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.

0:30 The subtle 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 Fussilat.

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

0:48 Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings

0:50 be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions,

0:53 and whoever follows his guidance.

0:54 We are still following the subtle commentary on the identification cards,

0:57 and we have arrived at Surah Fussilat.

1:00 Here, "As-Sajdah" was mentioned among its names,

1:04 yet according to the original text that I have relied upon,

1:06 he titled it "Ha-Meem As-Sajdah."

1:09 The word "Ha-Meem" was omitted here,

1:12 though it is named so because it contains a prostration (sajdah) and begins

1:15 with "Ha-Meem,"

1:17 which differs from what was established in the source text of the book,

1:19 resulting in an awkward phrasing.

1:22 Establishing its name simply as "As-Sajdah" like this

1:25 causes it to be confused with Surah As-Sajdah which begins

1:28 with "Alif-Lam-Meem."

1:30 This is the first reflection.

1:32 As for the second reflection,

1:34 it concerns the placement of the surah.

1:37 Part of its harmony with Surah Ghafir

1:40 is their shared opening,

1:42 both beginning with the disjointed letters (al-huruf al-muqatta'ah),

1:44 the praise of the Qur'an,

1:46 and the mention of the disbelievers' stance toward it.

1:48 As for the disjointed letters, it is manifest:

1:50 "Ha-Meem."

1:52 Regarding the praise of the Qur'an,

1:54 in Surah Ghafir, it mentions:

1:55 “The revelation of the Scripture is from Allah, the Mighty, the Knower,” (40:2)

1:57 "The Forgiver of sin and Accepter of repentance..."

1:59 “The Forgiver of sin, the Accepter of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bountiful. There is no Allah save Him. Unto Him is the journeying.” (40:3)

2:01 “The Forgiver of sin, the Accepter of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bountiful. There is no Allah save Him. Unto Him is the journeying.” (40:3)

2:03 And here: "A revelation from the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,"

2:06 "A Book whose verses have been detailed..."

2:09 “A Scripture whereof the verses are expounded, a Lecture in Arabic for people who have knowledge,” (41:3)

2:12 "...as a bearer of good tidings and a warner."

2:15 As for mentioning the stance of the disbelievers,

2:18 here it says, "as a bearer of good tidings and a warner,"

2:20 “Good tidings and a warning. But most of them turn away so that they hear not.” (41:4)

2:22 “And they say: Our hearts are protected from that unto which thou (O Muhammad) callest us, and in our ears there is a deafness, and between us and thee there is a veil. Act, then. Lo! we also shall be acting.” (41:5)

2:24 "...from that to which you invite us,

2:26 and in our ears is deafness,

2:28 and between us and you is a partition, so work;

2:30 indeed, we are working." And over there,

2:32 He said: "None dispute concerning the signs of Allah

2:34 except those who disbelieve."

2:36 The intent behind this reflection

2:38 is that this similarity in several aspects

2:40 helps in understanding the rest of the surah.

2:42 We previously noted that

2:44 the theme of disputation continues throughout the surah

2:46 extensively and appears

2:48 in various forms.

2:50 The same

2:52 applies here: the disbelievers' obstinate stance,

2:54 in which they stubbornly

2:56 say, "so work;

2:58 indeed, we are working," is met by

3:00 the words of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, at the end

3:02 of the surah, or shortly before the end,

3:04 a little before the final page:

3:06 “Lo! those who distort Our revelations are not hid from Us. Is he who is hurled into the Fire better, or he who cometh secure on the Day of Resurrection? Do what ye will. Lo! He is Seer of what ye do.” (41:40)

3:08 "...All-Seeing." Thus you find

3:10 the discourse consistent there,

3:12 just as it is consistent here.

3:14 Noting the difference between

3:16 the opening here and the opening there,

3:18 along with their thematic coherence—

3:20 meaning that while there is coherence and similarity,

3:22 there is also divergence—

3:24 and observing both this similarity

3:26 and this divergence

3:28 provides a significant opportunity

3:30 for contemplation, reflection,

3:32 comprehending contexts,

3:34 and pondering the core theme of each surah.

3:36 As for the third reflection,

3:38 it is an invitation to ponder a striking

3:40 matter:

3:42 although the surah addresses

3:44 the disbelievers' denial,

3:46 it nevertheless

3:48 gives precedence to glad tidings

3:50 and mercy in several places.

3:52 At the beginning of the surah:

3:54 “A revelation from the Beneficent, the Merciful,” (41:2)

3:56 "A Book whose verses have been detailed,

3:58 an Arabic Qur'an for a people

4:00 who know, as a bearer of good tidings and a warner."

4:02 It begins with "A revelation from the Entirely Merciful,

4:04 the Especially Merciful," and then gives precedence

4:06 to the bearer of good tidings over the warner,

4:08 unlike Surah Hud,

4:10 for instance, as we previously observed.

4:12 Glad tidings are brought forward before warnings, and this is paired

4:14 with "A revelation from the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful."

4:16 Then, when it mentions

4:18 the righteous—even though most of the surah

4:20 speaks about the disbelievers—

4:22 whenever it mentions the righteous,

4:24 it elaborates upon them, saying: "Indeed, those who

4:26 have said, 'Our Lord is Allah' and then remained on a right course..."

4:28 This verse resembles

4:30 the verse in Surah Al-Ahqaf

4:32 which will come later, if Allah wills,

4:34 yet here it contains further elaboration:

4:36 "the angels will descend upon them, [saying],

4:38 'Do not fear and do not grieve

4:40 but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.

4:42 We were your allies in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter...'"

4:44 “We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There ye will have (all) that your souls desire, and there ye will have (all) for which ye pray.” (41:31)

4:46 “We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There ye will have (all) that your souls desire, and there ye will have (all) for which ye pray.” (41:31)

4:48 Notice: "As accommodation

4:50 from a Forgiving, Merciful [Lord]."

4:52 This is remarkable and worthy

4:54 of contemplation: why,

4:56 despite the surah speaking at length about the disbelievers

4:58 and their rejection of the Qur'an,

5:00 do we observe such widespread

5:02 mention of mercy across various

5:04 passages of the surah,

5:06 along with prioritizing glad tidings over

5:08 warnings? I conclude with this,

5:10 and I ask Allah, for myself and for you,

5:12 the contemplation of His Book and benefiting from it,

5:14 and that He make it an argument for us and not against us.

5:16 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

5:18 his family, and all of his companions.

5:20 And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

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

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