Quran

Bismillah Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the Qur’an, كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَابِ “(This is) a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, so that they may ponder over its verses, and that men of understanding may remember.” Surah Saad: verse 29. (linguistic explanation of the word yaddabaroo is in the comments) It is the science of tafseer which is the fruit of ‘pondering over its verses’.

Bismillah Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in Suratul Anbiya: لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا حِينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلَا عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ Translation: If only those who disbelieved knew when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs; and they will not be helped. [Surah Suratul Anbiya, verse 39] The word for ward off is “yakuffoona”, “يَكُفُّونَ” and this is from the root word “ka-fa-fa” or “kaff” which means palm/hand.

Victory comes only by the decree and permission of Allah, and this is true whether the victory is a small personal victory (like meeting a personal goal), the victory of a nation (like winning a battle), or the victory of passing the tests of dunya (like overcoming temptation and lowering your gaze). The evidence that supports this rule is ample, and the quality of the evidence—subhaanAllah, the stories are amazing! One such story comes from Suratul-Fil (The Elephant), and even a moment of reflection upon the story resonates with a message about the Supreme Power of Allah.

In Suratul-Furqaan (Surah 25), ayah 63, Allah begins a description of what is translated as “the slaves of Ar-Rahmaan (Allah)…” …عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ In ayah 64, He describes these “slaves” by saying: َالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّداً وَقِيَاماً … This is translated as: those who spend the night before their Lord, prostrating (in sujood) and standing. Tafsir ibn Kathir explains this ayah, and compares it to ayahs 17-18 from Suratuth-Thaariyaat (Surah 51):

QMajd has alhamdulillah published their second (or third, depending on how you count) newsletter! This one is all about Route 114, the sciences of the Qur’an. Insha’Allah check it out–it covers everything from notes on the Ameer (and how Majd managed to be the largest student body–800+ students) to crosswords to articles from our very own Ilm Fruits! So check it out insha’Allah, there’s lots of ‘ilm to benefit from.

Ibn Mas’ood (رضي الله عنه‏) is one of the most well-known companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم). (Can someone suggest some good links that detail his biography?) Orientalists–who do not generally fabricate–claim that, prior to the Second Compilation, Ibn Mas’ood’s (رضي الله عنه‏) mushaf had two extra surahs that our mushafs today don’t have. If you investigate this claim, you find that, indeed, it’s authentically report that his mushaf had two extra chapters.

The Qur’an was first compiled during the lifetime of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه‏), the first khalifa, whose rule lasted from the death of the last messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) for two years. Why wasn’t it compiled during the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) himself? On-Going Revelation: Revelation was still coming down. If you wrote two verses next to each other, and Allah revealed one in the middle–or an extension to the end of a surah–what then?

Qira’aat. Recitations. Like other parts of Islam, Qira’aat have been codified–it’s a science, just like the science of hadith. And, just like ahadith, qira’aat have different types. What kind of types? Four types, actually: Saheeh: Authentic qira’aat. To be saheeh, a qira’ah must have an authentic chain of narration back to the Prophet (S), and it must conform with the Uthmanic mushaf. There are ten of these puppies–not seven, as is the common misconception.

Route 114: Qur’anic Sciences Route 114: Qur’anic Sciences is an AlMaghrib Institute course taught by Yasir Qadhi. The science of the Qur’an: one of the sciences that reaches out into and forms a foundation for almost every other Islamic science. Topics include: the definition of the Qur’an, the rewards of the Qur’an, the blessings of the Qur’an, the origin of the Qur’an, the recitation of the Qur’an (tajweed); the science of qira’at; ahruf; the science of tafseer; wahiy (revelation); Mecci and Madani verses; the arrangement of surahs and ayahs; abrogation; the miraculous nature of the Qur’an; translation; memorization.

So what exactly is the Qur’an? Scholars define the Qur’an as this: The Arabic speech of Allah that was revealed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) both in word and in meaning. It is collected between the two covers of the mushaaf, was narrated in mutawaatir chains, and is a challenge to humankind. We can learn five important things about the Qur’an from this definition. The Arabic speech of Allah: The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, in Arabic.