22nd Taraweeh Summary 1445 H

Understanding the Quran During Taraweeh

All Praises to Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful.

22nd Taraweeh, Ramadan 1445 Hijri
Summary of Verses 50:1-56:96
(Sura Qaf is a Makki Sura)
Sura Qaf (Verses 50:1-45)
The Sura begins with Allah taking an oath by invoking one of His creations: By the Glorious Quran! (50:1)

(At the beginning of Suras 50, 51, 52, 53, 68, 77, 79, 85, 86, 89, 91, 92, 93, 95, 100 and 103 - Allah takes an oath with the letter Wa (meaning By) on one of His creations. There are also exceptions, as in (56:75), where the oath is taken later in the Sura. Allah also takes an oath in His name in (4:65), (10:53), (15:92), (19:68), (51:23) and (64:7). It is important to keep in mind that only Allah can take an oath by invoking one of His creations. If human beings take an oath, they can do so only in the name of Allah and not by any of His creations.)

As in so many other verses of the Quran, the physical and metaphysical meaning of rain is explained: And We send down from the sky rain charged with blessing, and We produce therewith gardens and grain for harvests. (50:9)

Notice how rain is imbued with blessing (Mubarakan). Read this verse together with: And Allah sends down rain from the skies and gives therewith life to the earth after its death. Surely in this is a Sign for those who listen. (16:65)

(We may use the metaphorical meaning of listen - listen to what your heart or conscience says - to understand this and similar verses, but the physical act of actually listening to rain can also open the heart to Allahs sublime creativity. How many of us have listened in silence to rain that stirred an ineffable yearning for the transcendent? How many of us experienced Laitaul Qadr when engrossed in Tahajjud prayers during the last days of Ramadan, when the sound of rain falling in the dark was the music that merged with the finest utterance of the human soul? Next time it rains, stop everything, close your eyes, and simply listen. You will hear Allahs Sign as surely as you can hear the wind rustling the leaves of trees.)

The Sura is concerned with death, resurrection, and judgment in the Hereafter. We created man and We know the innermost of his thoughts, and We are closer to him than his jugular vein. Two guardian angels, one on the right and one on the left, watch over him, and every word he utters is noted and recorded by a vigilant observer. (50:16-18)

The onset of death will reveal reality: And the stupor of death will bring the truth; this is what you were trying to avoid. (50:19)

Death is not the end but the gateway between earthly life and the Hereafter. The Quran says: On that promised day, the trumpet will sound, and every soul shall be ushered in, accompanied by a guide and a witness, and it shall be told, you were oblivious of all this and now We have removed your veil and you shall have a keen vision. (50:20-22)

Those who do good and are true to their Lord are distinguished by four characteristics: a) they turn away from evil in sincere repentance b) their new life is noble and principled c) they are motivated by love and awe of Allah in their innermost hearts and in their most secret doings d) they give their whole heart to Him in obedience. And the Garden will be brought close the righteous, no more a thing distant. This was what was promised to you, for every repentant and heedful one, who loved the most Gracious unseen, and brought a heart that turned in devotion to Him. (50:31-33)

To love our unseen Creator is at the foundation of our faith. We find this truth also in verses (35:18) and (36:11).

A believer is exhorted to bear with patience all that they say and celebrate the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting and during part of the night too, extol His glory, and at every prayers end. (50:39-40)

(Sura Dhariyah is a Makki Sura)
Sura Ad-Dhariyah (The Scattering Winds) (Verses 51:1-30)
Wind is fundamental to life on Earth. The Earth contains five major wind zones: polar easterlies, westerlies, horse latitudes, trade winds, and doldrums. The wind carries rain-laden clouds to parched land and thirsty people, binding all living creatures in the web of life as it travels over oceans and continents. Its metaphoric implications are clear: Consider the winds that scatter dust far and wide and those that carry the burden of clouds and those that speed along with gentle ease and those that distribute the gift of life at Allahs behest. Surely what you are promised shall be fulfilled and final judgment shall surely come to pass! (51:1-6)

The good will be given their reward in the Hereafter. They will be in the middle of gardens and springs, taking joy in the things their Lord gives them because they lived a good life before. (51:15-16)

What constitutes a virtuous and successful life on earth? They were in the habit of sleeping little at night, and in the early hours of dawn they were found praying for forgiveness, and in their wealth and possessions was a portion for the needy for him who asked and also for him who was prevented from asking for some reason. (51:17-19)

(It is common to hear some of us complaining of sleep deprivation during Ramadan, not realizing that this very deprivation may turn out to be the source of our salvation. The more happily we inconvenience ourselves physically in Ramadan, the more we can enhance ourselves spiritually, and the more we can reap the rewards of the sacred month! Note also the characteristics of genuine charity. It is not only for those who ask but even more importantly, for those prevented from asking for reasons of dignity and self-respect. This is especially relevant in difficult times when thousands are without jobs or without being cared for in old age and are facing elemental threats such as hunger and homelessness in their lives. It is our responsibility to find them and help them without in any way undermining their sense of self-respect.)

(Sura Tur is a Makki Sura)
Sura At-Tur (The Mount) (Verses 52:1-49): The Sura opens with several Signs of Judgment Day when the firmament will be in dreadful commotion and the mountains will move. (52:9-10)

Those who rejected the Truth and preferred to play in shallow trifles (52:12) will be in hellfire as recompense for your own deeds. (52:16) In contrast, the righteous will be in gardens and in happiness, enjoying the bliss that their Lord has bestowed on them. (52:17-18)

There is an intriguing verse that describes the company the believers will have in heaven: And those who believe and whose families follow them in faith, to them We shall join their families. We shall not let any of their deeds go to waste. Every human being will be held in pledge for whatever he has earned. (52:21)

It suggests that the faithful will be joined by their near and dear ones in the Hereafter, provided, of course, the latter are also among the righteous. This is yet another of Allahs blessings for believers: If righteous parents have righteous families, they will be together in heaven by Allahs command!

Believers may engage in good deeds and find goodness in their own spiritual lives, but they may also have anxieties about their families and friends. All such anxieties and concerns are removed in heaven by Allahs Grace, and they are inspired and energized when they converse with other believers with similar thoughts and feelings. They will approach each other, engaging in mutual inquiry. They will say, Before, we were not without fear for the sake of our people. But Allah has been good to us and has delivered us from the chastisement of the scorching wind. Truly, we always called on Him in our former lives. Truly it is He, the Beneficent, the Merciful.  (52:25-28)

Those who think that life and the universe are a product of random chance are asked: Were they created out of nothing or were they the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth (52:35-36)

The Prophet (s.a.w), and hence all believers, are exhorted to celebrate the praises of your Lord while standing forth, and for the part of the night also praise Him, and at the setting of the stars! (52:48-49)

(Sura Najm is a Makki Sura)
Sura An-Najm (The Star) (Verses 53:1-62)
The Sura begins with an oath taken by Allah of His creation: By the star when it goes down. (53:1)

The Sura continues with the mystical vision of the Prophet (s.a.w) who beheld the angelic force Jibreel, the angel of revelation. He was taught by one mighty in power, endued with wisdom, for he appeared in stately form while he was in the highest part of the horizon. Then he approached and came closer and was at two bow lengths or even nearer. So did Allah convey the Inspiration to His servant, conveyed what he meant to convey. The Prophets heart in no way falsified that which he saw. Will you then dispute with him concerning what he saw? (53:5-12)

Scholars agree that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) witnessed angel Jibreel in visible form on only two occasions according to the Quran. Verses (53:5-12) refer to the first time, a reference also repeated in Sura Takwir: And without doubt, he saw him in the clear horizon. (81:23)

The second occasion is also stated in Sura Najm: And indeed he saw him a second time near the Lote-tree of the utmost boundary. Near it is the Garden of Abode. (53:13-15)

(Note that verse (17:1) of Al-Isra contains reference only to Isra, the first part of the night journey from Makkah to Jerusalem. The Miraj, or the ascent, is stated in Sura Najm when he indeed saw him a second time. (53:13-15))

Our dark desires and unchecked impulses can lead to our destruction. It is Allah alone who can guide us to the Truth and ultimate bliss. No, shall man have anything he hankers after? But to Allah belongs the Hereafter and the former life. (53:24-25)

Accountability is a characteristic of Divine justice. To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth. He rewards those who do evil, according to their deeds, and He rewards those who do good, with what is best. Those who avoid great sins and shameful deeds, even though they may sometimes stumble, behold, your Lord is ample in forgiveness. He knows you well when he brings you out of the earth, and when you are hidden in your mothers wombs. So do not claim yourselves to be pure: He knows best who it is that guards against evil. (53:31-32)

Note the infinite mercy of Allah: While bad deeds receive one-for-one compensation, good deeds are rewarded with what is best. Allah makes allowance for our human frailties so that if we occasionally stumble, as we inevitably will, He will forgive us so long as we strive to avoid the big sins and shameful deeds afterward. Also, as Allah knows what is in our hearts, it is absurd to justify ourselves either by pretending that we are better than we are or by finding excuses for our conduct. We are all flawed human beings. It is Allahs Mercy and Grace that saves and cleanses us. If we are motivated by our love for Him and strive to guard against evil, Allah will reward us for our striving and save us from committing sins.

Allah clarifies the true nature of reality and how our fates are linked to it in the following aphorisms. (The gender he obviously includes both male and female)

1. Namely, that no bearer of burden can bear the burden of another (53:38)
2. That man can have nothing but what he strives for
   (Do not expect rewards without effort. Unless hope is backed by action, it is hollow.) (53:39)
3. That the fruit of his striving will soon come in sight (53:40)
   (If we keep striving to achieve our noble goals with confidence in Allahs Mercy, the goals will soon be visible. The critical word is striving.)
4. Then will he be rewarded with a reward complete (53:41)
5. That to Your Lord is the final goal (53:42)
6. That it is He who grants laughter and tears (53:43)
7. That it is He who grants death and life (53:44)
   (Notice that death comes before life. Death may refer to the state before life began, the state in which life as we know it ceases, and the state of Barzakh (23:100), followed by life again, as resurrection into the Hereafter.)
8. That He did create the pairs, male and female (53:45)
   9) from a sperm drop when lodged in its place (53:46)
9. That He has promised a second creation (raising of the dead) (53:47)
10. That it is He who gives wealth and satisfaction (53:48) (Notice how wealth and satisfaction go together for the wise. For many, wealth creates greed for more wealth that leads to strife and unhappiness. Wealth without satisfaction is corrosive and calamitous, whereas contentment with halal livelihood leads to enduring happiness.)

The Sura ends with a warning: will you laugh, and not weep, wasting your time in vanities? (53:60-61)

(Sura Qamar is a Makki Sura)
Sura Al-Qamr (The Moon) (Verses 54:1-55)
The Sura describes in stark detail the end of the world: They will come forth, their eyes humbled, from their graves, torpid, like locusts scattered abroad, hastening, with eyes transfixed, toward the Caller (54:7-8)

Each story of the earlier prophets (Nuh, Lut) and the obstinate refusal of the people (Ad, Thamud, Pharaoh) to heed the message of Tawhid is accompanied by a remarkable refrain: And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember. Then is there any that will receive admonition? (54:17)
Again: But We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember. Then is there any that will receive admonition? (54:22)
Again: And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember. Then is there any that will receive admonition? (54:32)
Yet again: And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember. Then is there any that will receive admonition? (54:40)

Allah, Who has created all things in proportion and measure (54:49), is confirming that the Quran is easy to understand and remember, repeating the verse in the same Sura for emphasis. Can there be a more hopeful message for the believer?

(Sura Rahman is a Madani Sura)
Sura Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent) (Verses 55:31-57:78)
The haunting refrain, Then which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?, occurs 31 times in this Sura of 78 verses, emphasizing gratitude for Allahs blessings as a foundation of faith. Notice that the first invocation of this verse occurs in (55:16), which is preceded by verses 14 and 15 which state: He created humankind from clay, like that of pottery, and He created Jinns from fire free of smoke. The refrain is thus addressed to both humankind and Jinns. The Quran is the ultimate guidance for a life of meaning and purpose. The Sura states that the entire cosmos is controlled and sustained by a predetermined and precise system. There are galaxies in which stars and planets are not drifting aimlessly but following well-defined paths defined by natural laws, another name for the Signs of Allah. The sun and the moon follow their precise course. Stars, planets and trees bow down to Allah in adoration. He raised heaven high and set the balance of things, so that you may not transgress the proper balance. (55:5-7)

Man is often contentious and ungrateful. To find the right path, he can observe the natural order and harmony in everything around him: how the earth has been spread out for all living beings (55:10), with fruits and palm trees with sheathed clusters of dates (55:11), grain and sweet-smelling plants (55:12), the two bodies of water (sweet and salty) that meet but do not transgress the barrier between them: He has let free the two seas meeting together. Between them is a barrier which they do not transgress. (55:19-20) (This is cited also in verse 25:53)

Allahs blessings are varied and numerous. How can we, then, deny the favors Allah has bestowed on us by persisting in ingratitude, obstinacy, and willful blindness?

A few verses depict the punishment that will befall sinners (55:41-44), while believers with many good deeds in their account will dwell in gardens filled with delectable fruits and agreeable companions. (55:46-59).

Is there any reward for good, other than good? asks the Quran (55:60 Hal Jazaul Ihsani Illal Ihsan?) It is a summing up of the state of bliss and grace that believers will enjoy. On that theme, the Sura again offers a description of the garden in paradise reserved for believing women and men: Gardens rich with green plants, colorful flowers, and flowing rivers. These are abodes of tranquility where the deserving will enjoy everlasting peace. The concluding verse of the Sura proclaims the attributes of the Creator: Blessed be the name of Your Lord, full of majesty, bounty and honor. (55:78)

(Sura Waqiah is a Makki Sura)
Sura Al-Waqiah (The Inevitable Event) (Verses 56:1-96)
On the Day of Judgment, the world as we know it will be shaken to its core, and humankind will be divided into three groups: a) those nearest to Allah, in highest bliss b) the companions of the right hand, in bliss and c) the companions of the left hand, in misery.

Foremost will be those who in life were the foremost in faith and good works. They will be those nearest to Allah, in gardens of bliss, some people from those of old, and a few from those of later times. (56:10-14)

For them, there will be rest and satisfaction and a garden of delights. (56:89) (The destiny of those nearest to Allah is also indicated in (35:32))

The companions of the right hand comprising the second category will be those who have faith and engage in good work. The companions of the right hand who will be the companions of the right hand? They will be in fruit-laden Lote trees without thorns, among trees with flowers or fruits piled one above another, in shade long-extended, by water flowing constantly and fruits in abundance. (56:27-32)

But for those who persist in evil, comprising the third category, they will find themselves amid scorching winds and burning despair (56:42) for in times gone by, they abandoned themselves wholly to the pursuit of pleasure, and would persist in sinning and say, What? After we have died and become mere dust and bones, shall we be raised from the dead ? (56:45-47)

The vivid images of the Hereafter reinforce the idea of death and resurrection and of the rewards and punishment for those who embraced Divine guidance and those who denied it.

The inevitability of death is made clear: We have decreed Death to be your common lot (56:60)

At all times we should be mindful of Allahs blessings (a sign of Taqwa) and His eternal creativity: See you the seed that you sow in the ground? Is it you that cause it to grow, or are We the cause? (56:63-64) See you the water that you drink? Do you bring it down (in rain) from the cloud, or do We? (56:68-69) See you the fire that you kindle? Is it you who grow the tree that feeds the fore, or do We grow it? (56:71-72)

We must be physically and mentally clean before we touch the Quran: That this is indeed a Quran most honorable, in a Book well-guarded, which no one shall touch except those who are clean. (56:77-79)

According to tradition, the Prophet (s.a.w) used to say that whoever recited Sura al-Waqiah at night would never encounter poverty. He called it the Sura of wealth. 

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