Aqsaam (oaths) in the Qur’an are a very fascinating subject that we should study and focus on more. There are a few components needed for a qasm (oath) to occur. One of them is the harf qasm, a letter that shows there is an oath being taken.

There are a few letters in the Qur’an that are used as harf qasm, for example, Allah ta’ala says “wal ‘aadiyaati dhabhaa”. The harf qasm in this oath is the letter wow (و).

Another harf qasm which does not appear very much in the Qur’an is the letter ‘taa’ (ت). The unique aspect of this letter is that it is only used for Ismul Jalaalah. You will never see the letter ‘taa’ being used to swear by other than Allah azza wa jal.

What is the difference between the harf wow and taa?

The harf taa is only used in very unusual circumstances, while harf wow is the standard harf qasm–the one that appears most in the Qur’an, and harf wow is used to swear by things other than Allah ta’ala.

The harf taa is used in a state of strong and overwhelming emotion, such as astonishment, anger, frustration and amazement.

Harf taa appears a total of nine times in the Qur’an: twice used by Allah azza wa jal (to swear by Himself), once in the speech of Ibrahim alayhi salaam, four times used by the brothers of Yusuf alayhi salaam, and twice in the speech of people in the hereafter.

Here are some examples:

When Ibrahim alayhi salaam was so angered and upset by his people worshipping the idols, he said:

تَاللَّهِ لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَامَكُم بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّوا مُدْبِرِينَ

“by Allah! I will definitely plot a plan (to destroy) your idols after you have gone away and turned your backs.” (21:57)

When the brothers of Yusuf alayhi salaam were just shocked that their father alayhi salaam would not forget and “get over” the alleged death of their brother–in their amazement they said:

تَاللَّهِ تَفْتَأُ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّى تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الْهَالِكِينَ

“By Allah! You will never cease remembering Yusuf until you become weak with old age, or until you die!” (12:85)

The people of hell-fire, in their complete regret and anger with themselves say:

تَاللَّهِ إِن كُنَّا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ  إِذْ نُسَوِّيكُمْ بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

“By Allah! We were truly in a manifest error, when we held you (false gods) as equals with the Rabb of all that exists!” (26:97-98)

The Qur’an tells us of a future event, when a companion of Jannah begins to reminisce about a friend he had in the dunya that did not believe in the resurrection. Then a voice calls out and says:

هَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُطَّلِعُونَ

‘Will you look down? ‘ (37:54)

فَاطَّلَعَ فَرَآهُ فِي سَوَاءِ الْجَحِيمِ

“So he looked down and saw him in the midst of the fire,” (37:55)

In his gratefulness to Allah, his happiness and relief he says:

تَاللَّهِ إِنْ كِدتَّ لَتُرْدِينِ وَلَوْلَا نِعْمَةُ رَبِّي لَكُنْتُ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ

“By Allah! You have nearly ruined me! Had it not been for the Blessing of my Rabb, I would certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell).” (37:56-57)

SubhanAllah.

The two most common names for the Book of Allah are: Qur’an and Kitaab.

We learn when studying the Qur’an that even the words chosen are a revelation from Allah with divine wisdom. So, in that case, what do these two names mean and what is the difference between them?

The word ‘Qur’an’ is said to be from two roots, one of them qaaf-ra-hamza, this root qara’a means to recite. So Qur’an would be: the Recital.

On the other hand, the word ‘Kitaab’ is from kaaf-ta-ba which means something that is written.

If we look in the Qur’an, we see that Allah ta’ala uses different words to point to it:

ذَ‌ٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ

That is the book! (2:2)

إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ

Indeed this Qur’an. (27:76)

Why does Allah azza wa jal use ‘thaalika’ for Kitaab and ‘haatha’ for Qur’an?

Thaalika is a word that is used to point to something far. The meaning of kitaab again is something WRITTEN, and the Kitaab’s ultimate written location is Lawh al Mahfoodh (The Preserved Tablet) with Allah ta’ala, so Allah ta’ala uses thaalika to point to it because it is with Him above the seven heavens.

Haatha is used to point to something that is close. The meaning of Qur’an is something that is recited, the recitation is taking place HERE, so Allah ta’ala uses a closer pointing word.

How about this ayah?

وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ

and this is a Book. (6:92) Allah ta’ala uses haatha (the close pointing word) for Kitaab. This is one place in the Qur’an where Allah ta’ala uses haatha to point to the Kitaab…What’s the connection?

At the time of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, the Qur’an was not written as a book that we have nowadays…but of course Allah azza wa jal KNEW it would be in a book form one day, so He azza wa jal said: this book, pointing to it as if it was close.

But to keep the rank and status of the Qur’an, and to dispel any doubts that it was written by a man, Allah ta’ala says right after:

وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ

And this is a Book, We have sent it down. (6:92)

SubhanAllah!

“On the Day of Judgment, the Qur’an and its people who used to act by it in the world shall be brought, being lead by Surat ul-Baqarah and Al-e-Imraan, which shall be arguing on behalf of their companions.” (Reported by Muslim)

We all strive to become a companion of the Qur’an, but who are its true companions? The companions of the Qur’an are those who studied it, memorized it, implemented it and lived by it. It is not possible, in the least bit, for one to become a companion of the Qur’an and not know Arabic. Learning the language is the starting point of a life long journey with the Qur’an. Allah ta’ala chose this blessed language, as He states 11 times throughout the Qur’an: “A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail as an Arabic Qur’an, for people who know.” (41:3), “An Arabic Qur’an, without any crookedness, so that they may have Taqwa.” (39:28), “We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, in order that you may gain understanding.” (12:2).

For those who do not know the language of the Qur’an, they will be deprived of its true sweetness, of its blessings and most importantly, understanding the words of Allah ta’ala. It is a cause of much grief and sadness to know that the majority of our ummah has lost the connection with the Book of Allah because the language has been lost, as the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Allah raises up peoples by this Book, and puts down by it others.” (Saheeh Muslim) We have abandoned this book, and the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam will testify to Allah ta’ala on the day of judgment: “And the Messenger will say, O my Rabb, indeed my people deserted this Qur’an!” (25:30)

The righteous companions and scholars of the past have testified to the importance of learning this language and they themselves, who were native Arab speakers, were concerned with studying this language. Umar radi Allahu anhu said, “Learn Arabic for it is a part of your deen.” (Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, 2/207) It is also reported that Ubay ibn Ka’b radi Allahu anhu said, “Learn Arabic just as you learn to memorize the Qur’an.” (Ibn Abî Shaybah, Al-Musannaf Vol.7 p150)

Many of us want to take the proper steps to learn Arabic, but do not know where to start. What is the solution? Where do we begin? The best option is to study overseas, however many of us do not have that option to learn Arabic, so inshaAllah we’ll cover in this article some easy steps one can take to begin the process of learning Qur’anic Arabic if they cannot travel to do so.

Before these steps are mentioned, a few points need to be raised:

1. First and foremost, we have to purify our intentions for the sake of Allah ta’ala. We learned from Imam Suhaib in Sacred Scrolls that ibn Qayyim rahimahullah said the scholars and righteous of the past would always ask themselves two questions before doing a deed, one of them was “li ma?”, “for what/why?”. So ask yourself: why do you want to learn Arabic? Is it to be known by the people, to be called a student of knowledge, to speak Arabic in the masjid lobby, or is it for the sake of Allah, to understand His words and implement them? Remember that the first person thrown in hell-fire will be the scholar.
2. Seek help from Allah ta’ala Alone. Not even the greatest Arabic book or teacher can help you if Allah ta’ala does not will it for you. The believers have been given the most powerful weapon of duaa, so use it and ask Allah for assistance. “When you ask, then ask Allah, and when you seek help, then seek help in Allah.” (Tirmidhi)
3. You must remove from your mind the notion that learning Arabic is difficult…because guess what, if you think it’s difficult then it will be! Allah ta’ala states FOUR times in surah Qamar that He has made this Qur’an easy. Learning this language is indeed something great and tedious, and will need a lot of time and effort put into it, but do not set yourself up with having negative thoughts. Whenever we intend to do an action for the sake of Allah azza wa jal, we are immediately tested. Why? Because it is a purification process; fitnah literally means the act of purifying gold with fire. So these tests purify the fools gold from the real stuff. Do not get discouraged if you face difficulties, but rather remind yourself of how the gold will look after it is put through the burning flames: pure, clean and shining. Remind yourself of how sweet it will be to finally understand everything that is being recited in prayer, instead of counting how many patterns are on the masjid carpet.
4. Understand your goal, and have a clear vision. Why do you want to learn Arabic? If your goal is just to learn Arabic to speak in a modern dialect, then the Qur’an will not assist you. But if your goal is to understand the Qur’an and increase in your attachment, then learning Arabic will greatly assist you inshaAllah. We have to realize that different intentions require different approaches. Our goal for this article is to focus on Qur’anic Arabic only. The best recommendation any teacher can give you is to limit yourself to the Qur’an first. By focusing on the Qur’an, you will be able to reinforce what you have learned during salah, memorization, reviewing and reading.
5. Constantly make tawbah and refrain from sins. In the famous poem of Imam Shafi’i rahimahullah, we learn that knowledge is a light and Allah does not give this light to sinners. The Qur’an is a pure book and can only be carried in a pure container, so always purify yourself and refrain from sins so that you can retain this knowledge and increase in it.

Where do I start?

Everyone has different opinions on where to begin the journey of learning the language, so I will only mention what has helped myself and others I know and inshaAllah the discussion can continue in the comments. Learning Arabic has two main steps. Firstly, learning grammar and secondly, learning vocabulary. A student can either begin with grammar first, and then move on to vocabulary or study both at the same time.

Grammar in any language is a huge subject, and in Arabic, grammar is definitely the foundation, so it is best to study grammar with a teacher. Once a student receives a good hold of grammar, they can continue studying by themselves. If there is absolutely no way they can study with a teacher, inshaAllah I will be listing some books and resources that can be used instead. Many books that teach grammar use some hard core terminology that most of us have never even heard of, like transitive, superlative, or imperative, which can be hard for some beginner students to follow. On the bright side, once you have grammar down, everything else is easier. By learning grammar, one will be able to break down a sentence before understand what is being said…just by looking at it! This may seem odd for us English speakers, because we don’t have this in our language. Grammar, with dedication and effort, can take as little as a few months to really grasp.

Vocabulary on the other hand is long term and takes memorization, reading and researching. Realize this fact: no matter how much we study, we can never learn all the words of the Arabic language. It is next to impossible. Gaining vocabulary can be done in several ways, but the most helpful way is to read and study the Qur’an itself, and use some supplementary resources to guide you.

So now we know where to start: grammar and vocabulary.

How?

Grammar

If one is able to take local classes for grammar, then this would be the best. If not, alhamdulillah we have many resources that one can use for self-study. There is no excuse nowadays to NOT learn the Qur’an or Arabic. Even if you’re in Antarctica, if you have an internet connection, you can learn. So here are some online institutes that are available to students:

Foundation for Knolwedge and Development – Institute based in New York

Institute of the Language of the Qur’an – Institute based in Toronto (these videos are based on the first two books of the Madinah Arabic series, see next section)

Shaykh Jamaal Zarabozo’s Classes – based in California

Bayyinah Institute – Classes taught by Brother Nouman Ali Khan. MashaAllah Bayyinah is an awesome institute because brother Nouman will come to your community for 10 days and teach a crash course in 40 hours worth of basic grammar. Although he doesn’t offer beginner classes online, I strongly recommend bidding for him to come to your community if he hasn’t already inshaAllah.

Grammar Books and Resources

Books that are easy to follow that one can use for self study include (but are not limited too):

Qur’anic Language made Easy - Iffath Hasan.This book is amazingly easy to follow. It is the perfect book for everyone, especially someone who may not have a strong command in English, or for younger students. This book can definitely be used by someone who is engaging in self-study. I really love the exercises she uses because it teaches students how to use the Qur’an as their ultimate textbook. It is a great beginner book for someone who has no knowledge whatsoever of Arabic.

Access to Qur’anic Arabic – AbdulWahid Hamid. These books are used for the sister’s classes at my masjid and they are great for students of all ages. The best part is that it comes complete with audio tapes/CDs as well as workbooks.

Madinah Arabic Books – Dr. V Abdur Rahman. Personally, I have not studied from these books but I know many people who have and mashaAllah they’re very good. The only point about these books is that these books were not designed for self-study but to be taught with a teacher, so alhamdulillah the videos above are a great help to follow along with these books. There are many places where these books can be bought as well as downloaded.

Modern Standard Arabic – Peter Abboud. This is the book that is used throughout universities in America, and this is the book that Shaykh Jamaal Zarabozo uses as well. It comes in two volumes, and takes students through the ins and outs of grammar and has many exercises. However, this book has some seriously hard core vocabulary that can be difficult to follow, so a dictionary will come in handy if one decides to use these books.

A very nice website that breaks grammar down in simple terms is Arabic Tree, mashaAllah it’s awesome and is based on classes by a graduate of Madinah university.

Many students like to begin their Arabic studies with the classic texts of Arabic such as Ajarumiyyah, although they are great, they are too heavy for the modern beginner student who doesn’t have any knowledge of Arabic. InshaAllah when a student becomes more advanced in their studies, they can uses these classical texts to gain more understanding.

I would encourage students to check out these books listed above, and pick ONE that they would like to use and go through it thoroughly, instead of buying all of them and not being able to really focus. Each author/teacher has their own style of teaching, so find the style that caters to you the best and use it as your main source.

Vocabulary

Arabic vocabulary is very overwhelming, and it is important for us as students to change our mindset: instead of thinking ‘I’m going to master the whole language’, a better approach would be to have tunnel vision when it comes to vocab. Limit the amount of vocabulary you study and set realistic goals.

Remember: the Qur’an is our number one textbook, and the best one at that. Although we know there are about 2000 words in the Qur’an, the vocabulary of the Qur’an cannot be simplified –these words contain wisdom and gems that we can never enumerate or fully grasp. One of my teachers said that if someone said they completely understood the Qur’an, then they don’t know what they’re talking about. There is always something to learn from the Qur’an. This is a book full of Hikmah (wisdom), Allah says it is Al-Hakeem. Our goal is to become better students of the Qur’an, because we will never be able to derive total wisdom from it, only a few specs or drops. As br Nouman Khan mentioned: quality, when it comes to the Qur’anic vocabulary far outweighs quantity.

The best surah to gain understanding of vocabulary is Suratul Baqarah. You would think it would be logical to start with the shorter surahs of Juz ‘Amma, but actually, Juz ‘Amma is one of the hardest sections of the Qur’an, if not the hardest, when it comes to vocabulary and literary style. The first four ajzaa (plural of juz) in the Qur’an will be very helpful in gaining vocabulary.

So what are the resources needed for vocabulary?

Firstly: a good translation is needed. The best one out there is Saheeh International. You can purchase it here and read it online here. This translation is very accurate, it flows very nicely and is easy to follow and is recommended by most shuyookh and students of knowledge.

Also, I would highly recommend purchasing a word for word translation of the Qur’an. Alhamdulillah we have many variations of these translations available. The best two word for word resources would be Mohar Ali, a three set publication which can be purchased here, and even better are some free online pdfs available for download here which are also very nice, a translation of the work by Shaykh AbdulKarim Pareck. (There are even some duaas with word for word translations in this book here.)

Secondly: some good dictionaries. Alhamdulillah, there are many awesome sources available to us.

• Al-Mawrid – by Roohi al-Ba’albaki. This dictionary is great for students who are used to the English way of using a dictionary.
• The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic – This is said to be the best Arabic-English dictionary out there. The only “issue” is that the words are categorized by root words, which may be hard for a beginner to use. A student will have come a long way once a student grasps the root word system.
• Vocabulary of the Holy Qur’an – Dr. Abdullah Abbas Nadawi, this book contains the words of the Qur’an in order of roots but is easy to follow and gives basic definitions. It is a very nice resource to have alongside reading the Qur’an.
• Easy Dictionary of the Qur’an – This is a translation of the work by renowned Urdu speaking shaykh Abdul Karim Pareck. This book can also be purchased for about $10 or less, only $8 here.
• Lane’s Lexicon – Awesome, probably the best lexicon in English. It was written by a non Muslim Arabic scholar back in the 1900s and it’s more than a dictionary because he discusses roots in detail and cites examples for each connotation. Some roots go on for pages. It is available online here, and can be purchased (it’s about 8 volumes). The language is quite ancient, which can be distracting at first, but you get used to it.
• 80% of the words in the Qur’an – self-explanatory Student should memorize these word slowly, or at least use it to follow along while reading the Qur’an. It is a miracle of the Qur’an that the words repeat again and again, yet we do not tire or reading them or get bored.

I would recommend that students purchase hard copy of books versus solely relying on online books (unless you print them), because for one, it’s too much strain on the eyes to always learn from the computer and also with a hard copy, you can take your notes directly on the page as well as take it with you if you happen to travel. Not to mention you won’t be distracted by emails or IMs. Of course this is only my personal opinion, and you should do whatever suits you best inshaAllah.

The last point that needs to be mentioned is how to learn Arabic. This involves two steps:

• Analyze. Analyzing means go over the texts thoroughly, use dictionaries to gain deeper meanings of words (literary research) and making sure you have the proper understanding (tafseer) according to the scholars of Islam and not your own interpretation, and also studying a science of Arabic known as sarf (the science of morphology). A note about tafseer: studying tafseer is a lost science just as the Arabic language, because tafseer is an integral part of studying the Qur’an and is the crux of all the sciences of the Qur’an. Iyaas ibn Mu’awiyyah rahimahullah gave a beautiful parable, “The example of a people who recite the Qur’an and do not know its explanation is like a group of people who have a written message from their king that comes to them during the night, and they do not have a lamp. Therefore, they do not know what is in the message. The example of one who knows tafseer is like a person who comes to them with a lamp and reads to them what is in the message.”
  
• Memorize. Simple! It is important for students to continue with memorizing the Qur’an during their studies if they haven’t already as it gives instant review of what they learned when they recite it. Furthermore, memorizing includes memorizing basic vocabulary words, grammar terms and rules.

MashaAllah, so there you have it, an easy guide to beginning the journey of learning Qur’anic Arabic inshaAllah! Just in case you’re lost or confused, here is a short summary:

1. Work on getting a basic foundation of grammar, either through courses in your neighborhood or online classes or self-study.
2. Begin building your vocabulary. Limit yourself to the Qur’an and focus on the first four juz of the Qur’an as a starting point.
3. Analyze and memorize. Use dictionaries, works of tafseer, and other literally tools to analyze, and memorize words and terms you have learned.

Finally, here are two tips for every student of Arabic, at any level:

1- Motivation. If you lose your motivation to learn this language, then you will get nowhere. Period. It is very easy to become de-motivated when learning, so what’s the remedy? Turn to the Qur’an as your source of motivation.

2- Tunnel Vision. Arabic is a massive language which can be overwhelming and there is always something to learn. So as a student of this language, do NOT look at what you still need to learn, but focus on your lesson at the moment. Br Nouman gave the example of a student memorizing the Qur’an: if he is only on page 5 of Suratul Baqarah, and then he starts flipping through the other 600 and some pages left in the mushaf…how will he feel? Motivation wil disappear, and he thinks he can’t do it. So steer clear of these thoughts, don’t worry about what you don’t know, worry about what you do know. Everything else will come in due time inshaAllahu ta’ala.

InshaAllah with the help of Allah, by taking these steps, you can begin understanding the words of your Rabb and you’ll never want to go back! If you follow these steps NOW, inshaAllah by next Ramadaan you will be tasting the sweetness of the Qur’an and will be crying with the imaam, instead of wondering what he’s crying about.

As a last and final reminder for myself and you, I would like to mention the ayah that is repeated four times in surah Qamar–FOUR times:

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ

We have indeed made this Qur’an an easy remembrance, so there is any to remember? (54:17) Think about it. Seriously.

Please forgive me for anything wrong I have said, and all good is from Allah and for Him is all thanks and praise.

Please feel free, if you found this beneficial, to share it with anyone inshaAllah and post it anywhere. All I ask is that you include the above ‘disclaimer’ as an important note. Jazakum Allahu khayran.

I ask Allah ta’ala to make us companions of the Qur’an, and to return us to learning its language, and not make us among those who abandon it. Ameen.

Ar-Rahman: The Entirely Merciful, Ar-Raheem: The Especially Merciful

Both of the names Rahman and Raheem come from the root Ra-ha-meem (ر ح م), these names are similar so they require a parallel explanation. What is Rahmah? Rahmah is mercy. In the dictionary it means: compassion, kindness and gentleness. Also when a person is kind, compassionate and tenderhearted towards the other. So Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem: The One who has a lot of Rahmah, The One who shows a lot of rahmah, He expresses a lot of Rahmah. There are two Names of Allah with the same root, to emphasize that Allah is really the MOST Merciful, there is no one else who is more merciful than Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Ar-Rahman is structure of fa’laan, Ar-Raheem is structure of fa’eel. They both have mubaalaghah (intensification). What is the difference? Rahman has more mubaalagah (intensification) than Raheem. So ar Rahmaan indicates the One who has extensive and great mercy. Who is Ar Raheem then? He is the One who has extensive and great mercy but He expresses it on the ones whom He chooses. So Ar-Rahman extends to all of His creation including disbelievers, and Ar-Raheem extends to Allah’s special mercy only for the believers.

Examples from the Qur’an

20: 5->Ar Rahman ‘alal ‘arsh istawaa’. The Most Merciful, upon the throne He rose. He established His throne and showed Mercy towards all His creation.

55:1-5->  Ar Rahman, Who is He? ‘alamal Qur’an, He taught the Qur’an,  khalaqal insaan and He created mankind. This mercy is not just for the believers, but for everyone (insaan).

Raheem only to the believers: 33:43-> wa kaana bil mu’mineena raheema. One who is especially merciful to the believers.

2:37-> Innahu huwa at-Tawwaabur Raheem. Indeed He is the Greatest Acceptor of Repentance, the especially Merciful. Tawwaab is for those who turn to Allah, ie the believers.

Combinations of these Names:

These Names appear many times together. First example, the basmalah, and second verse of Fatihah. They appear together to express a lot of Mercy, Allah is the One who is  THE MOST Merciful.

When we look at Ar-Raheem, it appears with other Names:

At-Tawwaabur Raheem, Ar-Raoufur Raheem, Ghafoorur Raheem, Al-Azeezur Raheem (surah Shu’ara). Remember His mercy, but also remember His might.

Ar-Rahman

Appeared many times in surah Maryam and Furqan. Why so many times? These surahs were makkee surahs and they were introductions to the deen, so one of the first ways of how Allah Introduces Himself is by which attribute? The attribute of Rahmah, which is why the Qur’an opens up with these Attributes as well (Basmalah and Faatihah). Why, what’s so important about them? First of all, when people learn about Allah, they shouldn’t learn He is the One who puts them into hellfire but that Allah is Ready to accept people and forgive people. This is why messengers are basheerun (giver of glad tidings) and natheer (warner). Of the first ways to introduce Allah ta’ala in da’wah is by His Mercy. Specifically for the believers, they should remember His Mercy then they should abstain from wrong actions. Think: ‘If Allah is SO Merciful to me, why should I disobey Him and do wrong? Allah is so Rahman and I am so disobedient.’ The siffah (characteristic) of Rahman and Raheem remind the believers that they should remain firm on Allah’s Obedience. Allah is So Merciful, So kind towards you, so why won’t you obey Him?

A Hadeeth in Bukhari states: “Verily Allah created Mercy. The day He created it, He made it into one hundred parts. He withheld with Him ninety-nine parts, and sent its one part to all His creatures.” Allah has saved the 99 parts for His true believers on the day of judgment, that is when Allah will be ar Raheem. Allah will say to the disbelievers: do not even speak to Me, remain in hell-fire (23:108). Why? Because they do not deserve the rahmah of Allah.   So if a person does not not benefit from His Mercy in this world, they do not receive in the aakhirah. To benefit is not to just receive it in this world, but to accept the guidance and stay away from disobedience.

How to Receive Allah’s Special Mercy?

We know that Allah ta’ala Name’s Ar-Raheem is specifically for the believers, so how is it that one can receive this special Mercy from ar Raheem?

• Obedience to Allah and His Messenger. “and obey Allah and His Messenger so that you all may receive Mercy.” [3:132]
• Taqwa of Allah ta’ala, fear and consciousness of Allah. “And this is a book, We have sent it down as one blessed, so follow it and fear Allah so that you all may receive Mercy.” [6:155]  Similarly Allah says: “and My Mercy encompasses all things, so soon I will write it for those who have taqwa.” [7:156]
• Doing ihsaan (utmost good) towards Allah and the creation. “Indeed the Mercy of Allah is near to those who do utmost good.” [7:156]
• Praying four rak’aat before ‘Asr prayer. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “May Allah have mercy on one who prays 4 raka’aat before the ‘Asr Prayer.” Narrated by at-Tirmidhi no. 395 and he declared it a hassan, Al-Albany rated the Hadith as hassan in Sahih al-Jami’ No. 3493.
• Listening to the Qur’an attentively and remaining silent. “And when the Quran is recited, listen to it with attention, that you may receive Mercy.” [7:204]
• Having rahmah towards the creation of Allah. A hadith in Musnad Ahmad states, “Show mercy so that you may be shown mercy, forgive and Allah will forgive you.” There is another hadith narrated in Sunan Abi Dawood that states, “The merciful will be give mercy by the Most Merciful. Have mercy to those on earth and the one in the heavens will have mercy upon you.”  Also Allah ta’ala says in the Qur’an, Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?  [24:22] So if you want mercy, you want knowledge of the Qur’an, you want Jannah, you want Guidance? Show mercy to others.

May Allah ta’ala shower His mercy upon us, Ameen.

In one of the most beautiful beginnings of the Qur’an, Allah ta’ala starts surah Saad with a powerful reminder. He says:

ص ۚ وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ

Saad. And by the Qur’an, full of dhikr! [Surah Saad, verse 1]

This ayah begins with a letter, which are known as: huroof muqatta’aat, the disjointed letters. There are many opinions as to what these letters mean, but the greatest and strongest opinion is that none but Allah ta’ala knows their meanings. But why do some surahs start with these letters, if no one knows the meaning? One reason is that it is for emphasis, and astonishment: here are letters from your own language, yet you cannot produce anything similar to it!

So this surah, with the first letter, has already set the tone with a powerful beginning. Then Allah ta’ala says: “and by the Qur’an, full of dhikr!” If you notice the letter ‘wow’, it shows that Allah is swearing and taking an oath by the Qur’an which is called a ‘qasm’ in Arabic, which is why the translation is “and by”.

What is this Qur’an? ذِي الذِّكْرِdhi dhikr, full of dhikr. the word ‘dhi’ means possessor, one that contains, one that owns something. So what does the Qur’an own, contain and possess? adh-Dhikr. This is one of the names of the Qur’an, and gives multiple interpretations. There is a reason why this word has not be translated yet in this post, it is because this word in this context has several meanings:

1. Firstly, dhikr here means “tadhkeer” (تذكير), a reminder. What does the Qur’an remind of? It reminds us of reality of life and of our duties and obligations.
2. Secondly, dhikr here means “maw’idhah” (موعظة), admonition. A maw’idhah is an advice or instruction, but not just any advice, this advice is effective and pushes a person to do good deeds and to abstain from disobedience.
3. Thirdly, dhikr here means a bayyaan (بيان) ‘a mention, explanation’. What does the Qur’an mention? The nations of the past, ahkaam (rulings) and future events as well.
4. Lastly, dhikr here means sharaf (شرف), honor. The Qur’an, by its mention, is a source of honor for those who accept. The one who mentions the Qur’an is honored as well as the Qur’an itself is honorable.

So this Qur’an is dhi dhikr: possessor and owner of reminder, admonition, advice and honor. SubhanAllah, absolute completeness. This ayah is a response to the pagans of Makkah who said, we wish we had a dhikr from the former people! Allah responds, this is the Qur’an, dhi dhikr.

Have you sought out the dhikr today? May Allah ta’ala make us companions of the Qur’an, Ameen.

and Allah ta’ala knows best.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the Qur’an,

“(This is) a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, so that they may ponder over its verses, and that men of understanding may remember.” Surah Saad: verse 29.
(linguistic explanation of the word yaddabaroo is in the comments)

It is the science of tafseer which is the fruit of ‘pondering over its verses’. Tafseer comes from the root letters fa seen ra, or fassara and means to explain, to discover, elucidate, to disclose (a hidden thing), and to interpret. In Uloom al-Qur’an (the sciences of the Qur’an), tafseer is defined to be, “the science by which the Qur’an is understood, its meanings explained, and its rulings derived.” It is the crux of Uloom al-Qur’an, even though Uloom al-Qur’an comprises many other branches.

Many Muslims assume that learning the science of tafseer is not part of learning the Qur’an, when in fact tafseer is crucial to properly understanding the Qur’an itself. Without knowledge of tafseer, we can easily misunderstand the Qur’an. The science of tafseer is meant to explain to mankind the Book that has been revealed to them from Allah.

Imam as-Suyooti gives three simple reasons on why tafseer is important:

1) Allah uses the most clear, eloquent and concise language, and in doing so the meaning is clear to those who are well-grounded in the Arabic language, but not so clear to those who are not.

2) The Qur’an does not always mention the events or references for which each verse was revealed, but these must be known for the verse to be fully understood.

3) Some words may have multiple meanings, and it is the job of the person who does tafseer to explain what is meant by the word.

Many scholars of the past shed light on the importance of tafseer as well. My favorite parable was given by Iyaas ibn Mu’aawiyah who said,

“The example of a people who recite the Qur’an and do not know its explanation is like a group of people who have a written message from their king that comes to them during the night, and they do not have a lamp. Therefore, they do not know what is in the message. The example of one who knows tafseer is like a person who comes to them with a lamp and reads to them what is in the message.”

Sa’eed ibn Jubayr also said, “Whoever recites the Qur’an and does not explain it, is like an ignorant person.” Also Imam Suyooti, author of the monumental work in Uloom al-Quran al-Itqaan says,

(The science of tafseer) is the most honorable of all sciences for three reasons. The first reason is with respect to its topic. It deals with the Speech of Allah, which contains every kind of wisdom and virtue. It contains pronouncements about what has passed, reports of what will happen and judgments concerning what happens between people. Its wonders never cease. The second reason is with respect to its goal. Its goal is to lead mankind to the firm Handhold of Allah, and to the true happiness, one that does not end. The third reason is with respect to the great need for this science. Every aspect of this religion and this world, in the near or distant future, is in need of the sciences of the sharee’ah and knowledge of the religion, and this knowledge can only be obtained through the understanding of the Book of Allah.

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, in his book An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an, gives a beautiful parable on the relationship between Qur’an and tafseer. He says,

“the Qur’an is like a treasure trapped in a glass receptacle; mankind can view and benefit from this treasure, but they are in need of tafseer, for tafseer acts like the key that unlocks the treasure, so that mankind can benefit from it to the greatest possible extent.”

Yasir Qadhi. Lecture. AlMaghrib Institute. Route 114.

Yasir Qadhi. An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an. Hidaya Publishers.

In ayah 64, He describes these “slaves” by saying:

This is translated as: those who spend the night before their Lord, prostrating (in sujood) and standing.

Tafsir ibn Kathir explains this ayah, and compares it to ayahs 17-18 from Suratuth-Thaariyaat (Surah 51):

Translation: They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allah) and praying, with fear and hope]. And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allah) for forgiveness. [Surah Ath-Thaariyaat] (translated by Muhsin Khan).

Ibn Kathir explains that this is a “good act” that the Muhsinun (good-doers) perform. [1]

According to a footnote in the The Noble Qur’an: English Translation of the meanings and commentary, Tafsir Al-Qurtubi states:

Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه‏) said: “Whoever prayed two rak’at or more after the ‘Isha (night) prayer, will be considered like those mentioned in this verse [i.e. V.25:64].” And Al-Kalbi said: “Whosoever prayed two rak’at after the Maghrib (evening) prayer, and four rak’at after the ‘Isha (night) prayer will be considered like those mentioned in this verse.”

SubhanAllah, I imagine most people probably already pray at least two ruk’as after Maghrib and three after ‘Isha (two ruk’as sunnah and then one for witr), so all that remains is two more ruk’ah! Just two more ruk’ah to qualify under one of the acts performed by the muhsinoon? Under the criteria presented by Ibn ‘Abbas and Al-Kalbi (رضي الله عنهما‏) it seems the answer is YES, wallahu ta’aala a’alem (and Allah, exalted is He, knows best)!

Just two more ruk’ah every night—By the permission of Allah, let’s make it a habit for His sake!

May He make us of the Muhsinun and those with whom He is well pleased. Ameen!

Ibn Kathir. “Tafsir Ibn Kathir.” Quran Tafsir. 28 June 2008 <http://qtafsir.com/>.

Khan, Muhsin, trans. “Qur’an.” Islamic Network. 28 June 2008 <http://www.searchquran.net>.

Dr. Al-Hilali and Dr. Muhsin Khan. The Noble Qur’an: English Translation of the meanings and commentary.

[1] The “Muhsinun” are identified in ayahs 15-16 of the same surah (Surah 51). The ayahs are translated as: “Verily, the Muttaqun (pious – see V.2:2) will be in the midst of hardens and springs (in Paradise), taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinun (good-doers – see V.2:112).”