4.02. THE CONVULSION (AL-ZALZALAH)

Ninety-ninth Surah


IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE EVER GRACEFUL, THE MOST GRACIOUS:

God says

When the earth is shaken to her (utmost) convulsion, (1)
and [when] the earth throws up her burdens (from within) (2)
and man cries out (in distress): ‘what has happened to her?’-- (3)
on that Day will she declare all her tidings: (4)
as thy Sustainer will have inspired her to do. ( 5)
On that day all men will proceed, cut off from one another,
to be shown their [past] deeds. (6)
Then, he who shall have done an atom’s weight of good, shall behold it; (7)
and he who shall have done an atom’s weight of evil, shall behold it. (8)


Prophet said

“Whoever recites IZA ZUL ZALAT… gets award of reciting half the Qur’an”
-- H: Tirmizi. N: Anas.

4.01. THE OPENING (AL- FATIHAH)

First Surah


God says

IN THE NAME OF GOD THE EVER GRACEFUL, THE MOST GRACIOUS: (1)

All praise is due to God alone the Sustainer of all the worlds, (2)
the Most Graceful, the Most Gracious; (3)
Lord of the Day of Judgment! (4)
Thee alone do we worship and unto Thee alone do we turn for aid. (5)
Guide us the straight way -- (6)
the way of those upon whom Thou has bestowed Thy blessings, those whose (portion) is not (Thy) wrath and who go not astray! (7)


Prophet said

1. “The most distinguished surah in the Qur’an is AL HAMDU LIL LAHI RABBIL AALAMEEN (The Opening) …” -- Hadis: Bukhari. Narrator: Abu Saeed-b-Ali.

2. “God did not reveal in the Taorah and the Bible anything like UMMUL QUR’AN (Mother of the Qur’an: another title for this surah)” – H: Tirmizi, Nisai and Hakim. N: Ubi-b-K’ab.

3. “In Surah AL-FATIHAH there is remedy for every disease.”-- H: Baihaqi. N:Jabir.

SHARIA IS PART OF FAITH

God says

“… there has come to you from God a light, and a clear divine writ (Quran), through which God shows unto all that seek His good pleasure the paths leading to salvation (spiritual peace and fulfillment) and, by His grace, brings them out of the depths of darkness into the light and guides them onto a straight way.” (Q.5:15)


Prophet said

“None of you can be a believer unless his ego-self
becomes desirous of (guidance) that I have brought”
--- H:Mishkat-ul-Masabih. N: Abdullah-b-Omer-b-al Aas.

Faith(Imaan) does not materialize till one sincerely accepts the instructions of Sharia – what is enjoined and what is forbidden -- which the Prophet has conveyed to us through the Qur’an and the Sunnah and until one’s ego-self is thoroughly disciplined to become desirous of the same.

Section 4 begins by His grace, with a few short chapters of the Qur’an followed by some verses, showing through Prophet’s Traditions, their special significance:
high-rewards-with-least effort when practiced with understanding.

PLEASE DO REMEMBER TO USE
THE HONORIFICS GIVEN BELOW.

After name or title of the Prophet say:
“Sal-lal- lahu ‘Alaihi wa Sal-lam”;
(peace and blessings be upon him)
After the name or the title of every
prophet (nabi) and apostle (rasul) say:
“ ‘Alai hissalaam” (peace be upon him or them)
After the name of their family member,
as well as a companion, say:
“Radi Allahu ‘Anhu—or ‘Anha—or ‘Anhum ”
(may God be pleased with him--or her--or them)
And for others, say: “Rahmat-Allah-e-‘Alaih”
(God’s mercy be upon him)

GREAT BLESSINGS

God says about the God-conscious

…God loves those who are conscious of Him. -- Q. 9: 4

Word ‘Muttaqeen’, (singular: Muttaqi) from Arabic ‘Taqwa’ is stressed again and again in the Qur’an vitally linked to a Believer’s life. Muhammad Asad uses ‘God-consciousness’ as the translation for ‘Taqwa’ and explains its comprehensive meaning below:
Conventional translation of Muttaqi as “God-Fearing” does not adequately render the positive content of this expression -- namely, the awareness of His all-presence and the desire to mould one’s existence in the Light of this awareness; while the interpretation adopted by some translators “one who guards himself from evil” or “one who is careful of his duty”, does not give more than one particular aspect of the God-consciousness.

An ‘ernest desire to mould our existence in the light of this awareness’ is the first step and a ‘planned and persistent effort is the next one.’ The rest will follow, because we should recall that God said, “As for those who strive for Us, We will most certainly guide them to Our Paths: For, verily, God is with those who are doers of good.” -- Q.29:69


Prophet said about wonders of the Qur’an

1. “Nothing can take you nearer to God than the recitation of the holy Qur’an which is the word of God Himself” – H: Abu Daud. N: Abu Zarr.
2. “He is not of us who does not chant the Qur’an ”– H: Bukhari. N: Abu Huarirah.
3. “Be particular about the recitation of the Qur’an. It is light in this world and storehouse of reward in the hereafter” – Blessings of the Holy Qur’an. N: Abu Zarr.
4. “One who finds reading of the Qur’an difficult and (hence) has to put in much effort (to read it correctly) will be receiving double reward” – H: Bukhari. N: Bibi Ayesha.
5. “(Do) read the Qur’an because it will be an intercessor on the Resurrection Day for its readers” – H: Muslim. N: Abu Hurairah.
6. “Peace of mind descends on people who recite the Qur’an in company. These people are encompassed by the mercy of God; are surrounded by angels of compassion and are mentioned favourably by God in the gathering of angels.” –
H: Muslim. N: Abu Hurairah.

Qur’an is to be understood and acted upon to help us here and in after life. Easy, like anything that we desire and plan to do!


Insha’a Allah, next Friday will start section four

3. ABOUNDING MERCY OF GOD (to be continued)

God says

Say: “[Thus speaks God] ‘O you servants of mine who have transgressed against your own selves! Despair not of God’s mercy: behold, God forgives all sins* -- for, verily, He alone is much-forgiving, most gracious!’ ”
Hence, turn towards your Sustainer [alone] and surrender yourself unto Him before the suffering [of death and resurrection] comes upon you, for then you will not be helped -- Q.39:53,54
*Sc., “whenever a sinner repents and turns to Him”: cf., for instance, 6:54 – “Your Sustainer has willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy – so that if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and thereafter repents and lives righteously, He shall be found much forgiving, a dispenser of grace”; or 4:110 – “he who does evil or [otherwise] sins against himself and thereafter prays God to forgive him, shall find God much forgiving, a dispenser of grace”

Q.33:56 -- God and His Angles bless the Prophet: [hence,] O you who believe, send your blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.
Now, let us bless the Prophet:
ALLAHUMMA SUALLE ‘ALA MUHAMMADIUN WA ‘ALA AALE MUHAMMAD WA BARIK WASSALIM .


Prophet said

‘O God! Purify my heart from hypocrisy, my actions from show, my tongue from lies and my eyes from breach of trust. Surely, Thou knoweth the treacherous eyes and what breasts conceal’. – H. Tirmizi. N: Umme Ma’had.

‘…O my Sustainer! Make me, to remember Thee, to be thankful to Thee, to be devoted to Thee, obedient to Thee, humble to Thee, hopeful in Thee, repentant, off-returning (Alla-hum-maj-‘a-inni, laka zakkaran, laka shakkaran, laka rah-ha-ban, laka mitwa‘an, laka mukhbitan ilaika awwaham muneeba) - H:Tirmizi, Abu Daud, Ibn Majah. N: Ibn’Abbas.