Juz’ 23 – SŪRAT ṢĀD (CHAPTER OF ṢĀD)

The Holy Qur’ān

﴿ كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَـٰرَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوٓاْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُواْ الْأَلْبَـٰب ﴾

(This is) a Book We have revealed to you, blessed, that they may ponder
over its Verses and so those of understanding may be reminded. [38:29]

The Qur’ān is the greatest miracle of the Prophet g. The revelation of the books of Allah f has a special bond with the month of Ramaḍān. The Tawrah, Injīl, the scriptures of Ibrāhīm and the Qur’ān were revealed to the Prophets p in the month of Ramaḍān.

            In another verse, Allah says:

﴿ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْءَان ﴾

Ramaḍān is the month in which the Qur’ān was revealed… [2:185]

Allah f says in another place:

﴿ إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْر ﴾

Indeed, We revealed it in the Night of Power. [97:1]

Based on these two verses, we learn that from the Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ (Preserved Tablets) to the skies of the world, Allah f sent down the entire Qur’ān in one go. Then according to the need and necessity of the time, over a period of 23 years, Allah f revealed verses of the Qur’ān to the Prophet Muḥammad g through Jibrā’īl n.

Even in cold weather, he g would sweat due to the intensity of the revelation received. The Prophet g was once with Zaid hone of his scribes (he had approximately 50), who narrates,

إِنِّي قَاعِدٌ إِلَى جَنْبِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يَوْمًا إِذْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْهِ ، قَالَ : وَغَشِيَتْهُ السَّكِينَةُ وَوَقَعَ فَخِذُهُ عَلَى فَخِذِي حِينَ غَشِيَتْهُ السَّكِينَةُ ، قَالَ زَيْدٌ : فَلَا وَاللهِ مَا وَجَدْتُ شَيْئًا قَطُّ أَثْقَلَ مِنْ فَخِذِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ سُرِّيَ عَنْهُ

I was sitting at the side of the Prophet g one day as the revelation came to him. The Prophet g was overcome with calm and his thigh fell upon my thigh as the calm overtook him. By Allah f, I have never found anything heavier than
the thigh of the Messenger of Allah g; then he was released from it. [1]

We must be mindful of the Book of Allah f. We must act according to its injunctions and commands. There is much sweetness in the Qur’ān, it is imperative that we pay attention to it and attach ourselves to it. This can be accomplished by reciting the Holy Qur’ān and striving to understand it.

The Qur’ān comes with an abundance of blessings. Allah f says above:

﴿ كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَـٰرَكٌ ﴾

(This is) a Book We have revealed to you, blessed

Sadly, we look for blessings in other things. We look for Shifā’ (healing) in other things. Allah f has put Shifā’ in the Qur’ān. Today, when we hear that someone can cure us from our diseases, illnesses, and ailments, whether physical or mental, we all flock to that person; however we fail to look at the remedies mentioned in the Qur’ān. Allah f mentions:

﴿ وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَّرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴾

And We reveal from the Qur’ān that which is
a healing and a mercy for the believers [17:82]

We learn from the Messenger g that there is Shifā’ in ‘Sūrat Al-Fātiḥah’ for every illness and ailment. This is further exemplified by the following Ḥadīth:

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ، قَالَ : نَزَلْنَا مَنْزِلاً فَأَتَتْنَا امْرَأَةٌ فَقَالَتْ : إِنَّ سَيِّدَ الْحَيِّ سَلِيمٌ لُدِغَ ، فَهَلْ فِيكُمْ
مِنْ رَاقٍ ؟ فَقَامَ مَعَهَا رَجُلٌ مِنَّا ، مَا كُنَّا نَظُنُّهُ يُحْسِنُ رُقْيَةً ، فَرَقَاهُ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَبَرَأَ .

Abu Sa‘īd al Khudrī h reported: “We landed at a place where a woman came to us and said: A scorpion has bitten the chief of our tribe. Is there any incantator amongst you? A person amongst us stood up (and went with her). We had no idea that he had been a good incantator but he practiced incantation with the help of ‘Sūrat al-Fātiḥah’ and he (the chief) was all right.” [2]

Turning to and using the Qur’ān are tried and tested remedies. The question is, why don’t we make the most of it? Why don’t we try to look for cures in the Qur’ān? Every single problem that we face, its answer is in the Holy Qur’ān. We just need to make the effort in finding the answer.

Ramaḍān is a month that has a connection with the revelation of Allah f. One must not forget that the Qur’ān was revealed on the Night of Power.

LAYLAT AL-QADR

There is a difference of opinion about when exactly the Night of Qadr occurs, and these include:

1. Any night of the month of Ramaḍān.
2. The last ten nights of Ramaḍān.
3. The odd nights of the last ten days. (21^st, 23^rd, 25^th, 27^th, 29^th)
4. The majority of the scholars are of the opinion is that it falls on the 27^th night. [3]

Regardless of these differences of opinion, this night holds great blessings because it is the night during which the Qur’ān was revealed and was given to this Ummah, the Ummah of the Prophet Muḥammad g.  Allah f says:

﴿ ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَـٰبَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ﴾

Then We caused those whom We have chosen of Our slaves to inherit the Book.  (35:32)

In this verse, Allah f uses the term, اصطفى .  Allah f generally uses this term for the angels and the Prophets p. Allah f mentions in other verses:

 ﴿ اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا ﴾

Allah f chooses from the Angels Messengers… [22:75]

﴿ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ آدَمَ ﴾

 Indeed, Allah f chose Ādam [3:33]

Allah f uses the same term for the Ummah of the Prophet Muḥammad g. This verse implies that the Ummah of the Prophet Muḥammad g have been ‘chosen’ to inherit this Book; what a great honour. We have been given this blessing although we didn’t make any effort for it.  Allah f says that He chose us to ‘inherit’ the Book.

A person who inherits something from their loved ones doesn’t have to work or make effort for it. They inherit their allotted share. Allah f has given this blessing to us. How lucky are we?

We must utilise this gift in the best manner and acquire its goodness in this world and prepare treasures for the Hereafter.

[1] Bukhārī, 2832.

[2] Muslim, 5735.

[3] For a detailed discussion see: Nawawī M., Sharḥ al-Nawawī ‘Alā Muslim, 8:57.