Tafseer Al Quran - 5 May 2010

AlhamdulilLah, after the Muqaddimah, Ustaz Rahmat started the lesson by highlighting that in the past, Al Quran came after iiman as the people of jahiliah slowly embraced Islam. Now, Al Quran came before iiman so Ustaz urged the Ummah to constantly ask for hidayah so that we can practice what Al Quran preaches, go about our ibadah for the love of Allah SWT.

Before reciting the pure verses of the Al Quran, the adab is to recite Ta'awwuz or Isti'aatha - A'uzu billahi minashaitanir rajim (I seek refuge in Allah from the outcast Satan). It is Mustahabb (loved) to recite the Isti’aatha before reciting the Qur’an: "And when you read the Qur’an make isti’aatha from the Satan." (coz Syaitan is ever present to distract the Ummah from constant ibadah to Allah SWT).

It is waajib (obligatory or compulsory) to say BasmalLah - BismilLahi Rahmani Rahim (In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent/Gracious, Most Merciful) - at the beginning of the Surah, except when reciting Sura at-Tawbah (also called Sura al-Bara’ah). As for Bismillah in the middle of the surah, it is up to the reciter to say it or not. [Source]

Afternote: It is maksum that the biggest enemy of the Ummah is Syaitan, since the time of Adam AS, Syaitan's refusal to obey Allah SWT to bow to Adam AS. Hence we need to recite Ta'awwuz then BasmalLah prior to reciting the Quran. Insan, as the name depicts, can be forgetful and easily swayed by the deceptive Syaitan but Allah SWT, with all the incomparable attributes, wants the Ummah to return to the Heavens hence the adab to recite these before reciting the Al Quran, subhan Allah.