Surah Qaf Ayat 1 – 5

Surah Qaf - part 1 Sister Eman al Obaid www.alhudasisters.wordpress.com

You need to prepare your heart for Ramadhan – Ramadhan is a guest so we need to receive it and prepare for it. Preparation is not to fill our fridges. Preparation is to fill our hearts with the proper provision. The sahabah started preparing 6 months before Ramadhan.

You need to ponder upon the Qur’an – it is a cure for the heart and gives life to the heart. We need At Tadabbur – to read, understand and ponder upon the Qur’an. What is the impact on me? Go over the ayah and think about how does this ayah impact on me? It should affect your heart, affect your utterances, affect your limbs, affect your life.

When your heart is filled with Allah subhana wa ta'ala ’s love you want more and more of the Qur’an, it is never enough because Allah subhana wa ta'ala is talking to me.

Surah Qaf is a Mekkan surah – they are the shorter surah’s about the kuffar, the right and wrong.

Hadith: 'Amra daughter of Abd al-Rahman reported on the authority of the sister of Amra, I memorised (surah) qaf=surah l.):" By the glorious Qur'an" from the mouth of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on Friday for he recited it on the pulpit on-every Friday. (Book #004, Hadith #1892)

During the time of the Prophet ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam the believers were hearing surah Qaf weekly and enjoying it. The more you know, the more you read the Qur’an, the more Allah subhana wa ta'ala opens for you.

Hadith: Jabir b. Samura reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite in the morning prayer" qaf. By the Glorious Qur’an." and his prayer afterward shortened. (Book #004, Hadith #0923)

Surah Qaf is the start of Juz Mufassal – the long surah are at the beginning of the Qur’an, the medium length surah’s are in the middle. Juz Mafassal is from surah Qaf to Surah al Nas. It is best to start the tafsir of the Qur’an from Surah Qaf. Among all the other books Allah subhana wa ta'ala revealed, all their meaning is in the Qur’an. The meaning of the whole Qur’an is in Juz Mufassal. The meaning of the whole Qur’an can be found in surah Al Fatihah.

Iyyaka na’badu wa’iyyaka nasta’een. 1:5 It is You we worship and You we ask for help.

Sister Eman recites the whole surah: You are wondering why I recited the whole surah. When you know the meaning your reaction is different when you don’t know the meaning so I will recite the whole surah again when we finish the tafsir.

1 Surah Qaf Ayat 1 – 5

Qaf – Huruf-e-Muqatta'at – letters at the beginning of certain surah’s. They are letters by themselves. The Arabic language consists of these letters. The letters of the Qur’an are from your own language, the Arabic language but Allah subhana wa ta'ala is challenging people to bring something like the Qur’an. No one is able to do that.

Another explanation of these letters is that some people did not want to hear the Qur’an so to get their attention Allah subhana wa ta'ala started some surah with these letters.

Any surah which starts with the Huruf-e-Muqatta'at Allah subhana wa ta'ala immediately tells you about the Qur’an. In this ayah Allah subhana wa ta'ala swears by the glorious Qur’an. Allah subhana wa ta'ala swears by one of His Attributes, the Qur’an is one of Allah subhana wa ta'ala ’s Attributes, Kalamullah, Allah subhana wa ta'ala spoke. Allah subhana wa ta'ala is able to swear with anything, with one of His creation, with Himself and by His Attributes.

Human beings, believers are not allowed to swear by anything other than Allah subhana wa ta'ala or by one of Allah subhana wa ta'ala ’s Names or Attributes.

This Qur’an – derived from qara, to recite. Qur’an means being recited. Another meaning is jam’a, to collect. The Qur’an is being recited and collected. The Qur’an is collected as it was not revealed as a whole book.

2 Surah Qaf Ayat 1 – 5

Al majid – Allah subhana wa ta'ala describes the Qur’an as the Glorious Qur’an. This is also one of Allah subhana wa ta'ala ’s names. Allah subhana wa ta'ala spoke and talked with the Qur’an so the word of Allah subhana wa ta'ala is glorious. The Qur’an is the greatest, most glorious and exalted book, and the one taking, reading and studying the Qur’an, Allah subhana wa ta'ala will honour him.

When you listen to the Qur’an, ponder upon the Qur’an you need to feel Allah subhana wa ta'ala ’s bounties and blessings. You need to be grateful to Allah subhana wa ta'ala to be in this situation. What we are studying is glorious so we say ‘AlhamduliLlah’.

The Qur’an overcomes all other books. People have knowledge of other books but when they read the Qur’an they are not convinced. They are more convinced by books written by people. The believer - When I read the Qur’an I don’t need any proof from anywhere else.

The Glorious Qur’an – glorious because it is Kalamullah and because of it’s vast meaning, and because of the depth of meaning that you can find in the Qur’an. One word has many meanings, one ayah has so many impacts. And you can obtain blessings when you read the Qur’an, when you recite the Qur’an when you ponder upon the Qur’an, when you listen to the Qur’an etc.

All the knowledge which is important in your life and in your hereafter can be found in the Qur’an. Anything you need which is important you will find it in the Qur’an, that is why it is al Majid.

What is the impact of this one ayah? This will make you trust the Qur’an, believe in the Qur’an and follow the Qur’an. You will not question the Qur’an, Allah subhana wa ta'ala said it is glorious. Follow the Qur’an blindly because all the benefit is there.

You will be grateful, you will be thankful and you will praise Allah subhana wa ta'ala because Allah subhana wa ta'ala blessed us by revealing the Qur’an and made us to read the Qur’an. In your heart you feel so grateful to Allah subhana wa ta'ala to read and understand the Qur’an and to benefit from the Qur’an. You need to appreciate that blessing.

But people do not appreciate the blessing.

Ayah 2 Ayah 2 describes the people who do not appreciate the Qur’an. The are wandering, they have doubts.

Human beings write books but there will be faults and mistakes in them. In the Qur’an you take it, you are relaxed that there are no doubts. I will take it, I will follow it, I will accept it and I will praise Allah subhana wa ta'ala and I appreciate the Qur’an.

Bal ajibu – they wonder. Ajibu is from ajaba – surprising, strange. You deny it, you don’t agree with it, astonished by something. Or another meaning is that you approve of it, you like it. Ajibu has two meanings.

In this ayah ajibu is something strange, they are denying the Qur’an because of 2 things.

3 Surah Qaf Ayat 1 – 5

mundhirun - a warner. Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam , a Messenger came to give the glad tidings and to warn. Here it is only mentioned the warning because nobody likes the warnings. There is a Day of Judgment, there are questions in the grave – nobody wants to accept this so they deny it. We don’t like people to tell us something disturbing, warnings are restrictions. For the person who doesn’t want to take the knowledge or do an action they deny it. All our actions are around not being sad.

min’hum – from them. They don’t want a Messenger to be a human being, they want a Messenger to be an angel. But we cannot see the angels. These people don’t know what they are asking for or what they are denying.

al kafirun – the disbelievers. Allah subhana wa ta'ala gave them the title kafirun.

hadha shayon ‘ajibun – This thing is strange. This is what the kafirun say. We say something is strange when we don’t want to believe in it, when you have doubts or out of ignorance – because I don’t want to believe.

Ayah 3 The 2 nd strange thing is in ayah 3:

a-idha mit’na – What! When we die.

wakunna turaban – and have become dust.

Those people believe after we die the body will decay and become dust – the Ulema said you pause here. After becoming dust can Allah subhana wa ta'ala bring us back? – this is not mentioned here.

- dhalika raj’un ba’idun – that is a return far. When we are brought back to life - this is very far, strange. They don’t believe Allah subhana wa ta'ala is able to resurrect everyone. The person who does not believe this does not know Allah subhana wa ta'ala . When you know about Allah subhana wa ta'ala and His Attributes this makes you believe more in the Qur’an.

They are ajibu about - mundhirun - a human Messenger is warning us and - how will Allah subhana wa ta'ala resurrect us after we become dust.

4 Surah Qaf Ayat 1 – 5

If you know you will return back to life, this means every action is accountable so they reject the Messenger and they reject the Resurrection. Don’t make any judgments about the unseen as you will be easily mislead – we don’t know but Allah subhana wa ta'ala knows best.

Ayah 4 Allah subhana wa ta'ala is talking about His knowledge. Not only will Allah subhana wa ta'ala resurrect you on the Day of Judgment. Allah subhana wa ta'ala has knowledge about how much the Earth will take from the body. Everybody’s body will decay at different stages.

Ambiya (Prophets) – Allah subhana wa ta'ala forbade the Earth to eat from their flesh. Saliheen (Righteous) – some of the saliheen, Allah subhana wa ta'ala forbade the Earth to eat their flesh.

One part of the body the Earth will not eat is the backbone / tailbone. Scientist say this is a useless part of the human body. Nothing is useless, from this we will be resurrected like a seed. You can see QudrutAllah and IlmAllah. You can see how Allah subhana wa ta'ala is able to count how much the Earth will take and Allah subhana wa ta'ala knows about it.

We are all different shapes and sizes – even this Allah subhana wa ta'ala counted. The same percentage that the Earth takes of the body the same percentage Allah subhana wa ta'ala will resurrect them on the Day of Judgment.

While the human being is alive the Earth will also take from the body – it will take the dead skin, dead cells. Except the cells of the brain which do not renew themselves.

5 Surah Qaf Ayat 1 – 5

wa’indana kitabun hafizun – and with Us is a Book guarded.

Whatever the Earth will take from the body Allah subhana wa ta'ala has knowledge of it in the ‘Preserved Tablet’. Allah subhana wa ta'ala could have said ‘A Book with Us’ but Allah subhana wa ta'ala said first ‘We have with Us a Book’ even though the main thing is the Book. This is because only He has the ‘Preserved Tablet’. What is written in that book is what will happen. Even the Earth is obeying Allah subhana wa ta'ala, taking from the body as Allah subhana wa ta'ala has commanded.

We utter words and we don’t understand how great is the word but Allah subhana wa ta'ala is teaching us. You refine your manners and utterances when you know about Allah subhana wa ta'ala .

This ayah mentions QudratAllah and IlmAllah and the impact is to make you more aware of what you say and increase your knowledge of QudratAllah and IlmAllah.

Ayah 5 Allah subhana wa ta'ala mentions the people insisting in their denial.

They are denying what? They are denying the Resurrection.

What is the consequence? They will be confused.

bil haq – the truth. They are denying the truth. On the Day of Judgment there will be the successful ones and the failures. They will be the failures by denying the truth, the one truth, but you have so many falsehoods.

lamma jaahum – when it came to them. After they knew a Prophet came to them they denied it. They denied the resurrection. When the truth comes to them at any other time they are still rejecting the truth. Allah subhana wa ta'ala will not account you until you know the truth.

After you have the knowledge and you deny it you will be:

marijin amrin – a state confused. Those who reject the truth which came to them they will be confused, this is different from the one who is ignorant.

Chapter (1) sūrat l-fāti ḥah (The Opening) 1:7 The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.

6 Surah Qaf Ayat 1 – 5

Allah subhana wa ta'ala ’s wrath is on them, Allah subhana wa ta'ala is angry with them because they have the knowledge but they don’t act upon it. They will look in other books to see what will happen after death.

Not to be confused is when everything is clear, straight. I know what I am supposed to do in my life. I know Allah subhana wa ta'ala created me, I know what I have to do in life to reach Allah subhana wa ta'ala ’s Pleasure, to reach Paradise.

Believe in the Truth – don’t make judgments in your mind as doubts will come.

Marijin – Jinn, created from a mixture of smoke, Allah subhana wa ta'ala mixed two seeds. Here the matter in their mind is a mish mash – in a confused state.

When you receive the truth, the believer will know it is from Allah subhana wa ta'ala and to live in peace and harmony you follow the straight path, follow the halal and avoid the haram. The one not following Allah subhana wa ta'ala ’s commands is at odds with the Universe. When the truth comes to you and it is difficult, maybe you are not ready, don’t reject it from your heart, accept it in your heart, say ‘May Allah make it easy for me’.

The one who rejects the truth out of denial Allah subhana wa ta'ala will turn his heart and sight so he will be more confused and later on he will not realize something is the truth.

Maybe before you did not know something is the haq (truth), then a light comes to your heart, take that chance by accepting it. When you accept it, take the path of guidance and Allah subhana wa ta'ala will increase the path of guidance. If you don’t take that chance, this chance will not come back again.

When a command comes, people ask is it wajib or mustahab – the believer whether they are ready or not ready will say ‘May Allah make it easy for me’. With something that is the Sunnah which comes to you say ‘May Allah make it easy for me’ as you will get the reward even if you don’t do it. Believe in it.

We ask Allah subhana wa ta’ala for His forgiveness and His Mercy. Anything that is good from these notes is from Allah subhana wa ta’ala. Any mistakes & misrepresentations are my own. I ask Allah subhana wa ta’ala for His forgiveness and to put forgiveness in the hearts of those who read them. JazakAllah Khairan.

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