WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.759 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:30.300 --> 00:00:32.299 The concise commentary 00:00:32.299 --> 00:00:35.299 on the book *Profile Cards 00:00:35.299 --> 00:00:38.299 of the Surahs of the Noble Mus-haf* 00:00:38.299 --> 00:00:42.299 by Dr. Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Aziz Ibn Umar Nassif, 00:00:42.299 --> 00:00:44.329 may Allah preserve him. 00:00:44.329 --> 00:00:46.329 Surah ar-Rahman. 00:00:46.329 --> 00:00:47.329 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:47.329 --> 00:00:48.329 All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation, 00:00:48.329 --> 00:00:49.329 and may peace and blessings 00:00:49.329 --> 00:00:51.329 be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, 00:00:51.329 --> 00:00:54.329 and upon all his family and Companions. 00:00:54.329 --> 00:00:56.329 We continue with our concise commentary 00:00:56.329 --> 00:00:58.329 on the profile cards, focusing today on Surah ar-Rahman. 00:00:58.329 --> 00:01:00.329 I have three points of reflection regarding it. 00:01:00.329 --> 00:01:02.329 The first reflection 00:01:02.329 --> 00:01:05.329 concerns what is mentioned in the book regarding the name of the Surah, 00:01:05.329 --> 00:01:07.329 and that among its names is 00:01:07.329 --> 00:01:09.329 "the Bride of the Qur'an." 00:01:09.329 --> 00:01:11.329 He stated that this is based on the report of the hadith: "Everything has 00:01:11.329 --> 00:01:14.329 a bride, and the bride of the Qur'an is ar-Rahman." 00:01:14.329 --> 00:01:17.329 It was noted in the footnote that this hadith is denounced (*munkar*), 00:01:17.329 --> 00:01:19.329 cited, of course, from *as-Silsilah ad-Da'ifah*. 00:01:19.329 --> 00:01:22.329 Here, someone might ask: "Why then do you mention this hadith?" 00:01:22.329 --> 00:01:25.329 The truth is that this hadith was mentioned incidentally, not as an original proof. 00:01:25.329 --> 00:01:27.329 It was not cited as primary evidence, 00:01:27.329 --> 00:01:30.329 but rather to clarify why 00:01:30.329 --> 00:01:32.329 some scholars called it 00:01:32.329 --> 00:01:34.329 "the Bride of the Qur'an." As I mentioned 00:01:34.329 --> 00:01:36.329 in the opening episodes, 00:01:36.329 --> 00:01:38.329 with regard to the names of the Surahs, 00:01:38.329 --> 00:01:40.329 reliance was placed on the book 00:01:40.329 --> 00:01:42.329 *Masā'id an-Nazar* by al-Biqa'i, 00:01:42.329 --> 00:01:44.329 alongside consulting his Tafsir. 00:01:44.329 --> 00:01:46.329 Al-Biqa'i listed among its names 00:01:46.329 --> 00:01:47.329 "the Bride of the Qur'an." 00:01:47.329 --> 00:01:49.329 Where did this name come from? 00:01:49.329 --> 00:01:52.329 It came based on this hadith, 00:01:52.329 --> 00:01:54.329 which has been graded 00:01:54.329 --> 00:01:55.329 as denounced (*munkar*). 00:01:55.329 --> 00:01:57.329 I believe that this 00:01:57.329 --> 00:01:59.329 clarifies the matter 00:01:59.329 --> 00:02:01.329 in this manner. Likewise, for other Surahs, 00:02:01.329 --> 00:02:03.329 where names were adopted 00:02:03.329 --> 00:02:05.329 based on a weak report, 00:02:05.329 --> 00:02:07.329 a denounced narration, or the like, 00:02:07.329 --> 00:02:09.330 this is clarified simply to explain the origin of the name. 00:02:09.330 --> 00:02:11.330 This contrasts with the virtues (*fada'il*), in which I only mention 00:02:11.330 --> 00:02:13.330 what appears to me 00:02:13.330 --> 00:02:15.330 to be authentic, as well as regarding 00:02:15.330 --> 00:02:17.330 the occasions of revelation (*asbab an-nuzul*), 00:02:17.330 --> 00:02:19.330 while relying on the specific book 00:02:19.330 --> 00:02:21.330 designated for the occasions of revelation. 00:02:21.330 --> 00:02:23.330 The second reflection 00:02:23.330 --> 00:02:25.330 concerns the opening of the Surah. He stated: 00:02:25.330 --> 00:02:27.330 "It opens with an informative declarative sentence." 00:02:27.330 --> 00:02:29.330 We have previously seen that Surahs opening 00:02:29.330 --> 00:02:31.330 with an informative sentence are numerous. 00:02:31.330 --> 00:02:33.330 He noted: "And it is uniquely distinguished..." 00:02:33.330 --> 00:02:35.330 Here one must pause whenever an opening is uniquely distinct; 00:02:35.330 --> 00:02:37.330 it truly warrants reflection. He said: "It is uniquely distinguished by being 00:02:37.330 --> 00:02:39.330 the only Surah 00:02:39.330 --> 00:02:41.330 that begins with one of the names of Allah." 00:02:41.330 --> 00:02:43.330 We saw recently in Surah al-Qamar 00:02:43.330 --> 00:02:45.330 that its opening resembled 00:02:45.330 --> 00:02:47.330 the opening of Surah al-Anbiya'. 00:02:47.330 --> 00:02:49.330 Here, however, it is the only Surah 00:02:49.330 --> 00:02:51.330 that opens with one of the names of Allah. 00:02:51.330 --> 00:02:53.330 Such distinctiveness 00:02:53.330 --> 00:02:55.330 in the Qur'an, 00:02:55.330 --> 00:02:57.330 or textual uniqueness— 00:02:57.330 --> 00:02:59.330 a story mentioned in only one Surah, 00:02:59.330 --> 00:03:01.330 or a word mentioned in only one 00:03:01.330 --> 00:03:03.330 specific place— 00:03:03.330 --> 00:03:05.330 these matters are prime subjects 00:03:05.330 --> 00:03:07.330 for study and contemplation, 00:03:07.330 --> 00:03:09.330 because there must be profound wisdom 00:03:09.330 --> 00:03:11.330 behind that. 00:03:11.330 --> 00:03:13.330 Indeed, reflecting upon the opening 00:03:13.330 --> 00:03:15.330 of Surah ar-Rahman 00:03:15.330 --> 00:03:17.330 greatly aids in profound contemplation 00:03:17.330 --> 00:03:19.330 of this noble Surah. 00:03:19.330 --> 00:03:21.330 Furthermore, I would say, 00:03:21.330 --> 00:03:23.330 within the bounds of my knowledge 00:03:23.330 --> 00:03:25.330 —without claiming exhaustive research— 00:03:25.330 --> 00:03:27.330 I say that those who discourse upon 00:03:27.330 --> 00:03:29.330 Allah's name *ar-Rahman* (the Most Gracious) 00:03:29.330 --> 00:03:31.330 do not give this Surah 00:03:31.330 --> 00:03:33.330 its due share of attention in 00:03:33.330 --> 00:03:35.330 explaining the meaning of the name *ar-Rahman* 00:03:35.330 --> 00:03:37.330 and its manifestations. 00:03:37.330 --> 00:03:39.330 This overlooks a tremendous resource 00:03:39.330 --> 00:03:41.330 for understanding the name *ar-Rahman*. 00:03:41.330 --> 00:03:43.330 It has a well-known linguistic meaning, 00:03:43.330 --> 00:03:45.330 and so forth, as mentioned by 00:03:45.330 --> 00:03:47.330 the scholars who wrote on the Most Beautiful Names of Allah. 00:03:47.330 --> 00:03:49.330 But when we have an entire Surah 00:03:49.330 --> 00:03:51.330 whose name is one of the names of Allah, 00:03:51.330 --> 00:03:53.330 and which begins with this unique opening, 00:03:53.330 --> 00:03:55.330 one ought to pause before this Surah 00:03:55.330 --> 00:03:57.330 for a long time 00:03:57.330 --> 00:03:59.330 to attain deep understanding (*tafaqqah*) 00:03:59.330 --> 00:04:01.330 of the meaning of Allah's name 00:04:01.330 --> 00:04:03.330 *ar-Rahman*. 00:04:03.330 --> 00:04:05.330 Therefore, I believe 00:04:05.330 --> 00:04:07.330 that regarding the central theme of the Surah, it is better 00:04:07.330 --> 00:04:09.330 to add a word to the statement: 00:04:09.330 --> 00:04:11.330 "A reminder of divine favors and blessings" 00:04:11.330 --> 00:04:13.330 —this is obvious, as "So which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?" 00:04:13.330 --> 00:04:15.330 is repeated throughout— 00:04:15.330 --> 00:04:17.329 "urging 00:04:17.329 --> 00:04:19.329 the worship of the Owner of Majesty and Honor." 00:04:19.329 --> 00:04:21.329 Perhaps it is more fitting, 00:04:21.329 --> 00:04:23.329 in a way that draws attention to the significance of the name *ar-Rahman* in the Surah, 00:04:23.329 --> 00:04:25.329 to say: "urging the worship 00:04:25.329 --> 00:04:27.329 of ar-Rahman, the Owner of Majesty and Honor." 00:04:27.329 --> 00:04:29.329 "The Owner of Majesty and Honor" was explicitly mentioned 00:04:29.329 --> 00:04:31.329 because it appears in the Surah 00:04:31.329 --> 00:04:33.329 twice: once in the middle of the Surah, 00:04:33.329 --> 00:04:35.329 “There remaineth but the Countenance of thy Lord of Might and Glory.” (55:27) 00:04:35.329 --> 00:04:37.329 and at the end of the Surah: "Blessed is the name of your Lord, 00:04:37.329 --> 00:04:39.329 Owner of Majesty and Honor." Meanwhile, *ar-Rahman* 00:04:39.329 --> 00:04:41.329 is how the Surah opens, 00:04:41.329 --> 00:04:43.329 and it is the name of the Surah. 00:04:43.329 --> 00:04:45.329 Thus, it would be beneficial 00:04:45.329 --> 00:04:47.329 here to insert the word 00:04:47.329 --> 00:04:49.329 *ar-Rahman*, 00:04:49.329 --> 00:04:51.329 so that the phrasing becomes: "urging the worship 00:04:51.329 --> 00:04:53.329 of ar-Rahman, the Owner of Majesty 00:04:53.329 --> 00:04:55.329 and Honor." 00:04:55.329 --> 00:04:57.329 As for the third reflection, 00:04:57.329 --> 00:04:59.329 it concerns the dating of the Surah. 00:04:59.329 --> 00:05:01.329 I have previously noted that the term "order 00:05:01.329 --> 00:05:03.329 of revelation of the Surah" 00:05:03.329 --> 00:05:05.329 should ideally be amended to read simply 00:05:05.329 --> 00:05:07.389 "the revelation of the Surah," 00:05:07.389 --> 00:05:09.389 and that the word "its dating," 00:05:09.389 --> 00:05:11.389 found in the diagram, 00:05:11.389 --> 00:05:13.389 should preferably be written as "its era." 00:05:13.389 --> 00:05:15.389 Here I would like to mention 00:05:15.389 --> 00:05:17.389 that if you examine 00:05:17.389 --> 00:05:19.389 the dating of the Surah's revelation 00:05:19.389 --> 00:05:21.389 in the diagram, you will find it 00:05:21.389 --> 00:05:23.389 often more abbreviated 00:05:23.389 --> 00:05:25.389 than what is stated in the main text 00:05:25.389 --> 00:05:27.389 of the book. In the main text, 00:05:27.389 --> 00:05:29.389 Surah ar-Rahman is considered the ninety-seventh 00:05:29.389 --> 00:05:31.389 according to the well-known view, revealed after 00:05:31.389 --> 00:05:33.389 Surah ar-Ra'd and before Surah al-Insan, 00:05:33.389 --> 00:05:35.389 though the preponderant view is that it is Meccan. 00:05:35.389 --> 00:05:37.389 The correct view is that it is Meccan, 00:05:37.389 --> 00:05:39.389 and reports indicate 00:05:39.389 --> 00:05:41.389 that it was revealed before the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 00:05:41.389 --> 00:05:43.389 openly proclaimed what he was commanded. 00:05:43.389 --> 00:05:45.389 However, if we look at the diagram, 00:05:45.389 --> 00:05:47.389 we find only the phrase: "Considered the ninety-seventh 00:05:47.389 --> 00:05:49.389 according to the well-known view, after ar-Ra'd 00:05:49.389 --> 00:05:51.389 and before al-Insan." This statement 00:05:51.389 --> 00:05:53.389 is outweighed (*marjuh*), 00:05:53.389 --> 00:05:55.389 for the preponderant view is that it is Meccan. 00:05:55.389 --> 00:05:57.389 So when someone reads this text 00:05:57.389 --> 00:05:59.389 in this abbreviated form, 00:05:59.389 --> 00:06:01.389 it creates confusion for them. 00:06:01.389 --> 00:06:03.389 This well-known report, 00:06:03.389 --> 00:06:05.389 as we noted, 00:06:05.389 --> 00:06:07.389 contains weakness, is subject to critique, 00:06:07.389 --> 00:06:09.389 and has been debated; 00:06:09.389 --> 00:06:11.389 it was mentioned solely due to its fame, 00:06:11.389 --> 00:06:13.389 unless contradicted by stronger evidence, 00:06:13.389 --> 00:06:15.490 and indeed it has been contradicted. 00:06:15.490 --> 00:06:17.490 Perhaps this occurred in other Surahs 00:06:17.490 --> 00:06:19.519 as well, where abbreviation 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:21.519 in the diagram led to 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:23.519 this issue. Allah willing, 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:25.519 it will be corrected in the upcoming edition. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:27.519 So please amend it on your end 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:29.519 and add it to the diagram; 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:31.519 it ought to be added. 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:33.519 Note also that 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:35.519 the expression "and it has been reported" 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:37.519 indicates that 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:39.519 the matter is open to possibility, 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:41.519 and that the report is not decisively established 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:43.519 within the scope of my research, but rather subject to difference of opinion, 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:45.519 or that I was unable 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:47.519 to definitively evaluate 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:49.519 the chain of narration for one reason or another. 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:51.519 Therefore, the word "reported" 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:53.519 signals this nuance, 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:55.519 showing that the matter is not 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:57.519 firmly established, unlike when it is expressed 00:06:57.519 --> 00:06:59.519 in other sections as "authentically established." 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:01.519 I ask Allah to grant success to me and to you 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:03.519 in all that He loves and is pleased with. 00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:05.519 May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions. 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:07.519 All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation.