Tafsir (Juz 1, Intro)
What is the first commandment in the Quran?
"O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous." (21)
{يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ}
Summarize the du'aa of Prophets Ibrahim and Isma'eel (pbut) after building the Ka'bah
"Our Lord, accept from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.
وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.
Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (127-9)
Allah says, "We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muḥammad], toward the heaven." Explain the story behind this and the wisdom of this story.
The Prophet ﷺ sincerely wanted the qiblah to be the Ka'bah. In Madinah, they had to face Jerusalem, the qiblah of the Jews. Allah answered the Prophet ﷺ's desperate du'aa and changed the qiblah to the Ka'bah.
Wisdoms: differentiating from the Jews; honoring the Final Messenger ﷺ; knowing that truth is from Allah and not based on tradition or human whims
Give 1-2 examples of non-monetary Mahr in Islamic tradition.
Teaching Quran; man's acceptance of Islam; a promise; garden
Allah سبحانه وتعالى orders the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to give those who believe and act righteously the good news of Paradise. Name something they will do in Jannah, mentioned in alBaqarah. (hint: fruit)
They will be served fruit on platters by eternal youth. “Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, ‘This is what we were provided with before,’ and it is given to them in likeness”, meaning similar form but different taste (25)
When Allah سبحانه وتعالى took a Covenant from the Children of Israel, He asked them to not worship anyone except Allah and secondly…?
To have ihsan with the parents (83)
{وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَـٰقَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًۭا}
Du'aa for clarity (about truth and falsehood, based in ayah 213)
O Allah! Show us the truth as true, and inspire us to follow it. Show us falsehood as falsehood, and inspire us to abstain from it.
اللهم ارنا الحق حقاً وارزقنا اتباعه وارنا الباطل باطلا وارزقنا اجتنابه
Du'aa before intimacy
"In the Name of Allah, O Allah! Keep us away from Satan and keep Satan away from what You have bestowed upon us." (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)
بِسْمِ الله اللّهُـمَّ جَنِّبْنا الشَّيْـطانَ وَجَنِّبِ الشَّـيْطانَ ما رَزَقْـتَنا
Creation of Adam ﵇: When Allah سبحانه وتعالى asks His angels to name the creation and they are unable, what du’aa do they say?
“Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. You are truly the All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (32)
سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
Explain the story of the saying "Ra'ina" and how Allah instructed the believers to change.
The Jews would twist their words and use double meaning. "Ra'ina" meant "tend to us" in Arabic but was an insult in Hebrew; similarly, they would say "death" instead of "peace" be upon you to the Prophet ﷺ. Allah instructed the believers to instead say "undhurna", forbidding them from imitating disbelievers (104).
Du'aa after Wudu (related to ayah 222)
"O Allah, make me among the oft-repenting, and make me among the purified."
(اَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ)
Explain the difference between Talaq and Khula'.
Talaq (divorce) is in the man's hand in Islam.
Khula' is when the woman wants to end the marriage; she must give up the gifts and Mahr she received from her husband.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى commands us to seek help through —— and ——-. This is a difficult task for all except whom?
Sabr (patience) & salah (prayer); “it is difficult except for الخاشعين، the humbly submissive [to Allah] who are certain that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him.” (45-6)
Tell the story behind this ayah: "And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allāh. And Allāh is Kind to [His] servants." (207)
Suhayb the Roman ﵁ sought to migrate to Madinah. The disbelievers forced him to abandon all his wealth and property, which he did happily. RasulAllah ﷺ told him that his trade "has been successful" as Allah Almighty praised him
Allah states that birr (piety) is not in superstition (entering houses from the back during Hajj) or in mere actions (facing Qiblah) but is something deeper. What are some aspects of birr (piety)?
"[true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allāh, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakāh; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous." (177)
Special Cases: what is the ruling for talaq before both Mahr & intimacy, vs before intimacy but after Mahr, vs in the case of pregnancy?
Talaq before both Mahr & intimacy: still provide a gift, no waiting period
Before intimacy but after Mahr: give half of the specified mahr
Pregnancy: waiting period is the duration of pregnancy
In response to the Hypocrites’ complaints, Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed that He is not ashamed to strike a parable even of a —-. What are 3 qualities of those who are misguided by these Quranic parables?
Mosquito; none are misguided except the Fasiqin: those who 1) break Allah’s covenant after ratifying it, 2) sever what Allah has ordered to be joined and 3) do mischief on the earth (26-7)
Here are 3 of the Jews’ claims: (1) the Prophet ﷺ was not Jewish, so they refused to believe. (2) Paradise is only for Jews (3) they did not respect angel Jibreel عليه السلام. What was Allah سبحانه وتعالى ‘s response to each?
1) Humans do not own Allah's dominion; He selects from His Servants whomever He wills. (90)
2) Anyone who ‘submits his face’ أسلم to Allah (by accepting the Final Message) and does good will receive reward. (112)
3) Jibreel عليه السلام conveyed the Quran from Allah to the Prophet ﷺ. Whoever is an enemy to him or the angels and prophets, then Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers (98)
The second half of al-Baqarah is full of legal rulings in Madinah. At least 5 ayat contain "They ask you"--name at least 3 concepts the sahabah asked about.
1. Phases of the moon (
2. Charity
3. Sacred months
4. Wine & gambling
5. Orphans
6. Menses
Name 4-5 spiritual benefits/lessons from the Quranic ayat on Talaq.
-Importance of women's rights
-Fearing Allah in interactions with people
-Unity of the family
-Following Allah's guidelines to satisfy desires in a halal way
-Having ihsan even in separation