The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

0:02 The concise commentary

0:32 on the book "Identification Cards

0:35 for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an"

0:38 by Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Umar Nasif,

0:42 may Allah preserve him.

0:44 Surah Qaf.

0:46 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

0:48 All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.

0:51 This is a return to the concise commentary

0:54 on the "Identification Cards,"

0:56 and we are with Surah Qaf.

0:59 I have three points to pause and reflect upon regarding it.

1:02 The first point pertains to what has been mentioned

1:05 regarding the order of the surah's revelation.

1:08 He said: "In the surah there is an indication of the presence of disputants."

1:12 Well, what does the presence of disputants have to do

1:15 with the order of the surah's revelation,

1:18 or, using the more precise phrasing that I noted earlier,

1:21 dating the revelation of the surah?

1:24 It is as though the presence of disputants suggests a somewhat later revelation.

1:28 Therefore, this phrase ought to be added

1:31 after "an indication of the presence of disputants":

1:34 "which suggests a somewhat later revelation of the surah."

1:38 And its being counted as the thirty-fourth according to the well-known view

1:41 accords with this notion.

1:44 As for the second point, it pertains to its virtues.

1:47 It has been reported regarding its virtues

1:49 that some of the female Companions memorized it

1:52 because the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to recite it

1:56 every Friday from the pulpit.

2:00 Scholars have discussed what is meant by "every" here:

2:03 Was it in every single sermon, or was it simply very frequent?

2:06 This can be reviewed in its relevant sources,

2:09 and this is not the place for detailed discussion of it.

2:12 But what I wish to pause upon

2:16 is that the scholars also examined this hadith from another perspective,

2:19 namely: Why was this surah singled out

2:22 to be recited during the Friday sermon?

2:25 The truth is that, as they indicated,

2:28 it encompasses the mention of death, the Resurrection,

2:31 and powerful deterrents, and this aligns perfectly

2:34 with the objective of the Friday sermon:

2:37 admonition and exhortation.

2:40 This core objective is sometimes lost

2:44 upon some preachers,

2:47 so they become preoccupied with important matters—

2:50 important, yes, but among the most essential matters

2:54 that a preacher should be keen to maintain

2:57 are the very matters that the Prophet,

3:00 peace be upon him, was keen to observe.

3:03 When the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered a sermon,

3:06 his face would redden and his voice would rise, which accords

3:09 with these themes of death, the Resurrection,

3:12 stern deterrents, admonition,

3:15 and the necessary solemnity,

3:19 while naturally combining both encouragement and warning.

3:22 There is no doubt that reminding people of Allah and the Hereafter

3:25 is an immensely important matter in the Friday sermon.

3:28 A corollary of this principle

3:31 is that whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) was keen

3:34 to recite a particular surah in a specific context, we should likewise be keen

3:37 to recite it in that very setting,

3:40 whether we comprehend

3:43 the wisdom behind that or not.

3:46 It is sufficient for us to follow.

3:49 After this emulation, by the permission of Allah, the Glorified and Exalted,

3:52 the blessing of following the Sunnah will be attained,

3:55 and the lights of what a person recites will manifest to him

3:58 in proportion to his adherence and sincerity.

4:01 We ask Allah to make us among the sincere followers

4:04 of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings be upon him.

4:07 As for the third and final point,

4:10 it concerns the passages of the surah. We note that it consists of

4:13 an introduction, a single central section, and a conclusion.

4:16 This single section begins with "qad" (already/certainly),

4:19 which is His saying, Exalted is He: "We already know what the earth diminishes of them."

4:22 Yet notice that this single section contains

4:26 three distinct passages.

4:29 We previously agreed that the word "thumma" (then) indicates the start of

4:32 a new passage. Notice the first passage:

4:35 It naturally begins with this verse: "We already know what the earth diminishes of them."

4:38 Regarding the second passage, he said: "Then the mention of the creation of man,"

4:41 which is His saying, Exalted is He:

4:43 “We verily created man and We know what his soul whispereth to him, and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” (50:16)

4:46 Then the third: "Then establishing the proof for the Resurrection,"

4:49 which is His saying, Exalted is He: "And We have already created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days,"

4:55 and what follows it.

4:57 Thus, we notice that the section began with "qad,"

5:00 which is the first passage—

5:03 this verse serves simultaneously as the first passage of the section—

5:07 while the second passage begins with "wa-la-qad" and the third with "wa-la-qad."

5:11 This reminds us of something I have mentioned before

5:14 and love to reiterate often, because it is

5:17 crucial for a person's deep understanding of the surahs of the Qur'an:

5:21 namely, that there are opening formulas that recur within each surah.

5:26 Almost every surah has opening formulas that frequently recur,

5:29 with hardly any exception other than the short surahs.

5:32 Here, the recurring word was "qad,"

5:36 followed by "wa-la-qad" and "wa-la-qad."

5:39 These aid in delineating the structure of the surah

5:41 and in understanding it,

5:43 as well as in contemplating the consistency of this recurring element

5:47 and its variation; for the first time it occurred without additional emphasis,

5:50 using only "qad,"

5:52 whereas in "wa-la-qad," the emphatic "lam" was added,

5:54 and in "wa-la-qad," the emphatic "lam" was added,

5:56 along with the conjunction "waw."

5:57 This subtle variation in phrasing

6:00 has an impact on the verse's meaning

6:05 and on its harmony with its context and theme.

6:10 Therefore, it is among the subtleties that the reciter of the Qur'an ought to pay attention to.

6:15 I will conclude with this, and I send blessings upon the best of the messengers,

6:18 and upon his family and all his Companions.

6:20 And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds.

The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif | Surah Q

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