Grounded

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Welcome to Be Quranic. It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for Tafsir Thursday — where we dive into the meanings and lessons behind our Ayat of the Week.

We’re now in Term 2 of 2025, and this term, we’ll be studying Surah al-Wāqi‘ah — the chapter that follows Surah al-Rahmān, which we explored last term. As usu…

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Welcome back to Be Qur’anic. Today is Tuesday, and that means it’s Tajweed Tuesday.

Every Tuesday during the term, we’ll break down the tajwīd rules found in the Ayat of the Week. For Term 2, we’re exploring Surah al-Wāqi‘ah. This week, we’re focusing on verses 1 to 9.

Let’s begin.

1.

Isti‘ādhah and Basmalah

A‘ūdhu billāhi min ash-shayṭānir-rajīm

Don’t rush through isti‘ādhah. This is a direct command from Allah: “When you recite the Qur’an, seek refuge in Allah.”

Say it with presence, intention, and correct articulation.

Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm

Many rush through the basmalah, but according to some scholars — like Imam al-Shāfi‘i — it is part of the Qur’an. Recite it properly, honouring each rule.

2.

Verse 1 – إِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ

* Iẓā – contains a mad aṣlī (natural elongation), read it with 2 harakāt.

* Waqa‘ati-l-Wāqi‘ah – notice the bouncing of the letter qāf and the correct emphasis on ‘Ayn. Maintain equal length in iẓā and wāqi‘ah.

3.

Verse 2 – لَيْسَ لِوَقَعَتِهَا كَاذِبَةٌ

* Laysa li-waqa‘atihā – contains a mad aṣlī.

* Qaf is a bouncing letter, qalqalah.

* Kādhibah – the letter dhāl should have the tip of your tongue touch the edges of your front teeth, not the flat part. Don’t confuse it with zāl (ز).

4.

Verse 3 – خَافِضَةٌ رَافِعَةٌ

* The tanwīn at the end of khāfiḍah meets the letter rā – and rā is part of Yarmalūn. This is idghām bilā ghunnah – a full merge without nasal sound.

* Read it: khāfiḍatur rāfi‘ah, not khāfiḍatun rāfi‘ah.

5.

Verse 4 – إِذَا رُجَّتِ الْأَرْضُ رَجًّا

* Iẓā – again, mad aṣlī.

* Rujjatil-arḍu – the ḍād with ḍammah causes the lips to round forward, not because of the letter itself, but due to the vowel.

* Rajja – ends with tanwīn followed by shaddah. This is a mad ‘iwāḍ — elongate it two harakāt when stopping.

6.

Verse 5 – وَبُسَّتِ الْجِبَالُ بَسًّا

* Bussat – pay attention to the shaddah on the sīn. Pronounce both sīn with clarity.

* Jibāl – elongate the alif for 2 harakāt.

* Bassā – another mad ‘iwāḍ, elongate 2 harakāt when stopping.

7.

Verse 6 – فَكَانَتْ هَبَاءً مُنْبَثًّا

* Kānat – the tā is an aspirated letter, release a slight puff of air without turning it into a sīn.

* Habā’an – look out for the mad followed by tanwīn.

* Habā’am munbaththā – this is idghām bi-ghunnah: the tanwīn is merged with mīm, resulting in a nasal sound (ghunnah) and read with 2 harakāt.

* Munbaththā – the thā should be light and pronounced with the tip of the tongue just between the teeth.

8.

Verse 7 – وَكُنتُمْ أَزْوَاجًا ثَلَاثَةً

* Kuntum – here, the nūn sākinah meets tā. Tā is not part of Yarmalūn, so this is ikhfā’, a partial merge with nasalisation. Shape your mouth for tā but pronounce the ghunnah clearly.

* Azwājan thalāthah – another ikhfā’. The tanwīn at the end of azwājan meets thā, a non-Yarmalūn letter.

9.

Verse 8–9 – فَأَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ

* Fa-aṣḥābu-l-maymanah – the ṣād is not a lip letter. Don’t purse your lips when reading it. The thickness comes from the back of the tongue rising.

* Elongate the ā in aṣḥābu as it is part of the mad aṣlī.

* Be careful not to elongate unnecessarily when stopping. If there’s no mad letter, just stop naturally.

Final Tip

Not all stops require elongation. Only stop with mad if there’s a mad letter (like alif, wāw, or yā’ with sukun and matching vowel before it). Otherwise, keep your stop natural and clean.

That wraps up this week’s Tajweed Tuesday on verses 1–9 of Surah al-Wāqi‘ah. Keep practising your recitation with attention to these tajwīd rules.

InshaAllah, I’ll see you on Thursday for Tafsir Thursday as we unpack the meanings and reflections from these verses.

Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Welcome back to BeQuranic!

We are now in Term 2 of 2025, and this term we’ll be diving into a powerful and reflective surah — Surah al-Waqi‘ah.

Each week, you’ll receive three episodes to support your journey:

* On Mondays, we’ll begin with a recitation of the Ayat of the Week

* On Tuesdays, it’s Tajweed Tuesday, where we explore the tajweed rules found in the weekly verses

* On Thursdays, we’ll end the week with Tafsir Thursday, discussing the meanings and life lessons from what we’ve read

This term will take us on a 9-week journey through Surah al-Waqi‘ah, moving verse by verse to reflect and connect deeply with the Qur’an’s message.

Let’s begin Week 1 with the first nine verses of Surah al-Waqi‘ah.

A‘ūdhu billāhi minash-shayṭānir-rajīm

Bismillāhir-raḥmānir-raḥīm

[Recite ayat 1–9 here clearly and with tajweed]

That concludes our first reading of Surah al-Waqi‘ah, verses 1 to 9 — the perfect way to kick off Term 2.

InshaAllah, join us again for Tajweed Tuesday, where we’ll break down the pronunciation and tajweed rules for these verses.

Until then,

Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Community Reminder (Approaching Elections):

* Elections and politics are a part of religion, not its totality. Avoid extreme labels like calling someone “kafir” or “Zionist” based on their voting preferences.

* Voting is a personal ijtihad; choose candidates based on community benefit, not solely candidate’s religion. After elections, we remain a united community.

Reflections on Islamic History & Political Islam:

* Islam as a religion spread peacefully, while the political expansion involved battles for geopolitical necessity, not forced conversion.

* Historical examples: Syria took 500 years to become majority-Muslim, Egypt 300 years. Religious freedom was respected (e.g., Coptic Christians under Muslim rule).

Surah Al-An’am (92 onwards): Key Insights

* Verse 92: Qur’an affirms past scriptures and original monotheism (e.g., Ka’bah built by Ibrahim). Warns Makkah and expands universally.

* Verses 93-94: Greatest wrongdoings include inventing lies against Allah (claiming false revelation) and arrogance. At death, all worldly status and protections vanish; only righteousness remains.

* Verses 95-97 (Nature’s Signs):

* Allah brings life from death (and vice versa); creation showcases His continuous power.

* Linguistic precision: verbs (fi’il) express temporary or active events; nouns (isim) denote permanence/stability—used perfectly to describe natural phenomena.

* Encourages contemplation of nature (night/day cycle, celestial navigation).

Spiritual Reflection (Importance of Salah):

* Prayer is foundational, preventing immorality. Regular prayers create ongoing accountability with Allah.

* True prayer transforms behaviour; superficial prayers do not reflect genuine belief.

Final Reminders (Shawwal & Sunnah Fasting):

* Recommended to combine intentions for fasting in Shawwal (e.g., Monday/Thursday, white days).

* Ladies permitted to combine missed Ramadan fasts with sunnah Shawwal fasts, respecting scholarly differences.

Key Actionable Points:

* Vote responsibly, avoiding divisiveness.

* Reflect regularly on the spiritual impact of your daily prayers.

* Engage actively with nature for spiritual insight.

* Take advantage of sunnah fasting opportunities in Shawwal.

Reflecting on our Tafseer of Surah Al-An’am

Alhamdulillah, it’s great to be back together after Eid. Eid Mubarak to everyone—I hope your Eid is joyful and filled with blessings. May Allah accept all our deeds from Ramadan and grant us the opportunity to experience an even more meaningful Ramadan next year.

Tonight, we continue our tafseer of Surah Al-An’am, picking up from Ayah 90, where we paused before Eid. Our aim now is to complete the remaining eleven pages, covering roughly a page each week. Once we finish this surah, I plan to go back and complete the last four surahs from Juz ’Amma, after which we’ll pick a new topic or maybe start studying a classical text together, inshaAllah.

As usual, we start our session with a beautiful recitation of Ratib Al-Haddad, reconnecting spiritually and setting a tranquil mood for our discussion.

Today, we look at the prophets mentioned in Surah Al-An’am—Ibrahim, Dawud, Sulaiman, Ayyub, Yusuf, Musa, and Harun—and see how Allah uses their stories to comfort Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during his own times of difficulty. Each prophet faces unique challenges: Dawud and Sulaiman experience tests of gratitude (shukr), while prophets like Ayyub, Yusuf, and Musa endure tests of patience (sabr).

The story of Prophet Yusuf (AS) especially resonates deeply because it closely parallels the struggles faced by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Both prophets experience rejection from their closest family members yet achieve eventual success through patience and reliance upon Allah.

We also discuss the special role of Sayyidina Ali, highlighting how Ali supports Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from the earliest days. It’s important to have balanced love: loving Ali deeply doesn’t require us to dislike Abu Bakr or Umar. In fact, Ali himself names his children after these companions, reflecting their strong bond of brotherhood and mutual respect.

Allah instructs us explicitly in this surah to follow the guidance and examples of these prophets and companions. Their lives serve as practical guides that help us navigate our own challenges.

Tonight, we also discuss the unique authenticity and preservation of the Qur’an. Unlike previous scriptures, which undergo alterations and corruption, the Qur’an remains meticulously preserved through memorisation and oral transmission. I often share this remarkable aspect of the Qur’an during interfaith dialogues at the university, surprising many who learn how deeply Muslims engage with their scripture—even memorising it without necessarily understanding its language fully.

Finally, we emphasise a crucial point: true belief in the Hereafter (Akhirah) directly leads us to safeguarding our prayers. Prayer is a key indicator of our faith and our belief in the life to come. Now, as Ramadan has ended, let’s strive to maintain our dedication to prayers, proving our sincere belief in the Akhirah.

May Allah enable us to internalise these reflections, strengthen our connection to the Qur’an, and bless our ongoing journey. See you all next week, inshaAllah!

Eid Khutbah Reflections

Alhamdulillah, today was Eid, and it was truly beautiful to see everyone gathered to celebrate after a month of Ramadan. I began with the traditional Takbīr, praising Allah, and sending peace upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

One important thing I really wanted everyone to remember today is that Islam is a religion of balance. Ramadan was a month of hard work, sacrifice, late-night prayers, and giving up things we enjoy—all for Allah’s sake. But today, Eid, is a day Allah Himself has given us to celebrate and enjoy, as a reward for all our effort.

I also reminded everyone about the blessings we got from Ramadan. Those hadiths really stood out to me:

• “Whoever fasts Ramadan with sincere faith, hoping for reward from Allah, all their past sins will be forgiven.”

• “Whoever prays at night in Ramadan with sincere faith, hoping for reward, their past sins will also be forgiven.”

Reflecting on these hadiths made me realise again just how much mercy Allah shows us, giving us chances to start fresh every year.

I also urged everyone, including myself, not to leave behind what we learned and practised in Ramadan. We all picked up new habits—whether it’s extra prayers, reading more Qur’an, or giving charity. If we just choose even one of these good deeds and hold onto it throughout the year, imagine how much better our lives would be when the next Ramadan arrives.

Something that deeply touched my heart today was reminding everyone about the real success that comes in the next life. I quoted the verses from Surah al-Hāqqah about those who will joyfully receive their book of deeds in their right hands on the Day of Judgement. May Allah make us all among them.

I also made sure we took a moment to thank everyone who helped during Ramadan. Volunteers, those who cooked and provided food, and people who organised activities—they were truly amazing. We asked Allah to reward everyone abundantly, repeating the dua: “Allahumma at’im man at’amana” (“O Allah, feed those who fed us”).

Finally, it was important to me today that we don’t forget our brothers and sisters around the world, especially in Palestine, who are struggling. We asked Allah sincerely to grant them victory, relieve their suffering, provide them with sustenance, healing, patience, and strength.

Eid is definitely a day of joy and celebration, but also reflection and gratitude. Let’s remember this beautiful balance and carry the spirit of Ramadan forward throughout the year, InshaAllah.

May Allah accept from all of us and bless our community always. Eid Mubarak!

Introduction: Ramadan Reflections

• Approaching the end of Ramadan, reflect on the month:

• Choose one good habit to carry forward into the next 11 months.

• Examples: Regular jama’ah prayers, sunnah prayers, daily Qur’an recitation.

• Community announcement:

• Potluck iftar tomorrow.

• Eid prayer details shared.

Surah Al-An’am (Ayahs 85-90): Prophet Ibrahim’s Example

• Emphasis on Ibrahim’s logical arguments and reliance on revelation.

• Allah took ownership of Ibrahim’s logical reasoning, emphasizing the importance of logic and reason in Islam.

Prophet Ibrahim’s Family Legacy (Ayahs 85-88)

• Allah gifted Ibrahim righteous progeny (Ismail, Ishaq, Ya’qub, Dawud, Sulaiman, Ayyub, Yusuf, Musa, Harun).

• Allah states:

“This is how we reward the Muhsinun (excellent people).” (6:84)

• Parenting lessons from Ibrahim’s example:

• Deep concern for children’s faith (Iman).

• Priority is not worldly success but preserving Islam across generations.

Practical Parenting Tips from Ibrahim’s life:

1. Frequent Dua for Children:

• Ibrahim continually made dua for guidance and protection against shirk, even though his son was already a prophet (Ismail).

2. Family Involvement in Ibadah:

• Built the Ka’bah alongside Ismail; engage children in worship, prayers, Quran.

3. Quality Family Time:

• Regularly spent meaningful time with Ismail, strengthening their bond.

• Importance of reducing screen distractions to nurture genuine relationships.

4. Individual Differences Among Children:

• Mentioned diverse prophets: Dawud & Sulaiman (rich, powerful), Ayyub (tested by hardship), Yusuf (from hardship to power), Musa (leader), Harun (supporter).

• Each child may excel differently; the common priority is Iman and character.

Community Responsibility and Da’wah (Ayah 89)

• Diversity in Da’wah Approaches:

• Da’wah methods should adapt culturally and contextually (e.g., historical Indonesian wayang, contemporary methods).

• Emphasized local language and culture to effectively convey Islam’s message.

• Servitude to Islam (Ayah 90):

• Serving Islam is a privilege; Islam benefits us, not vice versa.

• Allah doesn’t depend on specific individuals; replacements will come if one steps away.

• Reminder: Always be humble and grateful for the opportunity to serve.

Significance of Dua: Ibrahim’s Long-term Vision

• Dua of Ibrahim answered thousands of years later through Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

• Dua is an act of worship; outcome and timing are Allah’s domain.

• Importance of ongoing dua for future generations’ guidance.

Conclusion & Practical Takeaways:

• Carry forward Ramadan habits into daily life.

• Emulate Ibrahim’s parenting:

• Frequent dua for children’s Iman.

• Family-centered worship and activities.

• Understand and nurture individual strengths.

• Serve the community humbly, recognizing it as a divine gift, not a burden.

• Maintain a deep commitment to dua for lasting family guidance.

Eid Announcement:

• Eid prayer: Neil MacDougall Park, open-air (following Sunnah), welcoming everyone.

• Takbir: 8:00 am | Eid Prayer: 8:30 am.

May Allah accept all our Ramadan efforts and grant steadfastness for us and our progeny.

Introduction: Differing Ramadan Dates

• Acknowledgment of differences within Muslim communities regarding Ramadan dates (27th vs. 28th).

• Encourages practical approach: worship on both nights to ensure Laylat al-Qadr is covered.

Introduction: Laylat al-Qadr (27th Night)

• Traditionally regarded as most likely night for Laylat al-Qadr.

• Personal anecdote from student days in Egypt, highlighting importance and special nature of the 27th night.

Introduction: Eid Announcement & Reminder

• Eid: Announced for Monday at Neil MacDougall Park, Como.

• Importance of Eid Prayer outdoors—emulating prophetic practice:

• All encouraged to attend (men, women, children).

• Prophet ﷺ conducted Eid prayer in an open field, not a masjid, allowing everyone (including menstruating women) to join the gathering.

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