Classic Islamic Texts Final

Ayat al-Kursi

Themes: absolute sovereignty and knowledge of Allah

Key Concepts:

- Allah is ever-living and the sustainer

- nothing occurs without His permission

- His knowledge encompasses all things

Surah al-Kahf

Major Stories:

1) People of the cave: faith under persecution

2) owner of the two gardens: wealth vs. gratitude

3) Musa & Khidr: divine wisdom beyond human understanding

4) Dhul-Qarnayn: justice and leadership

Surah at-Tawbah

Themes: accountability, hypocrisy, community responsibility

- No "Bismillah" at the beginning

~ This is because the tone of the surah is very severe and serious, and the peaceful merciful nature of Bismillah doesn't align with this

- focus on sincerity and commitment

Surah al-Ikhlas

theme: oneness of Allah

- everything is from Allah, he has always existed and he can't be conceptualized

Surah al-Falaq

theme: protection from external harm

- protects from magic, evil people, and envy

- it is recited 3 times before bed for protection while sleeping, and 3 times after waking for protection during the day

Surah an-Nas

theme: protection from internal whispers

- protects from Satan

- last Surah in the Quran

Surah al-Qiyamah

theme: resurrection and accountability

- death and the day of judgement are inevitable

- even non-believers cannot escape the day of judgement

Surah Maryam

theme: mercy, prophets, miracles

- only Surah in the Quran named after a woman

- Maryam is told by Allah that she will have a son, so she separates herself from friends and family

- after a painful birth, Allah provides her with a date tree and water

- people thought she was crazy when she told them she had a son and her baby, Isa, spoke up and defended her

Surah ash-Sharh

theme: ease after hardship

- God is the only one that can guide people - you should seek to spread your message throughout life

- Prophet Muhammad's life was very hard, in this Surah it says that Allah expanded his chest which means he helped him breathe and relax to cope with hardship

Surah at-Takathur

theme: warning against worldly distraction

- You shouldn't be distracted by greed, people don't understand the consequences of their actions and they have forgotten all Allah has given them

- The tribes always compared their worth by way of people, land, and money

- they even went to the graves of their ancestors to count them and say their tribes were bigger

Surah al-Fatihah

theme: essence of worship and guidance

- the 7 verses in this Surah are recited multiple times a day during the daily prayers

Prophet Yusuf - teachings

teaches patience, forgiveness, trust in Allah

Prophet Yunus - teachings

teaches repentance and reliance on Allah

2:144-145

Change of Qibla

- details the divine command changing the Qibla, direction of prayer, from Jerusalem to Kaaba in Mecca

2:182-186

Justice, Prayer, and Closeness to Allah

- Justice in wills, fasting is required, fasting exemptions, Ramadan, obedience to Allah

2:196-205

Hajj and Ethical Conduct

- Rules for Hajj and Umrah, emphasis on obedience and peace

2:260-274

Charity and Faith

- Abraham's request to see resurrection, reward of charity, rules of charity

76:25-26

Remembrance and Devotion

- Remember and dedicate to Allah through morning and evening prayer

112:1-4

Tawhid (oneness of Allah)

- Allah is one, the sustainer, never born or birthed, no one comparable

Ruh (Spirit) vs. Nafs (Self/Soul)

- Ruh (Spirit): divine element, from Allah, it is the reason for your existence, and it keeps you alive. All living things have a spirit (i.e. animals, plants, the sun, the moon)

- Nafs (Self/Soul): human desires, moral struggle, 3 types

"Ismat al-Anbiya"

- prophets are protected from major sins

- ensures trust in divine message

Minor Signs of the Day of Judgement

moral decline; spread of injustice; violence; natural disasters; religious ignorance; rise of immorality and disobedience; rise of corrupt leaders

Major Signs of the Day of Judgement

appearance of Dajjal; return of Isa (Jesus); the sun rises from the West

Sources of Sharia

1) Qur'an

2) Sunnah (Hadith)

3) Ijma (Consensus)

4) Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)

Laws

divine guidance, Sharia

Ethics

moral conduct rooted in Qur'an and Sunnah (practices and teachings of Prophet Muhammad)

Authority

scholars, jurists, and interpretation traditions

Four Main Madhahib (Schools of Thought)

1) Hanafi school

2) Maliki school

3) Shafi'i school

4) Hanbali school

Wudu Steps

1) intention (Niyyah)

2) wash hands

3) rinse mouth and nose

4) wash face

5) wash arms

6) wipe head

7) wash feet

How to Pray (Salah)

1) Takbir (Allahu Akbar)

2) Recitation (Al-Fatihah + another Surah)

3) Ruku (bowing)

4) Sujud (prostration)

5) Tashahhud

6) Taslim (ending)

Keys Themes

- Tawhid (oneness of Allah)

- accountability and hereafter

- justice and compassion

- knowledge and humility

- balance between law and spirit

Surah Al-Kahf: people of the cave

- story of young believers who fled persecution for their faith, taking refuge in a cave

- Allah caused them to sleep for 309 years, protecting them

- miracle demonstrated Allah's power over life, death, and resurrection and provides a lesson on faith, trial, and divine protection

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- A group of muslims was being persecuted, and they were driven from their town and went to hide in a cave

- Allah protected them by making them sleep for 300yrs and he made sure to turn them in their sleep and that there was a guard dog to protect them

- They felt as if they slept for only a day or so and when they woke up and went into town to buy food everyone was surprised by their outfits and old money

Surah Al-Kahf: owner of the two gardens

- a man is given two lucious vineyards with abundant fruit

- when he enters the gardens, he fails to thank Allah, boasting to his poor Muslim companion about his superior wealth

- the Muslim warns him to remember Allah, and that Allah made the gardens

- the owner continues his arrogance, and eventually his gardens are destroyed by Allah, leaving him in regret without wealth

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- There was one wealthy man with 2 gardens and had no faith in Allah and there was another man who was not wealthy but had a lot of faith

- The one with no faith thought he had everything and explained this to the faithful man

- Both of his gardens were destroyed because he didn't have faith and wasn't focused on important priorities

Surah Al-Kahf: Musa & Khidr

- when Musa claimed to be the most knowledgeable, Allah commanded him to find Khidr at the two seas, who taught him that ultimate wisdom lies in trusting Allah's hidden plans

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- A man asked Musa if he was the most knowledgeable person on earth

- Musa said yes, but Allah informed him that there was another man named Khidr who had knowledge that Musa didn't have

- Musa started a long journey to find him and learn from him

Khidr said that Musa could come and learn, but he wasn't allowed to question anything he did until he explained why

- There was one instance where Khidr killed someone and Musa became impatient and upset. After Musa questioned him twice more, Khidr also became upset because they agreed that Musa couldn't question him.

- Khidr explained why he did everything he did and it was all guided by Allah and it made sense (the person he killed was going to grow up and become evil)

The Story of Prophet Yunus

- Allah sent Yunus to Nineveh (a city in Iraq) which had become filled with idol worshipping and sin, and had forgotten the message of Allah. He sent Yunus, born amongst them, as a Messenger to guide them to his path, the path of light.

- He invited people to turn to Allah and shun idol worship, but the people of Nineveh rejected Yunus. Yunus continued to call them to worship Allah and reminded them of Allah's terrible wrath

- The people believed they were safe since they'd worshipped many gods for years with no harm coming to them, but Yunus continued to warn them of Allah's punishment

- After continued failed attempts to teach the people, Yunus knew their fate and fled the city in anticipation of Allah's wrath, but Allah was upset Yunus fled without instruction to do so

- The skies over Nineveh turned red, and the people remembered Yunus's warning. They found faith, fell to their knees, and begged for Allah's forgiveness and mercy. With this, Allah accepted their repentance, and lifted his punishment, forgiving them and blessing them

- While Yunus fled, he boarded a ship that was hit by a severe storm. Yunus jumped into the sea and was swallowed by a whale. In the whale's belly, he acknowledged his error of fleeing, and Allah answered his prayer, forcing the whale to eject him onto shore, and Allah helped him recover

- Upon his return to Nineveh, Yunus saw the people's newfound faith, making them the only nation whose repentance was accepted to avert divine punishment.

Surah Al-Kahf: Dhul-Qarnayn

- A ruler named Dhul-Qarnayn, appointed by Allah traveled to the west where he found bad people who were oppressors. He punished the oppressors and rewarded the good people and liberated them

- He continued and found another group who was oppressed by Ya'juj (Gog) and Ma'juj (Magog)

- From Allah's knowledge, Dhul-Qarnayn instructed the oppressed villagers to construct a wall of iron and copper in between two mountains

- The evil rulers were trapped there, so the people lived happily

The Story of Prophet Yusuf

- He was a young boy when he saw eleven stars, the sun, and the moon all prostrating to him. His father, Yaqub, was overjoyed but worried about the jealousy of his older sons to Yusuf.

- His older brothers felt jealous because Yusuf was special and they were not. They planned to throw him into a well.

- His brother threw him down the well and smeared his clothing with sheep's blood to show to Yaqub.

- Yaqub was skeptical and prayed for his son's return.

- A caravan from Egypt hauled water from the well, and Yusuf was hauled up in the process. The caravan shackled Yusuf and took him to Egypt.

- Sold to Al-Azeez, the chief minister of Egypt. He grew up to be attractive and athletic. Al-Azeez entrusted Yusuf with his household, and his wife, Zulaika, began to pursue Yusuf. Due to events surrounding this, he was imprisoned. During those years, he was bestowed with the ability to interpret dreams and he was a firm believer in Allah. He told one man to mention him to the King, but the person forgot and he remained in prison for years.

- Predicted the King's dreams and advised him to start storing up food to prepare for famine. He was released from prison and worked as a high-ranking official.

- His brothers came to Europe during the famine. Yusuf tests them, then reveals himself. He forgave his brothers.

- When Prophet Mohammed ascended into heaven, he saw Yusuf and remarked at his beauty.

3 Types of Nafs (Self/Soul)

1) Nafs al-Ammarah: "The Commanding Self" - lowest level - dictates impulsive, selfish, and sinful behavior. It commands a person to follow desires without guilt

2) Nafs al-Lawwamah: "The Self-Reproaching Soul" - the conscious, struggling soul that fluctuates between disobedience and obedience. It feels regret and blames the self for shortcomings.

3) Nafs al-Mutma-innah: "The Tranquil/Contended Soul" - highest level - where the soul is at peace with Allah's decree and fully submits to His commands

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