The story of Musa and Ibrahim (peace be on them) and their continual debates with their people recurs throughout the Quran. Though the Quran is not a book of stories, the stories (qasas) – stories are not there for the sake of entertainment but are an effective and memorable way of conveying the message….
Towards the end of Surat al Qasas, Allah Almighty mentions the story of Qarun. He says: Indeed Qarun was from the people of Musa – he then oppressed them; and We gave him so many treasures that their keys were a heavy burden for a strong group; when his people said to him, “Do not…
As we approach the last ten nights of Ramadan, I would like to share with you the blessings of qiyam al layl, (night prayers) in general. Tarawih during Ramadan is qiyam Ramadan. Qiyam and tarawih are not obligatory, but from the sunnah. وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ رضي الله تعالى عنه قَالَ: قَالَ…
When Allah sent the truth to the people of Makkah and the cities surrounding it, the Prophet (peace be on him) was delivering the message to everyone. There had been no prophet or messenger in Makkah since the time of Ismail (peace be on him) which had been a very long time. Therefore the Arabs…
It is the beauty of the words of Allah Almighty that we continue to find meanings, lessons and inspiration in His words and verses. They are always alive and talking to you. We need to reflect on these verses. In Surat al Qasas, we find lessons in the fruits of having trust in Allah. And…
In the debate between the Prophet (peace be on him) and the disbelievers, Allah Almighty provides him with the right questions and answers to pose, and these are really special. They challenge the status quo, their mindset and practices to show the truth as it really is. The debate Say: Praise be to Allah, and…
The kingdom of Suleman (peace be on him) We came across the story of Suleman (peace be on him) who was given special miracles. Suleman had the most magnificent kingdom of any prophet. Some prophets were given power and authority as kings, while others were in more humble positions. The servant king Muhammad (peace be…
Shuayb (peace be on him) was one of the five Arab prophets, (the others being Hud, Salih, Ismail and Muhammad, peace be on them). He lived in Madyan (Midian, which is a large area in the Sham and Hijaz region that now part of Saudi). Despite his teaching of the Oneness of God, the people…
There are numerous lessons for us in the exchanges between people in the Quran, like Musa (peace be on him) and Firaun and between Ibrahim and his father and his people. Lessons in the discussions Allah Almighty presents and highlights very specific scenes from their lives as they are common scenarios which we encounter in…
The debate between Musa (peace be on him) and Firaun features in different places in the Quran and is very interesting when it is collected together. It also appears in Surat Ash Shu’ara, which is a Makki surah with a few Madani verses. Allah Almighty commanded Musa (peace be on him) to got to…
Creation has precision In the beginning of Surat al Furqan, which is a Makki surah, Allah Almighty said: تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ ٱلۡفُرۡقَانَ عَلَىٰ عَبۡدِهِۦ لِيَكُونَ لِلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ نَذِيرًا (١) Glorious is the One who has revealed the Criterion to His servant, so that he may be a warner to all the communities (25:1) الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ…
This is a Makki surah, which bears the characteristics of the early revelations before the migration to Madinah and the foundation of a Muslim society. Makki surahs focus on establishing belief and questioning the status quo by challenging the community to examine and explore their customs and traditions. Are they in line with the truth…
“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, The lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a brilliant star, Lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, Neither of the east nor of the west,…
On the first Jummuah of Ramadan, the month of wonders, gifts, blessings and closeness to Allah, I would like to talk about the first Khutbah ever delivered. During the migration of the Prophet (peace be on him) from Makkah to Madinah which took two weeks, he stopped along the way at Bani Salim bin Auf,…
A Makki surah Surat Qaf is a short surah which was revealed in Makkah, during the period when society was still rejecting the basic concepts of Islam, such as the Oneness of Allah and the Day of Resurrection. In response, Allah Almighty points out the proofs of His existence and the reality of life, death…