August 23rd: Fasting

by sr. Hajira Ali

Does anyone have good notes from this halaqah? Please email them to me so I can post them inshaAllah...

salam,
Dana

August 16th: Verses from Surat Al-Furqan

Surat Al-Furqan (63-77)

The Attributes of the Servants of the Most Gracious

Verse 63:
-And the servants of the Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth Hawna, and when the foolish address them they say; "Salama.''

-Those are the beloved servants to Allah

-meaning that they walk with dignity and humility, not with arrogance and pride.

-Aya: (And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance...) (17:37)

-Hadith: (When you come to the prayer, do not come rushing in haste. Come calmly and with tranquility, and whatever you catch up with, pray, and whatever you miss, make it up.)

-If the ignorant people insult them with bad words, they do not respond in kind, but they forgive and overlook, and say nothing but good words. This is what the Messenger of Allah did: the more ignorant the people, the more patient he would be.

Verse 64:
-And those who spend the night in worship of their Lord, prostrate and standing.

-Notice that prostration is mentioned before standing because it’s more superior.

-Notice that they are always in a state of worship, day and night.

-Aya: (They used to sleep but little by night. And in the hours before dawn, they were asking for forgiveness) (51:17-18).

Verse 65:
-And those who say: "Our Lord! Avert from us the torment of Hell. Verily, its torment is ever an inseparable, permanent punishment.''

-“gharamaa” meaning, ever-present and never ending.

Verse 66:
-Evil indeed it is as an abode and as a place to rest in.

Verse 67:
-And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy, but are in a just balance between them.

-They are not extravagant (in food, drink, clothing, etc), spending more than they need, nor are they miserly towards their families, not spending enough on their needs. But they follow the best and fairest way. The best of matters are those which are moderate, neither one extreme nor the other.

-Aya: (And let not your hand be tied to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach.)(17:29)

Verse 68:
-And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah

-Hadith: "The Messenger of Allah was asked which sin is the most serious'' He said: (That you appoint a rival to Allah when He has created you.) He asked, "Then what'' He said: (That you kill your child for fear that he may eat with you.) He said, "Then what'' He said: (That you commit adultery with your neighbor's wife.) Then this aya was revealed.

-nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause,

-nor commit illegal sexual intercourse -- and whoever does this shall receive Athama.

-“aathama”: could be a valley in hellfire for the punishment of adulterers, or it could just refer to punishment in general.

Verse 69:
- The torment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace

Verse 70:
- Except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

-those who repent in this world to Allah from all of those deeds, for then Allah will accept their repentance. This is evidence that the repentance of the murderer is acceptable.

-Aya: (Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him, but He forgives except that to whom He wills) (4:48)

Verse 71:
- And whosoever repents and does righteous good deeds; then indeed he has repented to Allah Mataba.

-Hadith: (I know the last person who will be brought forth from Hell, and the last person who will enter Paradise. A man will be brought and it will be said, "Take away his major sins and ask him about his minor sins.'' So it will be said to him: "On such and such a day, you did such and such, and on such and such a day, you did such and such.'' He will say, "Yes, and he will not be able to deny anything.'' Then it will be said to him: "For every evil deed you now have one good merit.'' He will say: "O Lord, I did things that I do not see here.'') He (Abu Dharr) said: "And the Messenger of Allah smiled so broadly that his molars could be seen.'' Muslim recorded it.

-Aya: (And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful) (4:110).


Verse 72:
- And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity.

- refers to giving false testimony, which means lying deliberately to someone else.

- They do not attend where falsehood occurs, and if it so happens that they pass by it, they do not let it contaminate them in the slightest.

Verse 73:
-And those who, when they are reminded of the Ayat of their Lord (when advice is given to them), fall not deaf and blind thereat.

-Aya: (Those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Ayat are recited unto them, they increase their faith; and they put their trust in their Lord.) (8:2)

-Unlike the disbelievers. When they hear the Words of Allah, they are not affected by them or moved to change their ways. They persist in their disbelief, wrongdoing, ignorance and misguidance.

Verse 74:
-And those who say: "Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of those who have Taqwa.''

-means those who ask Allah to bring forth from their loins offspring who will obey Him and worship Him and not associate anything in worship with Him. Ibn `Abbas said, "This means (offspring) who will strive to obey Allah and bring them joy in this world and the Hereafter.

-Hadith: (When a son of Adam dies, his deeds cease apart from three: a righteous child who will pray for him, knowledge from which others may benefit after him, or ongoing charity.)

Verse 75:
-Those will be rewarded with the highest place because of their patience. Therein they shall be met with greetings and the word of peace and respect.

-“Al-ghurfah”: is jannah, the high place.

-Kinds of patience:
1) with tests
2) avoiding sin
3) doing good

-This means that they will be greeted first with words of welcome and honor. Peace will be theirs and they will be wished peace. And angels shall enter unto them from every gate, saying, "Peace be upon you for that you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!''

Verse 76:
- Abiding therein -- excellent it is as an abode, and as a place to rest in.

Verse 77:
-Say O Muhammad: "My Lord pays attention to you only because of your invocation to Him. But now you have indeed denied. So the torment will be yours forever.''

-meaning, He would not care to pay attention to you if you did not worship Him, for He only created mankind to worship Him Alone and to glorify Him morning and evening.

-then Allah addresses the disbelievers: So your denial will remain with you forever, i.e., it will lead to your punishment, doom and destruction in this world and the Hereafter.

August 9th: Surat Al-Qiyamah

Surat Al-Qiyamah

Verse 1:
-Nay! I swear by the Day of Resurrection

Verse 2:
-And nay! I swear by An-Nafs Al-Lawwamah
-This is the nafs of the believer, the nafs that blames oneself for leaving an act of worship or committing a sin.


Verse 3:
-Does man think that We shall not assemble his bones

Verse 4:
-Yes, We are able to put together in perfect order the tips of his fingers.
- One of the kuffar came to the Prophet (pbuh) and told him: How does Allah re-assemble bones?!
-This aya came as an answer to him. Not only is Allah capable of re-assembling bones but He will resurrect the smallest details like out finger prints (each person has a unique finger print).

Verse 5:
-Meaning that indeed the human being wants to continue with his unrighteousness with this denial of resurrection.
-He wants to set out like an animal, following his desires. That’s why he denies the day of judgment.

Verse 6:
-He asks: "When will be this Day of Resurrection''
-Their question is one of mockery here.

Verse 7:
-So when their eyesight strayed in all directions
-Meaning when they see the horrors of judgment day.

Verse 8:
-And the moon will be eclipsed.

Verse 9:
- And the sun and moon will be joined together.

Verse 10:
- On that Day man will say: "Where (is the refuge) to flee''
- This is said in desperation because it’s obvious that there’s nowhere to flee.

Verse 11:
- No! There is no refuge!

Verse 12:
- Unto your Lord will be the place of rest that Day.
- There’s no where to run from Allah but to Him.

Verse 13:
- On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind.
-Meaning that we will be told of all our deeds, small and big… the ones we did while alive and the ones we attained after death (because of a good or bad sunnah we started).

Verse 14:
- Nay! Man will be a witness against himself.
-It will be said to us: "Read your book. You are sufficient as a reckoner against yourself this Day.'' (al-isra 14)

Verse 15:
- Even if he put forth any excuse he could think of.
- "This means, even though he argues in defense of it, he is a witness against it.''

How the Prophet received the Revelation

Allah is teaching His Messenger how to receive the revelation from the Gibril. For verily, he (the Prophet ) was rushing in his attempts to grasp the revelation and he would be reciting the revelation with the angel while he was reciting it. Therefore, Allah commanded him that when the angel brings some revelation to him he should just listen. Allah would make sure to collect it in his chest, and He would make it easy for him to recite it in the same way that it was revealed to him. Allah would explain it, interpret it and clarify it for him. So the first phase was gathering it in his chest, the second phase was recitation and the third phase was its explanation and clarification of its meaning.

Verse 16:
-Don’t move your tongue by repeating the revelation to hasten your memorization to it

Verse 17:
-It is upon Us to gather it in your chest so you memorize it

Verse 18:
-And when We have recited it to you, then follow its recitation.
-Meaning that when Jibril is reciting it upon you, listen until he is done and pay attention.

Verse 19:
-Then it is for Us to make it clear.
-Allah here is telling the Prophet (pbuh) that He will make the Quran clear to him afterwards.

-After this, the Prophet (pbuh) would listen quietly and then he’d be able to recite the verses just as Allah promised him.
-Al-Bukhari's wording says, "So whenever Jibril would come to him he would be silent, and when Jibril had left he would recite it just as Allah, the Mighty and Sublime had promised him.''

The Cause of rejecting the Day of Judgement is Love of the World and Heedlessness of the Hereafter:

Verse 20:
-But no! Rather you love the present life of this world,

Verse 21:
-And neglect the Hereafter.
-meaning, the only thing that has caused them to reject the Day of Judgement and oppose the true revelation and the Mighty Qur'an Allah revealed to His Messenger is that their only concern is the present worldly life. They are preoccupied and distracted from the Hereafter.

Verse 22:
-Some faces that Day shall be Radiant

Verse 23:
-Looking at their Lord
-Al-Bukhari in his Sahih: (Verily, you all will see your Lord with your own eyes.)
-Recorded in Sahih Muslim: (When the people of Paradise enter the Paradise, Allah will say, `Do you want me to give you anything extra' They will say, `Haven't you whitened our faces Haven't you entered us into Paradise and saved us from the Fire' Then He will remove the veil and they will not be given anything more beloved to them than looking at their Lord, and that will be the extra (Ziyadah).)

Verse 24:
-And some faces that Day will be gloomy
-Faces of the sinners

Verse 25:
-Thinking that some calamity is about to fall on them.
- “tathunnu”: they are certain that they will be destroyed.
-Allah (swt) says in surat Al-Imran: (On the Day when some faces will become white and some faces will become black.) (3:106)

Certainty will occur at the Time of Death:

Verse 26:
-Nay, when it reaches to the collarbones

Verse 27:
-And it will be said: "Who can cure him''
-This marks the beginning of eternal life

Verse 28:
-And he will think that it was the parting
-Meaning, that the person will know that their time of death has come.

Verse 29:
-And one shank will be joined with another shank.
-Meaning that one leg will wrap around the other one. This could be out of fear of what’s going to happen.. or it could be referring to how the legs are wrapped in the shroud.

Verse 30:
-The drive will be on that Day to your Lord!
-Meaning that everyone will be brought for judgment infront of Allah (swt).

Mentioning the Case of the Denier:

Verse 31:
-So, he neither believed nor prayed!
-This is to inform about the disbeliever who used to deny the truth in his heart in the abode of this worldly life, and he used to turn away from acting according to its way.

Verse 32:
-But on the contrary, he denied and turned away!

Verse 33:
-Then he walked in conceit to his family admiring himself!
-Allah also says: (Verily, he was among his people in joy! Verily, he thought that he would never come back (to Us)!) (84:13,14)
-“yatammatta”: some scholars say that these verses refer to abu Jahl, he used to walk very arrogantly.

Verse 34:
-Woe to you! And then woe to you!

Verse 35:
-Again, woe to you! And then woe to you!
-This is a definite warning and threat from Allah to those who disbelieve in Him and strut about when walking.
-The Prophet (pbuh) said this to abu Jahl..then the verses were revealved.
-Abu Jahl’s response: `Are you threatening me, O Muhammad By Allah! Neither you nor your Lord are able to do anything, and verily, I am the mightiest person walking between its (Makkah's) two mountains.'

Now the surah goes back to it’s beginning topic, the resurrection:

Verse 36:
-Does man think that he will be left neglected
-Meaning, not resurrected? Not commanded during life and prohibited, etc?
-We’re not left alone even in the grave.

Verse 37:
-Was he not a Nutfah of semen emitted
-meaning, was not man a weak drop of sperm from a despised fluid known as semen, that is emitted from the loins into the wombs
-reflect on our origin.

Verse 38:
-Then he became an `Alaqah; then shaped and fashioned in due proportion.

Verse 39:
-And made of him two sexes, male and female.)
-meaning, he became a clot, then a lump of flesh, then he was formed and the soul was blown into him. Then he became a perfect creation with healthy limbs, as either a male or a female by the permission and decree of Allah.

Verse 40:
-Is it not so then, that He would be able to give life to the dead
-meaning, is not He Who made this perfect creation from this weak drop of sperm able to repeat that as He did originally
-At this, the Prophet (pbuh) used to say:`Glory to You, of course.'

August 2nd: Anger Management

by sr. Hajira Ali

Notes will be posted by Homa inshaAllah.