Divine Speech - The Miracle of the Qur'an - Nouman Ali Khan (Part 8-12)

08. THE QUR'AN IS IN PERFECT ORDER!

The study of the Quran, its analysis, extracting principles and conclusions from its Gems are surveyed. 

The Qur'an is like an ocean and each one of us is a diver. Whenever each one of us dives into the ocean, we come back with different treasures. Some people find pearls, some find corals, some find amazing creatures. Everyone finds different treasures. The Qur'an is full of astounding miracles. The historian thinks the Qur'an is beautiful because of history. The Faqeeh thinks it is beautiful because of the laws. The Linguist thinks it is beautiful because of its linguistics. The Scientist think its a miracle because of its scientific miracles. The Qari thinks it is a miracle because of its recitation. Everyone finds different layers and aspects of beauty in the Qur'an. The Qur'an is a miracle because of all of these reasons at the same time. We cannot limit the Qur'an's miracle to any one thing that we find miraculous. We can never fathom the true depths of the ocean of Qur'an. The Qur'an is full of beauty, and all of us appreciate different aspects of this beauty. Even our best of efforts are limited by our human potential, and the Qur'an is far beyond our potential. The Qur'an just asks us to think and reflect, and not to "know". We can never claim that our understanding of Qur'an is perfect.

Surah

Surah comes from the word Sawra=sharp eyesight" or "far reaching view of something".

Soor= outer fortress walls around the city (ancient city)

Tasawwara= to climb up

A city is composed of many different elements and landscapes e.g. streets, buildings, residential areas, commercial areas, recreation spots etc. When we climb the outer walls of the city, we see a beautiful scenery. All the different elements of a city come together and complement each other to form a complete interconnected network. Similarly, a Surah has many different themes but all of them are interconnected to form a beautiful unit. Every piece works together with all other pieces to complete the picture. Moreover, every city is unique so when you travel, you realise when you have entered a different city. There are some common elements between all cities, but some elements that distinguish the cities.

HOW IS THE QUR'AN ORGANISED?

The Qur’an is made up of 114 Surahs. Some are Makki(approximately 2/3rd) and some are Madani. Some people call Surah Chapters, but Surah and Chapters are distinctively different from one another. Here’s why:

1. Chapters have a chronological order; the earliest writing is placed at the beginning and continued on with the later piece. But is the earliest Surah placed in the beginning of the Qur’an then followed with later revelations? If the Qur’an is in a historic chronology order, it would have “Iqra bismi Rabbi kal-ladhi khalaqa.” in the beginning, and some of the ayat of Surah Al-Baqarah at the very end. One of the last ayaat revealed were those about Riba, and they are in Surah baqarah. So the Qur’an is not in a Chapter-order, nor by size, nor by subject. 
2. Chapters will not repeat the same concepts that have been mentioned previously. At most, if the previous concept is required to be mentioned again, a footnote will simply be placed: “Refer back to Chapter so-and-so”. The idea of Chapters is to build an argument in a chronological order. But the Qur’an repeats many principles and reminders again, and again, and again.
3. Thirdly, a book will not make sense if the sequence of the chapter is altered eg. Chapter 10 is placed as Chapter 1, and vice versa. So if a person studies Chapter 10 first, then goes to Chapter 1, he will get very confused. But is it possible for a person to only study Surah Al-Kauthar, yet still makes sense? Yes – again, because it’s not a Chapter.
4. Chapters also have a title, which summarizes everything about the content of the Chapter. The Qur’an doesn’t do that.

Therefore, from the linguistic perspective, it is incorrect to call a Surah as Chapter. It is unique in its own identity. The Qur’an has its own standard, thus we cannot compare the Qur’an to any other literature. 

The non muslims view the arrangement of the Qur'an as chaotic because they are unable to understand the order. According to most scholars, the order of the Surahs is divine. It is in the order Allah intended it to be. The One who put the whole Universe and every element in perfect order, is capable of organising the Qur'an in perfect order. This is part of the perfection of Allah's word. Historical evidence shows that the whole Qur'an was recited by RasulAllah SAWW in the presence of Zain Ibn Thabit, and he was in charge of compiling the Quran at the time of Hazrat Usman R.A, in the same order. Moreover, Allah says in the Qur'an:

Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian. (15:9)

But this is an honored Qur'an. [Inscribed] in a Preserved Slate. (85:21-22)

Qur'an refers to something that is recited, and Kitab refers to something that is written. Qur'an was already preserved in Lauh e Mahfooz(the guarded tablet) but it was revealed to us gradually over 23 years. Allah uses "that" to refer to Kitab, the written medium, and "this" to refer to Qur'an, the spoken medium. Whatever is engraved on a tablet is set in stone. By calling Qur'an as something guarded in Lauh e Mahfooz, Allah implies that it is in a preserved divine order.

Moreover, when we ponder over the Surahs of the Qur'an, we can appreciate the perfect organisation of the Qur'an. Take Surah Al Isra and Surah Al Kahf for example:

Surah Kahf and Surah Al Isra:

Surah Isra is 111 ayahs. 
Apart from the first ayah, the remaining 110 ayahs end with alif. 
It begins with the word Subhan and ends with "Kabbirhu takbeera". 
The abd/messenger traveled to get the message directly from Allah (Mairaj).
It begins with discussion of Jews. 
In the middle of both these Surahs, Allah talks about Adam AS and Iblees AS. Surah Isra was about Jews so Allah mentioned that Iblees showed kibr and refused to bow to Adam AS.
We can learn Allah through His names, creations and revelation. The second last ayah mentions Asma ul Husna. 

Surah kahf is 110 ayahs.
All ayahs end with an alif. 
It begins with Al Hamd and ends with "La yushrik". 
It begins with the message of Allah coming down on his abd. 
It begins with the mention of Christians. 
Surah Kahf was a reference to Christians who had incorrect knowledge, so Allah clarified that Iblees was a Jinn, not an angel. 
Surah Kahf second last ayah mentions creation and revelation. 

09. ORDER WITHIN A SURAH

A perfect order exists in the last ten surahs, in their inter-relationships, and is indicative of the Quran overall. Through the common thread shared in the legacy of Ibrahim, they serve as examples of this Divine unparalleled order.

SEQUENCE OF LAST 10 SURAHS IN QUR'AN:

Surah Feel is about Allah protecting from Ashaab e Feel (safeguarding the city).

Surah Quraysh is about Allah protecting Quraysh and giving them economic prosperity.

These two Surahs combined are a fulfilment of Ibrahim AS's dua about Makkah, while building the House of Allah:

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ
And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said: "O my Lord! Make this city (Makkah) one of peace and security, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. (Ibrahim:35)

So Allah asks people to pray to the Rabb of the House of Allah.

Surah Maun remind people that they are supposed to fulfil the legacy of Ibrahim AS i.e. worshiping Allah sincerely, generosity and care for people. Allah condemns the people who do not pray sincerely and refuse to give people even Maun (little things), so they are not following Ibrahim AS's legacy.

Surah Kawthar is a reference to RasulAllah SAWW because he is worthy of the legacy of Ibrahim AS. He is asked to pray and sacrifice for Allah (the legacy of Ibrahim AS). Allah said the enemy is Abtar. Abtar means cut off and has many meaning in Tafaseer but it can also mean: the enemy is cut off from RasulAllah SAWW although both were Quraysh.

Surah Kafiroon emphasises that RasulAllah SAWW has a different path from the Mushrikeen, so he says "You go your way, I go my way". This is an open declaration of conflict and war against the shirk of Quraysh.

Surah Fath reveals who the victor will be in this conflict. There were no indications that Islam will win at that point, as Muslims were few in number and fighting for survival. The Muslims didn't have any manifest signs to point towards their eventual victory.

Surah Lahb makes an example out of Abu Lahb, the worst enemy of Islam. This was a manifest sign as Abu Lahb was one of the most powerful people in Makkah. It was an indication of the eventual victory of Muslims.

Surah Ikhlaas is reminding us of the legacy of Ibrahim AS: Tawheed. Allah is reminding us of the true purpose of our struggle and rectifying our ikhlaas and niyyah. When you have been in a state of Jihad/war for a long time, you sometimes forget your real purpose and motivation, so a reminder is pertinent.

Now that you have established the Oneness of God, and achieved victory over non muslims, it is possible that you might lose your way. We need to protect our Imaan from attacks that come from outside and those that come from within. 

Surah Falaq protects us from attacks that come from outside.

Surah Naas protects us from attacks that come from inside. The shayateen whisper in our Sudoor(chests) and not our qalb(hearts). They don't have access to our hearts unless we open the door for them.

ORDER WITHIN A SURAH

A SURVEY OF SOME LITERARY FEATURES OF SURAH YOUSUF:


The answers to all problems at the beginning of Surah Yusuf, are given at the end of the Surah in reverse order. It is in perfect balance.







INTEGRAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BEGINNINGS & ENDINGS OF SURAHS





Surah Hijr:
Clarity is not the same as simplicity. The Qur'an mentions that it is clear مبين because it solves many complex problems, but that does not mean that the Qur'an is simple. Allah also says that Allah made the Qur'an easy for remembrance. Qur'an is easy for remembrance, recitation, memorisation, and gaining advice. Towards the end of the Surah, Allah mentions those who tore the Qur'an into pieces i.e. attack against the clarity of the Qur'an that you take ayaat out of context.

Perhaps the disbelievers will wish that they were muslims. When will that happen? Allah says we will interrogate all of them.

Let them eat and enjoy, do whatever they want, and let their false hopes delude them. Allah later says they will soon find out what they used to do.

The disbelievers used to call RasulAllah SAWW majnoon/crazy. Allah says towards the end, we are enough for you against all of them who ridicule you.

10. THE QUR'ANIC WAY OF THINKING

An analysis of oaths equips us with a deeper understanding of their purpose in the Quran. Commonly used as a literary device calling our attentions to something of importance, a selection of oaths is explored.

OATHS 

Usually oaths are taken to testify in court, or in a state of anger, or to emphasise your point, or when you are facing negation. In old Arabic, people used to swear to get the attention of people. Allah uses oaths in Qur'an for all of these various reasons.

1. Surah Asr


For every oath, there is an object and a subject. The object is the thing we swear by e.g. I swear by time, and the subject is whatever follows the oath e.g. Indeed mankind is loss. The actual purpose was the "subject" and the purpose of the "object" was to draw attention and prepare you for the subject. The object might also be used as an evidence for the subject. e.g. In Surah Asr, "time running out" is a proof that mankind is in loss.

2. Surah Inshiqaaq

Allah mentions the different stages/progression of the Sun, followed by the night, followed by the moon. Then Allah mentions that you will surely travel from one stage to the next. Our life is a progression from one stage to the next, from the time when we were in our mother's womb, to infancy, to childhood, to adolescence, to adulthood, to middle age, to old age, to death, to resurrection. There is no way out of this cycle. The sky should remind you that you will go from one stage to the next.
Another point of these oaths is that nothing is permanent in this life. We will be judged on our efforts and not based on our outcome.

3. Surah Aadiyaat


عاديات refers to female horses, less than 10, and female horses are usually lighter and faster.  Imagine  battle horses running at full speed, panting, and striking the ground so intensely that sparks are flying. They are attacking the enemy in the morning, although it is more dangerous in the morning compared to night. They are ready to sacrifice themselves and raising clouds of dust while running. They break through the rows of enemy forces.

Arabs were obsessed with horses, the way our youth is obsessed with cars, so Allah uses the imagery of horses to prove His point. What is our relation to horses? This horse is so loyal to his master that it sees the enemy spears but continues to run towards its death. The horse is willing to sacrifice himself for his master. Allah reminds us that we are ungrateful as we also have Allah as our master. The legacy of Quran is to relate to people when you teach them about deen. Qur'an is not a book of information, but it gives us a way of thinking.

4. Surah Mursalaat

Allah swears by winds. Mursal is used for that which has been released. It is also used for a horse, and horses are often held by the hair on their neck. Allah gives the image of winds that are like a wild horse who has been unleashed and not held by its lock.  Aasifaat means that the winds blow violently and do not care what comes in their way. So, the winds are being described as a source of destruction in these ayaat.  The winds scatter things and spread them far and wide (Nashr=spread/disperse). The winds carry and disperse clouds, which brings rain. Winds also carry pollen which becomes a source of vegetation. Faariqaat means to maintain precise divisions i.e. which part will be rained upon. So, the winds are a source of death and a source of life. These winds bring contact with reminders.

We are reminded that everything is created for a purpose, including winds. How is it possible then for us to not have a purpose? We are also reminded that Allah brings us rain and water, so that we are able to drink water, and enjoy the fruits and vegetation of earth. We are also reminded that we will also be resurrected on the day of resurrection, the way the water brings earth to life. If we take heed from these reminders, they become a blessing for us and if we ignore these signs, they might become a source of punishment of us.  Then, Allah says that we have been promised something that is bound to happen i.e. Allah's mercy or wrath.

11. EXAMPLES IN THE QUR'AN

QUR'ANIC EXAMPLES

Teachers regularly give examples so that we can understand abstract subject matter. A good example is that which is easy to follow, is relatable and leads you to the lesson/point. The purpose of example is to illustrate a point.

1.


This ayah is about people who did shirk and did not believe in after life. If one does not believe in an after life, one has the desire to do something through which their name would be remembered in this life. Humans have the desire of being immortal, and for our name to live on.

The Arabs wanted to live on through their legendary bravery and war skills. "He fell for the sky" was a phrase used for someone who died the death of a coward during war. Allah associated shirk with falling from the sky because this was a source of humiliation for them. Usually, warriors who died such a cowardly death were not even buried, and their bodies were eaten by vultures. Their remains were blown away and scattered by wind to unchartered locations. Allah wanted to paint a picture of humiliation in a way that was relatable for Arabs.

2.


In this ayah, the rocks are being compared to the quloob of people.  There are different kinds of people. Some rocks explode on their own, and some take a while to crack. Abu Bakr RA was like a rock that was already gushing with faith (water) so the rock opened and water gushed forth. Umar RA had potential Imaan within him but he was like the rock that cracked after a while, as he took a while to accept Islam. Some people's hearts are only opened up when they are rattled and extremely shaken by something. No water gushed forth because they did not have the power of Imaan yet. The first kind of heart is the heart of someone who has Ihsan, the second is the heart of someone who has Imaan, the third is the heart of someone who has Islam.

3.

Allah sent water from the skies. Then the valleys started becoming flooded. Then, the flood water started carrying the foam(impurities at the surface of the water). There is a transition in the ayah to burning ore in fire, to purify it and utilise it for ornaments and utensils. The foam that is separated through burning refers to the impurities. When Allah strikes the truth against falsehood, the scum/foam will disappear.

The revelation came to Makkah and flooded every house. Some people internalised this message so life comes out of the soil. Some elements of the soil were lifeless and composed of filth so they had no good in them. The filth refers to the disbelievers of Makkah.
In Madinah, the hypocrites were deeply embedded, like the impurities in an ore. They needed to be put under intense temperatures i.e. battles so that the truthful sincere believers could be distinguished from hypocrites.
The first kind of foam came as a result of flood. The second kind of foam came as a result of fire. It was easy to separate believers from Mushrikeen but harder to separate them from the hypocrites. Then, Allah talks about the disappearance of the first kind of foam i.e. disbelievers, but Allah does not mention disappearance of hypocrites. The disbelievers were defeated, but hypocrites continued to remain within Muslims.

12. DIALOGUE IN THE QUR'AN

We end with the literary device of dialogue in Quranic rhetoric in the story of Musa (AS) and Fir’awn. Direct dialogue proves the Quran to be a living text and highlights the overall goal of Divine Speech.

No doubt about it, your master is the ultimate authority and He is always loving and caring. (Authority upon Firawn and love for Musa AS)
When your Master made a call to Musa: Go to the wrongdoing nation. (Which wrongdoing nation?) The nation of Firaun. Don't they have any Taqwa! (Musa AS was wanted by the people of Egypt, and Allah is asking him to go back and face everyone and address the nation).
Musa AS said: I am really afraid that they will call me a liar. My chest becomes tight. (It means that Musa AS might become angry when he is called a liar, because of frustration). My tongue stops moving (when we are overwhelmed by frustration, we are unable to speak clearly. Moreover Musa AS had stutter and it would be triggered by these emotions). Musa AS asked to be aided with Haroon AS. They have a crime registered against me (i.e. murder). Therefore I am afraid that they will kill me. (If it was us, our first concern would have been getting killed. His first concern was not being able to fulfil the mission because the mission was more important than his life. He first mentioned that they might call him a liar and not believe, and he might not be able to speak. Then, he mentioned that he might be killed so he needed help of Haroon AS as backup)

Allah said: No problem (I've got your back). Both of you go (i.e. Musa AS and Haroon AS). Go with our miracles (Allah gave him miracles although he did not ask for many). No doubt, we are with you and we will be listening carefully to all of you (i.e. everyone present at the scene. Allah wants Musa AS to feel that He is close to Musa AS and with him. It also teaches us that we should listen carefully as well as this dialogue is very important). Both of you go to Firaun, and say: we are the messenger of the Lord of the worlds (Messenger implies that both of them are a unit and are inseparable). And say: Let Bani Israel go!

(The next ayah suddenly shifts to Firaun, fast forwarded. Musa AS does not address Firaun in an apologetic manner. This was like a slap on the face of Firaun because he was the king.) He responds: Did we not raise you as a child, and did you not live among us? Did you not do a deed (i.e. committed murder) and you're being a kafir i.e. denying it. (Firaun instead of responding to Musa AS, is trying to make him feel guilty: You want me to tell everyone what you did? Have you forgotten my favours? He wants Musa AS to be grateful to Firaun for not killing him yet.)

Musa AS responded and said: I did that (I am not denying it. He responds to the allegation of murder). I was lost at that time. As a result of what I did, I ran away from all of you when I used to be afraid of all of you. (I am not afraid anymore). My Master gave me firmness and wisdom and appointed me as a messengers. (He responded to Firaun's tangent & change of subject to bring Firaun back to the topic of Allah). Then Musa AS said: you did a favour upon me (by raising me). Are you trying to justify enslaving Bani Israel by giving me that favour? (He brought Firaun back to his second point again. Now Firaun has no option but to engage in responding to these points).

Firaun responds by saying: What Lord of the worlds? (He mockingly used "what" to imply that this god doesn't even exist. Musa AS is not deterred and responds as if the questions were serious). He is the Master of the skies and the earth and whatever is in between, if all of you are looking to be convinced. (Musa AS is defying the king and addressing the remaining audience, which is itself an insult to Firaun. Firaun realises that Musa AS has mentioned a God other than him a few times. He addresses the remaining people because they should have been offended by this statement, as Firaun was officially their god. Nobody defended Firaun against Musa AS. Firaun is very upset with his people now).

Are you people not listening to what he is saying? (Musa AS continues his dawah, ignoring Firaun). He is the Master of all of you, and all your ancestors. (The people of egypt considered the Sun and Moon as Gods and their ancestors as gods too, so this was a denial of their beliefs. Firaun is frustrated and loses his temper.) This messenger of yours, the one who has been sent to all of you, he is Majnoon/crazy. (It appears that the people were already paying heed to his message. Firaun initially attacked Musa AS's character and morality, and now he attacked his sanity. Musa AS was not deterred.) Musa AS continues: He is the master of the east and the west, if you understand. (The east and the west is where the sun rises and sets, and the Egyptians believed that Egypt set between the East and the west. So Musa AS negated Firaun's kingdom)

Firaun says: If you take any other god besides me, I will make sure you are in prison, among others. (He wanted to instill fears into the hearts of all those who were listening to Musa AS.  He responded with the threat of force because he had no verbal response to Musa AS's argument. It is a proof that he had already lost the debate. Musa AS realised that Firaun was not going to listen to anything anymore, so he decided to respond in a different manner.) Musa AS: Even if I brought you something very clear? Firaun said: Show me if you're telling the truth. (Firaun had no choice but to accept the challenge, to salvage his ego.) Musa AS threw his staff and it turned into a massive python suddenly. (Thu'baan= python large enough to swallow a goat. Hayya= describes a snake with its fangs sticking out ready to bite and moving around quickly. Jaan= A snake so terrifying that one things it is a jinn. So, people panic at the sight of such a snake.) Then Musa AS took his hand out and it was white.

(Now all the attention is on Musa AS and none of the attention is on Firaun. Firaun is worried that his generals might become impressed with Musa AS and plan a coup against him.) Firaun now spoke exclusively to the chiefs: This no doubt is a knowledgable sorcerer. He wants to get all of you kicked out from your land by doing magic. What is your advice? (Firaun tried to make everyone develop the fear that Musa AS is a threat to their national security. Firaun asked them for their opinion to make them feel special and to keep their loyalty. Firaun did  not regularly seek their advice, but here he sought their advice as a sign of his weakness.) They suggest to let Musa and Haroon AS go for now. We will bring the best magicians to respond.

(In the meantime, Musa AS is preaching to the nation of Firaun. Firaun is planning to regain his reputation and overcome his humiliation) . The magicians were gathered for the meeting on a known day. (Firaun sent soldiers door to door, so that everyone would be gathered to witness the defeat of Musa AS.) It was said to the people: Are you gathering? (threateningly). Firaun's campaign was based on promoting magicians as heroes, so people started looking up to magicians. Firaun feared for his own leadership. )

The magicians asked Firaun, will we get paid if we win? Firaun needed them so he said: Yes. and not only will I give you money but I will also give you positions close to me (He offered them political power). The magicians threw their rods and said: By the authority/ glory of Firaun, we are the ones who will win. Then Musa AS threw his staff and it turned into a snake and swallowed everything they had made up. Then, all the sorcerers fell down into prostration. (There are some rocks, when something amazing happens, they crack and water comes out. They had imaan inside but as soon as they saw something beyond magic, they accepted Islam). They say: we believe in the master of all nations and all people. They clarify by saying Rabb of Haroon and Musa AS. Firaun says: You believe in him before I gave you permission? He is your big chief, the one who taught you magic. You people will find out soon enough, first I will cut your arm and legs from opposite sides, then I will hang and crucify you all together (He wanted to set an example for the public). The magicians say: No problem. We are going to return to our master anyway.

Divine Speech - The Miracle of the Qur'an - Nouman Ali Khan (Part 4-7)

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)

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. 

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.

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.”

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.

16. زوج vs. امراة

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:

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. 

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.

3.

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.

4.

'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

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

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

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

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.

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"

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:

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.

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.

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.