ذَٰلِكَ وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ Dhālika waman yu ‘azzim sha‘āirallh fa-innahā min taqwal-qulūb Thus it is. And whoever venerates the sacraments of Allah that is from the piety of the hearts (Sūratul Hajj, No.22, Āyat 32) In this verse the word sha‘āir (plural of sha‘īrah) refers to those signs or marks … Read more
وَالْفَجْرِ وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ Wal-fajri walayālin ‘ashr I swear by the daybreak and the ten nights (Sūratul Fajr, No.89, Āyat 1-2) Like many Quranic verses, the above two verses begin with an oath. The purpose of an oath in the Quran is to confirm and place emphasis on the statement. The oath honors and elevates that … Read more
فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ Falā tuzlimū fīhinna anfusakum So do not wrong yourselves during them (Sūratut Tawbah, No.9, Āyat 36) In this verse Almighty Allah talks about the four scared months which are Dhul qa‘dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. In these months fighting is prohibited except when it is necessary to defend yourself. After … Read more
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنْسَاهُمْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ Walā takūnū kalladhīna nasul-lāh fa-ansāhum anfusahum And be not like those who forgot Allah so He made them forget themselves (Sūratul Hashr, No.59, Āyat 19) The consequence for those who forget Allah according to this verse is that they will forget themselves. Two questions that arise are: 1) … Read more
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا Wa-kadhālika ja ‘alnākum ummatan wastā Thus We have made you a middle nation (Sūratul Baqarah, No.2, Āyat 143) After talking about the change in the direction of the Qibla for the Muslims from Masjidul Aqsā to Masjidul Harām Almighty Allah says that the Muslims are a nation that is in the … Read more
وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ Wamā anā minal-mutakallifīn And I am not from those who impose (Sūra Sad, No.38, Āyat 86) In this verse the Holy prophet (s) tells people that he is not an imposter or pretender who has imposed his own views on the people. Rather he has received revelation and has conveyed the … Read more
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ Wa-‘lamū annallāha yahūlu baynal-mar’i waqalbih And know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart (Sūratul Anfāl, No.8, Āyat 24) In this verse Almighty Allah asks the human being to understand an important fact; He has the power to come between the human being and his heart. To … Read more
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنْفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ Wayas’alūnaka mādhā yunfiqūn, qulil-‘afw And they ask you what they should spend. Say, ‘al-afw’ (Sūratul Baqarah, No.2, Āyat 219) Once a group of people came to the Holy Prophet (s) and asked what they should give others. They knew that God wanted them to give from what they had. But … Read more
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? (Sūratus Saff, No.61, Āyat 2) One of the qualities of a true believer is harmony between speech and action. When speech is sincere it is implemented and carried out. Speech conveys what … Read more
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُمْ بُنْيَانٌ مَرْصُوصٌ Innallāha yuhibbul-ladhīna yuqātilūna fī sabīlihi saffan ka-annahum bunyānun marsūs Surely Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks as if they were a firm and compact structure (Sūratus Saff, No.61, Āyat 4) Two qualities of those who strive in the way of … Read more