Religion of Islam

1. T H E O P E N I N G

This sura is seen to be a precise table of contents of the Qur'anic message. It is very important in Islamic worship, being an obligatory part of the daily prayer, repeated several times during the day.

' I n the name of God, the Lord of Mercy," the Giverb of Mercy![ 'Praise belongs to God, Lordd of the world^,^ the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy, 4Master of the Day of Judgement. It is You we worship; it is You we ask for help. 6Guide us to the straight path: 'the path of those You have blessed, those who incur no angerf and who have not gone astray.

Most occurrences of this term rahman in the Qur'an are in the context of Him being mighty and majestic as well as merciful. T h e addition of the word 'Lord' here is intended to convey this aspect of the term.

This term rahim is an intensive form suggesting that the quality of giving mercy is inherent in God's nature.

I This is the only instance where this formula, present at the start of every sura but one. is counted as the first numbered verse.

" T h e Arabic root r-b-b has connotations of caring and nurturing in addition to lordship, and this should be borne in mind wherever the term occurs and is rendered 'lord'.

A/-'alamin in Arabic means all the worlds, of mankind, angels, animals, plants, this world, the next, and so forth.

1 ' Note that the verb here is not attributed to God.

28 The Qur'an 2: 241

almighty and wise. 2 4 1 D i ~ ~ r c e d women shall also have such mainten- ance as is considered fair: this is a duty for those who are mindful of God. 2421n this way God makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may grow in understanding.

243 [Prophet], consider those people who abandoned their home- ..

land in fear of death," even though there were thousands of them. God said to them, 'Die!' and then brought them back to life again; God shows real favour to people, but most of them are ungrateful. 244Fightb in God's cause and remember that He is all hearing and all knowing. 245 Who will give God a good loan, which He will increase for him many times over? It is God who withholds and God who gives abundantly, and it is t o Him that you will return.

246[Prophet], consider the leaders of the Children of Israel who came after Moses, when they said to one of their prophets, 'Set up a king for us and we shall fight in God's cause.' H e said, 'But could it be that you would not fight, if it were ordained for you?' They said, 'How could we not fight in God's cause when we and our children have been driven out of our homeland?' Yet when they were com- manded to fight, all but a few of them turned away: God has full knowledge of those who do wrong. 247Their prophet said to them, 'God has now appointed Talutc to be your king,' but they said, 'How can he be king over us when we have a greater right to rule than he? He does not even have great wealth.' H e said, 'God has chosen him over you, and has given him great knowledge and stature. God grants His authority to whoever He pleases: God is magnanimous, all knowing.' '"'Their prophet said to them, 'The sign of his author- ity will be that the Ark [of the Covenant] will come to you. I n it there will be [the gift of] tranquillity from your Lord and relics of the followers of Moses and Aaron, carried by the angels. There is a sign in this for you if you believe.'

249 When Talut set out with his forces, he said to them, 'God will test you with a river. Anyone who drinks from it will not belong with me, but anyone who refrains from tasting it will belong with me; if he scoops up just one handful [he will be excused].' But they all drank [deep] from it, except for a few. When he crossed it with those

See verse 246 below. b After dealing with marital issues, the Qur'an returns to the question of warfare.

The Arabic name for Saul.

2: 257 The COD 29

who had kept faith, theyu said, 'We have no strength today against Goliath and his warriors.' But those who knew that they were going to meet their Lord said, 'How often a small force has defeated a large army with God's permission! God is with those who are steadfast.' 250And when they met Goliath and his warriors, they said, 'Our Lord, pour patience on us, make us stand firm, and help us against the disbelievers,' '"and so with God's permission they defeated them. David killed Goliath, and God gave him sovereignty and wis- dom and taught him what He pleased. If God did not drive some back by means of others the earth would be completely corrupt, but God is bountiful to all.

252These are the revelations of God which We recite to you [Muhammad] with the truth, and you truly are one of the messen- gers. 253 We favoured some of these messengers above others. God spoke to some; others He raised in rank; We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Our clear signs and strengthened him with the holy spirit. If God had so willed, their successors would not have fought each other after they had been brought clear signs. But they disagreed: some believed and some disbelieved. If God had so willed, they would not have fought each other, but God does what H e will.

2 5 4 Y o ~ who believe, give from what We have provided for you, before the Day comes when there is no bargaining, no friendship, and no intercession. It is the disbelievers who do wrong.@30d: f- there is no god but Him, the Ever Living, the Ever WatchfuLb Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. All that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Him. Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His leave? H e knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they do not comprehend any of His knowledge except what He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth; it does not weary Him to preserve them both. He is the Most High, the Tremendous. //

256There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever rejects false gods and believes in God has grasped the firmest hand-hold, one that will never break. God is all hearing and all knowing. 257God is the ally of those who believe: H e brings them out of the depths of darkness and into the light. As

if Those who had drunk the water or some of the few who went with Talut. Cf. 13: 33.

310 The Qur'an 41: 45

Qur'an, they would have said, 'If only its verses were clear! What? Foreign speech to an Arab?' Say, 'It is guidance and healing for those who have faith, but the ears of the disbelievers are heavy, they are blind to it, it is as if they are being called from a distant place.' 45 We gave the Scripture to Moses but disputes arose about it-if it were not for a decree that had already been issued, they would already have been judged-and still they are doubtful and suspicious of it.

*Whoever does good does it for his own soul and whoever does evil does it against his own soul: your Lord is never unjust to His creatures. 47Knowledge of the Hour belongs solely to Him and no fruit comes out of its sheath, nor does any female conceive or give birth, without His knowledge. On the Day H e asks them, 'Where are My partners?' they will answer, 'We admit to You that none of us can see [them]': 4sthe gods they invoked before will have vanished away; they will know that there is no escape.

49Man never tires of asking for good, but if evil touches him he loses all hope and becomes despondent. 'O Whenever We let him taste some of Our mercy after he has been afflicted, he is sure to say, 'This is all my own doing: I do not think the Hour will ever come, but even if I were to be taken back to my Lord, the best reward would await me with Him.' We shall most certainly inform the disbelievers of what they have done and give them a taste of severe punishment. 'I Whenever We are gracious to man, he goes away haughtily, but, as soon as evil touches him, he turns to prolonged prayer. 52Say [Prophet], 'Have you ever thought, what if this revelation really is from God and you still reject it? Who could be more astray than someone who cuts himself off so far [from God]?' 53 We shall show them Our signs in every region of the earth and in themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord witnesses everything? S 4 T r ~ l y , they doubt that they will meet their Lord; truly H e encompassesu everything.

This is muhit, a metaphor in Arabic for having full knowledge and full power over everything.

A Meccan sura that takes its name from verse 38, where the practice of consultation (shura) is listed as one characteristic of the Muslim community. The sura discusses man i habit of creating division and disharmony in matters of religion, and God's all-prevailing power, wisdom, and final decision. The unity of religion is stressed (verse 13) as is the continuity of the prophets (verse 3 ) . The Prophet is reminded that he cannot compel people to believe, that they mill be judged according to their deeds, and that he is only there to deliver the message. The nature of revelation is described in verses 51-3.

In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy

Ha Mim 2 y n Sin Qaf

3This is how God, the Mighty, the Wise, sends revelation to you [Prophet] as H e did to those before you. 4All that is in the heavens and earth belongs to Him: H e is the Exalted, the Almighty. ' T h e heavens are almost broken apart from above as the angels proclaim the praises of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. God is indeed the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. 6As for those who take protectors other than Him, God is watching them; you are not responsible for them.

7So We have revealed an Arabic Qur'an to you, in order that you may warn the capital citya and all who live nearby. And warn [espe- cially] about the Day of Gathering, of which there is no doubt, when some shall be in the Garden and some in the blazing Flame. If God had so pleased, H e could have'made them a single community, but H e admits to His mercy whoever H e will; the evildoers will have no one to protect or help them. 'How can they take protectors other than Him? God alone is the Protector; H e gives life to the dead; H e has power over all things. ''Whatever you may differ about is for God to judge. [Say], 'Such is God, my Lord. In Him I trust and to Him I turn, ' I the Creator of the heavens and earth.' H e made mates for you from among yourselves-and for the animals too-so that

Literally 'the mother of cities', Mecca.

312 The Qur'an 42: 12

you may multiply. There is nothing like Him: He is the All Hearing, the All Seeing. 12The keys of the heavens and the earth are His; He provides abundantly or sparingly for whoever H e will; He has full knowledge of all things.

131n matters of faith, He has laid down for you [people] the same commandment that He gave Noah, which We have revealed to you [Muhammad] and which We enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus: 'Uphold the faith and do not divide into factions within it'- what you [Prophet] call upon the idolaters to do is hard for them; God chooses whoever He pleases for Himself and guides towards Himself those who turn to Him. 14They divided, out of rivalry, only after knowledge had come to them, and, if it had not been for a decree already passed by your Lord to reprieve them until an appointed time, they would already have been judged. Those after them, who inherited the Scripture, are in disquieting doubt about it. lSSo [Prophet] call people to that faith and follow the straight path as you have been commanded. D o not go by what they desire, but say, 'I believe in whatever Scripture God has sent down. I am com- manded to bring justice between you. God is our Lord and your

a

Lord-to us our deeds and to you yours, so let there be no argument between us and you-God will gather us together, and to Him we shall return.' 16As for those who argue about God after H e has been a ~ k n o w l k d ~ e d , their argument has no weight with their Lord: anger. will fall upon them and agonizing torment awaits them. 171t is God who has sent down the Scripture with Truth and the Balance. " How can you [Prophet] tell? T h e Last Hour may well be near: "those who do not believe in it seek to hasten it, but the believers s'tand in awe of it. They know it to be the Truth; those who argue about the Hour are far, far astray.

19God is most subtle towards His creatures; H e provides [bounti- fully] for whoever H e will; He is the Powerful, the Almighty. 201f anyone desires a harvest in the life to come, We shall increase it for him; if anyone desires a harvest in this world, We shall give him a share of it, but in the Hereafter he will have no share. How can they believe in others who ordain for them things which God has not sanctioned in the practice of their faith? If it were not for God's

" The balance of justice and of nature; cf. verse 27.

42: 36 Consultation 313

decree concerning the final Decision, judgement would already have been made between them. T h e evildoers will have a grievous punishment-22you will see them fearful because of what they have done: punishment is bound to fall on them-but those who believe and do good deeds will be in the flowering meadows of the Gardens. They will have whatever they wish from their Lord: this is the great bounty; 23 it is of this that God gives good news to His servants who believe and do good deeds.

Say [Prophet], 'I ask no reward from you for this, only the affec- tion due to kin.'" If anyone does good, We shall increase it for him; God is most forgiving and most appreciative. 24How can they say, 'He has invented a lie about God'? If God so willed, H e could seal your heart and blot out lies: God confirms the Truth with His words. He has full knowledge of what is in the h e a ~ - t - ~ ~ i t is He who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons bad deeds-He knows everything you do. 26He responds to those who believe and do good deeds, and gives them more of His bounty; agonizing torment awaits the disbelievers. 271f God were to grant His plentiful provision to [all] His creatures, they would act insolently on earth, but He sends down in due measure whatever He will, for He is well aware of His servants and watchful over them: 28it is He who sends rain after they have lost hope, and spreads His mercy far and wide. He is the Protector, Worthy of All Praise.

29Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and all the living creatures He has scattered throughout them: He has the power to gather them all together whenever He will. 30Whatever misfortune befalls you [people], it is because of what your own hands have done-God forgives much-31 you cannot escape Him anywhere on earth: you have no protector or helper other than God. 3 2 A m ~ n g His signs are the ships, sailing like floating mountains: 33 if He willed, He could bring the wind to a standstill and they would lie motion- less on the surface of the sea-there truly are signs in this for anyone who is steadfast and t h a n k f ~ l - ~ ~ o r H e could cause them to be wrecked on account of what their passengers have done-God pardons to let those who argue about Our messages know that there is no escape for them.

36 What you have been given is only the fleeting enjoyment of this

" Or 'I only do this out of affection for you as kin!'

314 The Qur'an 42: 37

world. Far better and more lasting is what God will give to those who believe and trust in their Lord; 37who shun great sins and gross indecencies; who forgive when they are angry; 3srespond to their Lord and keep up the prayer; conduct their affairs by mutual consult- ation; give to others out of what We have provided for them; 39and defend themselves when they are oppressed. 'OLet harm be requited by an equal harm, though anyone who forgives and puts things right will have his reward from God Himself-He does not like those who do wrong. 41There is no cause to act against anyone who defends himself after being wronged, 42 but there is cause to act against those who oppress people and transgress in the land against all justice- they will have an agonizing punishment-43though if a person is patient and forgives, this is one of the greatest things.

"Anyone God allows to stray will have no one else to protect him: you [Prophet] will see the wrongdoers, when they face the punish- ment, exclaiming, 'Is there any way of going back?' 4 S Y o ~ will see them exposed to the Fire, abject in humiliation, glancing furtively while those who believed exclaim, 'The losers are the ones who have lost themselves and their people on the Day of Resurrection.' Truly the evildoers will remain in lasting torment; 46 they will have no allies to help them against God; there is no way [forward] for those God allows to stray.

47 SO [people] respond to your Lord before there comes a Day that cannot, against God's will, be averted-you will have no refuge on that Day, and no possibility of denying [your sins]. If they still turn away [remember that] 48We have not sent you [Prophet] to be their keeper: your only duty is to deliver the message. When We give man a taste of Our mercy, he rejoices in it, but if some harm befalls him on account of what he has done with his own hands, then he is ungrateful. 49God has control of the heavens and the earth; He cre- ates whatever He will-He grants female offspring to whoever H e will, ''male to whoever He will, or both male and female, and He makes whoever He will barren; He is all knowing and all powerful.

511t is not granted to any mortal that God should speak to him except through revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal by His command what H e will: H e is exalted and wise. 52So We have revealed a spirita to you [Prophet] by O u r

A life-giving message.

42: 53 Consultation 31.5

command: you knew neither the Scripture nor the faith, but We made it a light, guiding with it whoever We will of Our servants. You give guidance to the straight path, S3the path of God, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and earth: truly everything will return to God.

98. C L E A R E V I D E N C E

A Medinan sura that takes its title from the clear evidence demanded b y the disbelievers before they will believe. I t spells out the basic tenets of faith, and contrasts the Fire of Hell with the lasting bliss that will be enjoyed by the faithful.

In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy

' T h e disbelievers-those of the People of the Book who disbelieve and the idolaters-were not about to change their ways until they were sent clear evidence, Z a messenger from God, reading out pages [blessed with] purity, 'containing true scriptures. 4Those who were given the Scripture became divided only after they were sent this clear evidence, though all they were ordered to do was worship God alone, sincerely devoting their religion to Him as people of true faith, keep u p the prayer, and pay the prescribed alms, for that is the . true religion. 'jThe disbelievers-those of the People of the Book who disbelieve and the idolaters-will have the Fire of Hell, there to remain for ever. They are the worst of creation.

7Those who believe and do good deeds are the best of creation. 8Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of everlasting bliss graced with flowing streams. God is well pleased with them and they with Him. All this is for those who stand in awe of their Lord.

CG T H E E A R T H Q U A K E A Medinan sura, one o f a series of suras that deal with scenes from the D a y o f Judgement. Compare Suras 81, 82, r or, and others.

In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy

'When the earth is shaken violently in its [last] quaking, 2when the earth throws out its b ~ r d e n s , ~ when man cries, 'What is happening to it?'; 40n that Day, it will tell all Sbecause your Lord will inspire it [to do so]. ' j 0 n that Day, people will come forward in separate groups to be shown their deeds: whoever has done an atom's-weight of good will see it, whoever has done an atom's-weight of evil will see that.

This refers to the dead being thrown out of their graves.

100. T H E CHARGING STEEDS

A n early Meccan sura in which God swears by the warhorses He has subjected to man's use4 that man as ungrateful and masguided.

In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy

'By the charging steeds that pant 2and strike sparks with their hooves, who make dawn raids, raising a cloud of dust, 'and plunging into the midst of the enemy, 6man is ungrateful to his Lord-7and He is wimess to thisb-' he is truly excessive in his love of wealth.

9Does he not know that when the contents of graves burst forth, ''when the secrets of men's hearts are uncovered, on that Day, l ' their Lord will be fully aware of them all?

' cf. 36: 71-2; 43: 12-13. Or man will by his own actions be a wimess against himself on the Day of .

Judgement.

@ T H E CRASHING BLOW

A Meccan sura which gives some scenes from the Resurrection and3udgement.

In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy

'The Crashing Blow! ZWhat is the Crashing Blow? 3What will explain to you what the Crashing Blow is? 4 0 n a Day when people will be like scattered moths 'and the mountains like tufts of wool, 6the one whose good deeds are heavy on the scales 7will have a pleasant life, 'but the one whose good deeds are light 9will have the Bottomless Pit for his h ~ m e ~ - ' ~ w h a t will explain to you what that is?--" a blazing fire.

a Literally 'his mother is the bottomless pit'.

PURITY [ O F FAITH]

This sura is unusual in having as its title a term not mentioned in the body of the sura. Ikhlas conveys the meaning of sincerity in one's religion and total dedication to the One true God. Because of the importance of this theme in Islam, the Prophet said that this sura, despite its brevity, was equal to one-third of the Qur'an.

In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy

'Say, 'He is God the One, 2God the eternal. " 3 H e fathered no one nor was He fathered. *NO one is comparable to Him.'

Samad: other commonly held interpretations include 'self-sufficient' and 'sought by all' (Razi).

1 1 3 . D A Y B R E A K

A Meccan sura used as an invocation against evil.

In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy

'Say [Prophet], 'I seek refuge with the Lord of daybreak 'against the evil in what H e has created, the evil in the night when darkness gathers, 'the evil in witches when they blow on knots," evil in the envier when he envies.'

a Said to be a means of practising witchcraft and casting spells.