In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
A brief commentary on the book *Profile Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*,
by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nassif, may Allah preserve him.
Surah al-Qamar.
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah,
and upon his family, his Companions, and whoever follows his guidance.
We continue with the profile cards
for the surahs of the Noble Qur'an, and with Surah al-Qamar, concerning which I have
three reflections. The first reflection
concerns the opening of the surah.
He stated that it begins with a declarative sentence.
It would be better and more complete to add:
"It resembles the opening of Surah al-Anbiya'."
This surah opens with: "The Hour has come near, and the moon has split,"
while the beginning of al-Anbiya' is: "Mankind's reckoning has drawn near for them."
This similarity in the opening
is accompanied by a similarity in theme.
The first surah in the Mushaf's order, Surah al-Anbiya',
speaks extensively about the disbelievers and their severe denial,
and the same is evidently true for this surah.
This has been pointed out in the book *al-Asas fi al-Tafsir*,
noting that this shared opening corresponds to a thematic parallel,
which is a striking feature found across several Qur'anic surahs
worthy of contemplation.
We can also add this very statement over in Surah al-Anbiya':
since it also opens with a declarative sentence,
we may say: "It resembles the opening of Surah al-Qamar."
Perhaps I will amend this for several similar surahs,
because vocative openings, for instance, are explicitly noted, as are others;
but declarative openings are numerous and varied,
so wherever such parallels exist, it is good to mention the corresponding surah
to draw the esteemed reader's attention to it.
The second reflection concerns its order of revelation.
He stated: "It is considered the thirty-sixth according to the well-known view,
after al-Tariq and before Sad;
and there is evidence indicating it was revealed before the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) marriage contract with 'A'ishah,
for it is narrated that she said: 'It was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Makkah
while I was a young girl playing.'"
Yet this does not follow the book's standard methodology of citing hadiths here,
which usually settles for general statements;
perhaps he sought brevity,
but it remains beneficial.
He noted that because it mentions the splitting of the moon
and conveys the disbelievers' intense denial,
these factors might place its revelation midway through the Makkan period.
It is more accurate to say it was revealed late in the Makkan period,
because the intensity of denial on the one hand,
and the fact that the Mother of the Believers 'A'ishah
was mindful and conscious of
the revelation of this verse,
indicate a later date. This is because the Mother of the Believers 'A'ishah
was born after the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commissioning;
so if she was fully aware of what was happening,
it was most likely during the final two or three years,
or let us say even four years, of the Makkan period.
Prior to that, she would not have had such awareness.
Thus, it is more fitting to say it was revealed late in the Makkan period,
and Allah knows best.
There remains the third and final reflection.
If you observe the theme of the surah and its conclusion:
regarding the theme, he wrote that through pondering its recurring verses,
one can say that among its most prominent themes is
the momentous warning to the deniers,
along with the encouragement to benefit from the Noble Qur'an.
The momentous warning to the deniers is clearly prominent in the surah,
recurring frequently: "So how [severe] were My punishment and My warnings?" multiple times;
"So taste My punishment and My warnings" more than once;
"Indeed, the criminals are in error and madness,"
“On the day when they are dragged into the Fire upon their faces (it is said unto them): Feel the touch of hell.” (54:48)
"Taste the touch of Saqar,"
alongside mentions of the destruction of previous nations.
Then he stated regarding the surah's passages in the last line:
"And concluding with glad tidings for the believers,"
which is His saying, Exalted is He: "Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and rivers,"
“Firmly established in the favour of a Mighty King.” (54:55)
Here is where I wished to pause.
The surah's central theme is the momentous warning to the deniers,
alongside the encouragement to benefit from the Magnificent Qur'an,
for: "And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance" is likewise repeated:
"So is there any who will remember?"
Given this theme, I would like to offer an analogy here
to illustrate something
that occasionally happens in audible prayers.
Suppose an official letter containing threats and stern warnings
was issued by an official or a ruler,
and at the very end
he stated:
a closing remark that softens
and tempers the severity conveyed in the message.
It would be inconceivable for someone delivering that message to merely
read its final line,
announcing: "The king or official says:
'Best wishes to you, and may Allah grant you success,'"
while omitting all the warnings and threats.
That makes no sense, yet it is what happens in practice,
because an imam will often begin—
and I have witnessed this frequently—
reciting in an audible prayer right after al-Fatihah:
“Lo! the righteous will dwell among gardens and rivers,” (54:54)
"In a seat of honor near a Sovereign, Perfect in Ability," and then bow for ruku'.
Why did he skip all the warnings, narratives, and admonitions in the surah?
Why omit them and do so intentionally?
This is repeated by the same imam and by others.
Likewise: "Indeed, the righteous will be among shades and springs" at the end of Surah al-Mursalat—
why not recite the preceding verses?
This truncates the meaning and truncates the message,
according to the analogy I presented—and to Allah belongs the highest attribute.
The Qur'an combines fear and hope;
it is not appropriate to limit oneself strictly to hope,
nor to limit oneself strictly to fear.
Rather, the proper approach is for a person to hear the word of Allah in full,
as long as there is no pressing necessity.
There is no hardship in starting from:
"Indeed, the criminals are in error and madness,"
for example, though what is best and most complete
is to begin from the start of the surah
and recite it in a prayer that accommodates that length.
Elaborating on this would take too long,
but I wish to cite a quote from Ibn 'Ashur
regarding the verse:
"Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration.
The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord;
then—this being the subsequent stage—
their skins and their hearts soften at the remembrance of Allah."
What does the Shaykh say? He says,
as part of his profound commentary on this verse:
"When the believer hears the verses of warning and threat,
he fears his Lord
and avoids what He warned against, causing his skin to shiver.
Then, when that is followed by verses of glad tidings and promise,
he rejoices and feels delighted,
measuring his deeds against those verses
and seeing himself adorned with the righteous actions
for which Allah has promised reward.
His heart then finds tranquility, and his trepidation and fear turn
into hope and anticipation;
and that is the meaning of the softening of hearts."
This is a practical example:
a surah containing severe intimidation,
so that when the believer hears it,
his skin shivers;
then he hears: "Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and rivers,"
and his heart softens thereafter:
"Then their skins and their hearts soften at the remembrance of Allah."
I ask Allah to make us among those who truly benefit from the Qur'an.
I will conclude with this.
May Allah send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.
And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.