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 A brief commentary on the book *Profile Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*,

0:37 by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nassif, may Allah preserve him.

0:43 Surah al-Qamar.

0:45 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

0:47 All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah,

0:52 and upon his family, his Companions, and whoever follows his guidance.

0:55 We continue with the profile cards

0:59 for the surahs of the Noble Qur'an, and with Surah al-Qamar, concerning which I have

1:03 three reflections. The first reflection

1:06 concerns the opening of the surah.

1:08 He stated that it begins with a declarative sentence.

1:11 It would be better and more complete to add:

1:14 "It resembles the opening of Surah al-Anbiya'."

1:17 This surah opens with: "The Hour has come near, and the moon has split,"

1:21 while the beginning of al-Anbiya' is: "Mankind's reckoning has drawn near for them."

1:25 This similarity in the opening

1:28 is accompanied by a similarity in theme.

1:30 The first surah in the Mushaf's order, Surah al-Anbiya',

1:35 speaks extensively about the disbelievers and their severe denial,

1:38 and the same is evidently true for this surah.

1:43 This has been pointed out in the book *al-Asas fi al-Tafsir*,

1:47 noting that this shared opening corresponds to a thematic parallel,

1:52 which is a striking feature found across several Qur'anic surahs

1:56 worthy of contemplation.

1:59 We can also add this very statement over in Surah al-Anbiya':

2:04 since it also opens with a declarative sentence,

2:07 we may say: "It resembles the opening of Surah al-Qamar."

2:10 Perhaps I will amend this for several similar surahs,

2:14 because vocative openings, for instance, are explicitly noted, as are others;

2:19 but declarative openings are numerous and varied,

2:22 so wherever such parallels exist, it is good to mention the corresponding surah

2:27 to draw the esteemed reader's attention to it.

2:29 The second reflection concerns its order of revelation.

2:33 He stated: "It is considered the thirty-sixth according to the well-known view,

2:36 after al-Tariq and before Sad;

2:38 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,

2:43 for it is narrated that she said: 'It was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Makkah

2:47 while I was a young girl playing.'"

2:49 Yet this does not follow the book's standard methodology of citing hadiths here,

2:54 which usually settles for general statements;

2:56 perhaps he sought brevity,

2:58 but it remains beneficial.

3:00 He noted that because it mentions the splitting of the moon

3:03 and conveys the disbelievers' intense denial,

3:05 these factors might place its revelation midway through the Makkan period.

3:07 It is more accurate to say it was revealed late in the Makkan period,

3:10 because the intensity of denial on the one hand,

3:13 and the fact that the Mother of the Believers 'A'ishah

3:15 was mindful and conscious of

3:17 the revelation of this verse,

3:19 indicate a later date. This is because the Mother of the Believers 'A'ishah

3:21 was born after the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commissioning;

3:24 so if she was fully aware of what was happening,

3:27 it was most likely during the final two or three years,

3:31 or let us say even four years, of the Makkan period.

3:35 Prior to that, she would not have had such awareness.

3:37 Thus, it is more fitting to say it was revealed late in the Makkan period,

3:42 and Allah knows best.

3:44 There remains the third and final reflection.

3:47 If you observe the theme of the surah and its conclusion:

3:50 regarding the theme, he wrote that through pondering its recurring verses,

3:54 one can say that among its most prominent themes is

3:57 the momentous warning to the deniers,

4:00 along with the encouragement to benefit from the Noble Qur'an.

4:03 The momentous warning to the deniers is clearly prominent in the surah,

4:06 recurring frequently: "So how [severe] were My punishment and My warnings?" multiple times;

4:09 "So taste My punishment and My warnings" more than once;

4:12 "Indeed, the criminals are in error and madness,"

4:14 “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)

4:16 "Taste the touch of Saqar,"

4:18 alongside mentions of the destruction of previous nations.

4:22 Then he stated regarding the surah's passages in the last line:

4:25 "And concluding with glad tidings for the believers,"

4:29 which is His saying, Exalted is He: "Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and rivers,"

4:32 “Firmly established in the favour of a Mighty King.” (54:55)

4:35 Here is where I wished to pause.

4:36 The surah's central theme is the momentous warning to the deniers,

4:39 alongside the encouragement to benefit from the Magnificent Qur'an,

4:41 for: "And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance" is likewise repeated:

4:44 "So is there any who will remember?"

4:46 Given this theme, I would like to offer an analogy here

4:49 to illustrate something

4:52 that occasionally happens in audible prayers.

4:57 Suppose an official letter containing threats and stern warnings

5:02 was issued by an official or a ruler,

5:04 and at the very end

5:06 he stated:

5:11 a closing remark that softens

5:14 and tempers the severity conveyed in the message.

5:18 It would be inconceivable for someone delivering that message to merely

5:22 read its final line,

5:24 announcing: "The king or official says:

5:27 'Best wishes to you, and may Allah grant you success,'"

5:30 while omitting all the warnings and threats.

5:32 That makes no sense, yet it is what happens in practice,

5:35 because an imam will often begin—

5:37 and I have witnessed this frequently—

5:38 reciting in an audible prayer right after al-Fatihah:

5:40 “Lo! the righteous will dwell among gardens and rivers,” (54:54)

5:43 "In a seat of honor near a Sovereign, Perfect in Ability," and then bow for ruku'.

5:47 Why did he skip all the warnings, narratives, and admonitions in the surah?

5:52 Why omit them and do so intentionally?

5:55 This is repeated by the same imam and by others.

5:58 Likewise: "Indeed, the righteous will be among shades and springs" at the end of Surah al-Mursalat—

6:03 why not recite the preceding verses?

6:05 This truncates the meaning and truncates the message,

6:09 according to the analogy I presented—and to Allah belongs the highest attribute.

6:12 The Qur'an combines fear and hope;

6:15 it is not appropriate to limit oneself strictly to hope,

6:18 nor to limit oneself strictly to fear.

6:20 Rather, the proper approach is for a person to hear the word of Allah in full,

6:23 as long as there is no pressing necessity.

6:25 There is no hardship in starting from:

6:27 "Indeed, the criminals are in error and madness,"

6:29 for example, though what is best and most complete

6:30 is to begin from the start of the surah

6:32 and recite it in a prayer that accommodates that length.

6:35 Elaborating on this would take too long,

6:38 but I wish to cite a quote from Ibn 'Ashur

6:41 regarding the verse:

6:43 "Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration.

6:46 The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord;

6:50 then—this being the subsequent stage—

6:52 their skins and their hearts soften at the remembrance of Allah."

6:55 What does the Shaykh say? He says,

6:57 as part of his profound commentary on this verse:

6:59 "When the believer hears the verses of warning and threat,

7:04 he fears his Lord

7:05 and avoids what He warned against, causing his skin to shiver.

7:09 Then, when that is followed by verses of glad tidings and promise,

7:13 he rejoices and feels delighted,

7:14 measuring his deeds against those verses

7:16 and seeing himself adorned with the righteous actions

7:18 for which Allah has promised reward.

7:21 His heart then finds tranquility, and his trepidation and fear turn

7:25 into hope and anticipation;

7:27 and that is the meaning of the softening of hearts."

7:29 This is a practical example:

7:31 a surah containing severe intimidation,

7:33 so that when the believer hears it,

7:35 his skin shivers;

7:37 then he hears: "Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and rivers,"

7:40 and his heart softens thereafter:

7:43 "Then their skins and their hearts soften at the remembrance of Allah."

7:46 I ask Allah to make us among those who truly benefit from the Qur'an.

7:49 I will conclude with this.

7:51 May Allah send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.

7:53 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 Al-Qamar

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