Surah

A Surah (Arabic: سورة‎ sūrah, plural سور suwar) is the term for a chapter of the Quran. There are 114 surahs in the Quran, each divided into verses (āyāt). The chapters or surahs are of unequal length; the shortest chapter (Al-Kawthar) has only three verses while the longest (Al-Baqara) contains 286 verses.

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Surah . Makkah . Medina . Qur'an

How do we know when a Surah in the Quran was revealed and in whether it was in Makkah or Medina?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 3 weeks ago

Generally, this understanding is taken from what has been narrated about the revelation of a surah or ayat.

However, sometimes there are contextual clues. For instance, if a verse discusses a historical event that happened after the hijrah, such as the Battle of Badr, it is understood that it was revealed in Medina.

Also, the style and content of Meccan verses are somewhat different from the style and content of Medinan verses. The Meccan verses tend to be shorter and focus more on the existence of God, the afterlife, and important ethical points, whereas the Medinan verses tend to be longer and also discuss matters such as legislation. This isn't an absolute rule but also lends some evidence.

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Fajr . Surah . Prostration (sujud) . Sunni-Shi'a . Salat al-Jama’at

Some Shafi'i brothers recite a verse during Fajr prayer that requires Sajdah and go straight into prostration and then stand up again to continue the Surah. Is this allowed in Shia Islam? If I am praying in congregation with them how should I act?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 months ago

It is not allowed during obligatory Prayer (Salah) to add Rokoo' or Sojood because it will invalidate the Salah. Reciting any of the four verses of obligatory Sajda is not allowed in obligatory Salah. If you do Sajda for reciting or listening to any of the four verses of obligatory Sajda, you Salah becomes invalid and you need to perform the Salah again.
Wassalam.

111193

Dhikr . Hair . Phone . Surah

Is it permissible to recite Surahs and do Dhikr whilst doing other things such as household chores, doing your hair, or being on the phone? Does it affect the reward?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 2 months ago

Bismihi ta'ala

In fact, it is a very good thing. Although you might think that you are distracted, or your mind is somewhere else, but getting used to remembering Almighty God frequently is a wonderful quality.

It will minimise the chance of committing sin, and also keeping you vigilant and alert. Gradually, while multi-tasking, you will be able to master your concentration, and it will all have positive impact as well.

With prayers for your success.

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Tawassul . Intercession . Surah . Worship . Qur'anic Verse . Surat al-Fatihah

Doesn't the act of Tawassul and intercession go against the verse in Surah Fatiha where it says that it is You we worship and You who we ask for help?

The meanings of the Quranic verses can not be taken just from the superficial linguistic meanings. Allah (SWT) Has clearly mentioned in Quran that it is the responsibility of the Prophet (SAWA) to explain to the people the real meanings of Quran (Sura 16, Verse 44).

The meaning of Sura Al-Hamd verses which you quoted never suggest not to seek Waseela. Prophets were mentioned in Quran seeking help from people like Prophet Musa (AS) who asked people for food, and Prophet Sulaiman (AS) who asked people to help him in getting the throne of Bilqees.

We believe that no one can help with out the permission of Allah (SWT).

We do Tawassul because we are been ordered by Allah (SWT) to seek Waseela ( Sura 4, Verse 64.

Wassalam

109419

Surah . Qur'anic Verse . Surat al-Baqara

What is the explanation of Ayat 62 in Surah Baqarah?

It means that all believers in the messages from Allah which were sent to people through prophets, who believed in Allah and the Hereafter and did good deeds, they will get their reward from their Lord and will have no fear in them nor will they grieve.

This means whose believers of the previous prophets during the time of those messages. No believer in any previous prophet can deny the prophet hood of the Last Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) because denying this final prophet means not believing in the previous messages of the prophets.

Wassalam.

108629

Islam . Qur'an . Surah . Death

Is it allowed in Islam to complete reading one Quran by multiple people? Is it permissible to divide the Quran into chapters among people in order to complete reading it for the benefit of a deceased person?

Bismihi ta'ala

Yes, it is allowed, and indeed a desirable act, where a circle of people agree on reciting specific parts of the holy Quran, for the reward of the whole khatm to be gifted to someone who has passed.

It is very much encouraged to do this, and hopefully others around you learn to do it as well.
With prayers for your success.

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Intention . Surah . Ikhlas . Salah (Prayers) . Basmalah

During prayer does one need to make the intention of reciting the second Surah before saying the Bismillah for it? Does one need to do this if they always recite Surah Ikhlas as the second one?

You need to know in your mind that you will be reciting the specific Sura

like Ikhlas or al-Qadr or any other Sura. You should not say the name of the Sura during your Salah.

Wassalam.

105029

Surah . Marriage . Qur'an . Dowry

I have heard that it is possible to ask for a Quran Surah in Mehar for marriage. Is that correct and, if so, what are its benefits?

Bismihi ta'ala

In an Islamic marriage contract, it is necessary to stipulate a nuptial gift, or what we call sidāq or mahr, and it can be anything that has a value, like teaching to recite Quran, or a copy of a Quran, etc.

There are many benefits of having such a mahr and not demanding high mahr. There is a statement from the holy Prophet (s.a.w.) that says the best of the women of my ummah is she with the less mahr.

Mahr is not a sign of love, or a security bond, but only a gesture and token of truthfullness, and anything spiritual will of course carry many benefits in this dunya and in akhirah.

With prayers for your success.

89931

Surah . Divine Guidance

When I am asking Allah (swt) for guidance I often see a Surah that seems to be the answer. Is this consistent with Islamic teachings or just a reflection of my Western upbringing and the tendency to personalize?

This can happen in few incidents when you find what you think as an answer in the Quranic verses, but it can not be taken fore granted in every case. You need to understand the meaning of the Quranic verses. You might need some times to seek advice from reliable Islamic scholars.

Wassalam.

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Surah . Qur'an . Wudu (Ablution)

Can we recite any Surah from the Quran without Wuddu?

Yes, it is permissible to recite Quran with out Wudhu, though it is recommended to be with Wudhu when reciting Quran. In fact,nit is recommended to be with Wudhu all the time.

Wassalam.

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Surah . Salah (Prayers)

Is it allowed to recite part of a long Surah in optional prayers?

Abbas Di Palma, Shaykh Abbas Di Palma holds a BA and an MA degree in Islamic Studies, and certifications from the Language Institute of Damascus University. He has also studied traditional Islamic sciences in... Answer updated 1 year ago

as salam alaikum

yes, it is allowed and it actually helps to better memorize more parts of the Qur'an. Imami ulama however do not allow during salat the recitation of verses that require an obligatory sajdah while other ulama do it by allowing the obligatory sajdah during the qiyam.

With prayers for your success.

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Surah . Christianity . Qur'an

I am a Christian who wants to read the Qur'an. Instead of just reading the first Surah and working through to the last one, would you recommend a different order of reading that would be more appropriate?

What is beneficial for one person may be different from what is beneficial from another. However, my own thought is that it may be good to start from the middle of the Qur'an (really you could just open it to the middle and see what catches your eye). The reason for this is that the earlier surahs contain more passages related to the historical situation of the Muslim community at the time, and the later surahs contain more metaphorical language.

If you have a particular interest in the story of Jesus or the Virgin Mary in the Qur'an, you could also start with Surah Maryam (Surah 19) and Surah Al-i Imran (Surah 3), although you should keep in mind that these surahs cover other topics as well.

You could also consider starting with the following surahs:
* Surah Yusuf (12), which contains the Qur'anic treatment of the story of Joseph and is strongly focused on that narrative.
* Surah al-Qasas (28), which discusses Moses and Pharaoh
* Surah al-Kahf (18), which tells of the seven sleepers of the cave

These might be good choices to start with because they are strongly narrative-focused and there is shared material between the Christian and Islamic traditions, although there are some differences in the Qur'anic treatment of these narratives.

In any case, the most important thing is to have a good translation. I have been very impressed by _The Study Qur'an_, ed. S. H. Nasr. It is the best translation I have seen, and also has excellent footnotes. It is a bit heavy due to the essays in it, but one should not be intimidated because the actual text of the Qur'an is not that long.

Happy reading! If you have specific questions on specific verses, you could ask here.