WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.500 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:04.480 [Text audio check] 00:00:30.440 --> 00:00:32.200 *The Gentle Commentary* 00:00:32.579 --> 00:00:35.020 *on the Identification Cards* 00:00:35.460 --> 00:00:37.460 *for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an,* 00:00:38.920 --> 00:00:41.960 by Dr. Muhammad ibn Abdulaziz ibn Umar Nasif, 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:43.520 may Allah preserve him. 00:00:44.340 --> 00:00:45.740 Surah an-Najm. 00:00:46.119 --> 00:00:48.320 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, 00:00:48.619 --> 00:00:50.219 and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. 00:00:50.299 --> 00:00:52.799 We continue with *The Gentle Commentary on the Identification Cards*, 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:56.799 looking at Surah an-Najm, regarding which I have three reflective points. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:01.799 The first point concerns the chronological order of the Surah's revelation. 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:07.859 Normally, when discussing the order of revelation, I merely provide 00:01:07.859 --> 00:01:13.079 a brief indication following the layout of the notes, 00:01:13.079 --> 00:01:17.340 leaving detailed explanations and resolving problematic issues 00:01:17.340 --> 00:01:19.340 for the audio commentary, 00:01:19.340 --> 00:01:23.340 or for whenever Allah facilitates the writing of an expanded commentary and the like. 00:01:23.340 --> 00:01:30.340 In this specific place, however, an elaborate mention was made to resolve a potential problem, 00:01:30.340 --> 00:01:37.400 because it is reported that the first surah revealed containing a prostration was Surah an-Najm. 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:45.469 This presents—or might present—a problem, because the first surah revealed unconditionally was Surah al-'Alaq, and it also contains a prostration. 00:01:45.469 --> 00:01:53.629 In the book, the answer resolving this issue was included, but I think it should, by Allah's will, be removed in future editions, 00:01:53.629 --> 00:02:00.629 because it diverges from the methodology of the book and is inconsistent with the treatment of preceding and succeeding surahs. 00:02:00.629 --> 00:02:05.629 For there is hardly a surah—or rather, I should say, 00:02:05.629 --> 00:02:08.629 many surahs contain similar ambiguities, 00:02:08.629 --> 00:02:16.629 so harmonizing them and explaining alternative interpretations is not part of the primary scope of the book. 00:02:16.629 --> 00:02:23.719 As for the second point, it pertains to the overall theme of the Surah: reflecting upon its thematic flow, 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:28.849 it becomes clear that one of its most prominent themes is refuting the misconceptions of the disbelievers, 00:02:28.849 --> 00:02:34.039 culminating in the necessity of prostrating before the Lord of the worlds. 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:42.300 It is as if the final verse of the Surah summarizes its entirety and represents its ultimate objective. 00:02:42.300 --> 00:02:50.330 The objective of the Surah, then, is that you prostrate before the Lord of the worlds, worship Him, and affirm His Oneness, 00:02:50.330 --> 00:02:56.460 and all the preceding verses lead up to this monumental conclusion. 00:02:56.460 --> 00:03:01.810 Now, as you know, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited it and prostrated, 00:03:01.810 --> 00:03:07.159 and the disbelievers prostrated along with him out of the overwhelming awe of these verses. 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:11.159 Indeed, in *Sahih al-Bukhari*, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:20.159 "The Prophet (peace be upon him) prostrated upon reciting an-Najm, and the Muslims, the polytheists, the jinn, and mankind all prostrated along with him." 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:30.319 This reinforces my conviction that segmenting surahs and reading them in fragments diminishes one's ability to be deeply moved and benefit from them. 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:35.389 So when you read a surah, try to complete it in a single sitting, 00:03:35.389 --> 00:03:44.680 for its parts flow into one another until you reach its final verse, culminating in a beautiful conclusion. 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:50.000 As for the third and final point, it concerns the structural sections of the Surah. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.060 It is mentioned here that it has three sections. 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:56.060 Here, I would like to repeat a noteworthy observation 00:03:56.060 --> 00:04:03.699 that became apparent to me this year while reviewing the book and reading the Book of Allah: 00:04:03.699 --> 00:04:11.699 it occurred to me that much of what I had designated as a first section is better suited to be considered an introduction, due to its profound connection to everything that follows it, 00:04:11.699 --> 00:04:15.699 as though what follows is an outgrowth of it. 00:04:15.699 --> 00:04:22.699 This is especially so because subsequent sections often share similar openings, unlike the first section. 00:04:22.699 --> 00:04:26.699 Surah an-Najm is an example of this: it began with an oath, 00:04:26.699 --> 00:04:32.959 whereas we find that the second and third sections are structurally similar. 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:41.310 The opening of the second section is an interrogative stylistic device expressing sarcasm or denunciation. 00:04:41.310 --> 00:04:44.310 In the book, I noted it as a sarcastic interrogation; 00:04:44.310 --> 00:04:49.310 this is one interpretive angle of the verse, while the other is that it is a rhetorical denunciation. 00:04:49.310 --> 00:04:52.339 Both angles were mentioned by at-Tahir ibn 'Ashur in his Tafsir. 00:04:52.339 --> 00:04:57.689 Allah Almighty says: ◁ Have you considered al-Lat and al-'Uzza? ▷ 00:04:57.689 --> 00:05:05.850 Then the third section opens with: ◁ Have you seen him who turned away? ▷ and the similarity between both sections is evident. 00:05:05.850 --> 00:05:13.920 Thus, the first section is more akin to an introduction, while the second and third sections 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:23.009 work in tandem to arrive at the final conclusion: ◁ So prostrate to Allah and worship Him. ▷ 00:05:23.009 --> 00:05:28.269 I will suffice with this, and I ask Allah for success and guidance. 00:05:28.269 --> 00:05:31.269 May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and Companions. 00:05:31.269 --> 00:05:33.269 And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.