JUNIOR

THE

QURAN

(Age 8 12 years)

e mA
ISLAM IS MY RELIGION

HUJJAT SATURDAY WORKSHOP

Husaini Shia Islamic Centre
Wood Lane, Stanmore
HA7 4LQ
United Kingdom

Foreword
For many years madaris around the world have been
discussing the necessity of a common syllabus.
In the meantime many madaris have produced their own set
of books/notes and the teachers have been quite used to
teaching the materials in their own environment.
Africa Federation and NASIMCO have also produced a set
of books/notes which have been adapted by many madaris.
Over the last four years, The Islamic Education Board of
the World Federation has developed a set of manuals which
have been used at several madaris round the world as pilot
projects. From the feedback received from the teachers, a
final set of manuals have now been produced.
The manuals have been produced to reflect the years of
secular schools under the British System from Pre School
to A levels; from age 4 years to age 17 years.
While some madaris may find the course too long for their
local use, many full time Islamic Schools will find them
adequate for minimum religious knowledge to be imparted
to the students.
There is no copyright on these manuals. Please feel free to
copy and reprint to suit your requirements

CONTENTS

PAGE

Terminology
Introduction to the Quran
Revelation of the Quran
Quran and Sciences
Suwer

1
2
7
9

Suratul Qadr
Suratuz Zilzal
Suratul Aadiyaat
Suratul Qariah
Suratut Takathur
Suratul Asr
Suratul Humaza
Suratul Feel
Suratul Quraysh
Suratul Maun
Suratul Kafirun
Suratun Nasr
Suratul Lahab
Suratul Ikhlas
Suratul Falaq
Suratun Naas

13
15
18
21
24
27
29
32
35
37
41
43
44
47
49
51

Ayatul Kursi
Ahlulbayt in the Quran
Food & Drink in the Quran

53
56
59

Honey
Dates
Figs & Olives

60
61
62

Ants
Cow
Flies
Pig
Snake

63
65
66
67
68

Ashabul Kahf
Ashabur Ras
Ashabus Sabt

69
73
76

Animals & Insects in the Quran

Stories from the Quran

Usul and Furu in the Quran

78

TERMINOLOGY
LET US USE CORRECT WORDS
Aya - One verse of the Qur'an. Aya means sign for every
verse is a sign of Allah.
Ayaat - Plural of Aya.
Juz - The Qur'an is divided into thirty equal parts .Each
of these parts is a Juz (more commonly known as sipara )
Ajz - Plural of Juz.
Manzil - The Qur'an is also divided into seven parts .Each
of these parts is a manzil.
Manzil - Plural of manzil.
Ruku - A group of ayaat marked with a
representing
a section (paragraph) of the sura (more commonly known as
makra )
Sajda - Prostration .
Sajadt - Plural of sajda.
Sura - One chapter of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an.
Literally meaning enclosure.
Suwer - Plural of Sura.

INTRODUCTION TO THE QUR'AN

.....q BBJM K{NA Bl ....

..And We have revealed the Book to you explaining
everything clearly.
Suratun Nahl 16:89
"The Qur'an is living, its message never dies. It turns like
the turn of day and night, it is in motion like the sun and
moon. It will embrace the last of us, the way it embraced
the first of us ".
Imam Ja'fer As-Sadiq (A.S.)
If you are in doubt about what We have sent down to our
abd (Muhammad), then produce a sura like it and call your
witnesses other than Allah if you are truthful.
Suratul Baqara 2:23
The challenge still stands today. The Quran is no ordinary
book. There is no one topic or subject no beginning, no
middle, no end no introduction, conclusion or theme.
BUT
Wherever one picks it up to read, it shows itself as the
Quran. Linguist and literature experts have tried to
analyse the Quran. None has been able to give an
explanation to the various shades of expression, style,
rhythm
Never will there be an answer for that which is
evolutionary (changes with age) can be answered bu that

which is revealed is always immortal and can never be

answered by the created.
The Qur'an is that which was revealed as the Final message
of Allah to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) during the last 23
years of his life. Every Prophet is granted the power to
perform miracles in order to verify the truth of his
message. The Qur'an is a standing and continuous miracle
for all times and places - A Living Miracle.
Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) was amongst the Arabs who
were experts in language and literature and the Qur'an
challenged them at their own art.
There are over 6000 ayaat in the Qur'an in 114 suwer.
An aya means various things - a sign, miracle, wonder... An
aya in the Qur'an varies from being a single letter (38:1) , a
two lettered word (36:1) to over half a page long (2:282).
The first ayaat that were revealed were the first five of
Suratul Alaq:
Recite in the name of your Rabb, Who created,
He created the human being from a clot,
Recite and your Rabb is the most Honourable,
Who taught to write with the pen,
Taught the human being what he kbew not
The last aya was the 4th aya of Suratul Maida :

"This day I have perfected your religion for you ,

completed My favour upon you, and have chosen Islam as
your religion "
This was revealed at Ghadeer e Khum on 18th Dhulhijja 10
A.H.
The suwer are of unequal length. The shortest sura is
Suratul Kawthar with only 4 ayaat whilst the longest is
Suratul Baqara with 286 ayaat covering one twelfth of the
Qur'an.
All
the
suwer
begin
with
the
phrase
Bismillahirrahmanirraheem except Suratut Tawba.
Every sura is given a name derived by following one of the
following criteria :
(i)
The complete story of the Prophet appears in that
sura (Yusuf - 12)
(ii)
The important event about it can be found in the
sura (Baqara Cow - 2)
(iii) The distinguished word in the sura (Hijr Stone - 15)
(iv)
The opening aya of the sura (Yaseen - 36)
(v)
In some cases the name has very little to do with
contents of the suwer. (Ankabut Spider - 29 In this
sura there is nothing about the spider. It only talks
of the constitution of the spider's web.
Suwer and ayaat are either Makki or Madani according to
their place of revelation - Makka or Madina. Makki suwer
mainly describe the basic faith whilst Madani deal with the
rules for the code of life like salaa, sawm, zaka and

khums...This division is not absolute because a Makkan sura

may contain some Madani ayaat and vice versa. e.g. Suratul
Anfal revealed in Madina has ayaat 30 -40 revealed in
Makka.

Each sura is also divided into groups of ayaat called a ruku.

The ruku is indicated by the sign

The top number signifies the no. of ruku in the sura. The
middle number the number of ayaat in that ruku and the
bottom number the no. of the ruku in the juz.
For convenience of reading the Qur'an has been divided
into 30 equal parts - Juz (pl. Ajzaa) without disturbing
the original divisions formed by the ayaat and suwer to
enable completion of reading in one month. Every juz is
further divided into Rub (quarter), Nisf (half) & Thuluth
(three quarter). These are written in the margin.
The Qur'an is also divided into seven equal sections Manzil (pl. Manazil) to enable the reader to complete the
recitation on one week if so desired. This is written at the
bottom of each page.
There are four wajib sajadat in the Qur'an ( on hearing or
reciting the following 4 ayaat one must perform a sajda).
It is not necessary to face qibla, or be in wudhoo......
The sajadat are in the following ayaat :
32:15
Juz 21
41:38
Juz 24

53:62
Juz 27
96:19
Juz 30
There are 10 mustahab sajadat in the Qur'an (on hearing
or reciting the ayaat in which they appear it is
recommended that one performs sajda). As for wajib
sajadat the ayaat are marked in the Qur'an with the word
sajda.
The 10 ayaat with mustahab sajadat are :
7:206, 13:15, 16:50, 17:109, 19:58, 22:18, 25:60, 27:26,
38:24, 84:21

REVELATION OF THE QURAN

In Arabic revelation is wahyi and it means to make
manifest that which is hidden.
Generally, revelation can be divided into two parts:
INSPIRATION
In the Quran Allah says:

.....ZA }A Ii {YA
And your Lord inspired the bee.....
Suratun Nahl - 16:68

....{m A }A FYA
And , We inspired the mother of Musa.....
Suratul Qasas - 28:7
In animals it can be termed as instinct. However, in human
beings, inspiration is that which one experiences against
expectations or inclination. If the nafs is on the right path,
then the inspiration will be a beneficial one from Allah but
if the nafs is corrupt then the inspiration will be from
Shaitanic forces.
DIVINE COMMUNICATION TO THE PROPHETS
This can be divided into 4 types:
a) Direct Conversation Allah says

BM {m }A ....
And Allah spoke to Musa, directly conversing..
Suratun Nisa - 4:164

Allah conversed with Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) in Meraj

in the same manner.
b) True Dreams
Allah informs the Prophets of His orders by way of dreams
in which the Prophets have no doubt. e.g. The dream of
Prophet Ibraheem (A.S.) to sacrifice Prophet Ismail (A.S.).
c) Inspiration
That which is from Allah to the Prophets in which they
have no doubt
d) Angels
Most communication to the Prophets is in this way mainly
through the angel Jibrail. The Quran was revealed in this
way. In the Quran, Allah says:

ihA N J }

A `jA I l
J Ij BnI

The faithful spirit (Jibrail) brought it (The Quran)

down to your heart, so that you may warn mankind in clear
Arabic speech...
Ash - Shuara -26:193 - 195
The Quran was revealed over a period of approximately 23
years.
And it is a Quran that We have divided, that you may
recite to humankind at intervals, and We have revealed it
by (successive) revelations.
Suratul Furqan - 25:32

QUR'AN AND THE SCIENCES

When the Qur'an was revealed science was in its infancy
and many of the theories which are known today and are
taken for granted were not even conceivable.
Some of the scientific theories revealed in the Qur'an
are:
Origin of the Earth
"Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and earth
were joined together ( as one unit of creation ), before we
split them asunder. We made from water every living thing
- will they not then believe? "
Suratul Ambiya 21:30
Modern theories also say that originally the earth, planets
and everything in space were part of a gaseous nebula or
cloud which gradually separated.
Creation of the earth in 6 periods of time
"It is God who has created the heavens, and the earth and
all between them in 6 periods of time and is firmly
established on the throne (of authority ). You have none
besides Him to protect or intercede. Will you not then
receive admonition ? He rules from the heavens to the
earth, in the end all will go up to Him on a day the space of
which will be a thousand years of reckoning."
Suratus Sijda 32:4,5

Geologically the earth's history dating from a gaseous

nebula has been divided into 6 eras. Each era covers
millions of years. These eras are:
1. When the earth was in a gaseous stage.
2. When the earth had been created but there was no life
on it.
3. When early life has developed.
4. When vegetable and vertebrae had been created.
5. When birds and four footed egg laying animals lived.
6. When mammals including man were created.
Movement of Celestial bodies
"It is He who created the night and the day and the sun
and the moon, all move along; each in it's orbit."
Suratul Ambiya 21:33
Erosion
"They ask you concerning the mountains ! Say : My Lord will
uproot them and scatter them as dust, He will leave them
as plains smooth and level, nothing curved or crooked will
you see in their place ."
Suratu Taha 20:105-107
The geologists know of hundreds of mountains of the past
that no longer exist. They have been uprooted completely
and scattered on the face of the earth. The Qur'an says
that this will be the fate of all the mountains that we see
today.

Origin of life
"And Allah has created every animal from water; Of them
there are some that crawl on their bellies, some that walk
on two legs and some that walk on four; Allah creates what
He wills, for indeed he has power over everything ".
Suratun Noor 24:45
"Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and earth
were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we
split them asunder. We made from water every living thing
- will they not then believe? "
Suratul Ambiya 21:30
All theories about the origin of life accept that the first
life was created in water and all living cells have a high
proportion of water.
Man was not the first to be created
"Has there not been over man a long period of time when he
was nothing - not even mentioned ? "
Suratud Dahr 76:1
Geologically man was created as the last act of creation.
Separation of salt and fresh water
"It is He who has made the two seas join and flow
together, one palatable and sweet, and the other salty and
bitter; and yet He has made a barrier between them - a
partition impassable. "
Suratul Furqan 25:53

In recent years it has been discovered that under narrow

peninsulas and islands fresh water floats on top of salt
water. Because of the differences in their specific
gravities they never mix together.

SURATUL QADR - 97

YjA {YjA }A nI
ifA {lA BA
ifA B AieA B
jq A ja ifA

jA Ii gBI B `jA }A lM
jVA {NY m

Translation
(I begin) In the name of Allah, the Kind, the Most Merciful.
Indeed We sent it (the Quran) down on the night of Qadr.
And what will make you know what the night of Qadr is?
The night of Qadr is better than a thousand months.
The angel and the spirit descend in it with the permission
of their Rabb; with all the commands.
Peace! It is until the break of dawn.
Brief Notes
It is said that the Quran was revealed as a whole on
Laylatul Qadr to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and then piecemeal
as the occasion demanded and as ordered by Allah to the
people.
According to another hadith, the Quran came down as a
whole to Baytul Mamur (a place in the heavens directly
above the Kaba) and then it was gradually revealed to the

Prophet (S.A.W.) over a period of 23 years. The Prophet

(S.A.W.) was taken to Baytul Mamur on the night of Meraj.
The night of Qadr is said to be one of the odd nights in the
last tem days of the month of Ramadhan out of which the
23rd of Ramadhan is regarded as the most adheem.
The month of Ramadhan is that in which the Quran was
revealed
Suratul Baqara 2:185
A thousand months here means timeless time. Normally
comparisons are qualitative. Here it is quantitative
changing the dimensions. Thus 1 sadaqa on this night is
equivalent 30,000; the thawab of reciting one aya of
Quran is equivalent to reciting 30,000 ayaat on other
nights..
The coming down of the angels and the Spirit during this
night continues from the time of Prophet Adam (A.S.) to
the day of Qiyama. The place where they come down has to
be pure (Masum).
Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (A.S.) has said:
Argue against those who deny the continuity of Imama on
this earth, with this sura.
This sura proves that there must always be a masum
present on earth.

SURATUZ ZILZAL - 99
This sura describes to us an aspect of the beginning of the
end of time. It is a proof of how, only our actions will count
when everyone will be present for Allah's justice.

YjA {YjA }A nI
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.

BAlk ~iA Olk AgA

When the earth will quake with her (terrible) quaking,
This sura begins with the word 'when'. Thus no specific
time is mentioned. Here we are given a very strong picture
of the earth shaking. This will be the earth's final
surrender of it's solidity and firmness.

BBQA ~iA OUjaA

And the earth brings forth her burdens
The word athqala means 'heaviness, burdens'. We normally
consider the earth to be heavy and solid, but this aya tells
us that an event will take place in which the earth will begin
to fall apart and throw even the heaviest of her* burdens
which she has been carrying for all these years.

*The earth is referred to as 'her' or 'she' because earth is of a

feminine gender in Arabic.

BB BnA B
And man shall say : "What has happened to her?"

Since the disaster will overtake man all of a sudden, and

the sudden crumbling of even the heaviest structures will
surprise and scare man; in a completely puzzled state, man
will say "What has happened to the earth?"

BiBJaA TfZM h
On that day she will tell her news.
At this time everything will be revealed for what it is.
There will be no more hiding, no more keeping secrets and
deeds within ourselves. In other words the earth will
declare everything that has happened on it.
The holy Prophet (S.A.W.) is reported to have said:
"Save yourselves from disasters by always being in wudhoo,
save yourselves by being regular in your salaa. Beware of
your good and bad deeds on earth, for the earth will tell
everything that has happened on it on the day of
judgement.

B {YA Ii BI
Because your Lord will have inspired her to.
That your Lord inspires the earth means that this
earthquake will occur at the correct moment. The
earthquake will come at the command of Allah because He
has power over everything.

BA Aj PBNqA pBA ifv h

On that day man will go forward in groups to be shown their
actions.
Since the day of Judgement will be the day of sorting out
the good and the evil in humanity, the dead will be divided

into groups of good and bad according to their levels. They

will rise from their graves, rushing to see what is their
reward for their actions on earth.
The holy Prophet (S.A.W.) has said: "Actions are only as
good as their intentions." So we must try to make sure that
our intentions for whatever we do on this earth should be
Qurbatan Ilallah. In other words, whatever we do, should
only be for Allah's pleasure. And this is how we will earn a
place with the group of those who have done good deeds.

j Aja ig BR
So he who has done an atom's weight of good will see it.

j Ajq ig BR
And he who has done an atom's weight of evil will see it.
These two ayaat are surely a strict warning to us of how
severely we will be dealt with on the day of Judgement.
Even the smallest deed, good or bad will not escape
accounting. These two ayaat clearly show us Allah's justice.
Elsewhere in the Qur'an we are told that the day of
Judgement is equivalent to 50,000 years of our years. The
day when we will all stand before the Lord and await the
reward of the good we have done in this world.
The Qur'an has guided us in every step. In this sura, once
again, we are reminded of the good deeds we should collect
for an easy judgement on that day.

SURATUL AADIYAAT - 100

The tribe of Banu Saleem, gathered a large army to make a
surprise attack on Madina, kill the Muslims and capture the
Prophet (S.A.W.).
On receiving the news of this gathering, the Prophet
(S.A.W.) sent an army under one of his companions to fight
the enemy. The companion in question ran away from the
field, his army suffering heavy losses. The Prophet
(S.A.W.) dispatched another army under another companion
but that too was defeated.
Finally, he sent an army under Imam Ali (A.S.) placing the
defeated companions under his charge. The Prophet
(S.A.W.) accompanied Imam to Masjidul Ahzaab outside
Madina.
The army marched by night and made a surprise attack on
the enemy camps in the early hours of dawn. The Muslim
army returned victorious to Madina and this is when the
sura was revealed.
The expedition is referred to in history as Zaatus Salasil.

YjA {YjA }A nI
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.

BZJy O{f{A
By the chargers panting,
The reference is to the horses of the army who were
running fast, panting.

BYf O{iB

Then those who strike fiery sparks,

The march being in the night, created bright sparks of fire
by the striking of the hooves of the horses against the dry
rocky terrain on which they marched.

BZJu P{jB
And those that rush to make raids at dawn,
This refers to the attack on the enemy at dawn.

B I jQB
Then raising clouds of dust by it,

BU I m
Then by it rush into the centre of those assembled.
The dust raised by the attack, and the entrance into the
enemy camp.

e Ij BnA A
Most surely, the human being is ungrateful to his/her Lord.
Kanud means ingratitude. The Prophet (S.A.W.) described
kanud as the one who eats alone and obstructs others
from receiving anything from anybody. i.e. grossly selfish.
Human beings deny the mercy, generosity and blessings of
Allah thinking in their ignorance to be independent.

fr {g } A
And most surely of that he/she is a direct witness.
The one who is ungrateful to Allah, proves his/her
ingratitude and ignorance by his/her own deeds without any
evidence from anybody else.

ffr jbA KZ A
And most surely he/she is firm in his/her love of wealth.
Shadeed means firm, strong. A human being loves what
he/she considers to be good, although what appears to be
good now may not be good at other times. e.g. wealth.

iJA B jRI AgA A

Does he/she not know, when that which is in the graves will
be raised up?

ifvA B vY
And what is in the hearts will be brought to light.
A human being always seeks protection and comfort and
wants to be left alone with his/her own values. In the end,
we shall all be expelled from our graves and what is hidden
in the hearts now will be revealed and made manifest.
Whatever is buried and hidden away will eventually come to
light.
The purpose of our existence is to attain unity. Unity of
our thoughts and actions with the truth.

jJb h I Ii A
Most surely, their Lord on that day, will be totally aware of
them.
On the day of Judgement, everything will be open and
known. Allah is the Knower of everything- manifest and
hidden.

SURATUL QARIAH 101

YjA {YjA }A nI
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.

iBA
The sudden calamity!

iBA B
What is the sudden calamity?

iBA B {ieA F
And what will make you understand what the sudden
calamity is?
Qaraa means to knock, beat, scold, clash, get the better
of someone... Al-Qariah refers to the final call which will
announce the start of the day of Judgement.
The repetition of the statement wants us to understand
the finality of the day of judgement when all false
appearances and values will be destroyed and be replaced
by reality.

TRJA tAjB pBA

The day on which mankind will be like thickly scattered
moths
The terror of it will make mankind run bewildered in all
directions, like moths scattered by a stormy wind. The aya

gives an imaginable view of the confusion, distress and

helplessness of a human being.

tA B BJVA M
And the mountains will be like ruffled wool (puffed up).
Nafasha means to puff up and to swell out or ruffle. It
will be a day when even the firm and solid mountains will
revert to being like unspun wool, since they are not made of
anything but the divine command of Be (kun).

kA OQ BB
Then, as for him/her whose measure of good deeds is
heavy,

yAi r
He/she will live a pleasant life.
On that day nothing will matter but ones deeds. He/she
whose actions, intentions and awareness is heavy in its
reality will be in a perfect state of contentment.

kA Oa BA
And as for him/her whose measure of deeds is light,

B B
His/her abode is the pit.
He/she whose measure is light - whose actions were at a
loss in the hereafter, will be destined to a bottomless pit.
Hawiya comes from the word hawa which means to fall.

B AieA F

And what will you know what it is?

BY iB
A blazing hot fire.
Just as a human being cannot fully imagine what the Alqariah will really be like, thus too he/she cannot
comprehend the likeness of a bottomless pit - Hawiya.
We can only experience a small taste of it here- the
smallest fire. In ahadith we are told that the fire we see
on the earth is only a fraction of the fire of jahannam. e.g.
The hot lava from volcanoes which we see that melts rocks.
Hamiya comes from hama which means to become very
hot, to flare up and to fly in a rage. It is a description of
that fiery state.

SURATUT TAKATHUR - 102

A human being always desires an increase in every aspect
of his/her life, even though it may mean a decrease in
another way. e.g. an increase in ones arrogance or
expectations is in reality a decrease of ones higher
virtues.

YjA {YjA }A nI
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.

jQBNA {A
Abundance distracts you,

jIBA Mik {NY

Until you come to the graves
The specific reference of these ayaat was at a time when
the number of Muslims were being counted by the Makkans
- the Quraysh.
They would continually congratulate
themselves on outnumbering the Muslims, but in calculating
their strength, they would also count their dead. Each
family wanted to appear more powerful then the other, and
they would resort to going to the graveyard to be able to
increase their claim. Once over a dispute of numbers, a
grave was opened and the dead therein were counted. This
sura was revealed.
The general reference is to the temporal indulgence of
material values which distracts one from the permanent
and real values of the hereafter. One death, the realisation
will dawn.

M m
Nay! you will soon come to know,

M m Q
But nay! you will soon come to know.

A M
Nay! If you but knew with the knowledge of certainty,
The repetition of the statement stresses that mankind will
only know the real value of wealth which they spend their
whole life struggling for when they meet death - in the
hereafter.
Only if we seek the knowledge of certainty (ilmul yaqeen),
will we succeed. It is knowing the real value of our striving
in the world.
Certainty of knowledge in described in 3 stages:
i)
Ilmul yaqeen - When one hears/learns
information about certainty.
Aynul yaqeen - When one sees with his/her own
ii)
eyes - visual information.
iii)
Haqqul yaqeen - The experience of certainty
establishing its truth.

ZVA jN
You would certainly see the fire of Jahannam.
Those who deny the certainty of the day of judgement will
certainly see the fire of jahannam .

A BjN Q
Then you would certainly see it with the eye of certainty;
They will see the fire with their own eyes and realise what
it actually is. (They will realise the truth).

A h nN Q
Then, on that day you will be questioned about the benefit
and favours.
Humankind will be questioned about the favours and
comforts of life that were granted by Allah. We shall see
how we abused and squandered the nema granted, and the
potential we had of seeking and gaining knowledge. We shall
ask ourselves why we did not awaken to the certainty of
the day of judgement. We will see that what distracted us
was the multiplication and increase of our wealth in all
forms.

SURATUL 'ASR - 103

The sura begins with Time and ends with sabr (Patience) .
Sabr is the shrinking of time. e.g. if we want to eat a fruit
which is not yet ripe, we know we have to wait for it to
ripen and we agree to do so. What we are doing is shrinking
the time into "zero time".

YjA {YjA }A nI
In the name of Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful.

jvA
I swear by Time !
'Asr' literally means squeezing. It has been used for Timein the sense of it's meaning the squeezing of the past
unfolding as future.
It may refer to the era of the Prophet (S.A.W.) or the
time of Asr on Ashura; or as per a hadith of our 6th Imam
-the era of Imam Al-Mahdi (A.S.) Time is the most valuable
commodity which man has...
If you look at the lives of great people - there is one thing
in common that we all have with them and that is - 24 hrs in
a day. The way they use their time has made the
difference.

jna BnA A
Most certainly the human being is in a state of loss ;
Man's lower nature is to be at a loss. Man's basic nature is
to be confused, and dissatisfaction without any calm and
peace - man fluctuates from one thought to the other , one

idea to the other ... No sooner is one situation under

control then he must move to another which is chaotic...

ZBI AuAM O{Z{vA A A}A hA A

jJvBI AuAM
Except those who believe, and do good deeds, and advise
each other to truth, and advise each other to patience.
Advising each other to truth and to patience is 'Amr bil
Ma'ruf ' and 'Nahyi anil Munkar '. The highest degree of
patience is that which is exercised when one keeps away
from 'haram'

SURATUL HUMAZA - 104

lA im
YjA {YjA }A nI
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful

l l
Woe to every slanderer and backbiter
'Wayl' means woe but it is also said to be the lowest pit in
Jahannam which has the worst degree of adhab. Humaza
means one who backbites or slanders, whilst lumaza means
one who finds faults with others.
These ayaat were revealed specifically about the people
(some names have been mentioned in ahadith) who were
against the Prophet (S.A.W.). Most of them were those
with wealth and power and they continuosly boasted about
their might and wealth, mocking the Muslims.
One who defames others reveals his own weaknesses
announcing his/her own insecurity, in the same way as pride
declares a persons'
uncertainty of him/herself. The
warning here is that these two diseases of the nafs lead to
a persons' destruction.

ef B U hA
Who amasses wealth and counts it (as a provision)
This aya refers to those who collect wealth and take
refuge in constantly counting it. 'Counting' here also means
the anxiety on the owners part to know that his wealth is

safe and has not diminished for he/she thinks that the
more he/she owns, the more safe and happy life will be.

faA B A KnZ
He/she thinks that his/her wealth will make him/her
immortal
The warning in this aya is that wealth will not remain
forever. One must leave empty handed. Imam Ali (A.S.) has
said:
"What you bring forth (children) are for dust, what you
amass (wealth) is to be left behind, and what you construct
(buildings) are to be demolished by time. But what you do
(deeds) are to be recorded and piled up for the day of
Judgement."

ZA hJ
Nay! he shall most certainly be hurled into the crushing
disaster,
'Hutama' is another name for Jahannam meaning a crushing
disaster. It means shatter, crush, destroy.... A person who
takes
refuge in health, wealth or anything that is
destructible will lose it and find him/herself in a loss.

ZA B AieA B
And what will make you realise what the crushing disaster
is?
The question signifies that mankind cannot visualise the
intensity of the disaster of Jahannam.

fA }A iB
It is the fire kindled by Allah

fA M NA
Which rises above the hearts
The fire is one which is kindled by He who was disobeyed
and whose authority was rejected. It is a fire which will
penetrate the innermost of the human being.

fu BA
Surely it shall be closed over upon them

ef f
In extended columns
It will tightly encircle the heart in extended columns.

SURATUL FEEL - 105

This sura refers to the event that took place in the year of
the birth of the Prophet (S.A.W.). The people of the places
around Makka were very jealous of the Quraysh and their
position as guardians of the Ka'ba. One of these people was
the Emperor of Abyssinia . He ruled over Yemen .
Through his representative in Yemen whose name was
Abraha he built a large church in San'a (in Yemen) to
compete with the Ka'ba. The church did not attract as
many people as the Ka'ba in Makka as he had hoped for.
He therefore decided to destroy the Ka'ba under the
leadership of Abraha. An army of elephants marched to
Makka to attack and destroy the Ka'ba.

YjA {YjA }A nI
In the name of Allah , the Most Kind, the Most Merciful.

A K{ZuBI Ii jM A
Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the companions
of the elephant?
At that time the weapons that people had were either
swords or spears. One who owned an elephant was regarded
almost as an emperor. It was the best of 'weapons' one
could posses.
Imam Khomeini (A.R.) recited this sura when the Americans
sent their best helicopters (the most advanced of weapons)
to Iran to rescue their spies and their helicopters were
destroyed by 'sand'.

zM f V A
Did He not cause their plans to end in confusion ?
It refers to the confusion caused by the action of the tiny
birds in the army of Abraha. Those who were hit by the
pellets immediately fell dead, and the others created chaos
amongst themselves.

IBIA Aj miA
Vm iBVZI jM
B v V
And sent down flocks of birds upon them ;
Pelting them with stones of baked clay ;
So He made them as eaten straw.
'Abaabil' means flocks; and it does not necessarily refer to
only birds but also to large overwhelming numbers.
God sent upon them a huge flock of birds with small stones
in their beaks.
'Sijjeel' means stones like lumps of dry clay. There are
many interpretations of this ayah. We do not know whether
there was an actual storm of small creatures who pelted
them with 'sijjeel' which penetrated their skins ; or
whether it was an illness brought by these birds which
affected them so drastically.
We know that the mighty army was suddenly devastated,
just as it was approaching the Ka'ba.

The result of the attack was that the enormous army

became like straw eaten up. It is said that after this
destruction the ground appeared as if a flat sheet made up
of the thousands of men of the enemy army and their
elephants had been laid down on it.

SURATUL QURAYSH - 106

sjA im
Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) belonged to the tribe of
Quraysh. They were honoured amongst the Arabs for they
were the custodians and guardians of the Ka'ba. This sura
is recited with Suratul Feel for they are related suwer.

YjA {YjA }A nI
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful

sj
For the protection of the Quraysh
The protection, safety and honour of the Quraysh was due
to their guardianship of Baytullah (The Ka'ba).

vA FNrA Yi }A
Their protection during their trading caravans in the
winter and the summer. This aya refers to the fact that
the Quraysh would go to Syria in Summer and to Yemen in
Winter.

OJAAh{ Li AfJ
So let them worship the Rabb of this house
The event of the Elephant (as in Suratul Feel) brought
about the destruction of Abraha's army and enabled the
custodians of the Ka'ba (known as the Banu Hashim - the

family of the Prophet (S.A.W.) to continue to worship the

Rabb of the Ka'ba.

a }A U A hA
Who feeds them against hunger and gives them security
from fear.

SURATUL MA'UN-107

BA im
Ma'un literally means 'the plate upon which food is served'
and by implication it means any useful article. This sura
describes those who do not share.

YjA {YjA }A nI
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful

fBI Lh ghA OiA

Have you seen the one who denies the deen
Allah is asking - Do you not see the one who denies the true
religion? The true way of living and conduct? It is said that
here 'deen' also refers to the day of Qiyama which is the
belief which regulates our conduct.

NA f hA {h
He/she is the one who rejects/rebukes the orphan

nA B } |Z
And does not encourage the feeding of the poor
Historically, many people were identified with this sura,
including Abu Sufyan. These were those who were asked to
help orphans, the needy.... Despite their immense wealth,
they refused and rejected them. The aya says how these
people neither help nor encourage others to do so.
'Miskeen' is a person who even gives up on being a 'faqeer'
(needy). His/her 'faqr' (poverty) has caused him/her to
give up any rest or comfort and he/she reaches a point
where no aspirations remain.

 v
m Mu hA
Ej hA
So, woe to those who pray
- those who are neglectful in their salaa
- those who wish to be seen
Allah then curses those who pray neglectfully, only praying
to be seen. They miss the essence of salaa, performing it
as 'outer movements' for others to see.

BA
And refuse the daily necessities (to others).
The message of this sura is that we must use every tool
that is available to us to reduce the outer afflictions of
others until they recognise the truth of the 'true' deen.

SURATUL KAWTHAR - 108

The Prophet (S.A.W.) had a son called Tahir who died in
infancy. When he died some people (Umar & Hakam bin Aas)
taunted him calling him 'Abtar' which means an animal
without a tail - one who had no succession.
This surah was revealed in reply to those who taunted the
Prophet (S.A.W.)

YjA {YjA }A nI
In the name of Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful.

jQA {A BA
Indeed We have given you Kawthar - the heavenly fountain
of plenty.
'Kawthar' comes from the word 'kathara' which means
plenty. The traditional description of Kawthar is that of a
spring in Jannah to which we all can have access to
provided we stick to those who have been granted it.
'Kawthar' also means abundance of descendants . It is a
fact that none can correctly count the descendants of the
Prophet (S.A.W.) whereas those who taunted the Prophet
(S.A.W.) are unknown.
'Kawthar' also implies the abundance of good given to the
Prophet (S.A.W.) in this world and in the hereafter.

jZA Ij v
Therefore pray to your Lord and make a sacrifice.

Although the verses are addressed to the Prophet (S.A.W.)

it is directed to us to follow .
'Nahr' means sacrifice but means the raising of the hands
to the (neck) when Takbeer is said - implying that God is
greater then any/everything and we would sacrifice all for
Him .

jNIA Bq A
Certainly, your enemy shall be the one cut off .
This aya refers to those who taunted the Prophet (S.A.W.)
as 'Abtar'.

SURATUL KAFIRUN - 109

YjA {YjA }A nI
j}A BA B
fJM B fJA
fJA B fJ{ NA
MfIA B fIB BA
fJA B fJ{ NA
e e
Translation
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.
1. Say ! O unbelievers.
2. I do not serve that which you serve.
3. Nor do you serve He Whom I serve.
4. Nor am I going to serve that which you serve.
5. Nor are you going to serve He Whom I serve.
6. For you your religion and for me my religion.

Brief Notes
A party of Quraish came to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) once
with a proposal of compromise. They proposed that they

(the Kuffar) and the Muslims should both agree to worship

each other's God(s) . They proposed that for one year the
Muslims should worship what the unbelievers worshipped
and for the next year the unbelievers would worship He
whom the Muslims worshipped and then the pattern to be
repeated again.
They (the Kuffar) believed that this way both parties
would be able to live in harmony.
The sura was revealed in answer to the proposal repeating
the verses (ayaat 3 -6 are a repetition of the same
statement) just as the proposal was repeated in order to
totally reject it.
The sura very clearly indicates that there can be no
compromise in the truth (Islam).

SURATUN NASR 110

This is probably the last complete sura to be revealed when
the Muslims entered Makka and victory was achieved with
no bloodshed.

YjA {YjA }A nI
(I begin) In the name of Allah, the Kind, the Most Merciful.

\NA }A jv FU AgA
When there comes the help of Allah and victory.
The statement is in answer to those who doubted the
Prophet (S.A.W.) and continually asked When will the
help of Allah come?.

BUAA }A e af pBA OAi

And you see people entering the religion of Allah in hosts
With the bloodless conquest of Makka, other Arab tribes
sent their deputations and whole tribes became Muslims,
one after another.

BIAM B A jNmA Ii fZI \Jn

Then glorify the praises of Your Rabb and ask for
forgiveness from Him; Indeed He is Oft Returning (in
Mercy).
The aya is an request to human beings to glorify Allah at
each event of success in our lives seeking His fadhl (grace)
and protection through forgiveness of shortcomings.

SURATUL LAHAB 111

YjA {YjA }A nI
In the name of Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful.

KM K IA Ef OJM
May the two hands of Abu Lahab perish, and may He perish.
Abu Lahab means father of flames.
His actual name was Abdul Uzza, and he was a man with a
fiery character.
When the Prophet (S.A.W.) called all his relations first to
announce for the first time his prophet hood; he asked
them all whether they would believe him if he told them
that there was an army waiting behind the mountain. All
replied that they would for they had never heard the
Prophet (S.A.W.) lie.
The Prophet (S.A.W.) then announced that he had come
from the one God as a messenger to preach the oneness of
God.
Abu Lahab said "May you perish (die) ! Is this why you have
called us ?"
He was once found walking behind the Prophet (S.A.W.)
throwing stones at him and shouting at the people not to
listen to the Prophet (S.A.W.)
He raised a large stone to throw at the Prophet (S.A.W.)
but his hands froze The ayah refers to his raising of hands
to throw the stone.

"Tabba" also means - to be lost or to lose - and it refers to

the fact that whatever his hands did (whatever his actions
were) , he was to be at a loss.

Kn B B {A F
His wealth and what he gains will be of no use.
When Abu Lahab was warned against the fire of Jahannam
he said he would buy Jahannam with his wealth and escape
it. This aya said that nothing will be of use to him.

K PAg AiB }vm

Soon shall he burn in the flaming fire.
When Abu Lahab will be in the fire; then only will he realise
the return for his disbelief and the value of his wealth.

KZA BY MAjA
fn JY BfU
And his wife, the carrier of firewood,
Upon her neck is the halter (leash) of twisted rope .
Abu Lahab's wife was called 'Umme Jamila'. She was Abu
Sufyan's sister. She also had a bad temperament like her
husband .
Umme Jamila used to collect thorny sticks and bundle them
up with a rope. In the night she used to spread them along
the path that the Prophet (S.A.W.) used to take to go to
the mosque for prayers early in the morning.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) used to move them aside but some

of the thorns used to prick his feet and get entangled in
his clothes.
She also used to incite people by carrying tales from one
place to the other (gossip) and this also gave her the title
as the 'carrier of firewood'.
It showed her inner discontentment which showed in what
she did outwardly; her inner thorns were carried on her
back outwardly.
The twisted rope around her neck implies that she was
strangling her soul with the rope of her own making.
Note : Umme Jamila died strangled with the rope with
which she carried the wood.
Abu Lahab died a week after the Battle of Badr and his
body smelt so badly that no-one would bury him. In the end
some slaves were hired to bury him.

SURATUL IKHLAS 112

YjA {YjA }A nI
fYA }A
fvA }A
f f
fYA A
Translation
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.
1. Say ! He Allah is One.
2. Allah is He on Whom all depend.
3. He does not give birth and neither was He given birth to.
4. And none is like Him.
Brief Notes
This sura was revealed to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) in
Makka when the Jews were continuously asking him to
describe the identity of Allah . As an answer to their
queries this sura was revealed.
It contains only 5 verses yet it encompasses the basis of
Tawheed. It is said that one third of the Qur'an is an
explanation of this very principle. Perhaps that is why the
Prophet (S.A.W.) has said that the recitation of this sura
once carries the thawaab of reciting one third of the
Qur'an.

In this sura Allah uses the word ahad as opposed to wahid

to depict his oneness. Wahid is the numerical digit 'one' in
Arabic which is divisible and can also be preceded and
followed by other numbers. Ahad depicts one in the sense
of the absolute one which can neither be divided,
multiplied, preceded or followed.
In the beginning of the sura Allah denies the view of the
mushrikeen who believe in more than one God or associate
partners to God.
He then denies the views of the Kuffar who view that God
is in need.
Finally the view of the Christians and the Jews is denied in
their thinking that God has a son or progeny.....

SURATUL FALAQ - 113

YjA {YjA }A nI
A LjI gA
a B jq
K AgA mB jq
fA O{R{A jq
fnY AgA fmBY jq
Translation
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.
1. Say ! I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn.
2. From the evil of those He created *.
3. And from the evil of intense darkness when it comes.
4. And from the evil of those who blow on knots.
5. And from the evil of the jealous one when he is jealous.
*Allah creates all good. It is His creation who then resort
to evil (absence of goodness).
Brief Notes
Falaq literally means to split, to remove the shadows of the
night... Here it may mean destroyer of any effect of
witchcraft.

We seek refuge in the One who brings forth the dawn

after the darkness of the night.
We take refuge from the powers whose functioning we
cannot understand like those of witchcraft represented by
the blowing on knots....
We also take refuge from the jealous ones . In some
traditions they are referred to like lice who are harmless
to their victim but irritating - feeding on dead skin and
dying of over eating it. The haasid (jealous one) never wins
and we ask for refuge from this atitude which has it's seed
in every heart.
The essence of this sura is that we must seek refuge in
Allah in any difficulty - physical or spiritual and keep guard
of superstitions.

SURATUN NAAS - 114

YjA {YjA }A nI
pBA LjI gA
pBA
pBA }A
pBbA pAmA jq
pBA ifu pm hA
pBA VA
Translation
(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.
1. Say ! I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.
2. The King (one with absolute authority) of mankind.
3. The God of mankind.
4. From the evil of the whisperings of the slippery shaitan.
5. Who whispers in the innermost hearts of mankind.
6. From (among the) Jinn and mankind.
Brief Notes
This sura is the final sura of the Qur'an. The beginning of
the Qur'an is a chapter on the realisation that the only
path of success is through glorification, dua and praise of
Allah. The final is concerned with taking refuge .

This sura complements Suratul Falaq. We are seeking

refuge in the Lord , King, God of mankind from 'waswas'
which is the subtle whispering within our innermost being
that incites us to evil. It is said that there are sources or
rivers which feed the 'waswas'. Some of them being
greed, unrealistic expectations, pride, stinginess, love of
the world.......
The Jinn are unseen and hidden from man but have their
limitations and states just as man does.
Therefore, we are asking for refuge for protection from
the energies whose nature we do not understand, and
whose creation is not visible to us .

AYATUL KURSI Suratul Baqara - 2:255-257

The verse of the 'Throne'
What does 'Ayatul Kursi' mean?
Aya means verse and 'Kursi' means 'seat' or 'throne'.
Ayatul Kursi, therefore means the verse of the throne. In
this case, the word 'throne' represents the total authority
and power of Allah.

m haBM X A A X A }A }A

X
X

~iA B P{{nA B

gBI A f r hAAg

a B fA I B

Fq BI A rI Z

BY e X ~iA P{{nA mj m
A A

Aya 255. Allah - there is no God but He, the Ever living,
the Self-subsisting. Slumber does not overtake Him nor
does He sleep;
Whatever is in the cosmos and whatever is in the earth is
His;
Who is there who can intercede with Him but with His
permission?
He knows what is before them and what is behind them,

And they cannot comprehend anything out of His knowledge

except what He pleases;
His knowledge extends over the cosmos and the earth, and
the preservation of them both does not tire Him;
And He is the most High, the Great.
X

A fqjA JM f fA AjA

nNmA f }BI PBBI j

{QA PjBI

m }A B BvA
Aya 256. There is no compulsion in religion as indeed the
right way is clearly distinct from error;
Therefore, whoever disbelieves in false gods and believes
in Allah, has indeed held on to the firmest handle
which will never break; Indeed Allah is All-Knowing, AllHearing.

iA A O{A Ujb A}A hA }A

Ujb PBA {A Ej hA

O{A }A iA

f{a B X iBA K{ZuA }A

Aya 257 Allah is the guardian of those who believe, He
brings them out of the darkness into the light.
And (As for those) who disbelieve , their guardians are the
false gods who take them out of light into the darkness;

They are the inmates of the fire, in which they shall abide.
The main points to ponder upon in Ayatul Kursi?
Aya 2:255
- There is no God but Allah
- He never sleeps nor is He ever unmindful.
- To Him belongs everything that is in the heavens and
everything that is in the earth.
- He has knowledge about everything - past, present &
future.
- Allah is beyond all time and all states.
- Everything/one is created and sustained by Allah.
- He does not need resting.
Aya 2:256
- Nobody can be forced to believe. (However, once one
has accepted Islam, then all it's laws must be followed)
- The right way is clearly different from the wrong.
- One who rejects false gods and believes in Allah has
entered into the protection of Allah and will never be
let down.
Aya 2:257
- Belief, understanding and applying tawheed to our
lives takes us out of the darkness (ignorance &
disbelief in Allah) into the light .

AHLUL BAYT IN THE QURAN

.....{IjA eA A AjUA mA ..
Say! I do not ask you of any reward except love for my
near relations.
Suratush Shura - 42:23
Love is the origin and foundation of all human interaction.
The first step is to acknowledge the position of the Ahlul
bayt with regard to their proximity to Allah and their
designations by Allah to be our leaders. Finally, to suspend
our egocentric drives and follow them to the best of our
ability as leaders ought to be followed. Anything less than
this results in the mockery of the Ahlul bayt.
O people! I leave amongst you two important (weighty)
items- the book of Allah and my progeny, my Ahlul bayt.
Should you be attached to these two, never, never shall you
go astray after me, for indeed these two will never be
separated from one another or until they meet me at the
spring
of
Kawthar
(in
Janna)
Hadith Thaqalayn - Prophet (S.A.W.)
It is reported in Al-Kafi from Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir
(A.S.) that:
When this aya was revealed
On the day when We shall call together all human beings
with their Imams
Bani Israil - 17:71 ,

The Muslims asked - O Messenger of Allah! Are you not

the Imam of all people? The Prophet (S.A.W.) replied: I
am the messenger of Allah to all people, but there will be
Aimma for the people appointed by Allah from my Ahlul
bayt. They will stand up among mankind, but their truth will
be rejected. The misguided leaders to falseness, and their
followers will torment them. So whoever, loves them,
follows them and accepts their truth, shall be from me,
with me and shall meet me. Be it known that those who
torment them and reject them are neither from me, nor
with me, and I disassociate myself from them.
Love must also be manifested. If it does not manifest
itself into actions it is a mockery of the person whom it is
directed towards. e.g. If a child was never shown love but
treated with indifference all his life, would he/she really
believe that his/her parents loved him/her?
Azadari is one form of manifestation of the love for the
Ahlul bayt. Imam Khumayni (A.R.) said: Now a group of
people come and tell us not to read majalis.They do not
understand the meaning of Azadari. Alas! They do not know
that when one weeps for Imam Husayn (A.S.), he/she
pledges to keep the mission alive.each droplet of a tear is
a challenge to the tyrantLet no one in the name of modern
thinking and intellectualism deceive you into believing that
weeping and mourning over the tragedy of Karbala is
useless
The poem below was written about those who mock the
Ahlul bayt:

I would like a little of the Ahlul Bayt please,

Not enough to brighten my nafs or disturb my sleep, but
just enough to see me through my exams and problems; I
dont want enough of them to make me wear hijab, or pray
salaa or give khums; I want fulfilment of desires not
transformation; I want the warmth of belonging to their
community when I need them but I do not want to provide
the warmth through their love. How much of the Ahlul bayt
do you want?

FOOD & DRINK IN THE QUR'AN

Eating and drinking are the basic necessities for sustaining
life. Islamic law does not prohibit the partaking of 'good'
food. In the Qur'an, God says:
"O you who believe! Eat of the good things We have
provided you with and thank God if it is He that you
worship"
Suratul Baqara - 2:172
The general criterion for food and drink being permissible
is their being 'good'.
What is 'good' food and drink?
1. The food must be obtained by lawful means. It is
forbidden to eat any food which is obtained by stealing,
and deceit.
2. It must be halal which means permitted and not haram
which means forbidden. Most scaled fish
and all
vegetables are permitted, alcohol is forbidden and there
are restrictions on meat. The following are some of the
meats that are forbidden.
: All products from the pig
: Animals that eat other animals or excrement for food
: Animals and birds that died of themselves (not
slaughtered)
: Animals which are strangled or stunned to death
: Animals which are killed for food without being
slaughtered in the Islamic way.

HONEY
"And your Lord taught the bee to build it's hives in the
hills, on trees and in what men build. Then to eat of all the
fruits, and walk in the path of it's Lord submissively. From
within their bodies issues a drink of varying colours, in
which there is healing for men. Most surely there is a sign
in this for those who reflect."
Suratun Nahl - 16:68,69

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) recommended honey for the

following:
i) Curing depression.
ii) Sharpening the memory.
iii) As an eye salve for brightening one's vision.
iv) As a preventative measure for a number of diseases.
v) To cure acute indigestion (taken with hot water).

DATES
"And shake towards you the trunk of the palm tree, it will
drop on you dates - fresh and ripe; So eat and drink and
refresh the eye..."
Suratu Maryam - 19:25,26
When Sayyida Maryam felt the birth of Prophet Isa (A.S.)
approaching, she rested upon the trunk of a dead palm
tree. As she leaned against the trunk, lonely and in pain, it
suddenly became green spreading new leaves and bearing
ripe fruit.
A voice told her to shake the palm tree and eat of the
dates which would refresh her....
Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) has recommended dates for:
i) Instant energy (especially recommended for those
suffering from low blood pressure).
ii) As an antidote against stomach bugs.

FIGS AND OLIVES

"By the Fig and the Olive, and the Mount of Sinai, and this
city of security (Makka); We have indeed created human
beings in the best of moulds."
Suratut Teen - 95:1-4
Figs & Olives are mentioned in the Qur'an to identify their
distinctive health benefits over other fruits.

Figs
Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) recommended
several ailments including:
i) Curing bad breath.
ii) Strengthening bones.
iii) Improving the growth of hair.
iv) A cure for piles.
v) A cure for general aches and pains.

them for

Olives
Olive oil had been recommended in several traditions for:
i) A cure for food poisoning.
ii) Massaging the body.
The leaves of the olive tree have been recommended for
eczema, and other skin ailments.

ANIMALS & INSECTS IN THE QURAN

ANTS

k jA oA A eU {n jrY
AaeA A BF{ OB A eA }A AMAEgA {NY
jr eU {m Z X Bn
"Sulayman's army consisting of men, jinn and birds were
gathered together in his presence in ranks. When they
arrived in the valley of the ants, one ant said to the others
- Enter your houses lest Sulayman and his army crush you
whilst they do not know"
Suratun Naml - 27:17,18
Prophet Sulayman (A.S.) had a large army of men, jinn and
animals.
He was once marching with his army to a place called the
valley of ants which had a lot of gems and valuable metals
buried in it.
In the valley there were large ants which stopped people
from coming into the valley.
When the chief of the ants saw the army of Prophet
Sulayman (A.S.) coming he told all the other ants to go into
their holes (houses) in case Prophet Sulayman (A.S.) and his
army would crush them.

Prophet Sulayman (A.S.) could understand the language of

the animals and the insects and he heard what the chief of
the ants said.
Prophet Sulayman (A.S.) smiled and asked his army to be
careful not to hurt the ants. He thanked Allah for having
given hin the wisdom to be able to save the lives of the
ants.

ANIMALS & INSECTS IN THE QURAN

jJA
THE COW
Suratul Baqara - Ayaat 67 - 73
In the time of Prophet Musa (A.S.) a man was once killed.
They could not find the murderer and the law at that time
required that 50 men from the tribe should swear that
they did not do it.
When the people of the tribe found out that they also had
to pay money to the family of the murdered man they
asked Prophet Musa (A.S.) to pray to Allah to help them
find the murderer.
Prophet Musa (A.S.) as guided by Allah asked them to first
sacrifice a cow. The people started making a fuss asking
Musa (A.S.) about the colour, size, type, etc, of the cow. In
the end they had to pay a lot of money for a cow which
belonged to a good man.
Imam Ali Ridha (A.S.) has said that any cow would have
been all right but
because they made such a fuss, they were punished with
the restrictions.
The tail of the cow was put on the murdered man and with
Allah's permission he came back to life to say that the very
people who had asked Prophet Musa (A.S.) to find the
murderer had killed him.

ANIMALS & INSECTS IN THE QURAN

FLIES IN THE KA'BA
"....Those whom you call upon besides Allah cannot create a
fly, even if they all gather for it. And should a fly snatch
away anything from them, they could no take it back from
it...... "
Qur'an- Suratul Hajj 22:73
The people of Makka used to cover the statues that they
kept in the Ka'ba with honey and perfume.
They would then close the door.
The flies used to come squeeze in through the cracks and
eat the honey and take away the sweet smell.
When the people went in they used to be pleased thinking
that their stone idols - gods had accepted their honey and
perfume.
They were so foolish.
A fly is a very small insect. Can anyone besides Allah make
a fly ?
And were a fly to snatch anything away from us would we
be able to get it back?
Think about it !!! We cannot even control a small fly.

ANIMALS & INSECTS IN THE QURAN

jla
PIG
Qur'an - Suratul Baqara 2:173
Suratul Maida 5:3
Suratun Nahl 16:115
Allah has made it haram to eat the meant of a pig.
A pig is the cleansing officer for Allah eating all that which
others discard.
In the slaughter houses, the inspectors that check the
quality of meat test every other animal's meat at random,
but for the pig they test each and every bit because of the
presence of harmful bacteria.
The Prophet (S.A.W.) has said ;
"The community that eats the meat of pig will lose it's
morality and shame."

ANIMALS & INSECTS IN THE QURAN

BJQ
SNAKE
Quran Suratul Araf 7:107
Prophet Musa (A.S.) and his brother Prophet Harun (A.S)
went to see Firawn as ordered by Allah. Wearing a long
woollen shirt and a woollen cap he came before Firawn.
The soldiers stopped them at the door because of their
simple clothing. Prophet Musa (A.S.) struck the door with
his staff and it opened. Door after door opened
automatically until they reached the room in which Firawn
was seated.
Firawns men tried to stop the two brothers from getting
near Firawn but he ordered them to allow them in. Prophet
Musa (A.S.) introduced himself as the Prophet of Allah and
Firawn asked for proof of his claim.
Prophet Musa (A.S.) threw his staff on the ground and it
became a huge snake slithering towards Firawn with its
mouth wide open. Firawns men started running out and in
the process and several were trampled to death.
Firawn shouted to Prophet Musa (A.S.) to take it back.
When Prophet Musa (A.S.) picked it up, it turned back once
again into a staff.

STORIES FROM THE QURAN

ASHABUL KAHF
Do you not think that the people of the Cave and of the
Inscription (Raqeem) were of Our wonderful signs? When
the youths sought refuge in the cave they prayed: "Lord
grant us mercy and help us to get out of this trouble in a
righteous way." We sealed their ears for a number of
years. Then We roused them to see which of the party had
the correct account of the duration of their sleep. We tell
you this story for a genuine purpose. They were young
people who believed in their Lord and We gave them
further guidance. We strengthened their hearts when they
stood up (against the idol worshippers) and said, "Our Lord
is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We shall never
worship anyone other than Him.........
Suratul Kahf, 18 : 9-14
Afsoos was a famous city on the West Coast of Asia Minor.
It was part of the Roman Empire and the king was a kind
and just ruler. During his reign, there was peace and
prosperity. When he died, there was a division amongst the
people as to who should rule.
While they had no leader, Dacius, a neighbouring king,
invaded their land and annexed it to his kingdom. He ruled
them from 249 - 251 C.E.
Dacius was an atheist and a violent persecutor of the
Christians who lived at the time.

Six (or seven) young men stood up for their beliefs and had
to leave the town to escape the cruel king. On their way,
they met a shepherd who gave them some water to drink.
When they told him about their intention of finding a safe
place to worship Allah in peace, he joined them with his
dog, Qitmir. The shepherd led them to a mountain and they
entered a cave.
When Dacius found out about the men leaving town he
followed them, determined to make an example of them to
anyone who disobeyed him. When they heard the sounds of
the soldiers getting closer, the men prayed to Allah to
rescue them.
Soon the young men were overcome with a deep sleep with
their dog sleeping at the entrance of the cave. The king
reached the spot and sent in his minister to bring the men
out. The minister believed in Prophet Isa (A.S.). When he
saw the young men sleeping, he came out and reported that
they had all died of fright.
This news pleased the king, who ordered that the cave be
shut. A stone tablet, with the name of the men and the
date of the event inscribed on it, was put at the entrance
of the cave. This is why these people have been referred
to as those of the Cave and the Inscription in the Qur'an.
Allah caused the young men to sleep for about 180 years
before they woke up. When they woke up they asked each
other how long they had been asleep and it seemed to them

that they had slept for a day or even less. They were all
starving so they decided that one of them would go into
town to buy some food. They prayed to Allah to first open
the entrance to the cave. This prayer was granted and they
emerged from the cave. The sight that greeted them
amazed them.
The entire landscape had changed. Little did they know
that Dacius was long dead and this was the time of the
reign of a kind Christian king- Theodosius I, who ruled from
408 - 450 C.E.
The man who went to the town to get food saw that
everything was different. The houses did not look right and
people were dressed in strange clothes. He looked about in
amazement, wondering if he was dreaming.
Then he saw a bakers shop and asked for some bread. The
baker was surprised to see the oddly dressed young man
who spoke an ancient language and was offering him
outdated money. He asked him whether he had discovered
the coins in some treasure. The young man replied, "No,
this is the money I made after selling my dates the day
before yesterday." The baker did not believe this tale and
took the man to the king. When the young man told his
story, the king informed him that Dacius was long dead and
he then asked to be shown the cave and its inhabitants.
Just before they reached the mountain, the young man told
the king and his courtiers: "Let me inform my companions
of the situation so that they are not alarmed by your
presence." When he entered the cave and told the rest

about his experiences, they were worried that it might be a

trick and that they would be arrested. Therefore, they
prayed to Allah to restore them to their original condition.
Their prayer was granted and they were again overcome
with a deep sleep. After a while the king approached the
cave and found the men and their dog asleep. The sight
made him believe their story and he decided to build a
mosque at the spot in respect of the miracle that had
occurred at this place.

STORIES FROM THE QURAN

ASHABUR RAS
And the (tribes of) Aad and Thamud and the inhabitants
of Ras, and generations between them in a great number.
And to each of them We gave examples (lessons, warnings)
and We destroyed every one (of them with a total
destruction.
Suratul Furqan - 25 : 38,39
The people of Ras lived between Azarbaijan and Armenia
on the bank of the river Ras during the time just after
Prophet Sulayman (A.S.). They lived in twelve towns
situated along the river.
The people of Ras worshipped the "Sanobar". This was a
huge pine tree that had been originally planted at Isfandar
by Yafas, son of Prophet Nuh (A.S.), after the great flood.
There was a spring at the foot of the pine tree and nobody
was allowed to drink from it because it was considered to
be the life blood of the gods.
The people of Ras cultivated the lands around the river and
Allah blessed them with a pleasant climate and a life of
comfort. In spite of this, turned to the pine tree for their
needs. Twigs from the great tree would be taken to homes
and also worshipped. During the days of festival, animal
flesh would be burnt and offered to the tree as sacrifices.

To educate and guide these people, Allah sent to them His

Prophet. Although the name of the Prophet is not
mentioned in history, we do know that he was from the
descendants of Yahuda, son of Prophet Ya'qub (A.S.).
The Prophet tried to bring the people to their senses by
pointing out the error of their ways.
He taught them about the blessings and bounties of Allah
and warned them not to worship anything besides Him.
However, in spite of his continuous efforts, the people
turned a deaf ear to the Prophet's words and carried on
worshipping their pine tree. On the day of their festival
the Prophet sadly watched the people prepare for the
ceremonies.
As he observed the enthusiasm with which they were
preparing to glorify their tree, he prayed to Allah to dry up
the tree so that the people may realise the error of their
ways. The prayer was granted by Allah and the shocked
people watched their pine tree wither and begin to die
before their eyes.
However, instead of learning a lesson, they decided that
their god was annoyed at the interference of the Prophet
and resolved to sacrifice him.
The people of Ras seized the Prophet and threw him into a
large pit. Thereafter, they covered the pit and thus buried
him alive. For some time the cries of the Prophet were
heard but then there was quiet as his soul departed this
world. The people turned to their tree to see if it had
recovered. Instead, they noticed the signs of Divine

Punishment. Suddenly, the punishment of Allah appeared

over the whole area. A hot blast of wind swept through
them and destroyed the entire population. All that was left
at the end was a black cloud which hung over the entire
region, plunging it into darkness.

STORIES FROM THE QURAN

ASHABUS SABT
And (O Muhammad) ask them about the (people of the)
town which was beside the sea; when they exceeded (the
limits) in the Sabbath when their fish came to them on the
day of their Sabbath, appearing on the surface of the
water; and on the day they did not observe the Sabbath,
they (the fish) did not come unto them. Thus did We try
them, for they were transgressing. And when a part of
them said, "Why do you preach to those whom Allah would
destroy or punish by a severe torment?" They replied, "To
be free from blame before your Lord, so that perhaps they
may become pious."
Suratul A'raf - 7 : 163,164
Prophet Musa (A.S.) had taught the Bani Israail to
designate one particular day for the worship of Allah. On
that day they were to abandon all their business or leisure
activities. Originally, the day of Friday was specified, but
at the request of the Bani Israail, it was changed to
Saturday.
The Sabbath, became a holiday for them and Prophet Musa
(A.S.) used to address a special congregation and preach to
the people. For many years after Prophet Musa (A.S.), the
Sabbath was faithfully observed as a religious day.
However, in the time of Prophet Dawood (A.S.), one group
of the Bani Israa'il, who lived at the seaport of Ela, broke

the Divine rule. The people of Ela were mainly fishermen

and fished the seas everyday except Saturday.
Allah tested their faith by making the fish become very
easy to catch on Saturdays.
The fishermen were tempted by the easy catches to be
made on Saturday and they thought of a plan to get around
the Divine restriction. They decided to dig trenches and
canals to divert the fish.
On Saturdays, the canals were opened and the fish would
swim into them in large numbers. At night, before the fish
could return back to the sea, the canals were dammed.
Then on Sundays the fishermen would easily catch all the
trapped fish.
The wise and pious people of the tribe advised these
greedy fishermen not to violate the command of Allah.
They considered it their duty to guide those who were in
error, because otherwise they would also be to blame for
the consequences.
However, the fishermen continued disobeying Allah and
even boasted about their cleverness.
Finally, the punishment of Allah came down and their faces
were transformed into those of animals. After three days
and nights all the sinners were destroyed.
And indeed you know of those amongst you who
transgressed on the Sabbath, so We said unto them,
"Become apes, despised and spurned!" And We made it a
lesson for (those of) their own times and those who came
after them and a guidance for those with taqwa.
Suratul Baqara - 2 : 65,66

'USUL & FURU' IN THE QUR'AN

'USUL UD DEEN
Tawheed

fYA }A
"Say! He Allah is One" Adala

Suratul Ikhlaas - 112:1

...AfYA Ii
"And your Lord is not unjust to anyone...."
Suratul Kahf - 18:49
Nabuwwa

{m{ BIi B
{f Q a q }A hABIi
Said (Firaun) : "And who is the Lord of you two , O Musa!"
Said he (Musa) : "Our Lord is He who gave everything its
form and then guided it".
Suratu Th- 20:49,50
Imama

AjJu B BjBI f A BU

BN{}BI AB

And we made from among them leaders (Imam) who guided

by our command, whilst they were steadfast and had firm
faith in our signs.
Suratus-Sajda 32:24
Qiyama

Aej BA M}A ...

"And everyone of them will come to Him singly on the day
of Qiyama"
Suratu Marium 19:95

Salaa

FURU UD DEEN

....jA FrZA {M }vA A...

"...Indeed Salaa keeps (one) away from indecency and
evil...."
Suratul 'Ankabut - 29:45
Sawm

KN B BvA KN A}A hA BB{

NM J hA
"O you who believe! Sawm (Fasting) has been ordained for
you as it was ordained for those before you so that you
may have taqwa."

Suratul Baqara - 2:183

Hajj

..Jm A BNmA OJA WY pBA } ...

".....And only for Allah; It is incumbent on people, the Hajj
(Pilgrimage) to the House, for those who are able to
undertake (afford.....) the journey....."
Suratu Aali Imraan - 3:97
Zakaa

...}lAAM}A }vA AA
"And establish salaa and give zakaa...."
Suratul Baqara - 2:43
Khums

q N BA AA
{IjA h mj na } B
...JnA IA {nA {{NA
"And know that whatever you acquire, a fifth of it is for
Allah and for His Prophet and (the Prophet's) near
relations, and the orphans and the needy and the
wayfarer...."
Suratul Anfaal - 8:41
Jihaad

hA }A B VAAafM A NJnY A

jJ{vA Af{U
"Do you reckon you will enter Janna when Allah knows those
of you who do jihaad from you and those who are Saabir
(patient, steadfast)"
Suratu Aali Imraan - 3:142
Amr bil Ma'ruf & Nahyi anil Munkar

jBI jB jbA }A f A N
ZA }A jA
"And that there should be among you a group who call
(humankind) to virtue and enjoin what is good and forbid
wrong; and these are those who shall be successful."
Suratu Aali Imraan - 3:104
Tawalla

....{IjA eAA AjUA mA ...

"...Say! I do not ask of you of any reward except love for
my near relations......"
Suratush Shu'ra - 42:23
Tabarra

....FA f f AafM A}A hABB{

"O you who believe! Do not take My enemy and your enemy
as friends......."
Suratul Mumtahana - 60:1

QURAN APPRECIATION TARGETS FOR THE JUNIOR

SECTION
YEAR 3 (7/8 YEARS) TARGETS
Memorisation of 15 suwer and Ayatul Kursi and Ayatul Mulk.
Translation and explanation of Suratul Kaafirun, Suratul Ikhlas,
Suratul Falaq and Suratun Naas.
Recitation of Suratu Yaseen.
Quranic Arabic - Keys to Quranic Arabic - Book 1
YEAR 4 (8/9 YEARS) TARGETS
Memorisation of 15 suwer and Ayatul Kursi and Ayatul Mulk.
Ayatush Shahada and Amenar Rasul
Animals, insects, food and drink in the Quran.
Recitation of Dua Tawassul and Ziyarat Waritha.
Quranic Arabic - Keys to Quranic Arabic - Book 2
YEAR 5 (9/10 YEARS) TARGETS
Memorisation of 20 suwer and Ayatul Kursi and Ayatul Mulk.
Ayatush Shahada and Amenar Rasul
Translation and explanation of Suratul Humaza and Suratul
Maun.
Recitation of Hadith e Kisaa
Quranic Arabic - Keys to Quranic Arabic - Books 3 and 4
YEAR 6 (10/11 YEARS) TARGETS
Memorisation of as much of Juz Amma as possible.
Ashabul Kahf, Ashabus Sabt, and Ashabur Ras.
Recitation of Dua Iftitah
Quranic Arabic - Keys to Quranic Arabic - Books 5 and 6
YEAR 7 (11/12 YEARS) TARGETS
Memorisation of as much of Juz Amma as possible.
Translation and explanation of Suratul Takaathur and Suratuz
Zilzaal.
Recitation of Dua Kumayl
Quranic ArabicKeys to Quranic ArabicBooks 7 and 8

ABOUT THIS BOOK

This book is part of a series of books produced for
religious education of our children in the
Junior Section (8 12 years).
The books cater for three sections.
Infants Section
(Age 4 7 years)
Laying down the foundation of eiman and imparting basic
knowledge through stories and practical workings.
Junior Section
(Ages 8 12 years)
Nurturing to increase eiman and imparting the basic
requisites of knowledge to be a good Muslim
Senior Section
(13 years and over)
Modular study to build on the foundation of the previous
sections.
The books can be used by teachers in Madaris and by
parents home to teach children. Accompanying Workbooks
and Lesson Plans are available. Any feedback will be
appreciated.
Hujjat Saturday Workshop

020 385 7067
Fax:
020 954 8028
e-mail: hujjat-workshop@ntlworld.com
homepage: http://www.hujjat-workshop.org