QS al-Bayyinah: 98

The sura opens by condemning the polytheists of Arabia, as well as those amongst the People of the Book who had fallen into disbelief. However, they may be restored only by a "clear sign" from God who speaks holy and untainted words - the Prophet Muhammad SAW bringing the Qur'an, which lays down proper laws and morality. The fifth ayat explains that all God asks of mankind is - "To praise God by offering Him devotion being true, to pray the salat, and to give charity. And that is the Religion of Truth."... The mercy/rahmah of Allah SWT, subhaana-Allah! Those who cling to these simple truths will be offered the Gardens of Paradise, "underneath which rivers flow" as their prize; for God is pleased with them for being the best of possible creations. Those who turn away, however, shall meet the fires of Hell. Wallahu'alam bissawab.

Al-Kafirun, The Unbelievers

As I read this article, I was reminded of Brother Nouman Ali Khan's in-depth analysis of QS al-Kafirun. The video may be an hour long, but its worth your time :)

[Source courtesy of Brother aliassad1]

Subhan Allah, am also reminded of Ummi's constant reminder to not be like those who are kufur ni'mat. Indeed, Ibn Taymiyah outlined the traits of an 'Abd (Servant of Allah) - obedience, love, trust, sincerity, comply to terms of worship and slavery (contract of Ubudiyyah). Wallahua'lam bissawab. I'll end this post with some doa Ustaz Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail has taught me in class...

"Our Lord! Make of us Muslims bowing to Thy (Will) and of our progeny a people Muslim bowing to Thy (Will) and show us our places for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn unto us (in Mercy); for Thou art the Oft-Returning Most-Merciful." (QS al-Baqarah: 2: 128)

"Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of the fire!" (QS al-Baqarah: 2 : 201)

"Our Lord! pour out constancy on us and make our steps firm; Help us against those that reject faith." (QS al-Baqarah: 2: 250)

"Our Lord ! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us : Our Lord ! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, And grant us forgiveness, Have Mercy on us. You are our protector : Help us against the unbelievers." (QS al-Baqarah: 2: 286)

"Our Lord ! Let not our hearts swerve from the truth after You have guided us; and bestow upon us the gift of Thy Grace (Mercy): verily, You are the (true) giver of Gifts (bestowals)." (QS Aali ‘Imran: 3 : 8)

"Our Lord ! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a joy to our eyes, and cause us to be foremost amongst those who are conscious of Thee! (as ‘mut-taqqin’)." (QS al-Furqan: 25: 74)

Tafseer Al Quran - 19 May 2010

[Source courtesy of Muslim Research and Development Foundation, UK] 

AlhamdulilLah, Ustaz Rahmat Jumaat explained the significance of Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem. When the two names are recited in succession in the Quran, their usage clearly declares the ultimate Authority and Power of Allah, glory to Him, for example in Surah al-Baqarah: 163, Surah Fussilat: 2, Surah al-Hashr: 21.

 

Ar-Rahmaan describes the One endowed with Mercy that extends to all of the creations in this world and to the believers in the Hereafter, demonstrating the need for the Ummah to believe in Allah's ihsan while Ar-Raheem describes the One endowed with Mercy that extends to only the believers on the Day of Judgement - this being the understanding of the jumhur Ulama' (majority of the scholars i.e. Mujtahid).

In short, when one consistently recites isti'-aatha, basmalah (including Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem), one consciously declares full submission to Allah SWT, whose attributes are exclusively His as The Almighty! ... A truly a humbling experience when recited with full conviction.

I'm looking forward to the next lesson where Ustaz will go into the details of the 7 ayat of Surah al-Fateha. Meanwhile, read more about the Tafseer of Surah al-Fateha here and view the video above on the first of seven parts of Tafseer surah Al-Fateha.

Afternote: In conversations with peers at work or with friends, sometimes one will hear as to why the rich and wealthy are disbelievers. To me, I believe in the phrase "Amma yaf'al, amma yaf'alu" - truly Allah SWT Knows best. Our purpose on earth is temporal while the final destination is the Hereafter. Tauqid asma wa as-sifat requires one to believe and submit to all of Allah's traits without question. Thus, to be truly monotheistic, one must not only worship God alone in one's prayer (outward tawhid al-ibada) but one must have the correct knowledge (tawhid ar-rububiyya), the correct understanding (tawhid al-asma wa as-sifat), and the correct motivation (inner tawhid al-ibada). Wallahualam bissawab.

Tafseer Al Quran - 12 May 2010

Subhan Allah. Ustaz Rahmat started the lesson by highlighting that if one reflects on Surah al-Fateha and Surah An-Nas, it indeed come full circle - the importance of being consistent in one's tauhid to avoid shirk.

Ustaz continued from the previous lesson on "Basmalah", all the ulama agreed that it is part of the Quran. Read this for opinions if "Basmalah" is part of surah al-Fatihah. [Source: Tafseer ibn Kathir]

Nonetheless, in the case of solat, Ustaz Rahmat reinforced that it is wajib (obligatory) to recite the "Basmalah" in one's solat whether individually or in a jemaah (congregation) - jahar (loud and clear) or sir (for one's hearing only). Read this for the detailed explanation. [Source: Tafseer ibn Kathir]

Also, allow me to share the first part of a series of 5 lectures on Tafseer Bismillah:

[Source courtesy of SacredLearning.org]

From the perspective of Aqidah, a muslim is constantly in need of Allah's barakah (blessings) and when one does ibadah, with the sincere intent that it is for the love of Allah Azza wa Jalla, he will be rewarded (so constantly have the right intent in all that one does and begin with "Basmalah"). As part of adab, it is incomplete to say "Bismillah" (In the name of Allah). Instead, recite "Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim" (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful).

With the recital of the "Basmalah", one is to leave arrogance and cultivate humility, which is rightly so, as he is preparing to 'face' and submit to Allah SWT, his Creator. Ustaz pointed out that "Allah" is used because it is the exclusive name for Islam's rabb, in it entails the many beautiful and magnificent attributes of the Creator, subhan Allah.

I benefited tremendously from this article on "Bismillah & Its Blessings" and urge you to have a read. It may be 30-page long but its clarity in explanation will strengthen your conviction and create a mindfulness in your mind's eyes to always start your amal ibadah with "Basmalah", insya Allah.

Afternote: Indeed Islam is a simple and straightforward religion. Truly seeking Allah's barakah (blessings), forgiveness, safeguarding one from angels of Jahannam, etc, is so easy, if only we knew, subhan Allah! :)

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.

Tafseer Al Quran - 21 Apr 2010

Ustaz Rahmat continues Muqaddimah by cautioning the ummah that harfiah (translating the quran word for word) is haram in Islam as there are linguistic conditions to be adhered to by scholars of tafseer and hadith al-Quran. In essence, tafseer (translation) is different from Qiraat (literal reading) of the al-Quran so it does not mean that one who knows the arabic language can do tafseer. Truly there is Manhaj Tafseer (Methodology in Tafseer)  i.e. Usool al-Tafseer.

Usool al-Tafseer refers to the branches of knowledge necessary for providing an accurate interpretation of the Quranic texts, such as Arabic grammar and syntax, Arabic literature and Quranic sciences (Uloom al-Quran). Familiarity with modern fields of learning, like the pure sciences and social sciences is also necessary for a commentator in this era to make the Quraanic explanations relevant to human society...hmm suddenly I feel so insignificant for not knowing so much, subhan Allah!

Ustaz also covers the 4 faces of tafseer which I've posted in my blog under Fiqh al-Quran and Hadith on 20 Apr 2010 :)

Afternote: He reinforces that all 'ilm belong to Allah Azza wa Jalla (Haq mutlaq) [Surah al-Baqarah: 255 i.e. Ayat-ul-Kursî].

Tafseer Al Quran - 14 Apr 2010

Ustaz Rahmat Jumaat starts the class with recalling the previous lesson on how Islam spread to Persia, Rome,etc.

The Qur'an was revealed in seven ahruf, as is proved in many mutawaatir ahadith. This was because different tribes pronounced and spelled words differently. The forms matched the dialects of following seven tribes: Quraysh, Hudhayl, Thaqîf, Hawâzin, Kinânah, Tamîm and Yemen. The revelation of the Qur'an in seven different ahruuf made its recitation and memorization much easier for the various tribes.

1. To facilitate the memorization of the Qur'aan (as the arabs did not all speak arabic in the same way. The ahruuf eased the memorization and was significant in the preservation of the Qur'aan).

2. To prove the miraculous nature of the Qur'aan (for despite all the differences, the meaning of the Ahruuf did not contradict one another, but rather were complimentary).

3. To prove the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad , for despite the fact that he was illiterate, the revelation of the Qur'aan occured in different tribal dialects and different words, all of which consisted of the most fluent and eloquent speech of his time.

4. To honour the ummah of the Prophet Muhammad and show its superiority over all other nations.

Then Ustaz briefly discusses Rasm Uthmani, the technical form of writing to symbolise meaning and 7 Qiraat, the linguistic reading technique.

Read more about the preservation of the Quran here.

Surah al-'Asr

AlhamdulilLah, as Sheikh Abdul Halim and Ustaz Mohd Ghazali highlighted this surah in class, I also found a video of Brother Abu Hamza who lectures about the tafseer of Surah al-'Asr.

In my humble opinion, this Surah is essential to the well-being of the Ummah (and why this blog is named accordingly). Following up from Surah al-Fateha, this surah reinforces Tazkiyah (Purification of the soul), the need to have the belief in the power and wonder of Allah SWT, perform righteous works, encourage each other towards the Haq (Truth) and encourage one another to Sabr' (Patience). To do these, one needs to seek 'ilm. Truly, niat + amal = ibadah for the love Allah SWT.

Afternote: One can never tell when is his or her last breath. And if one can constantly introspect and ikhtiyar to improve on his or her own akhlaq and behaviour, he or she will naturally be a role model to others; Leave the judging rightfully to Allah SWT. Truly, this is the best way to approach da'wah.

Tafseer Al Quran - 7 Apr 2010

In today's class, Ustaz Rahmat Jumaat talks about adab in reciting the Quran. In my humble opinion, this book outlines the Etiquette with the Quran.

Ustaz also touched on the history of recording and compiling the Quran during the time of Sayidinna Abu Bakar RA and Sayidinna Umar RA. This was done with the intent to preserve the wahyu (revelation) of Allah SWT. Read the story of the Quran.

Afternote: I did not realised that there was 7 dialects of Arab i.e. The 7 Huruf, intended to make it easy for reverts to recite and reflect on the meaning of the ayat. The Quran however was preserved in lughra Quraisy. I have to admit, I'm beginning to enjoy Islamic history :)

Tafseer Al Quran - 31 Mar 2010

"Al-Quran is not to be stored nor displayed. It is to be read. To be learnt. To seek knowledge and pearls of wisdoms contained in it. For it is the final revelation to mankind. Thus, it contains all that is needed for mankind to conduct their life, so that they can achieve peace, harmony and prosperity in this world, regardless of their religion. Everything is mentioned in Al-Quran. Economy, social, politic, family, psychology, spiritual and much more. Nothing is amiss. What is amiss is people benefiting from its teachings. There is no end to knowledge that can be gathered from Al-Quran. For it is like a bottomless sea with no end. Every generation of ulama will find something new from Al-Quran. This is the miracle of Al-Quran."

[Source: MUIS Khutbah Jumaat]

AlhamdulilLah, today was just muqaddimah and I look forward to continue learning from Ustaz Rahmat Jumaat as he is reputed to deliver with great clarity when it comes to Tafseer al-Quran, subhan Allah.

He touched briefly on the siirah (history) of how the Quran was revealed in stages over a period of 23 years, beginning with the first wahyu (revelation):

"Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth, (1) Createth man from a clot. (2) Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, (3) Who teacheth by the pen, (4) Teacheth man that which he knew not." [Surah al-Alaq: 1-5]

And that the first complete wahyu (revelation) was Surah al-Fatiha. And the revelation are done via a few ways, namely via Angel Jibril (Gabriel), via dream, via inspiration from Allah SWT. Read more about the revelation here.

Afternote: As we will be perpetually late for the other class, may Sheikh Abdul Halim forgive us for our 'tardiness', insya Allah.

True 'Aqidah

"The most beautiful names belong to Allah, so call on Him thereby. Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah, for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction." [Surah al-Araf: 180 and Surah al-Rad: 28]

Many recite Surah al-Ikhlas during their daily prayer. Many acknowledge there is one Rabb (Tawheed Uluhiyyah) but only some truly worship Allah alone (Tawheed Rububiyah). To know the true meaning of this Surah, read this tafseer. 

In view of this, we are compelled to not only know the Asma ul-Husna (the 99 attributes of Allah SWT) but also to acknlowledge, at a deeper level, how these attributes will instil true Tawheed Rububiyah in us:

‘Abd (from the stem "`a - ba - da,") means to submit, to worship and to obey, creatively expressed in `ibadah (worship), `ubudiyyah (pure worship and trust - a specific type and a general type), and `ubudah (ultimate perfect worship and internal unlimited submission and denial of the share of the self). [Source: Ibn `Ajeebah, `Iqadh Al-Himam fi Sharh Al-Hikan. Cairo, 1985, p.8]

Download The Belief of the Ahlul Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, a must read containing important Ilm' (knowledge) for True Muslims.

References:
- The meaning of 'abd.
- Types of 'ubudiyyah.