Juz 4
aale-?¢‚ǨÀúImraan (92-200)
Discourse 3: (92- 143) [Revealed after Battle of Badr around 2-3 AH]
- Righteousness becomes manifest through fulfilling huqul-?¢‚ǨÀúibaad /fulfilling social responsibilities and the best expression of righteousness is in desiring for others what you desire for your self. (92)
- People of the Book have a common historical and meeting point in the personality of Prophet Ibrahim, who established the Ka'bah in the Bakkah valley of Makkah as the first universal house of worship and instituted the hajj/pilgrimage that is an obligation on all those who are able to perform it. (96-97)
- Believers should not be divided but should unite through holding on to the hablullah/rope of Allah (Qur'an) extended to humanity (103) and strive to be a source of goodness against evil (104)
- Believers have the potential of being the best of people if?¢‚Ǩ¬¶
- Benefit humanity
- command good
- forbid evil
- bind themselves to the ideology of truth, acknowledging the supremacy of Allah
- The lesson of the Battle of Badr shows how a numerically insignificant army overcame a larger force, how quality is more significant than quantity (123)
- Those worthy of complete divine forgiveness obey Allah and His message, vie for His forgiveness, spend in prosperity and adversity, indulge only in lawful business transactions, control their emotions, pardon the faults of others and are constant doers of good. (130-136)
Discourse 4: (144-200) [revealed after the Battle of Uhud]
- Muhammad is a messenger and messengers before him has passed on after guiding people, they struggled, never compromised on principle and thus never weakened; and prayed for commitment, firm resolve, forgiveness for their shortcomings; such are those who are winners in this world and the next (144-148)
- When we do not follow the principled ways of Prophets there are negative consequence, for example at the Battle of Uhud , where the Prophet's orders were ignored by some who were temporarily motivated by material spoils of war and that exhibition of weakness at crucial time led to dire consequences (152-155)
- Emulate the Prophetic attitude to social interaction?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ leniency, compassion, gentleness in speech, softness of heart, forgiving, always consulting and never insulting; yet firm in resolve and unshakable trust in Allah. (159)
- Prophet Muhammad is fulfillment of Prophet Ibrahim's du'a (2:129)?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ reciter of Allah's message, conveyor of Allah's signs, purifier and developer of people, and teacher of Divine revelation and wisdom. (164)
- Do not exchange good for evil, nor right for wrong, nor belief for disbelief (180) nor oppose the Prophets and realize that Allah is free of all wants .(181)
- Every living thing must taste death and life is but temporary enjoyment (185)
- Do not be of those who boast/exult in the good you do, nor take credit for the good you did not do (188), but glorify Allah the Creator, reflect on His creation and pray to be of those who do what they ought to and avoid what they ought to (189-194)
- Everyone will be fully recompensed and no effort of anyone will be ignored/overlooked (195)
- Believers must patiently persevere, facilitate patient perseverance and connect with each other in order to attain ultimate success.
- The major theme of this surah is human social relationship focusing on the building block of society, the family; and broadening to the larger human community. It is appropriately titled an-nissa' /the women, the origin and foundation of the human family.
- Acknowledgement of Creator, the common ancestry of human family, valuing of life, respect for the ?¢‚Ǩ?ìwomb that bore you?¢‚Ǩ¬ù / mother and the need to manifest ihsaan / goodness emanating from the consciousness that though we do not see Allah, He is fully aware of everything. (1)
- Right of family arising from the mutual obligation of kinship defining rights of the orphans (3), guidelines for marriage (4, 19-25), and details about inheritance (9-14).
- The concept of taubah /repentance emanates from sincerity, not expediency (17-18)