Introduction
God has efficiently designed the Quran and has sent it down providing with many attributes, proofs, wonders, knowledge and wisdom. It is a straight path, a guidance, a reminder, warning for the people while a caller to God, illuminating lamp, good news, mercy and healing for those who have believed and followed as well as have feared God and put their trust upon Him. In addition, in it there are histories, examples and allegories, statements and expressions, models and patterns, prophecies, promises and oaths, signs that we can interpret divine commandments and laws to do right things in a right way. Hence, its every element – placement of suras in its composition, order of revelation, names of suras and number of verses in each sura, beginning and ending of each surah, and even placement of certain commands in specific suras play a significant role for appropriate interpretation of its messages to avoid misinterpretation and misconception. However, here are a few examples to understand how God has placed certain information in particular suras around certain crucial matters that we can avoid misconception or unauthorized practices due to misinterpretation or introduced based on other than what He has given us:
- There is a very popular concept among Christians and Muslims that Jesus being son of God will intercede on behalf of the Christians and Muhammad being the greatest and the latest prophet of the world will do it on behalf of the Muslims to put them in the Paradise. While what has been described in surah 39: al-zumar dealing with the events on a Day of the Judgment that to God is the intercession of all being a best Knower of us and judgment will be based on records, and in surah 21: al-anbiyaa-a highlighting the history of prophets and messengers that God is the most efficient Reckoner and He is sought for help as our Lord while equitable justice will be ensured by setting up the scales of the justice. Thus, God has not left any room for us to understand that intercession on a Day of the Judgment is a satanic trick to make us losers but the so called scholars and their puppets claim it being proud but disregarding His revelations without realizing that what they are doing being driven by the Satan and its allies:
[39:44] Say, “To God is the intercession of all.” While to Him is dominion of the heavens and the earth, then to Him you will be returned.
[39:69] Then the earth will shine with light of its Lord. The record will be placed, and will be brought forth with the prophets and the witnesses, and will be judged between them with the truth and they will not be wronged.
[39:70] And every soul will be paid in full what it had done, and He is a best Knower of what they do.
[21:47] And we set the scales of the justice for a Day of the Resurrection that there will be no wrong to any soul in anything, even if there has been a weight of a mustard seed, we have brought of it. And it has sufficed with us as reckoners.
[21:112] He said, “My Lord, judge with the truth and our Lord is the Gracious, the One who is sought for help against what you attribute.”
- In surah 39, God has placed His guidance stating that Quran is the best hadith through which He guides the people wherein He has incorporated every kind of example confirming an Arabic Quran having no crookedness that we can be righteous to see us as victors on a Day of the Judgment what we need to reflect if we truly believe in Him and His revelations:
[39:23] God has revealed a scripture of the best Hadith being consistent to each other. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (Quran), then their skins and their hearts soften up to God’s message. That is God’s guidance; He guides with it (Quran) whomever He wills, and whomever God sends astray, then there is no guide for him.
[39:27] And indeed, we have cited for the people in this – the Quran every kind of example that they may take heed.
[39:28] An Arabic Quran, without having crookedness that they may be righteous.
- In sura 39, God has placed the outcome of His judgment stating that the disbelievers will be driven in throngs to Hell wherein they will be abiding forever and its guards will ask them about their miserable situation as Lord’s revelations came to them, and the righteous will be driven in throngs to the Paradise wherein they will be abiding forever being greeted by its guards:
[39:71] And has been driven those who have disbelieved to Hell in groups until when they have reached it, has been opened its gates, and has said its guards to them, “Did not come to you messengers from among you, who recite to you of your Lord revelations and warn you of this meeting of your day?” They have said, “Yes but word of the punishment has justified upon the disbelievers.”
[39:72] It has been said, “Enter gates of Hell for abiding therein forever is a miserable abode of the arrogant”.
[39;73] And has been driven those who have feared their Lord to Paradise in groups until when they have reached it, and has been opened its gates and has said its guards to them, “Peace be upon you, have been done well by you. So, enter it, are abiding forever.”
[39:74] They said, “All praise to God, who has fulfilled for us His promise and has made us inherit the earth, we may settle of the Paradise wherever we wish. So has been an excellent reward of the workers.”
- The commandment of completing Hajj and `Umrah has been placed including a recommendation of the animal sacrifice as a rite for the pilgrims with a substitution of fasting in surah 2: al-Baqarah mostly covering common practices, laws and regulations, while the order of animal sacrifice has been placed in surah 22: al-hajj dealing with different aspects of Hajj confirming that the animal sacrifice is a ritual of Hajj, which has been decreed for the people to the Sacred House (ancient Shrine) and its vicinities. Thus, the animal sacrifice is a rite for the pilgrims not for the non-pilgrims, i.e., who have not made any intension or journey to perform Hajj keeping in mind that what is good for us is decided by God not by any of us as we are just to follow His commandment(s) while disregarding Him or His revelations make us transgressors:
[2:196] And you shall complete the Hajj and the `Umrah for God. So, if you have been prevented, then whatever has been obtained with ease from the animal of sacrifice, and you cannot shave your heads until the animal of sacrifice reaches its destination. So, whoever among you has been ill or with an ailment of his head, then expiation either by fasting or charity or sacrifice. So, when you have been secure, then whoever has taken advantage of the `Umrah to the Hajj, then whatever has been obtained with ease from the animal of sacrifice. But whoever cannot find, then fasting of three days during the Hajj and seven when you have returned. This is ten in all; that is for whoever of his family would not be near the Sacred Masjid. And you shall fear God, and shall know that God is severe in the retribution.
[22:36] And the livestock, we have made them for you among God’s rites wherein there is righteousness for you. So you shall mention God’s name upon them in the line, so is when are down at their sides. Then you shall eat from it and shall feed the poor and the needy. It is thus that we have made them for your service that you may appreciate.
- In surah 2, God has informed us that the Quran has been revealed in the month of Ramadan as guidance for the people, proofs of the guidance and the statute book, and has decreed fasting during the month through which we can appreciate Him for giving us guidance, while He has let us know that He has revealed it in a night of the Power in surah 97: al-qadr dealing with the completion of the night long process involving the angels and the Gabriel. Thus, there is no ritual around the night except fasting during the month of Ramadan, and any ritual around the night other than fasting is an innovation and violation of God’s commandment:
[2:185] Ramadan which is a month, has been revealed in it the Quran as a guidance for the people, clear proofs of the guidance and the statute book. So whoever among you has witnessed the month, then he should fast in it, and whoever has been ill or on a journey then the prescribed number from other days. God wishes ease for you and He does not wish hardship for you, and that you may complete the prescribed number, and that you may glorify God through which He has guided you and that you may appreciate.
[97:1] Indeed, we have revealed it (Quran) in a night of the Power.
- In surah 47: Muhammad, God has told us that what He has revealed through Muhammad is the truth from Him that we need to believe to do the righteous deeds as well as to remove our evil deeds, while He has taught him the shahadah:there is no other god except God (laa-ilaaha illaa allah) but it is unfortunate that the shahadah has been corrupted by adding his name to it as a messenger (laa-ilaaha illaa allah muhammadun rasuul allah), and the so called Muslims are proud of proclaiming the corrupted shahadah to nullify their all works.
[47:2] And those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds, and have believed in what has been revealed through Muhammad, and it is the truth from their Lord, He has removed their evil deeds from them and has improved their condition.
[47:19] So, you (Muhammad) shall know that there is no other god besides God; and you shall ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and the believing women while God knows (all) your return and (all) your reward.
- God has placed a covenant of the prophets that a messenger will come after delivery of all the scripture in sura 3: aal Imran dealing with the confirmation of previous scripture and the people who have been chosen by Him and their stories indicating that there is mention of this covenant in every previous scripture, while He has placed it in sura 33: al-Ahzab dealing with Muhammad as a prophet involving him at his lifetime activities indicating the covenant being in the Quran, and what He has given to Muhammad is a messenger of God and a seal of the prophets referring to the final edition of the scripture according to the definition of the prophet:
[3:81] And when God has taken a covenant of the prophets: “Surely, whatever I have given you of scripture and wisdom, then has come to you a messenger confirming that which is with yourselves. You must believe in him and you must support him.” He said: “Have you affirmed and taken My covenant on that?” They said: “We have affirmed.” He said: “Then you shall bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.”
[33:7] And when we have taken their covenant from the prophets, and from you (Muhammad), and from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, son of Mary. And we have taken a solemn covenant from them.
[33:40] Muhammad has not been a father of anyone of your men, but has had a messenger of God and a seal of the prophets (last scripture), and God has done being Knower of everything.
- In pursuant to a covenant of the prophets God has placed specific details of a messenger to come detailing his behavior, activities and mistakes along with a precise message and his sign being the message a reminder and a warning for the human race in sura 74: al-muddaththir dealing with the hidden one for the removal of extraneous from our garments:
[74:11] Let Me deal with the one whom I have created.
[74:12] And I have given him abundant wealth.
[74:13] And children as witnesses.
[74:14] And I have made easy for him.
[74:15] Then he expects that I should give him more.
[74:16] No, he has been stubborn to our signs.
[74:17] I will punish him.
[74:18] Indeed, he thought and planned.
[74:19] So woe to him what he planned.
[74:20] So woe to him what he planned.
[74:21] He looked.
[74:22] He frowned and scowled.
[74:23] Then he turned back and became arrogant.
[74:24] He said, “This is not but is imitated a magic!
[74:25] This is not but a word of the human.”
[74:26] I will cast him into Saqar.
[74:27] Do you know what Saqar is!
[74:28] It does not let to stay nor does it let to leave.
[74:29] Obvious to all the people.
[74:30] Over it is nineteen.
[74:31] And we have not made guardians of the Fire except angels, and we have not made their number except a warning for those who disbelieved, that it may ascertain those who have been given the scripture (Jews and Christians) and may increase faith of those who have believed (Muslims), and may not doubt those who have been given the scripture (Jews and Christians) and the believers (Muslims). And that may say those in their hearts there is a disease (hypocrites) and the disbelievers, “What has God meant by this allegory?” Thus, God misguides whomever He wills and He guides whomever He wills. And none knows your Lord’s soldiers except He. And it is not except a reminder for the human race.
[74:32] Nay, (I swear) by the moon.
[74:33] And the night when it departs.
[74:34] And the morning when it brightens.
[74:35] Indeed, it is undoubtedly one of the great (signs).
[74:36] A warning to the human race.
[74:37] For whoever has willed among you that he may advance, or he may stay behind.
Conclusion
This review may be an opportunity for those who have believed that the Quran is a best hadith and have put trust upon God to avoid misconceptions around the intercession and judgment on a day of the Resurrection, animal sacrifice for the non-pilgrims around the world, annual observance of a night of the Power and staying up last 10 nights in Masjid during Ramadan, the shahaadah, Muhammad being the last prophet, God’s covenant with His prophets to send a messenger after delivery of all scripture, messenger of covenant and his message including sign.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (8/7/2020).