The Quran is like Allah's banquet on this earth, which we are all invited to.


This is the book that contains guidance, healing, mercy, knowledge, blessings, firmness, tranquility, and everything else that human soul craves for. Thus, Abdullah ibn Masood reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said:


'This Quran is the banquet of Allah, so take as much as you can from His banquet. Indeed, this Quran is the Rope of Allah, and it is the clear Light and (is the effective) Healing. It is a protection for the one who clings to it and a rescue for the one who follows it. It is not crooked and so puts things straight. Its wonders do not cease. It does not wear out with repetition. So recite it, for Allah will reward you for the recitation of every letter.' (Quoted from Tafsir Baghawi)


The Quran is the greatest event in human history, and it happened in this month of Ramadan. And it surpasses all the other miracles that were seen before. Even a group of Jinns who listened to the verses being recited proclaimed that indeed what they heard was an 'amazing recitation' (72:1).


And thus to rejoice in the bounty and the mercy through which this Quran has been sent down to us is better than everything that we amass, as Allah says:


‎قُلْ بِفَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِۦ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا۟ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ


 'Say (O Prophet): In Allah’s Bounty and in His Mercy let them rejoice. That is far better than whatever that they accumulate.' (10:58)


Ramadan is a time that helps us to rejoice in this greatest bounty and mercy from our Lord, the Quran, the ultimate banquet for spiritual nourishment, if we approach it with sincerity, insha'Allah.


#ClosertoQuran
#TheBanquet

This surah has always been a source of fascination to me, evoking vivid reflections of the events it describes. I find that there is a simple, yet profound power in the submission of the Jinn after hearing the words of Allah. It reminds me of the fluctuating nature of Imaan, and how a reignition of faith for me is oftentimes coupled with a reflection upon the Qur'an that seems to spring out of nowhere. May Allah forgive us, but when we forget or neglect the Qur'an for a period in our lives, the best way to reset the sails of Imaan is to enter yet again into the realities of this glorious book. To familiarise ourselves with its deep and lush gardens and let the words we often repeat take on new and previously hidden meanings. Allah facilitates this task for the sincere believer, and in the story of the Jinn of this surah is an indication on how we should receive the Qur'an, whether it be for the first time or for the one hundredth. Submission, Islam, is to accept and absorb the word of Allah—not superficially but through the heart, mind and then through our actions. The Qur'an is a miracle, a gift from Allah and it deserves to be received with dignity and without intermediary—because its words pierce through centuries, continents and worlds to speak directly to you.

What touches me in this reflection is the acknowledgement of  how a human being's faith fluctuates . But each time it does,  something brings us back to our center, our heart--whether that be a single line of Qur'an,  a dream, or a robin's song. 

Allah begins surah al-Jinn by saying:

    قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْآنًا عَجَبًا * يَهْدِي إِلَى الرُّشْدِ فَآمَنَّا بِهِ

    Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur’an. * It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it.' [72:1-2]

    In part of his commentary on this, Imam al-Shawkaani wrote:

    وفي هذا توبيخ للكفار من بني آدم حيث آمنت الجن بسماع القرآن مرة واحدة وانتفعوا بسماع آيات يسيرة منه وأدركوا بعقولهم أنه كلام الله وآمنوا به ولم ينتفع كفار الإنس لا سيما رؤساؤهم وعظماؤهم بسماعه مرات متعددة وتلاوته عليهم في أوقات مختلفة مع كون الرسول منهم يتلوه عليهم بلسانهم

    In this, we find a rebuke of the human disbelievers since the Jinn believed after hearing the Qur’an just once and benefited from hearing only a few of its ayaat and with their intellects they realized that it was the speech of Allah and therefore believed in it.

    But the human disbelievers, most notably the leaders and powerful ones, did not benefit from hearing it multiple times when even though it was recited to them on many different occasions. Furthermore, it was recited by a messenger from among their kind who was reciting it to them in their own language.

    [Fath al-Qadeer pg 1538]

JUZ 29
RAMADHAN WILL LEAVE US BUT MAY WE NEVER  LEAVE RAMADHAN
Let those who worship Ramadhan know that Ramadhan will leave  
But  for those who worship Allah, they know that Allah is The Ever-Living.

JUZ 29 closes Ramadhan with the call for da'wah.
Juz 29 gives a checklist on how to spread The Quran as 'Hudan linnaas'; a Guide for all humanity.

Al Mulk : is reiterating our responsibility to spread the Quran far and wide, even with one ayah.
Al Qalam ayat 14 : tells us that da'wah with the best actions emanating from the best akhlak is way better than a thousand words.
Al Haqqah ayat 44-47 : deals with the integrity of person doing da'wah (da’ie) and the content of the da'wah
Nuh : inspiring the high standard for patience in da'wah
Al Jin : puts the stress on sound knowledge and good listening skills to have maximum input for da'wah
Al Muzzammil : stresses on the night worship when the Quran hits the heart of the da'ie before he goes out to touch others’ hearts 
Al Muddaththir : talks of character building for the da'ie to be out of his comfort zone and to avoid bad character
Al Qiyamah : pushes for the commitment to learn from teachers and to source  expert transmission of knowledge (talaqqi) from a mentor
Al Insan : tells us of the ultimate motivation for the da'ie is his eventual meeting with Allah SWT in the paradise of Zanjabila where Allah SWT will appreciate him for his services
Al-Mursalat Ayat 4-5 : likens the da'ie to  raindrops that fall slowly and gently rejuvenating the dead earth

Barakallaahu fikum.

#JUZ29 #Ramadhan

Santana Williams  Salām this means that there are 19 angels over Saqar (Hell).

Ramadan Reminders Series! Day - 2

My favorite stories are by converts to Islam and their journey to Islam, and my second favorite stories are about the unseen. Surah Al Jinn connects both of them in the most perfect way and it has an amazing style in making us understand Jinns differently than mainstream understandings - instead of instilling fear and making us shy away, we are brought to understand their power through Allah's words. And Allah shows us that not only do we not need to fear Jinns, but some are our brothers and sisters in Islam, too. And yes, we do seek protection of course from the evil Jinns, but instead of fearing them we fear Allah and ask Him for protection from them. A wonderful surah filled with many gems - I highly recommend reading the tafseer of this surah! ☺️

I love stories of the unseen only when they are authentic. And no better place to start than the Quran and authentic hadith. There is a big lesson to learn from the Jinn... notice how they did not wait... they hear few verses of the Quran, they are amazed by it, they reflect on it, then they deliver it to their people. The carriers of the Quran are us, to people we know, in our own language, just like you are doing here in this simple yet profound relatable reflection... here is my post about being the messengers/conduits: https://quranreflect.com/posts/4893 