This is a translation from Dr Fadhel Saleh Al-Samarra’i’s لَمَسات بَيانِيَّة لِسُوَر القُرْآن الكَرِيم ‘Rhetorical Perceptions in the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an.’ Dr Fadhel (b.1933) is a former Professor of Literature at the College of Arabic Language at the University of Sharjah. His full biography can be read here. Surah Al-‘Asr وَٱلْعَصْرِ By the ˹passage of˺ time! إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ Surely humanity is in ˹grave˺ loss, إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ except those who have faith, do good, and urge each other to the truth, and urge each other to perseverance. The Purpose of the Surah This Meccan surah is remarkably concise in wording yet profound in meaning. Imam al-Shafi’i said of this surah: “If Allah Almighty had revealed nothing else in the Quran but Surah al-‘Asr, it would have sufficed for humanity.” This is because Islam ultimately rests on four pillars: iman, righteous deeds, mutual exhortation to truth (التواصي بالحق) for the sake of upholding the deen on earth, and mutual exhortation to patience (التواصي بالصبر), since upholding the deen exposes …

This is a translation from Dr Fadhel Saleh Al-Samarra’i’s لَمَسات بَيانِيَّة لِسُوَر القُرْآن الكَرِيم ‘Rhetorical Perceptions in the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an.’ Dr Fadhel (b.1933) is a former Professor of Literature at the College of Arabic Language at the University of Sharjah. His full biography can be read here. Surah Al-Humazah وَيْلٌۭ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍۢ لُّمَزَةٍ Woe to every backbiter, slanderer, ٱلَّذِى جَمَعَ مَالًۭا وَعَدَّدَهُۥ who amasses wealth ˹greedily˺ and counts it ˹repeatedly˺, يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَهُۥ thinking that their wealth will make them immortal! كَلَّا ۖ لَيُنۢبَذَنَّ فِى ٱلْحُطَمَةِ Not at all! Such a person will certainly be tossed into the Crusher. وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحُطَمَةُ And what will make you realize what the Crusher is? نَارُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُوقَدَةُ ˹It is˺ Allah’s kindled Fire, ٱلَّتِى تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى ٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةِ which rages over the hearts. إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌۭ It will be sealed over them, فِى عَمَدٍۢ مُّمَدَّدَةٍۭ ˹tightly secured˺ with long braces.  The Purpose of the Surah This is a Meccan surah that revolves around those who criticize people and slander (يَلْمُزُونَ) them, belittle them, and …

This is a translation from Dr Fadhel Saleh Al-Samarra’i’s لَمَسات بَيانِيَّة لِسُوَر القُرْآن الكَرِيم ‘Rhetorical Perceptions in the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an.’ Dr Fadhel (b.1933) is a former Professor of Literature at the College of Arabic Language at the University of Sharjah. His full biography can be read here. Dr Fadhel is a well-known Arabic linguist whose works give an insight in to the miraculous nature of Qur’anic Arabic, the only conclusion being that this Qur’an must have come from an unlimited, all-powerful creator, Allah (Most High). Some basic Arabic grammar is required to understand the concepts explained in Dr Fadhel’s book. There are many institutes, websites and YouTube channels which can assist in this. Roots of Knowledge and Al-Qalam Institute are two such resources I recommend. Surah Al-Fil أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ Have you not seen ˹O Prophet˺ how your Lord dealt with the Army of the Elephant? أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍۢ Did He not frustrate their scheme? وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ For He sent against them flocks of …

The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, the Creator and Originator of the universe and everything within. The miraculous nature of the Qur’an is in its language, because Qur’anic Arabic breaks the natural law of language in terms of its eloquence, beauty, rhetoric, structure, rhythm, rhyme, grammar, clarity and depth which is beyond the ability of the best poets and linguistics. Allah placed a challenge in the Qur’an that if anyone doubts this book is from Him, then produce one chapter (surah) like it in Arabic: وَإِن كُنتُم في رَيبٍ مِمّا نَزَّلنا عَلىٰ عَبدِنا فَأتوا بِسورَةٍ مِن مِثلِهِ وَادعوا شُهَداءَكُم مِن دونِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُم صادِقينَ “If you have doubts about what We have sent down to Our slave, produce another chapter equal to it, and call your witnesses, besides Allah, if you are telling the truth.”[1] No human being has ever met this challenge, and no one ever will. One aspect of Quranic Arabic is in its perfect word choice. The way the words are placed in the verses, and the similarity between them …

“Hold fast to the rope of Allah all together and do not be divided.”[1] This is an excerpt from Madārij al-Sālikīn ‘Ranks of the Divine Seekers,’ by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya and translated by Ovamir Anjum.[2] The heart now arrives at the station of holding fast. It is of two types: holding on to God, and holding on to the rope of God. God says: “And hold on to the rope of God, all together, and be not divided” [3:103]; “And hold on to God, He is your protector—and what a good protector and what a good guarantor of victory” [22:78]. [The Arabic word for holding fast] al-iʿtiṣām is the iftiʿāl form of al-ʿiṣma, which is to hold on to what protects you and shields you from what is prohibited and feared. ʿIṣma is protection, and al-iʿtiṣām is to seek protection. This is why fortresses are called ʿawāṣim, since they guard and protect. Success in this world and the Hereafter depends on adherence to God and to His rope. There is no salvation without these two. …

There are many verses in the Holy Qur’an which oblige Muslims to judge and rule by the sharia. Three of these verses contain commands which are identical except for their endings, which is why the mufasireen (interpreters of the Qur’an) linked them together. Allah (ta’ala) says in Surah al-Ma’ida verses 44, 45 and 47, وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ “Those who do not judge/rule by what Allah has sent down, such people are disbelievers (kafirun).”[1] وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ “Those who do not judge/rule by what Allah has sent down, such people are oppressors (dhalimun).”[2] وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ “Those who do not judge/rule by what Allah has sent down, such people are deviators (fasiqun).”[3] These verses are political in nature, because they address the governments and judiciaries in the Muslim world, and so can be controversial to those academics and ulema who want to maintain the existing status quo, or aim to ‘reform’ Islam by secularising it and removing it …

The following is based on a translation of Dr Fadhel al Samarrai’s Tafseer of Surah Quraysh. Translation courtesy of Abu Yusuf. لِإِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ ﴿١﴾ إِيلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ ﴿٢﴾ فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَٰذَا الْبَيْتِ ﴿٣﴾ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍ (1) For the accustomed security of the Quraysh – (2) Their accustomed security [in] the caravan of winter and summer – (3) Let them worship the Lord of this House, (4) Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe, [saving them] from fear. Introduction The connection between this chapter and the chapter before, Sura Al-Fil, is obvious. The owners of the elephants (أَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ) came to Makkah because of the house of Allah, the Ka’bah. Allah ﷻ preserved and honoured His house, and protected Quraysh by destroying the army of the elephants. He protected the house and provided security and well-being to the people of Quraysh. In Bahr Al-Muheet, Abu Hayan says: إذْ لَوْ سُلِّطَ عَلَيْهِمْ أصْحابُ الفِيلِ لَتَشَتَّتُوا في البِلادِ والأقالِيمِ، ولَمْ تَجْتَمِعْ لَهم كَلِمَةٌ البحر المحيط لأبي حيان — …