This is a translation from Dr Fadel Saleh Al-Samarra’i’s لَمَسات بَيانِيَّة لِسُوَر القُرْآن الكَرِيم ‘Rhetorical Perceptions in the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an.’ Dr Fadel (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-Qari’ah (The Striking Calamity) ٱلْقَارِعَةُ ١ مَا ٱلْقَارِعَةُ ٢ وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْقَارِعَةُ ٣ يَوْمَ يَكُونُ ٱلنَّاسُ كَٱلْفَرَاشِ ٱلْمَبْثُوثِ ٤ وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ ٱلْمَنفُوشِ ٥ فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ ٦ فَهُوَ فِى عِيشَةٍۢ رَّاضِيَةٍۢ ٧ وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ ٨ فَأُمُّهُۥ هَاوِيَةٌۭ ٩ وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا هِيَهْ ١٠ نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌۢ ١١ The Striking Calamity! What is the Striking Calamity? And what will make you realize what the Striking Calamity is? ˹It is˺ the Day people will be like scattered moths, and the mountains will be like carded wool. So as for those whose scale is heavy ˹with good deeds˺, they will be in a life of bliss. And as for those whose scale is light, their home will be the abyss. And what will make you realize …

This is a translation from Dr Fadel Saleh Al-Samarra’i’s لَمَسات بَيانِيَّة لِسُوَر القُرْآن الكَرِيم ‘Rhetorical Perceptions in the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an.’ Dr Fadel (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-Takathur (The Rivalry in world increase) أَلْهَىٰكُمُ ٱلتَّكَاثُرُ ١ حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ ٱلْمَقَابِرَ ٢ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ٣ ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ٤ كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ ٱلْيَقِينِ ٥ لَتَرَوُنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ ٦ ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ ٱلْيَقِينِ ٧ ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٨ Competition for more ˹gains˺ diverts you ˹from Allah˺, until you end up in ˹your˺ graves. But no! You will soon come to know. Again, no! You will soon come to know. Indeed, if you were to know ˹your fate˺ with certainty, ˹you would have acted differently˺. ˹But˺ you will surely see the Hellfire. Again, you will surely see it with the eye of certainty. Then, on that Day, you will definitely be questioned about ˹your worldly˺ pleasures. The Purpose of the Surah This Meccan surah …

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 …