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.

63583

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?

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... Answer updated 2 weeks ago

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.

53401

Surah . Salah (Prayers) . Surat al-Fatihah

Is Surah al-Hamd a prayer that is recited at certain times of the day?

Yes, Surah al-Hamd is another name for Surah al-Fatihah, i.e. the first surah of the Qur'an, and it is recited between 2-4 times in each of the 5 daily prayers.

54655

Qur'an . Surah

Were the names of each of the Qur'anic chapters also revealed to the Prophet along with the verses?

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 6 months ago

All the names of the Quranic Suras are mentioned in the Sura itself or derived from its verses.

Wassalam

54313

Salah (Prayers) . Dhuhr . Asr . Surah . Whisper

I understand that when praying Zuhr and Asr prayer the Sura's have to be recited silently, but what does it actually mean? Is it a whisper that one must be able to hear or is it sufficient to just move the lips and not completely hear the recitation?

Reciting Quran in Zuhr and Asr Prayers must be with Ekhfaat which means with low voice which can be heard by you in usual cases. It is like whispering with out clear voice. Just moving the lips with out hearing anything is not enough in Ekhfaat.

Wassalam.

50028

Surah . Tarawih . Huffaz

If one of the huffaz forgot to recite Surah al-Fatiha in the 2nd rakah in Tarawih salah, do you have to repeat the two rakah?

Taraweeh which is done nowby many Muslims was never performed by he Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), that is why you find that Umar Ibn Al-Khattab called it Bid'ah (Bukhari and Muslim).

The recommended Prayer is called Tahajjud which should be performed individually.

If some one forgets reciting Sura Al-Hamd, the Salaat is valid, but if he deliberately leaves reciting the Al-Hamd, then his Salaat is invalid.

Wassalam.

48798

Qur'anic Exegesis (Tafsir) . Qur'anic Verse . Surah . Al-Qalam

What is the commentary of verses 12-14 of Surah Qalam?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answer updated 6 months ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. The verses can be rendered in English as follows:

“...hinderer of good, a transgressing sinner, churlish, surly, and ignoble withal - simply because he possesses wealth and children.”

This set of verses is a continuation of a vivid description of the traits of the enemies of the Prophet (saw) and are set beside the first set of verses in this chapter that extoll the great character of the Prophet (saw). They are people who not only don’t perform good but prevent others from doing so. They are so soiled with sin that sin has become part of their nature. They are churlish, meaning that they are ill natured and mean spirited and on top of that they have no apparent origin (meaning they have no clear father).

The following verse is a warning why it may be that these people have such traits. These verses show that the Prophet (saw) never submitted to people of this nature just because of their wealth and affluence, but rather spread the true message of Islam, whether these people were amiable to it or not.

For some insights into the rest if the chapter please refer to: Exegesis of the Qurʾān; sūratul Mulk to sūratul Mursalāt, translated by Saleem Bhimji and edited by Arifa Hudda (Ontario: Islamic Humanitarian Service & Islamic Publishing House, 2012). The chapter of al-Qalam is the second chapter discussed in this book.

May you always be successful.

51349

Meaning . Qur'anic Verse . Surah . Qur'an . Islam . Idolatry . Surat al-Najm

What is the meaning behind verses 19-20 of Surah Najm? Why were the names of these three goddesses mentioned in the Quran if the teachings of Islam are completely against idolatry?

Quran is challenging the idol worshippers ( Did you see Allaat and Ozza and Manaat) which are three famous idols worshipped by them, that they can never help you or any one. So, mentioning the names of these three idols was to challenge the idol worshippers and condemn idol worshipping. Some scholars suggest that it might be a hint for Muslims who will blindly follow three persons like worshipping them, as they will never help them in this life and hereafter and warn from the harm of such blind following of such wrong leaders.

Wassalam.

Wassalam

51326

Surah . Qur'anic Verse . Al-Qalam . Qur'an

Who are the people of the garden mentioned in Surah al-Qalam verse 17 in the Qur'an?

They were people who thought that they can get the fruits of their garden with out giving its dues to the poor and decided to pluck the fruits next morning with out saying : If Allah wills.

Allah sent fire which burn the garden while they were asleep. They lost every things as a result of their bad deeds.

50312

Contradiction . Surah . Qur'an . Surat al-Fatihah . Imam Ali

Is it not a contradiction to seek help from Imam Ali by saying "Ya Ali madad" when the Qur'an says "iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in" in Surah al-Fatiha?

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 8 months ago

Bismihi ta'ala

It is very clear that no Muslim says any expression like 'Ya Rasul Allah Madad', or 'Ya Ali Madad', with the slightest of intention that they are equal to Almighty God, or that they will help independently free of any involvement from God.

If, for argument sake, someone was to say anything like this, and believe that a Prophet, an Imam or a saint can within their own power independent from God they are performing Shirk, and this is forbidden and condemned.

But, if we were to seek intercession, or help, or call to any of God's creation, alive or dead, who have an exceptional status in the eyes of Almighty God and they be granted this position from God, then it is not Shirk, not is it a contradiction.

We seek forgiveness from Almighty God, but also in the Quran the Almighty says that the Prophet (s.a.w) can forgive us as well (Surah al-Nisa`, verse 64). We can also make reference to the story of Prophet Ya'qub (a.s.) and his children (Surah Yusef, 97-98).

As for asking which one is better? Tp say Ya Allah, or Ya Ali. This kind of question is meaningless, because it entails that they are equally parallel to each other, or one replaces the other. However, it is not the case. Each expression functions within its own usage. It is like saying 'should I say Ya Rahman, or Ya Rahim'.

Furthermore, there are many authentic traditions in both Sunni and Shia sources that validate the practice of Istighathah and Tawassul. Some Sunni scholars, like Imam al-Sabki, say it is a very good practice. In Sunni sources it also has a frequently mentioned tradition that 'remembering Ali is in itself an act of worship'.

Therefore, there is no contradition, and Muslims throughout the history of Islam have sought help from mediums other than Allah ta'ala, without any intent of Shirk. The Almighty has appointed Prophets and Imams as mediums, and therefore we are able to get to Him through them.

Wassalam

50150

Surah . Sunni . Shi'a . Salah (Prayers) . Amen . Surat al-Fatihah

Why do the Shi’a never say the word “Amen” at the end of Surah al-Fatiha while praying unlike what many Sunni's do?

Bismihi ta'ala

According to the main view the word 'Ameen' آمين is used to mean 'O God, answer'. So, in this case there is nothing wrong with the expression itself, even though this word does not come from the Quran, nor is it a part of any verse.

This is something agreed upon by both Sunnis and Shi'ah.

However, the issue is whether it is permissible to say it in a daily obligatory prayer, after reciting the Fatihah.

Shi'a scholars say that if Ameen is said with the intention of it being a part of Salat, then the prayer will be invalid. It is a foreign word and has nothing related to the Surah, or correct dhikrs mentioned as parts of the Salat.

We are obliged to adhere to how the Prophet (s.a.w.) has taught us to pray. In the narrations there is no mentioning that the word 'Ameen' should be said after the Fatihah.

We cannot add something that does not exist in the Sunnah of the Prophet (s.a.w.), and therefore doing such a thing would nullify our Salat.

It is a consensus of Shi'ah scholars that saying 'Ameen' in Salat, after Fatihah is an innovation and therefore would invalidate the prayer.

Ameen is a word foreign to the prayer, and not a 'supplication'. This is contrary to the expression 'alhamdulillah rabb al-'alameen' which would be permissible to say after reciting the Fatihah, due to it being a dua and also it being mentioned to do so in authentic traditions.

For further information on the word Ameen, see:

http://en.wikishia.net/view/Amin

And Allah knows best.

48225

Fajr . Salah (Prayers) . Surah

Which surahs are better to recite for the fajr prayers?

Mateen Charbonneau, Sheikh Mateen Joshua Charbonneau achieved a certificate from Harvard University in Islamic Studies. He undertook Howza classes under esteemed scholars since 2013 and has been teaching at Imam Mahdi... Answered 8 months ago

One of the recommended surah’s to recite in fajr prayers is surah qadr (97) and it is reported to repel poverty.

48799

Surah . Al-Qalam

What is meant by what is said in ayah 9 from Surah Al-Qalam?

Thank you for your question. It has been narrated that the 9th verse of surah 67 is revealed concerning an attempt by the polytheists of Mecca to invite the Prophet (saw) to follow the way of their forefathers after they saw the early success of his prophetic mission. They hoped that he may compromise and that they then may also compromise and reach an agreement and so they offered him money and other worldly gifts. The translation of the verse is:

"They wish that you might compromise and that they might compromise"

The verb d - h - n used in the verse, in this situation means manifesting softness, but it also implies manifesting softness in a negative sense, like hypocrisy.

May you always be successful