of their inherent bias, so the doer was excluded to remove that bias, and coerce people to think about the message.
3. Changes in Tense
1. 
Ibrahim AS said: I see a dream. The present tense is used because he saw it repeatedly
Yusuf AS said: I saw a dream. The past tense is used because it happened only once
2. 
Whoever killed a believer was used for an accidental murder. Since it was an accident so the past tense is used, as there is no intention of repetition of the act.
Whoever kills a believer on purpose is used for people who intentionally murder people. The present tense is used because the possibility exists that the person will repeat this act in the future.
3.
When the ayah is from our perspective, Allah says the believers will be paid.
When the ayah is from Allah's perspective, Allah says the believers were paid. This is because the limitations of time do not exist for Allah. Allah has certain and absolute knowledge of the past, present and future. There is no doubt about the recompense.
4. Powerful implications of Word Declinations
لا means "No". But no can have different connotations
e.g. La khaufun= They will not have fear for most of the time.
e.g. Laa shafaatun= Nobody can do shafaat, but there are exceptions like our Nabi Kareem SAWW
e.g. لا اكراه فى الدين = There is absolutely no coercion/force in deen
e.g. لا ريب فيه = There is absolutely no doubt in the revelation
e.g. لا اله الا الله = There is no God but Allah
5.Two prayers of Ibrahim AS
Make this a peaceful city = Take this barren land and make it a peaceful city. This dua was made when he first came to Makkah and there was no establishment there.
Make this city peaceful = This was said when he came back to the city years later. Civilization had already been established. So, he said make this city peaceful.
SEQUENCE IN QUR'ANIC DISCOURSE
All books go through an editing and proofreading process before they can be published. Written content must be thoroughly scrutinised before it can be officially printed. The Qur'an was not revealed in the form of a book, but it was a verbal revelation/spoken word that was later documented as a book. There was no opportunity to edit, refine or reform it, but miraculously it is absolutely perfect. This is beyond the capability of humans. The Qur'an does not need any new editions.
There are conscious and subconscious aspects of our speech. In our sub-conscience, we become used to expressing things a certain way, and it gradually becomes a habit e.g. saying boys and girls (instead of girls and boys), or days and nights (instead of nights and days). We become used to speaking in that specific pattern and don't change it. Allah, on the other hand, changes the sequence in Qur'an on multiple occasions, for various reasons. Often it is done to add emphasis and the meaning of "only"
1.Sequence bearing a Grammatical function
Allah uses an unusual order in this Ayah. Allah says we believe in Him and we ONLY rely on Him. This is because of the unusual sequence by saying "عليه" first, followed by "توكلنا" (taqdeem and takheer). We believe in multiple things e.g. angels, day of judgement, Allah, Prophets etc. so Allah does not add the meaning of "only" to امنّا. Allah adds it for توكلنا because we can only have tawakkul on Allah.
2. Contextualized Sequence
He knows what penetrates into the earth and what emerges from it and what descends from the heaven and what ascends therein. And He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.
Allah uses the word Ghafoor and Raheem at multiple places in the Qur'an. Usually Ghafoor is mentioned first, followed by Raheem.
This Ayah is the only exception where Raheem has been mentioned before Ghafoor. Why has the sequence been changed in this ayah?
Allah says He knows what goes into and comes out of the earth and the sky. This ayah can have both physical and spiritual meanings. In the physical sense, rain comes from the sky, and vegetation sprouts from the Earth. In the spiritual sense, our body is from the earth, and our Ruh is from the sky. When we die, our Ruh will ascend to the sky. Our deeds are carried to the skies every day.
1. When we go into the Earth we will need Allah's Rahmah, love and care. When we are resurrected from the ground, we need Allah's sift of Ghafoor and forgiveness.
What comes down from the sky is Rahmah e.g. rizq, blessings, rain etc. and what ascends up into the sky needs forgiveness e.g. our deeds ascend daily. This is why Ghafoor is mentioned after Raheem.
2. This is the only Ayah which is about humans and all of Allah's creation. All other ayahs that mention these 2 sifaat are only a reference to humans. Raheem is a sift which is not specific to humans but it is universal, so Allah mentions Raheem first in this Ayah. All other Ayaat have mention of Ghafoor first because it is specific to humans. We are the only creature of intellect who is capable of asking for forgiveness.
We believe in Allah, and upon Him we trust.
Allah changed the sequence of the second sentence, to add emphasis. The meaning become "We place our trust ONLY in Allah." We do not rely on anyone else. As for belief, we do believe in Allah but we do believe in other things too e.g. angels, Jinns etc.
3. Rational Sequence
In the rest of the Qur'an, Allah mentions seeing first and hearing later. In this ayah, Allah mentions seeing first and hearing later. This is an unusual sequence, which is only followed at 2 places in the Qur'an.
Why is the sequence different?
Here, Allah wanted to highlight that nobody could see where the Ashaab e Kahf were, but Allah knew where they were. Allah is ابصر: How magnificent His seeing! Then, Allah said اسمع: How magnificent His hearing, because Allah could even listen to the tiniest of conversations in the cave. Allah was the historian of this story, and He recorded even the most private conversations in the Qur'an. Historians are never able to record the details/conversations, and they only manage to document the important aspects of history.
All Prophets sent to people invited them to the truth, but they rejected them repeatedly. They demanded to "see" miracles and proofs of everything before they submit. In dunya, they were supposed to listen and obey سمعنا و اطعنا, but they didn't listen. In akhirah, they will be shown their recompense in front of their eyes. The Mujrimeen will say on Yaum Al Qiyamah: We see! (therefore) and are now ready to listen! But, it would be too late as the doors of tawbah are now closed.
4. Contextualized Sequence
The first Ayah: Do not kill your children BECAUSE of bankruptcy. It is WE who provide you and them.
The second Ayah; Do not kill your children out of FEAR OF bankruptcy. It is WE who provide THEM and you.
Why is the sequence different?
In the first ayah: Do not kill BECAUSE of bankruptcy. This implies that bankruptcy already exists. So, Allah says we will provide for YOU and them, because YOU are already hungry/bankrupt.
In the second ayah, there is only a fear of future bankruptcy, but the parents are not bankrupt at the moment. They fear that if they have a child, they will not be able to meet the additional expenses and make ends meet. Allah says, He will provide for THEM and also provide for YOU.
These ayaat are in different Surahs and were revealed at different times. It is remarkable that Allah changed the sequence and remembered the previous sequence. It is humanly impossible.
In Surah Baqarah, Allah says that the hearts were sealed first, followed by their hearing.
Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment. (2:7)
In Surah Jathiya, Allah says that the hearing was sealed first, followed by the hearts.
Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah ? Then will you not be reminded? (45:23)
Why is the sequence different?
Surah baqarah begins with mention of doubt, Imaan in unseen, taqwa, guidance etc, all of which rest within the heart. Then Allah mentions the disbelievers, and disbelief also rests in the heart. For the hypocrites, Allah says that there is a disease in their hearts. Hence, Allah says that Allah decided to seal his HEART, followed by hearing.
In Ayah 8 of Surah Jathiya, Allah says that he listens to the ayaat of Qur'an and arrogantly turns away:
This ayah is about leaving trade and entertainment at the time of Jumuah. Allah says whatever Allah has is better than entertainment and business. Why does Allah reverse the sequence?
In the context of revelation(Shaan e nuzool) of this ayah, people were distracted by a trade caravan because they wanted to earn through business. Some people also joined the trade fair out of curiosity, for the purpose of entertainment. So, Allah mentioned business first at the beginning of the ayah.
Towards the end, Allah mentioned entertainment first because entertainment is usually a bigger distraction than trade.
Every word in Ayah tul kursi is in present tense, except "His throne extended over heavens and the earth". Past tense emphasises that it is a matter of fact, and not a matter of potential. It adds the element of certainty. Also, present tense would limit the capacity, while past tense doesn't limit Allah's capacity. e.g. If a man says, this hall "hold" 3000 people, that would mean that it is a potential, and it would also limit the capacity to 3000 people. But, if one says, the hall "held" 3000 people, it would add the element of certainty, and would also keep the possibility of the capacity being beyond 3000.
"Birr" isn't ONLY that you turn your faces towards the east and west. The meaning of ONLY is added because Birra is nasb instead of rafa. Adding the meaning ONLY means that righteousness INCLUDES turning your face but it is much more beyond that. Without the meaning of only, the meaning would have changed to "it doesn't matter which direction you face for prayer". These ayaat are preceded by the ayaat about change of qibla, so that meaning would negate the importance of change of qibla. Allah structured the ayah in this way so that our hearts ask the question:"What else is Birr?" Allah designed the ayah to arouse curiosity in us.
"Sabireena" should have been "Sabiroona" as it is preceded by "Moofoona". Both should be rafa. Allah mentions a lot of things that are a part of "Birr" but Sabr is extremely important so it is in Nasb status. Sabr has the meaning of consistency, and not just patience. Consistency is an essential part of all our ibadaat. So, we can only achieve Birr if we are regular and consistent in everything.
Make this city peaceful = This was said when he came back to the city years later. Civilization had already been established. So, he said make this city peaceful.
07. SEQUENCING IN THE QUR'AN
The sequencing of rhetorical speech in the Quran proves why it is impossible to replicate from a linguistic perspective. Intricacies from Suratul-Mulk, Ayatul-Birr, and others are discussed.
SEQUENCE IN QUR'ANIC DISCOURSE
All books go through an editing and proofreading process before they can be published. Written content must be thoroughly scrutinised before it can be officially printed. The Qur'an was not revealed in the form of a book, but it was a verbal revelation/spoken word that was later documented as a book. There was no opportunity to edit, refine or reform it, but miraculously it is absolutely perfect. This is beyond the capability of humans. The Qur'an does not need any new editions.
There are conscious and subconscious aspects of our speech. In our sub-conscience, we become used to expressing things a certain way, and it gradually becomes a habit e.g. saying boys and girls (instead of girls and boys), or days and nights (instead of nights and days). We become used to speaking in that specific pattern and don't change it. Allah, on the other hand, changes the sequence in Qur'an on multiple occasions, for various reasons. Often it is done to add emphasis and the meaning of "only"
Allah uses an unusual order in this Ayah. Allah says we believe in Him and we ONLY rely on Him. This is because of the unusual sequence by saying "عليه" first, followed by "توكلنا" (taqdeem and takheer). We believe in multiple things e.g. angels, day of judgement, Allah, Prophets etc. so Allah does not add the meaning of "only" to امنّا. Allah adds it for توكلنا because we can only have tawakkul on Allah.2. Contextualized Sequence
He knows what penetrates into the earth and what emerges from it and what descends from the heaven and what ascends therein. And He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.
Allah uses the word Ghafoor and Raheem at multiple places in the Qur'an. Usually Ghafoor is mentioned first, followed by Raheem.
This Ayah is the only exception where Raheem has been mentioned before Ghafoor. Why has the sequence been changed in this ayah?
Allah says He knows what goes into and comes out of the earth and the sky. This ayah can have both physical and spiritual meanings. In the physical sense, rain comes from the sky, and vegetation sprouts from the Earth. In the spiritual sense, our body is from the earth, and our Ruh is from the sky. When we die, our Ruh will ascend to the sky. Our deeds are carried to the skies every day.
What comes down from the sky is Rahmah e.g. rizq, blessings, rain etc. and what ascends up into the sky needs forgiveness e.g. our deeds ascend daily. This is why Ghafoor is mentioned after Raheem.
2. This is the only Ayah which is about humans and all of Allah's creation. All other ayahs that mention these 2 sifaat are only a reference to humans. Raheem is a sift which is not specific to humans but it is universal, so Allah mentions Raheem first in this Ayah. All other Ayaat have mention of Ghafoor first because it is specific to humans. We are the only creature of intellect who is capable of asking for forgiveness.
We believe in Allah, and upon Him we trust.
Allah changed the sequence of the second sentence, to add emphasis. The meaning become "We place our trust ONLY in Allah." We do not rely on anyone else. As for belief, we do believe in Allah but we do believe in other things too e.g. angels, Jinns etc.
3. Rational Sequence
In the rest of the Qur'an, Allah mentions seeing first and hearing later. In this ayah, Allah mentions seeing first and hearing later. This is an unusual sequence, which is only followed at 2 places in the Qur'an.
Why is the sequence different?
Here, Allah wanted to highlight that nobody could see where the Ashaab e Kahf were, but Allah knew where they were. Allah is ابصر: How magnificent His seeing! Then, Allah said اسمع: How magnificent His hearing, because Allah could even listen to the tiniest of conversations in the cave. Allah was the historian of this story, and He recorded even the most private conversations in the Qur'an. Historians are never able to record the details/conversations, and they only manage to document the important aspects of history.
All Prophets sent to people invited them to the truth, but they rejected them repeatedly. They demanded to "see" miracles and proofs of everything before they submit. In dunya, they were supposed to listen and obey سمعنا و اطعنا, but they didn't listen. In akhirah, they will be shown their recompense in front of their eyes. The Mujrimeen will say on Yaum Al Qiyamah: We see! (therefore) and are now ready to listen! But, it would be too late as the doors of tawbah are now closed.
4. Contextualized Sequence
The second Ayah; Do not kill your children out of FEAR OF bankruptcy. It is WE who provide THEM and you.
Why is the sequence different?
In the first ayah: Do not kill BECAUSE of bankruptcy. This implies that bankruptcy already exists. So, Allah says we will provide for YOU and them, because YOU are already hungry/bankrupt.
In the second ayah, there is only a fear of future bankruptcy, but the parents are not bankrupt at the moment. They fear that if they have a child, they will not be able to meet the additional expenses and make ends meet. Allah says, He will provide for THEM and also provide for YOU.
These ayaat are in different Surahs and were revealed at different times. It is remarkable that Allah changed the sequence and remembered the previous sequence. It is humanly impossible.
In Surah Baqarah, Allah says that the hearts were sealed first, followed by their hearing.
Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment. (2:7)
In Surah Jathiya, Allah says that the hearing was sealed first, followed by the hearts.
Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah ? Then will you not be reminded? (45:23)
Why is the sequence different?
Surah baqarah begins with mention of doubt, Imaan in unseen, taqwa, guidance etc, all of which rest within the heart. Then Allah mentions the disbelievers, and disbelief also rests in the heart. For the hypocrites, Allah says that there is a disease in their hearts. Hence, Allah says that Allah decided to seal his HEART, followed by hearing.
In Ayah 8 of Surah Jathiya, Allah says that he listens to the ayaat of Qur'an and arrogantly turns away:
Who hears the verses of Allah recited to him, then persists arrogantly as if he had not heard them. So give him tidings of a painful punishment. (45:8)
This is why Allah seals their hearing first, followed by their hearts.
In the context of revelation(Shaan e nuzool) of this ayah, people were distracted by a trade caravan because they wanted to earn through business. Some people also joined the trade fair out of curiosity, for the purpose of entertainment. So, Allah mentioned business first at the beginning of the ayah.
Towards the end, Allah mentioned entertainment first because entertainment is usually a bigger distraction than trade.
LINGUISTIC GEM IN AYAH TUL KURSI:
Every word in Ayah tul kursi is in present tense, except "His throne extended over heavens and the earth". Past tense emphasises that it is a matter of fact, and not a matter of potential. It adds the element of certainty. Also, present tense would limit the capacity, while past tense doesn't limit Allah's capacity. e.g. If a man says, this hall "hold" 3000 people, that would mean that it is a potential, and it would also limit the capacity to 3000 people. But, if one says, the hall "held" 3000 people, it would add the element of certainty, and would also keep the possibility of the capacity being beyond 3000.
ALLEGED GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN THE QUR'AN
"Birr" isn't ONLY that you turn your faces towards the east and west. The meaning of ONLY is added because Birra is nasb instead of rafa. Adding the meaning ONLY means that righteousness INCLUDES turning your face but it is much more beyond that. Without the meaning of only, the meaning would have changed to "it doesn't matter which direction you face for prayer". These ayaat are preceded by the ayaat about change of qibla, so that meaning would negate the importance of change of qibla. Allah structured the ayah in this way so that our hearts ask the question:"What else is Birr?" Allah designed the ayah to arouse curiosity in us.
"Sabireena" should have been "Sabiroona" as it is preceded by "Moofoona". Both should be rafa. Allah mentions a lot of things that are a part of "Birr" but Sabr is extremely important so it is in Nasb status. Sabr has the meaning of consistency, and not just patience. Consistency is an essential part of all our ibadaat. So, we can only achieve Birr if we are regular and consistent in everything.
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