لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ Laqad kāna lakum fī rashūlillāhi uswatun hasanah Surely in the Messenger of Allah there is an excellent example for you (Sūratul Ahzāb, no.33, Āyat 21) This verse tells believers that the Holy Prophet (s) is a role model for believers. His way of doing things, or his … Read more
يَاأَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّا Yā ayyatuhan-nafsul-mutmainnatu-rji‘ī ilā rabbiki rādiyatan mardiyyā O soul that at peace! Return to your Lord, pleased, pleasing! (Sūratul Fajr, No.89, Āyats 27 – 28) This verse is an address on the Day of Judgement to the soul that his completely at peace. It is a soul that … Read more
وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ Wa-yada‘u ‘anhum israhum wal-aghlālal-latī kānat ‘alayhim And releases them of their burdens and the shackles that were upon them (Suratul A‘rāf, No.7, Āyat 157) Freedom is the right of all human beings. The Almighty guided them to His obedience and gave them the freedom to make their own … Read more
أَوَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّهُمْ يُفْتَنُونَ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ مَّرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لَا يَتُوبُونَ وَلَا هُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ Awalā yarawna annahum yuftanūna fī kulli ‘āmin marratan aw marratayn thumma lā yatūbūna walā hum yadhdhakkarūn Do they not see that they are tried once or twice every year, yet they neither repent nor do they take admonition? (Sūratut … Read more
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْيَتَامَىٰ ۖ قُلْ إِصْلَاحٌ لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ Wayas’alūnaka ‘anil-yatāmā qul islāhun lahum khayr They ask you concerning orphans. Say: ‘It is better to set right their affairs’ (Sūratul Baqarah, No.2, Ayat 220) Many verses of the Quran mention the rights of those who have been usually oppressed and mistreated by society. Among the groups … Read more
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ۚ Al-yawma akmaltu lakum dīnakum wa-atmamtu ‘alaykum ni ‘matī wa-radhītu lakumul-Islāma dīna This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion. (Sūratul Mā’idah, No.5, Āyat 3) What day is this … Read more
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