- ‘Do not mix truth with falsehood, or hide the truth when you know it.’ (8)
- ‘The [Muslim] believers, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians – all those who believe in God and the Last day and do good – will have their rewards with their Lord. No fear for them, nor will they grieve.’ (9)
- ‘So do you believe in some parts of the Scripture and not in others? The punishment for those of you who do this will be nothing but disgrace in this life, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be condemned to the harshest torment: God is not unaware of what you do.’ (11)
- ‘Whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has strayed far from the right path.’ (13)
- ‘They also say, ‘No one will enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian.’ This is their own wishful thinking. [Prophet,] say, ‘Produce your evidence, if you are telling the truth.’ In fact, any who direct themselves wholly to God and do good will have their reward.’ (13)
- ‘They say, ‘Become Jews or Christians, and you will be rightly guided.’ [Prophet,] say, ‘No, [ours is] the religion of Abraham, the upright, and who did not worship any God besides God.’ So [you believers,] say, ‘We believe in God and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and all the prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we devote ourselves to Him.’ ’ (15-16)
- ‘[Prophet,] say [to the Jews and Christians], ‘How can you argue with us about God when He is our Lord and your Lord?’ ’ (16)
- ‘Turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces to it.’ (17)
- ‘Those who say, when afflicted with a calamity, ‘We belong to God and to Him we shall return.’ These will be given blessings and money from their Lord.’ (18)
- ‘Anyone who does good of his own accord will be rewarded, for God rewards good deeds, and knows everything.’ (18)
- ‘Your God is the one God: there is no god except him, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy.’ (18)
- ‘If only the idolaters could see – as they will see when they face the torment – that all power belongs to God, and God punishes severely.’ (18)
- ‘He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, pig’s meat, and animals over which any name other than God’s has been invoked. But if anyone is forced to eat such things by hunger, rather than desire or excess, he commits no sin: God is most merciful and forgiving.’ (19)
- ‘You who believe, fair retribution is prescribed for you in cases of murder: the free man for the free man, the slave for the slave, the female for the female. But if the culprit is pardoned by his aggrieved brother, this shall be adhered to fairly, and the culprit shall pay what is due in a good way.’ (20)
- ‘When death approaches one of you who leaves wealth, it is prescribed that he should make a proper bequest to parents and close relatives.’ (20)
- ‘You who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God. Fast for a specific number of days, but if one of you is ill, or on a journey, on other days later… It was in the month of Ramadan that the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for mankind… so any one of you who is present that month should fast… You are permitted to lie with your wives during the night of the fast… eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black.’ (21)
- ‘The truly good person is the one who is mindful of God.’ (21)
- ‘Fight in God’s cause against those who fight you, but do not overstep the limits… If they do fight you, kill them – this is what such disbelievers deserve – but if they stop, then God is most forgiving and merciful. Fight them until there is no more persecution, and worship is devoted to God. If they cease hostilities, there can be no further hostility, except towards aggressors.’ (21)
- ‘Complete the pilgrimages, major and minor, for the sake of God. If you are prevented, then [send] whatever offering for sacrifice you can afford, and do not shave your heads until the offering has reached the place of sacrifice.’ (22)
- ‘They ask you [Prophet] what they should give. Say, ‘Whatever you give should be for parents, close relatives, orphans, the needy, and travelers.’ ’ (24)
- ‘They ask you [Prophet] about intoxicants and gambling: say, ‘There is great sin in both, and some benefit for people: the sin is greater than the benefit’… Say, ‘Menstruation is a painful condition, so keep away from women [sexually] during it.’ ’ (24)
- ‘Those who spend their wealth in God’s cause are like grains of corn that produce seven ears, each bearing a hundred grains.’ (30)
- ‘God is self-sufficient, forbearing.’ (30)
- ‘Do not cancel out your charitable deeds with reminders and hurtful words, like someone who spends his wealth only to be seen by people.’ (31)
- ‘Give charitably from the good things you have acquired and that We have produced for you from the earth. Do not give away the bad things that you yourself would not accept.’ (31)
- ‘Those who give, out of their own possessions, by night and by day, in private and in public, will have their reward with their Lord.’ (31)
- ‘Those who believe, do good deeds, keep up their prayer, and pay the prescribed alms will have their reward with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve.’ (32)
- ‘He sent down the Torah and the Gospel earlier as a guide for people and He has sent down then distinction [between right and wrong].’ (34)
- ‘Some of its verses are definite in meaning – these are the cornerstone of the scripture – and others are ambiguous. The perverse at heart eagerly pursuer the ambiguities in their attempt to make trouble and to pin down a specific meaning: only God knows the true meaning.’ (34)
- ‘God does not love evildoers.’ (38)
- ‘God said, Jesus, I will take you back and raise you up to Me: I will purify you of the disbelievers. To the Day of Resurrection I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieved.’ (38)
- ‘The repentance of those who, having believed, then increase in their disbelief, will not be accepted.’ (41)
- ‘None of you will attain true piety unless you give out of what you cherish.’ (41)
- ‘They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts: God knows exactly what they conceal.’ (47)
- ‘The present world is only an illusory pleasure.’ (48)
- ‘Beware of severing the ties of the womb-relationships.’ (50)
- ‘Men shall have a share in what their parents and closest relatives leave, and women shall have a share in what their parents and closest relatives leave.’ (51)
- ‘Let those who would fear for the future of their own helpless children, if they were to die, show the same concern [for orphans].’ (51)
- ‘Concerning your children, God commands you that a son should have the equivalent share of two daughters.’ (51)
- ‘If you wish to enjoy women through marriage, give them their bride-gift – this is obligatory – though if you should choose mutually, after fulfilling this obligation, to do otherwise, you will not be blamed.’ (53)
- ‘Do not covet what God has given to some of you more than others – men have the portion they have earned, and women the portion they have earned.’ (53)
- ‘Husbands should take good care of their wives… If you fear high-handedness from your wives, remind them, then ignore them when you go to bed, then hit them. If they obey you, you have no right to act against them.’ (54)
- ‘Be good to your parents, to relatives, to orphans, to the needy, to neighbors near and far, to travelers in need, and to your slaves.’ (54)
- ‘The believers fight for God’s cause, while those who reject faith fight for an unjust cause. Fight the allies of Satan.’ (57)
- ‘Anything good that happens to you is from God; anything bad is from yourself.’ (58)
- ‘Whose word can be truer than God’s?’ (58)
- ‘If they withdraw and do not fight you, and offer you peace, then God gives you no way against them. So if they neither withdraw, nor offer you peace, nor restrain themselves from fighting you, seize and kill them wherever you encounter them. We give you clear authority against such people. Never should a believer kill another believer, except by mistake. If anyone kills a believer by mistake he must free one Muslim slave and pay compensation to the victim’s relatives, unless they charitably forgo it; if the victim belonged to a people at war with you but is a believer, then the compensation is only to free a believing slave.’ (59)
- ‘Those believers who stay at home, apart from those with an incapacity, are not equal to those who commit themselves and their possessions to striving in God’s way.’ (60)
- ‘Anyone, male or female, who does good deeds and is a believer, will enter Paradise .’ (62)
- ‘Anyone who does not believe in God, His angels, His Scriptures, his messengers, and the Last Day has gone far, far astray.’ (63)
- ‘God will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together into Hell.’ (63)
- ‘People of the Book, do not go into excess in your religion, and do not say anything about God except the truth: the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was nothing more than a messenger of God, His word, directed to Mary, a spirit from Him… God is only one God.’ (66)
- ‘When you are about to pray, wash your faces and hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, wash your feet up to the ankles, and, if required, wash your whole body.’ (68)
- ‘People of the Book, Our [God’s] Messenger has come to make clear to you much of what you have kept hidden of the Scripture, not to overlook much [you have done]. A light has now come to you from God, and a Scripture making things clear, with which God guides to the ways of peace those who follow what pleases Him.’ (69)
- ‘Those who wage war against God and His Messenger and strive to spread corruption in the land should be punished by death, crucifixion, the amputation of an alternate hand and foot, or banishment from the land.’ (71)
- ‘Cut off the hands of thieves, whether they are man or woman, as punishment for what they have done.’ (71)
- ‘If God intends some people to be misguided, you will be powerless against God on their behalf. These are the ones whose hearts God does not intend to cleanse – a disgrace for them in this world, and then a heavy punishment in the thereafter.’ (71-72)
- ‘We sent you [Muhammad] the Scripture with the truth, confirming the scriptures that came before it, and with final authority over them.’ (72)
- ‘Why should we not believe in God and in the Truth that has come down to us?’
- ‘The atonement for breaking an oath is to feed ten poor people with food equivalent to what you would normally give you own families, or to clothe them, or to set free a slave – if a person cannot find the means, he should fast for three days.’ (76)
- ‘All the creatures that crawl on the earth and those that fly with their wings are communities like yourselves. We have missed nothing out of the Record – in the end they will be gathered to their Lord.’ (82)
- ‘Why will you not reflect?’ (83)
- ‘When those who believe in Our revelations come to you, say, ‘Peace be upon you.’ ’ (83)
- ‘Who is it that saves you from the dark depths of land and sea when you humbly and secretly call to Him, ‘If He rescues us from this, We shall truly be thankful.’?’ (84)
- ‘From the date palm come clusters of low-hanging dates, and there are gardens of vines, olives, and pomegranates alike yet different. Watch the fruits as they grow and ripen! In all this there are signs for those who would believe.’ (87)
- ‘Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord, there is no God but Him.’ (88)
- ‘We forbade for the Jews every animal with claws, and the fat of cattle and sheep, except what is on their backs and in their intestines, or that which sticks to their bones. This is how We penalized them for their disobedience.’ (91)
- ‘Whoever has done a good deed will have it ten times to their credit.’ (93)
- ‘Their only cry when Our punishment came to them was, ‘How wrong we were!’ ’ (94)
- ‘Children of Adam, dress well whenever you are at worship, and eat and drink but do not be extravagant: God does not like extravagant people.’ (96)
- ‘Even if a thick rope* were to pass through the eye of a needle they would not enter the Garden.’ ‘* Not ‘camel’. The roots of the words for ‘camel’ and ‘thick twisted rope’ are the same in Arabic and ‘rope’ makes more sense here (Razi).’ (97)
- ‘We sent Lot and he said to his people, ‘How can you practice this outrage? No one in the world has outdone you in this. You lust after men rather than women!’ ’ (100)
- ‘He said, ‘Produce this sign you have brought, if you are telling the truth.’ So Moses threw his staff and – lo and behold! – it was a snake, clear to all, and then he pulled out his hand and – lo and behold! – it was white for all to see.’ (101-102)
- ‘True believers are those whose hearts tremble with awe when God is mentioned, whose faith increases when His revelations are recited to them, who put their truth is their Lord, who keep up the prayer and give to others out of what We provide for them.’ (110)
- ‘Do you fear them? It is god you should feel if you are true believers. Fight them: God will punish them at your hands, He will disgrace them, He will help you to conquer them.’ (117)
- ‘Do you consider giving water to pilgrims and tending the Sacred Mosque to be equal to the deeds of those who believe in God ad the Last Day and who strive in God’s path? They are not equal in God’s eyes. God does not guide such benighted people. Those who believe, who migrated and strove hard in God’s way with their possessions and their persons, are in God’s eyes much higher in rank.’ (117-118)
- ‘Believers, do not take your fathers and brothers as allies if they prefer disbelief to faith.’ (118)
- ‘Fight those of the People of the Book who do not believe in God and the Last Day, who do not forbid what God and his Messenger have forbidden, who do not obey the rule of justice, until they pay the tax and agree to submit.’ (118)
- ‘The Jews said, ‘Ezra is the son of God,’ and the Christians said, ‘The Messiah is the son of God’… May God confound them! How far astray they have been led!’ (119)
- ‘Alms are meant only for the poor, the needy, those who administer them, those whose hearts need winning over, to free slaves and help those in debt, for God’s cause, and for travelers in need. This is ordained by God.’ (121)
- ‘ ‘If God gives us some of His bounty, we shall certainly give alms and be righteous,’ yet when He did give them some of His bounty they became mean and turned obstinately away… He made hypocrisy settle in their hearts.’ (123)
- ‘He is always ready to accept repentance… and then you will be returned to Him who knows what is seen and unseen, and he will tell you what you have been doing.’ (125)
- ‘In this mosque there are men who desire to grow in purity – God loves those who seek to purify themselves.’ (125)
- Out of each community, a group should go out to gain understanding of the religion, so that they can teach their people when they return.’ (127)
- ‘Your outrageous behavior only works against yourselves.’ (130)
- ‘God does not wrong people at all – it is they who wrong themselves.’ (132)
- ‘Those who denied the meeting with God will be the losers, for they did not follow the right guidance.’ (132)
- ‘Say to those who do not believe, ‘Do whatever you can: we too are doing what we can.’ (144)
- ‘We gave him judgment and knowledge: this is how We reward those who do good.’ (146)
- ‘This revelation is no fabrication: it is a confirmation of the truth of what was sent before it; an explanation of everything.’ (152)
- ‘All that are in heaven and earth prostrate to God alone, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows.’ (154)
- ‘An evil word is like a rotten tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, with no power to endure.’ (160)
- ‘Do not use your oaths to deceive each other.’ (172)
- ‘Do not go anywhere near adultery: it is an outrage, and an evil path… Do not strut arrogantly about the earth: you cannot break it open, nor match the mountains in height… do not set up another God beside God, or you will be thrown into Hell.’ (177)
- ‘So perform the regular prayers in the period from the time the sun is past its zenith till the darkness of the night, and [recite] the Qur’an at dawn – dawn recitation is always witnessed – and during the night wake up and pray, as an extra offering of your own, so that your Lord may raise you to a praised status. Say, ‘My Lord, make me go in truthfully, and come out truthfully, and grant me supporting authority from You.’ And say, ‘The truth has come, and falsehood has passed away: falsehood is bound to pass away.’ (180)
- ‘Do not be too loud in your prayer, or too quiet, but seek a middle way.’ (182)
- ‘The Lord of Mercy will give love to those who believe and do good deeds.’ (195)
- ‘Whoever follows My guidance, when it comes to you, will not go astray nor fall into misery, but whoever turns away from it will have a life of great hardship.’ (201)
- ‘We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them playfully. If we had wished for a pastime, we could have found it within Us – if We had wished for any such thing. No! We hurl the truth against falsehood, and truth obliterates it.’ (204)
- ‘On that Day, we shall roll up the skies as a writer rolls up scrolls. We shall reproduce creation just as We produced it the first time: this is Our binding promise.’ (208)
- ‘The earthquake of the Last Hour will be a mighty thing: on the Day you see it, every nursing mother will think no more of her baby, every pregnant female will miscarry, you will think people are drunk when they are not, so severe will be God’s torment.’ (209)
- ‘God is the Truth.’ (209)
- ‘It is not people’s eyes that are blind, but their hearts within their breasts.’ (212)
- ‘God will help those who retaliate against an aggressive act merely with its like.’ (213)
- ‘God is most compassionate and most merciful to mankind – it is He who gave you life, will cause you to die, then will give you life again – but man is ungrateful.’ (213)
- ‘You can see the hostility on the faces of the disbelievers when Our messages are recited clearly to them: it is almost as if they are going to attack those who recite Our messages to them. Say, ‘Shall I tell you what is far worse than what you feel now? The Fire.’ ’ (214)
- ‘You will die and then, on the day of Resurrection, you will be raised up again.’ (215)
- ‘He has brought them the truth and most of them hate it, but if the truth were in accordance with their desires, the heavens, the earth, and everyone in them would disintegrate.’ (217)
- ‘Who holds control of everything in His hand?’ (218)
- ‘Repel evil with good.’ (218)
- ‘Strike the adulteress and the adulterer one hundred times. Do not let compassion for them keep you from carrying out God’s law… and ensure that a group of believers witnesses the punishment.’ (220)
- ‘As for those who accuse their own wives of adultery, but have no other witnesses, let each one four times call God to witness that he is telling the truth, and, the fifth time, call God to reject him if he is lying; punishment shall be averted from his wife if she in turn four times calls God to witness that her husband is lying and, the fifth time, calls god to reject her if he is telling the truth.’ (220)
- ‘When you took it up with your tongues, and spoke with your mouths things you did not know, you thought it was trivial but to God it was very serious.’ (221)
- ‘God is the Truth that makes everything clear.’ (222)
- ‘Tell believing men to lower their glances and guard their private parts: that is purer for them… And tell believing women that they should lower their glances, guard their private parts, and not display their charms beyond what [is acceptable] to reveal;* they should not let their headscarves fall to cover their necklines and not reveal their charms except to their husbands [and other male relatives].’ ‘*Literally ‘beyond what [ordinarily] shows’. This phrase is ambiguous in Arabic. Recourse is commonly made to the hadith prophetic tradition), which uses the same verb dhahara in the sense of its being permissible for a woman to show only her face and her hands in front of strangers.’ (222)
- ‘Do not force your slave-girls into prostitution, when they themselves wish to remain honorable, in your quest for short-term gains of this world, although, if they are forced, God will be forgiving and merciful to them.’ (223)
- ‘The one to whom God gives no light has no light at all.’ (223)
- ‘He will grant them security to replace their fear.’ (224)
- ‘When your children reach puberty, they should ask your permission to enter [your room], like their elders do.’ (225)
- ‘Think of the man who has taken his own passion as a god: are you to be his guardian? Do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle – no, they are further from the path.’ (229)
- ‘The servants of the Lord of Mercy are those who walk humbly on the earth, and who, when the foolish address them, reply, ‘Peace.’ ’ (230)
- ‘Whenever they are brought a new revelation from the Lord of Mercy, they turn away.’ (232)
- ‘Truly, this Qur’an explains to the Children of Israel most of what they differ about, and it is guidance and grace for those who believe.’ (243)
- ‘Whatever things you have been given for the life of this world are merely gratification and vanity: that which is with God is better and more lasting – will you not use your reason?’ (249)
- ‘Do good to others as God has done good to you.’ (250)
- ‘Whoever comes before God with a good deed will receive a better reward; whoever comes with an evil deed will be punished only for what he has done.’ (251)
- ‘Do people think they will be left alone after say ‘We believe’ without being put to the test?’ (252)
- ‘Argue only in the best way with the People of the Book, except with those of them who act unjustly. Say, ‘We believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you; our God and your God are one.’ (255)
- ‘This is the right religion, though most people do not realize it.’ (259)
- ‘We have commanded people to be good to their parents: their mothers carried them, with strain upon strain, and it takes two years to wean them. Give thanks to Me and to your parents.’ (262)
- ‘Go at a moderate pace and lower your voice, for the ugliest of all voices is the braying of asses.’ (262)
- ‘Follow what your Lord reveals to you.’ (266)
- ‘Believers, do not enter the Prophet’s apartments for a meal unless you are given permission to do so; do not linger until [a meal] is ready. When you are invited, go in; then, when you have taken your meal, leave. Do not stay on and talk, for that would offend the Prophet, though he would shrink from asking you to leave. God does not shrink from the truth. When you ask his wives for something, do so from behind a screen: this is purer both for your hearts and for theirs. It is not right for you to offend God’s Messenger, just as you should never marry his wives after him: that would be grievous in God’s eyes.’ (270)
- ‘Whenever God is mentioned on His own, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion, but they rejoice when gods other than him are mentioned.’ (298)
- ‘Whenever We are gracious to man, he goes away haughtily, but, as soon as evil touches him, he turns to prolonged prayer.’ (310)
- ‘In matters of faith, He has laid down for you the same commandment that he gave Noah, which We have revealed to you [Muhammad] and which We have enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus: ‘uphold the faith and do not divide into factions within it.’ (312)
- ‘If God were to grant His plentiful provision to [all] His creatures, they would act insolently on earth, but He sends down in due measure whatever He will, for He is well aware of His servants and watchful over them: it is He who sends relief through rain after they have lost hope, and spreads His mercy far and wide.’ (313)
- ‘Far better and more lasting is what God will give to those who believe and trust in their Lord; who shun great sins and gross indecencies; who forgive when they are angry; respond to their Lord; keep up the prayer; conduct their affairs by mutual consultation; give to others out of what We have provided for them; and defend themselves when they are oppressed.’ (314)
- ‘If a person is patient and forgives, this is one of the greatest things.’ (314)
- ‘After the one death they will taste no more. God will guard them from the torment of Hell, a bounty from your Lord. That is the supreme triumph.’ (323)
- ‘Whoever does good benefits himself, and whoever does evil harms himself.’ (325)
- ‘When you meet the disbelievers in battle, strike them in the neck, and once they are defeated, bind any captives firmly – later you can release them by grace of by ransom – until the toils of war have ended. That [is the way]. God could have defeated them Himself if He had willed, but His purpose is to test some of you by means of others. He will not let the deeds of those who are killed for His cause come to nothing; He will guide them and put them into a good state; He will admit them in to the Garden He has already made known to them. You who believe! If you help God, He will help you and make you stand firm.’ (331)
- ‘Here is a picture of the Garden promised to the pious: rivers of water forever pure, rivers of milk forever fresh, rivers of wine, a delight for those who drink, rivers of honey – clarified and pure.’ (332)
- ‘How will they feel when the angels take them in death and beat their faces and their backs because they practiced things that incurred God’s wrath, and disdained to please Him? That makes their deeds go to waste.’ (333)
- ‘We shall test you to see which of you strive your hardest and are steadfast; We shall test the sincerity of your assertions.’ (333)
- ‘He does not ask you to give up [all] your possessions.’ (333)
- ‘Those who pledge loyalty to you [Prophet] are actually pledging loyalty to God Himself.’ (335)
- ‘God suffices as a witness: Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’ (336)
- ‘Believers, do not raise your voices above the Prophet’s, do not raise your voice when speaking to him as you do to one another, or your [good] deeds may be cancelled out without you knowing. If it those who lower their voices in the presence of God’s Messenger whose hearts God has proved to be aware – they will have forgiveness, and a great reward – but most of those who shout to you [Prophet] from outside your private rooms lack understanding. It would have been better for them if they had waited patiently for you to come out to them but God is all forgiving and merciful.’ (338)
- ‘No one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames for one another.’ (339)
- ‘Do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs.’ (339)
- ‘I created jinn [spirits] and man only to worship Me.
- ‘So is this sorcery? Do you still not see it? Burn in it – it makes no difference whether you bear it patiently or not – you are only being repaid for what you have done.’ (345)
- He is the First and the Last; the Outer and the Inner.’ (359)
- ‘When you come to speak privately with the Messenger, offer something in charity before your conversation; that is better for you and purer. If you do not have the means, God is most forgiving and merciful.’ (363)
- ‘Whatever gains God has turned over to His Messenger from the inhabitants of the villages belong to God, the Messenger, kinsfolk, orphans, the needy, the traveler in need – this is so they do not just circulate among those of you who are rich – so accept whatever the Messenger gives you, and abstain from whatever he forbids you. Be mindful of God: God is severe in punishment.’ (366)
- ‘He is the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy. He is God: there is no God other than Him, the Controller, the Holy One, Source of Peace, Granter of Security, Guardian over all, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Truly Great; God is far above anything they consider to be his partner. He is God: the Creator, the Originator, the Shaper. The best names belong to Him.’ (367)
- ‘Have faith in God and His Messenger and struggle for His cause with your possessions and your persons – that is better for you, if only you knew – and He will forgive your sins.’ (370-371)
- ‘After hardship, God will bring ease.’ (379)
- ‘By the pen! By all they write! Your Lord’s grace does not make you [Prophet] a madman!’ (384)
- ‘Night prayer makes a deeper impression and sharpens words.’ (395)
- [‘After his first encounter with the Angel of Revelation in the Cave of Hira
- ‘What will explain to you what the Day of Judgment is? The day when no soul will be able to do anything for another.’ (412)
- ‘[The nature of] man is that, when his Lord tries him through honor and blessings, he says, ‘My Lord has honored me,’ but when He tries him through the restriction of his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’ ’ (420)
- ‘Did we not give him eyes, a tongue, lips, and point out to him the two clear ways [of good and evil]? Yet he has not attempted the steep path… It is to free a slave, to feed at a time of hunger an orphaned relative or a poor person in distress, and to be one of those who believe and urge one another to steadfastness and compassion.’ (422)
- ‘ Relief
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
Did We not relieve your heart for you, and remove the burden that weighed so heavily on your back, and raise your reputation high? So truly where there is hardship there is also ease; truly where there is hardship there is also ease. The moment you are freed work on, and turn to your Lord for everything.’ (426)
- ‘Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful one who taught you by the pen, who taught man what he did not know.’ (428)
- ‘Those who were given the Scripture became divided only after they were sent clear evidence though all they are ordered to do is worship god alone, sincerely devoting their religion to Him as people of true faith, keep up the prayer, and pay for the prescribed alms, for that is the true religion.’ (430)
- ‘Striving for more distracts you until you go into your graves. No indeed! You will come to know. No indeed! In the end you will come to know. No indeed! If only you knew for certain. You will most definitely see Hellfire, you will see it with the eye of certainty. On that Day, you will be asked about your pleasures.’ (434)
- ‘ Purity
[This sura is unusual in having as its title a term not mentioned in the body of the sura. Ikhlas conveys the meaning of sincerity in one’s religion and total dedication to the One true God. Because of the importance of this theme in Islam, the Prophet said that this sura, despite its brevity, was equal to one-third of the Qur’an.]
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver or Mercy
Say, ‘He is God the One, God the eternal. He begat no one nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him.’ (444)
From the Introduction, by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem
- ‘The Qur’an is the supreme authority in Islam. It is the fundamental and paramount source of the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of the Islamic religion. It is the book that ‘differentiates’ between right and wrong, so that nowadays, when the Muslim world is dealing with such universal issues as globalization, the environment, combating terrorism and drugs, issues of medical ethics, and feminism, evidence to support various arguments is sought in the Qur’an. This supreme status stems from the belief that the Qur’an is the word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad via the archangel Gabriel, and intended for all times and places.
The Qur’an was the starting point for all Islamic sciences: Arabic grammar was developed to serve the Qur’an, the study of Arabic phonetics was pursued in order to determine the exact pronunciation of Qur’anic words, the science of Arabic rhetoric was developed in order to describe the features of the inimitable style of the Qur’an, the art of Arabic calligraphy was cultivated through writing down the Qur’an, the Qur’an is the basis of Islamic law and theology; indeed, as the celebrated fifteenth-century scholar and author Suyuti said, ‘Everything is based on the Qur’an.’ ’
- hafiz = a person who memorizes all of the Qur’an
- ‘Nowadays the Qur’an is recited a number of times daily on the radio and television in the Muslim world, and some Muslim countries devote a broadcasting channel for long hours daily exclusively to the recitation and study of the Qur’an. Muslims swear on the Qur’an for solemn oaths in the lawcourts and in everyday life.’
- The Ka’ba was built by Abraham, according to the Qur’an
- Muhammad: 570CE – 632CE
- ‘…his father Abdullah died before he was born and his mother Amina when he was 6 years old; that his grandfather Abdul Mattalib then looked after him until, two years later, he too died.’
- ‘Muhammad was in the habit of taking regular periods of retreat and reflection in the Cave of Hira Mecca
- ‘Muhammad’s own account survives of the extraordinary circumstances of the revelation, of being approached by an angel who commanded him: ‘Read in the name of your Lord.’ When he explained that he could not read,* the angel squeezed him strongly, repeating the request twice, and then recited to him the first two lines of the Qur’an. For the first experience of revelation Muhammad was alone in the cave, but after that the circumstances in which he received his revelations were witnessed by others and recorded. When he experienced the ‘state of revelation,’ those around him were able to observe his visible, audible, and sensory reactions. His face would become flushed and he would fall silent and appear as if his thoughts were far away, his body would become limp as if he were asleep, a humming sound could be heard about him, and sweat would appear on his face. This sate would last for a brief period and as it passed the Prophet would immediately recite new verses of the Qur’an…
* Until the first revelation came to him in the cave, Muhammad was not known to have composed any poem or given any speech.’
- ‘the word qur’an means ‘reading/reciting’ and came to refer to ‘the text which is read/recited.’ ’
- ‘Qur’anic revelation came to the Prophet gradually, piece by piece, over a period of twenty-three years. Material was placed in different sections, not in chronological order of revelation, but according to how they were to be read by the Prophet and believers.’
- ‘The verse, ‘Slay them wherever you find them’ (2:191)… taken out of context, has been interpreted to mean that Muslims may kill non-Muslims wherever they find them. In fact the only situations where the Qur’an allows Muslims to fight are in self-defense and to defend the oppressed who call for help (4:75), but even in the latter case this is restricted to those with whom the Muslims do not have treaty obligations (8:72). The pronoun ‘them’ here refers to the words ‘those who attack you’ at the beginning of the previous verse. This the Prophet and his followers are here being allowed to fight the Meccans who attack them. The Qur’an makes many general statements but it is abundantly clear from the grammar and the context of this statement that this is not one of them.’
- ‘Razi must be singled out as the most useful tool in understanding the Qur’an. He is an all-round linguist par excellence, noting and discussing linguistic questions missed by perhaps all the others, and opening up areas for discussion where others do not. He is always aware of the context and the position of the verse in the whole structure of the sura. His mind is mathematical, analytical, and he spells out the linguistic function of each verse or statement. He cites as many references and opinions as possible and normally evaluates them, using others verses of the Qur’an and references to Arabic poetry as well as other commentaries. All these qualities mark his thought patterns as the most ‘modern’ of all the commentators, his linguistic analysis illuminated by philosophy, logic, and reason.’
- On the difficulties of translation: ‘A literal translation of the Arabic phrase tajri min tahtiha is thought by some to be ‘under which rivers flow’. This may, however, suggest to the English reader that the rivers flow underground, which is not what is meant in Arabic; rather the image of a shady garden watered by many streams. The present translation gives ‘graced with flowing streams’. ‘Graced’ was intended to convey the generosity in God’s gift to the people of Paradise implicit in the Qur’anic text; the adjective ‘flowing’ is taken from the Arabic verb tajri used in connection with these rivers; while ‘streams’ was chosen above the more general ‘rivers’ as the impression is one of many small rivulets coursing throughout the garden, keeping it watered, beautiful, and fresh. In modern Arabic the terms has become restricted to rivers and this may in some cases have led to a misunderstanding of the term.’
Thank you for the amazing topic
ReplyDelete