The 17 Verses Podcast: Distilling the Qur'an One Day at a Time

As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters. 

Today's selection is from Surah 7, Al-A‘râf or the Heights, verses 1-25. These verses assert that the Messengers of God, as well as the people to whom they were sent, will be questioned on the Day of Judgment. Next it begins the story of Iblis (or Satan), who vowed to mislead Adam and his descendants and led them away from the straight path.

As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters. 

Today's selection is from Surah 71, Nüh or Noah, verses 21-28. These verses tell of Prophet Noah's prayer not to leave any unbeliever on the surface of the earth, ie. the Flood. 

Tafseer for this selection concerns the reasons why God used the Flood to purge the unbelievers. Also, a short selection on the Arab Pagan Gods named in verse 23.

As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters. 

Today's selection is from Surah 71, Nüh or Noah, verses 1-20. These verses tell of Prophet Noah's preaching and his submission to God after exhausting all his efforts. 

Tafseer for this selection concerns the seven heavens mentioned in verse 15.

As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters. 

Today's selection is from Surah 18, Al-Kahf or the Cave, verses 18-31. These verses concludes the story of the Companions of the Cave. The story's point is to resolve the disputed issue of life after death but instead people got caught up in debating numbers and years not the main point. The next section talks about how no one is authorized to change the Word of God and lastly, how the Qur'an invites us to make a choice - believe or disbelieve.

As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters. 

Today's selection is from Surah 18, Al-Kahf or the Cave, verses 1-17. The first few verses contain an admonition against those who say that Allah has begotten any progeny, specifically a son. Then we begin to the story of the Companions of the Cave, a group of young men who were forced to take refuge in a cave to escape persecution for their beliefs in God.

As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters. 

Today's selection is from Surah 22, Al-Hajj or the Pilgrimmage, verses 26-38. These verses talk of how Prophet Ibrâhim (or Abraham) built the Kabah and called all to come for pilgrimage. The verses also speak of the good of sacrificing animals in Allah's name and how only your piety, not the blood of the animals, reaches God.

As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters. 

Today's selection is from Surah 22, Al-Hajj or Pilgrimmage, verses 11-25. These verses discuss the behavior of those standing at the verge of faith, God's help to his Messengers, a description of the disbelievers' garments in hell, and the rights of natives and foreigners to access Al Masjid-al-Harãm, or the Kabah.

As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters. 

Today's selection is from Surah 12, Al-Hajj or Pilgrimmage, verses 1-10. These verses discuss a scene from the Hour of Doom, the cycle of life in this world and life in the Hereafter and yet people invoke other deities besides Allah.

As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters. 

Today marks the second day of the Hajj, which is the pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims must make once in their lifetime (if they can afford it). It is also known as the Day of Arafah or Yawm al-Arafah. Today, we will be relaying to you, Du'a Arafah, which is a Shi'a prayer recited on this day, and the Prophet's Last Sermon which was given on this day in the 9th year of the Islamic calendar.

As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters. 

Today's selection is from Surah 25, Al-Furqân or The Criterion, verses 21-44. Topics in this selection: The unbelievers who ask for angels today will ask for a stone barrier b/w them and the angels of punishment. An explanation of the wisdom behind revealing the Qur'an piecemeal rather than all at once. All nations which rejected Allah's revelations and his Messengers were destroyed. Finally, those who take their desires as their Gods are nothing but animals